Along with thousands of devotees from the coastal town of Tanza, Cavite province, a centuries-old image of Saint Augustine made an epic journey to the scenic hills of Antipolo City for a highly anticipated rite dubbed as “Ahunan sa Antipolo.”
known as Tata Usteng, made an epic journey to the scenic hills of Antipolo City in Rizal province for a highly anticipated rite dubbed as “Ahunan sa Antipolo.”
The pilgrimage also marked the kinship between Cavite and Antipolo which dates back to the early Spanish colonial times when both statues first arrived on Philippine shores. This representation paid homage to Tanza’s Lohitor Festival, which celebrates the town’s rich cultural heritage and devotion for Saint Augustine.
Mendoza said the image was then enshrined in a church run by Jesuits in Manila. After some time, the image was brought to Antipolo during the Jesuits evangelic mission in the province, Mendoza said.