BOCAUE, Bulacan—Gov. Daniel Fernando calls for a continued devotion to God amidst conflicts and war being experienced in the world today and the disunity in the country’s leadership as he led devotees and parishioners in touring the town’s river in this year’s Sunday Pagoda in celebration of the 175th year of the Feast of “Mahal na Krus sa Wawa”.
Fernando, the Hermano Mayor, (major sponsor) in this year’s pagoda stood first before hundreds of local folks who braved the rains as they joined, celebrated and watched the Pagoda sailed again in the town’s river.
“We strive for patience, understanding, humility and responsibility. Let us continue our devotion amidsts war and conflicts countries face during these times, a power against another, the current political disunity in our country. Let us continue our prayer for our country,” he said in his message after a mass in the town parish church just before the Holy Cross paraded the waters on board the pagoda.
The governor also expressed his gratefullness after Bulacan recently ranked as the 3rd safest destination in the Philippines, according to the World Travel Index 2025.
Fernando expressed his strong faith as he thanked God for all the blessings he received.
“It is of such honor and a great feeling to be your hermano mayor in our fiesta this year. It is God’s full graces, I thank God and all those who chose me to be your hermano,” he said.
Holy Cross symbol of Christ’s love and forgivess of sins
Bocaue Parish Priest Fr. Mario Jose Ladra led this year’s celebration with the theme, “ika-175 Taong Biyaya at Pag-asa, hatid ng Mahal na Poon ng Krus sa Wawa,” (175th Year of the Holy Cross bringing Blessings and Hope) in a series of morning masses before the pagoda paraded the Bocaue Rivers.
Amid the rains, Ladra said in his message that rains and the sun are both God’s graces.
“Rain and sunny days are showers of blessings the town has been receiving,” he said as the church asked for the Holy Cross to continue to ignite to the people the genuine love. “ Mahal na Poon ng Krus sa Wawa, pag-alabin mo sa amin ang tunay at wagas na pag-ibig”.
Safety in pagoda
Engr. Noel Mariano from Pulilan town who was designtaed by the governor to build this year’s pagoda ensured the safety of all the parishioners and devotees through a steel-made pagoda structure.
The Sunday’s pagoda which remains to be a three storey-height craft only limits its capacity to 120 people. “It can accommodate up to 200, but for safety, we only allow 120 people on board,” Mariano said just after the mass and before the pagoda cruised the river.
The Feast of The Holy Cross in Bocaue is celebrated every first Sunday of July when the Holy Cross was found during a typhoon in 1850 and believed to have saved residents from drowning.
Since then, local folks built a pagoda carrying on board the Holy Cross and tours it in Bocaue’s river as part of the celebration in honor and thanksgiving to Christ for all the year round blessings particularly a bounty catch for the fishermen.
However, on July 2, 1993, during the eve of the last day of the nine days novena before the actual day of the Krus sa Wawa Feast, close to 300 devotees on board the pagoda were drowned and have died when the structure capsized.
Since then, no any grandiose pagoda had sailed again in Bocaue’s waters. However, twenty one years later in 2014, municipal, church leaders and parishioners brought back the festivity in the waters during the Feast of Mahal na Krus sa Wawa on belief that graces and blessings will again pour in the town.
