The annual Fiesta Señor is a cherished tradition among Cebuanos. Throughout the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu, medical stations are strategically placed to ensure that essential care is always accessible.
These stations, staffed by passionate volunteers from various universities, play a crucial role in supporting visitors to the church.
Among the dedicated medical volunteers within the church is Anika, a fourth-year nursing student from Mandaue, Cebu.
Growing up without privilege, Anika has faced her share of challenges.
She shared that during the height of the pandemic, she almost lost her dad to COVID-19. “My dad had a very critical COVID diagnosis. He spent [in the hospital] almost two months and then gi-incubate gyud siya. Sa among sitio, we were the first one—the first family who got COVID and then gi-cordon among house.”
Undoubtedly, it was a time filled with fear and uncertainty, yet she held onto hope through it all. And by the grace of Señor Santo Niño, neither she nor the rest of her family contracted the virus. She sees this, along with her dad’s recovery, as clear answers to her fervent prayers to the Holy Child.
For Anika, the Fiesta Señor is more than just an event—it’s a cultural practice passed down through the generations, as taught by her grandmother and mother before her. This celebration serves as a reminder of how He is a beacon of hope to the Filipino people—especially Cebuanos.
Through it all, what keeps her going is having to live with a purpose. “I’ve always reminded myself that my existence is something I owe to the Lord, and I am very humbled He gave me life, along with my family and friends. Despite all the sorrows [and] obstacles I went through, I always think na there’s some people who have it harder than me, and other people who have much bigger suffering and struggles.”
The purpose is sometimes felt most intensely when life’s challenges arise.
“There’s no way out but through. So every problem, there’s no other way na you can solve it but you go through it so you can find a solution. Bisa’g unsa nga problems, we have to be able to experience it first-hand [to learn],” she shared. /Joanna Cassandra D. Isagan, BMSN Media Centre student volunteer