Feast of the

Holy Cross of Wawa Bocaue Bulacan

Presented by
Dennisse Gail Francisco, Andreyah Nicole Francisco, BrianVincent Galang

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 Feast of the Holy Cross of Wawa
introduction to the Feast of the
Holy Cross of Wawa
In Bocaue, Bulacan, the Pagoda sa Wawa is
celebrated on the first Sunday in July.
The festival is also known as the Bocaue River
Festival, Bocaue Pagoda Festival.
The festival's main draw.

In Bocaue, Bulacan, the Pagoda sa Wawa is celebrated on the first Sunday in July as a way
of showing
gratitude for the Holy Cross of the Wawa Mahal na Krus sa Wawa.
The festival is also known as the Bocaue River Festival, Bocaue Pagoda Festival, and the
Fiesta of the
Blessed Cross of Wawa (Pista ng Mapagpalang Krus sa Wawa).
The festival's main draw is its fluvial procession of pagodas, animated flatboats, and
colorful tiny boats.

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 Brief history
The Holy Cross of Wawa was allegedly
retrieved from the river known as
"Wawang Capiz" 200 years ago by the
ancestors of Bocaue, and the festival
commemorates this event.

An amazing tale describes a woman who was saved from suffocation by a cross that was
thought to be
the Holy Cross of Wawa but was actually drifting.The Holy Cross had survived a lots of
calamities, this
includes fire and huge storms that devastated the church it belongs to. It is also believe to
save the
people of Bocaue during a cholera outbreak in the 1800's.

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 What happends during the celebration of
the feast?
A nine-day novena honoring the
Holy Cross of Wawa's protection
from the Bocaue River is also a part
of the festivities.

The Holy Cross of Wawa is a replica of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified, It is
attached
to a pagoda and driven downstream by a group of bancas. The entire river parade has
been dramatically
renovated, and devotees from all over the Philippines have gathered to honor the Holy
Cross of Wawa.
A nine-day novena honoring the Holy Cross of Wawa's protection from the Bocaue River is
also a part of
the festivities.

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 The Pagoda Tragedy
Back in July 2 1993, more than 300 people
drowned during the the feast of the holy cross of
wawa . It was fun while it lasted, everybody
wanted to show how devoted they are.

Back in July 2 1993, more than 300 people drowned during the the feast of the holy cross
of wawa . It
was fun while it lasted, everybody wanted to show how devoted they are.
More than 500 devotees were riding the pogada. Based on the news the pagoda was
poorly made. It is
also believed that the pagoda was overcrowded and uneven weight was distributed in the
vessels that
why it sank.
The original pagoda stopped for almost two decades, they only celebrated the feast in
very simple way
with small bangcas and very limited devotees.
Even with this tragic event, it did not stop the faith that the people have on the black
cross, if not, this
tragedy has even made their faith stronger. The devotees not only honors the cross of
wawa but also
the people who died during the tragic event.The black cross glory still live up to this day
due to its
devoted believers and miraculous appearance

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 Sajid Bulig
Sajid Bulig is an elementary student whom is
declared as a hero. He gave up his life to save four
children from drowning from the tragedy that
happened during the celebration of The feast of
the holy cross of wawa. It was a fatal accident that
occurred on July 2, 1993 .
This action of his was documente by Lazelle
Peligno and Ela Rose Sablaon in their book entitled
“ Ang Lahing Pilipino sa Nagbabagong Panahon”.

Sajid Bulig is an elementary student whom is declared as a hero after giving his life to save
four children from drowning. He was 13 years old by that time his family was devasted
about this news. On the otherhand, they are also proud that at his young age he managed
to save the others.
His family is thankful that the municipality made a statue of him to show gratitude towards
his action. They feel that Sajid is with them whenever they see the statue. This action of his
was documented by Lazelle Peligno and Ela Rose Sablaon in their book entitled “ Ang
Lahing Pilipino sa Nagbabagong Panahon”.

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