20 January 2008 143 views 4 Comments

Here are some recent photographs of the Parish of Sto. Niño at Barangay Bula in General Santos City which I took myself. Enjoy them…

The welcome arch leading to the entrance of the Parish of Sto. Niño in Barangay Bula (population: 40,000, with Catholics controlling 98%). Bula’s fiesta in January 15 of every year is the most grandiose and the most eagerly-anticipated in the city of General Santos. It is home to majority of the area’s fishermen and is the humble origin of most of the city’s fishing big guns.

A shot of the Sto. Niño Parish Church altar taken from the choir loft at the back. Take note of the boat hull-replica at the right serving as the receptacle of the Sto. Niño de Cebu image. The parish serves mostly fisherfolk communities.

That’s Mayor Jun Acharon in light-colored checkered shirt performing the Sinulog Dance while bringing a “gift” to the altar along with other volunteers during the Offertory at the Holy Mass presided by Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez, DD.

Santo Niño images of all shapes, sizes and patronages are being sold in this makeshift stall just across the main door to the church. Hung from the roof are colorful garments for the images also in various sizes or STO. NIÑO BLING-BLINGS.

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Beside the church and on the roadside is laid out this display of various folk medicines and cures for different types of ailments from the simple (headache, tummy ache, skin disease, vertigo, dark underarms, etc) to the complicated (infertility, lack of lovelife). Surprisingly, I didn’t find any amulet.

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A balloon vendor selling colorful ballons and plastic blow-up dolls/toys infront of Sto. Niño Parish Church.