“Faith is an oasis in the heart which will never be reached by the caravan of thinking.” - Khalil Gibran
Langub Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe – image source: tripadvisor.com.ph
The faith of Cebuanos is evident in the number of churches spread across the island. This is further highlighted by the religious festivals Cebuanos celebrate every year along with the different places Cebuanos hold in the highest regard. One of these places is the Langub Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The story of the Langub Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe started during the Spanish era when a wild chicken trapper named Ricardo Ramirez saw a flashing light coming from a cave that was known back then as the “langub na duha’y baba” or cave with two mouths in 1880. The cave was located close to a river called Sapang Diyot in Barangay Kalunasan. When he asked the other hunters if they saw the same flashing light he saw, they replied that they did not see anything.
The story of the Langub Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe started during the Spanish era when a wild chicken trapper named Ricardo Ramirez saw a flashing light coming from a cave that was known back then as the “langub na duha’y baba” or cave with two mouths in 1880. The cave was located close to a river called Sapang Diyot in Barangay Kalunasan. When he asked the other hunters if they saw the same flashing light he saw, they replied that they did not see anything.
Langub Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe – image source: flickr.com
He checked the cave and discovered that an image of Our Lady was the source of the flashing light. The image was supposedly hidden inside the cave during the Spanish era since the locals were afraid that it would be desecrated by non-believers or the Spaniards would take it back. However, the locals forgot about the image before it was found by Ramirez.
The image was moved from its location on top of a naturally-formed rock close to a rock shaped like a basin to level ground close to the river and a hermitage as built on the site. Since the hermitage burned down during the Philippine-American War, the image was transferred to the Church of San Nicolas. A small chapel was eventually built in Kalunasan in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The wooden image is brought to the area during the annual fiesta and novena in the area. After the fiesta and novena, the image is returned to the church.
The image was moved from its location on top of a naturally-formed rock close to a rock shaped like a basin to level ground close to the river and a hermitage as built on the site. Since the hermitage burned down during the Philippine-American War, the image was transferred to the Church of San Nicolas. A small chapel was eventually built in Kalunasan in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The wooden image is brought to the area during the annual fiesta and novena in the area. After the fiesta and novena, the image is returned to the church.
Langub Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe – image source: flickr.com
The significance of the cave was eventually highlighted since it served as the hiding place of the image. The cave was cleaned to allow the general public to visit it. After the cave was consecrated, it became a holy place for devotees of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In time, the path to the cave was developed to make it easier for devotees and visitors to reach the cave. The cave is big enough to accommodate thirty people at one time and is filled with religious memorabilia. Water dripping off a stalactite inside the Langub Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is believed to be miraculous.
Getting to the Langub Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Langub Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe – image source: everythingcebu.com
Since the Langub Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is located in Barangay Kalunasan in Guadalupe close to the Guadalupe Church, you should get on a jeepney headed for the church. These are the jeepneys marked 06B, 06C, 06E, 06F, 06G, and 06H. Once you reach the church, you can simply ask the residents for the path going to the cave.
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