CIRCULO Hotel, Inc. (CHI) spearheaded a fundraising campaign, the “Grand Santacruzan and Flores de Mayo Festival,” on May 28, 2024, for the benefit of the Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a 920-capacity chapel perched atop Tumandok Hill, Pueblo de Panay Township in Roxas City.
The Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is home to the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Commonly called “The Shrine” by the locals, the 102-foot (31 meters) Jesus Christ statue is mounted on a 30-foot (nine meters) pedestal on top of a 366-foot hill (112 meters). It is considered the tallest statue in the Philippines and the fourth tallest in the world, higher than the Holy Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by a few feet.
In celebration of the Philippines’ May Flower Festival on May 28, about 36 reynas (queens), escorts, and angels participated in the time-honored tradition Santacruzan (Holy Cross) and Flores de Mayo. The procession commenced with a solemn mass and ended with the coronation of queens. It was officiated by the religious congregation of the Merciful Missionaries of St. Joseph led by Fr. Prex Fajardo, Fr. Stephen Gonzales and Capiz Archdiocese Fr. Dale Orda, and approved by parish priest, Msgr. Reggie Pamposa.
Interestingly, even the rain shower stopped to allow the participants to drive with its convoy and walked around Roxas City and Pueblo Township, accompanied with a brass band playing major tunes and people praying in thanksgiving for the end of drought. The procession culminated in Robinson’s Place Roxas mall with hundreds of mall visitors enjoying the colorful procession of beautifully-dressed ladies and gentlemen bearing the Christian Virtues. The procession was led by Queen Helena Pauline Orillos and her consort Constantine Yeshua Montaño.
CHI president Victoria Hariette Ong-Banzon, who also serves as one of the Board of Directors of Pueblo De Panay, Inc. (PDPI) and a Core Committee Member and Catechist of Holy Trinity Divine Healing Ministry (HTDHM), Inc., happily shared that the event raised a significant amount of funds from individuals and organizations.
“We are truly grateful to the Lord for blessing us with people who are partners in the faith and who are generous enough to help us in upgrading and beautifying our chapel, specifically lighting the shrine. The Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart has always been a place of prayer, conversion and healing. With the support of our brothers and sisters, we will be able to carry on this spiritual tradition,” added Banzon.
CHI is an events venue perched elegantly on a verdant hill within Pueblo de Panay Township, an emerging commercial business district in Roxas City, Capiz. It is also a place where guests can create meaningful memories with their family, friends, and colleagues. Since 2012, it has been providing delectable Filipino, Spanish, and Italian Heritage cuisine that showcase the pride of Filipino culture, arts and stellar customer service by offering the best products and services at the Seafood Capital. For further inquiries, you may contact +63.917.312.1498 (Globe), +63.939.927.1447 (Smart), or sales@circulo.com.ph./PN