The power of Ina: When devotion becomes service
by Mary Rose Civico and Caceres News Correspondents
Before the bells ring and before the streets are filled with the movement of thousands of devotees, another kind of procession has already begun. A line of first aid and food tents has been put up the night before September 11 when the Traslacion happens.
Along the Traslacion route, faith is carried not only by the devotees but also by the hands that serve them – they do not carry the image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia but they have come for her and her faithful.
There are hands preparing bowls of goto. There are volunteers carrying containers of water, medical kits, and supplies. There are people setting up stations and preparing themselves for hours of service.
This is another face of the Traslacion—a quieter procession of compassion, where devotion is expressed through a meal given, a drink offered, a wound attended to, and a helping hand extended. For these volunteers, the power of Ina is not simply something they witness. It is something they experience through service.
A tradition of sharing
Ma. Emma Llorin, president of the Rotary Club of Naga, shared her story of serving devotees during the Peñafrancia celebration and how it has become a tradition rooted in generosity. She said that for about 10 years, what began as the simple giving of goto has grown into a wider food outreach, offering devotees refreshments such as sorbetes, palamig, and ice candy.
Members of the club come from different sectors, but their differences disappear in the common purpose of helping the thousands who gather for the celebration. There are no major struggles, Llorin said, because members remain eager to contribute year after year.
Their motivation is beautifully simple. “It is part of our tradition to share our blessings,” Llorin said.
In the midst of a massive religious gathering, a bowl of goto becomes more than nourishment. It becomes a small offering of kindness to someone who has walked a long way in faith.
A panata served warm
Led by Eagle Joel Clutario of Naga, the Agila Fraternal Order of Eagles under Bicol–Camarines Sur service is also an expression of commitment. The organization is now in its fourth year of implementing “Free Goto for Ina.”
For the Eagles, the project is part of their panata and reflects one of the organization’s objectives: helping people. Their goto is offered not simply to feed hungry devotees, but to fulfill a promise of service. In every serving, they believe, devotion takes a practical form.
Compassion committed to the crowd
As thousands gather along the Traslación route, the presence of healthcare volunteers becomes just as important as the food and water stations. For the Philippine Red Cross–Camarines Sur Chapter, serving during Peñafrancia is an annual commitment.
Officer-in-Charge Ma. Felisa Rey Badiola said the organization continues to volunteer every year, providing health services as part of its mission. There are inevitable incidents in a gathering of such magnitude, but volunteers are prepared. People have also become more familiar with what to do, making the work more manageable.
For Badiola, however, service is not measured only by the number of people assisted. “Magaan sa kalooban na nakakaserbisyo.” She finds joy in witnessing volunteers serve with passion, seeing their dedication as part of what she describes as the power of Ina.
For the Red Cross volunteers, keeping devotees safe is both a responsibility and an act of compassion.
When water becomes an offering
The Youth for Christ Alumni Association, connected with Couples for Christ and led by President Bro. Mel Israel, brings another expression of generosity to the celebration. One of the organization’s activities is providing water and goto to devotees.
Although the organization is relatively new, its members have embraced the opportunity to give back. Even transporting meals and water can be challenging, but help came when they needed it. For them, that assistance became another reminder that Ina makes a way for those who desire to serve.
Their reason for joining the effort is deeply personal: it is an honor to return the blessings they have received and to place Ina at the center of their devotion. In a celebration where devotees come to ask for blessings, these volunteers come carrying blessings to share.
A reunion written in service
For the Tinago Central School Batch ’90 Alumni Association, the Traslación has become a meeting point between devotion and friendship. For six years now, the group has participated in the celebration.
Raymond Gisik, the association treasurer, said manpower remains one of their challenges because members are busy with their own responsibilities. Yet the annual service gives them a reason to come together. “It is our way of getting together. It is our reunion,” he said.
“Through Ina, old classmates find time to reconnect while doing something meaningful for others,” he added. Their main purpose is to help people, and in the process, they experience the joy of seeing people helping one another.
“Magaan sa pagmati na nagtatarabangan.” The phrase captures something essential about the Traslacion: faith creates community, and community becomes strongest when people choose to serve one another.
A medical frontline for Ina
Not every act of devotion happens in the open. Some happen behind medical tents, at advance posts, and in places where volunteers quietly wait for someone who needs assistance.
At the BMC–Advance Medical Post, Mr. Armando C. Bitara Jr., RN, has served as team leader for eight years. Every year brings new challenges, he said, but each challenge also provides an opportunity to improve.
“There is room for improvement every year because we want to give our best for the devotees of Ina,” he emphasized. For Bitara, his work as a medical professional has become inseparable from his faith. Serving is no longer simply about performing a profession.
“This has become my devotion to Ina,” according to Dr Bitara. By caring for devotees, he sees himself as giving back for the good he has received. His medical skills become another way of saying thank you.
Serving even without walking
For the Coast Guard Auxiliary Squadron, devotion takes yet another form.
Auxiliary Lieutenant Chester Sta. Rosa, who has volunteered since 2015, understands that service sometimes means remaining at one's post rather than joining the procession. Because of their duties, they cannot always participate in the procession itself. Still, they remain present to provide medical care and assistance to devotees.
“We are happy and glad that we are serving Ina and her devotees by providing medical care for them,” said Sta. Rosa. and for him this service has likewise become a devotion.
The procession may move forward, but those who serve remain behind to ensure that others can continue their journey safely.
A Different Kind of Procession
The Traslacion is a movement of faith. Thousands walk, still thousands pray, yet thousands simply call upon Ina.
But along the same road, another procession takes place. It is made up of volunteers carrying food instead of banners, water instead of candles, medical kits instead of procession materials. They stand at stations, prepare meals, offer care, and wait patiently for the next person who may need their help.
Their names may not be heard in the chants. Their faces may disappear into the crowd. Yet their service forms an essential part of the celebration.
Different organizations. Different missions. One shared expression of faith.
Service.
This is one of the most beautiful lessons of the Traslacion: devotion does not always have to be loud to be profound.
Sometimes, devotion is a bowl of goto placed into a tired devotee’s hands. Sometimes it is a bottle of water offered without expecting anything in return. Yet sometimes, it is a medical volunteer standing for hours, ready to respond.
Because the power of Ina can be seen not only in the thousands who walk with her, but also in the thousands of small acts of love that make that journey possible.
In the Traslación, faith moves. But through the hands of those who serve, faith also becomes love in action.
Photos by Niño Lyndon Civico & Janclio Guerrero
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