The Philippine Embassy joined the Filipino-Dutch community in Molenhoek last September 18 in celebration of the festival of Sinulog which was highlighted by a mass held at the Our Lady of Sorrows Church and a procession of the image of the Holy Child Jesus -- Sto. Niño de Cebu -- to the shouts of “Pit Senyor!”.
The mass was concelebrated by three Filipino priests -- Fr. Patrick Casiño (based in Venlo), as main celebrant, Fr. Harlon Budikey (Nijmegen), and Fr. Alan de Guzman (Amsterdam) – and three Dutch counterparts.
In his remarks after the mass, Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya commended the Filipino-Dutch community headed by Ms. Renna Rombouts - Fantonial for having had introduced the Sinulog tradition to Molenhoek and shared the rich Filipino heritage and deep devotion to the Sto. Niño.
This year’s commemoration takes on special significance as the Philippines mark the 500th year anniversary of the introduction of Christianity in the country. When the explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his companions landed in Cebu, he presented an image of the Holy Child Jesus to Juana, the queen of Cebu, signaling the introduction of the Christian faith to our ancestors 500 years ago.
The Sinulog festival is held every third Sunday of January in Cebu. The Sinulog version in Molenhoek is celebrated at the end of the summer season instead of January, the latter falling within the winter months in the northern hemisphere.
A potluck reception followed the festival where community members and their Dutch friends enjoyed Filipino and other delicacies.
