They forgot!

 In Deuteronomy 4,9 we are told how God

enjoined Moses: "Take care not to forget
the things which your own eyes have seen,
nor let them slip from your memory as long
as you live, but teach them to your children
and to your children’s children." Not to
forget! Not to forget!
 The future cannot be built by disregarding the
past. It is important to fully appreciate the rich
Christian roots of Filipino culture and civilization
in order to transmit them to new generations. For
this to happen, it is necessary that we recognize
and preserve our most cherished patrimony, made
up of values that guaranteed our development.
 The Jesuits and the Recoletos: they left us with
our memory. And our identity, which will forever
be marked by the Cotta and the Virgin etched on
its wall. This is our Church Heritage, even though
it belongs to the government.
 We are grateful to that government, the
City of Ozamiz, for consenting to name the
Plazas beside the Cotta as memorials to the
Jesuits and the Recoletos. Henceforth they
shall be called Plaza de los Jesuitas and
Plaza de los Recoletos. Through these and
the devotion to the Virgin of the Cotta we
hope to grow conscious of our roots.
Icall on you again to celebrate the
Festival of the Huts on Saturday,
October 6, 2007, with appropriate
ceremonies this time to honor the
Jesuits and the Recoletos who left us
with our memory and identity.
Our identity will always be marked by
the Cotta and the Virgin on its wall.
Unfortunately, it belongs to the
government.
 Nevertheless, I tried to re-popularize the devotion
to the Virgin of the Cotta. We started as a
Christian settlement around it and we will survive
by going back to it; specifically to the little huts
of our ancestors around it. We do a pilgrimage by
going back to the values, the faith, and the
devotions they taught us in those huts. These are
our true heritage.
 The original Virgin of the Cotta was a statuette of
the Immaculate Conception brought by the Jesuits
and placed in the Chapel of the Cotta. This was
transferred to the church of the Misamis Parish.
Unfortunately, this was lost or stolen during the
Martial Law Years. I had a replica made in 1991
and installed in front of the Cathedral.
My interest on the value of the Church
Heritage was a by-product of our
taking seriously Pope John Paul II's
vision for the new millennium.
Indications of this can be culled from
his documents and talks.
 In Deuteronomy 4,9 we are told how God
enjoined Moses: "Take care not to forget
the things which your own eyes have seen,
nor let them slip from your memory as long
as you live, but teach them to your children
and to your children’s children." Not to
forget! Not to forget!
 The future cannot be built by disregarding the
past. It is important to fully appreciate the rich
Christian roots of Filipino culture and civilization
in order to transmit them to new generations. For
this to happen, it is necessary that we recognize
and preserve our most cherished patrimony, made
up of values that guaranteed our development.
 The Jesuits and the Recoletos: they left us with
our memory. And our identity, which will forever
be marked by the Cotta and the Virgin etched on
its wall. This is our Church Heritage, even though
it belongs to the government.
 We are grateful to that government, the
City of Ozamiz, for consenting to name the
Plazas beside the Cotta as memorials to the
Jesuits and the Recoletos. Henceforth they
shall be called Plaza de los Jesuitas and
Plaza de los Recoletos. Through these and
the devotion to the Virgin of the Cotta we
hope to grow conscious of our roots.
Icall on you again to celebrate the
Festival of the Huts on Saturday,
October 6, 2007, with appropriate
ceremonies this time to honor the
Jesuits and the Recoletos who left us
with our memory and identity.
Our identity will always be marked by
the Cotta and the Virgin on its wall.
Unfortunately, it belongs to the
government.
 Nevertheless, I tried to re-popularize the devotion
to the Virgin of the Cotta. We started as a
Christian settlement around it and we will survive
by going back to it; specifically to the little huts
of our ancestors around it. We do a pilgrimage by
going back to the values, the faith, and the
devotions they taught us in those huts. These are
our true heritage.
 The original Virgin of the Cotta was a statuette of
the Immaculate Conception brought by the Jesuits
and placed in the Chapel of the Cotta. This was
transferred to the church of the Misamis Parish.
Unfortunately, this was lost or stolen during the
Martial Law Years. I had a replica made in 1991
and installed in front of the Cathedral.
My interest on the value of the Church
Heritage was a by-product of our
taking seriously Pope John Paul II's
vision for the new millennium.
Indications of this can be culled from
his documents and talks.