Leyte Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival stages first Sto. Niño Exhibit

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
June 17, 2010

TACLOBAN CITY  –  For the first time in Tacloban City, an exhibit of various Santo Niño images  was organized by the Leyte Pintados Foundation to highlight the month-long celebration of the feast of the Patron of the entire province of Leyte.

The Sto. Niño Exhibit was officially opened on June 15 at the activity area of Robinsons Place Tacloban, with the cutting of the ribbon by Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla who was represented by Vice-Governor Mimyet Bagulaya, together with this year’s Hermanos, the Agaton Family, and the Leyte Pintados Foundation officers.

Before the opening of the exhibit, all the images of Sto. Niño including the Teniente of the Parish were toured around the main thoroughfares of Tacloban and were met at the entrance of the Robinson’s Mall in Marasbaras by the Pintados group of Anibong.

The exhibit of the Santo Niño images in different presentations and sizes will run for three days only, from June 15 to 17, Mr. Eugene Tan, the president of the Pintados Foundation disclosed.

The exhibit was blessed by Rev. Fr. Erwin Balagapo of the Sto. Niño Parish of Tacloban City and was followed with the reading of the Message of Gov. Icot Petilla by Vice Gov. Mimyet Bagulaya.

In his speech, Gov. Icot lauded the Pintados Foundation for spearheading the exhibit as it will bring more awareness of and devotion to Senor Sto. Niño.

About 15 Sto. Niño images were loaned by their owners to the Pintados Foundation and each of them has a donation/love offering box.  Many devotees dropped some amount and when counted at the end of the day, the total amount donated or offered reached to more than P30,000 which will go to the Sto. Niño Parish of Tacloban.