JULY 8, 2026
OZAMIZ CITY, Misamis Occidental — Forty-two years after it was reported lost, the revered Birhen sa Cotta has received one of the highest honors granted to an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, marking a historic moment for the Catholic faithful of Misamis Occidental.
The Marian image, formally known as Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepción y del Triunfo de la Cruz de Migpangi, received its solemn Coronation on July 8 at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Ozamiz City.
The coronation was held alongside the 132nd Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), which was hosted by the Archdiocese of Ozamiz under the leadership of Archbishop Martin S. Jumoad.
The image was lost in 1975 and remained missing for more than four decades before it was recovered in Manila. In 2017, it was brought back to Misamis Occidental, restoring to the local faithful an image that had long been associated with their Marian devotion.
The coronation marked the culmination of decades of prayers and devotion among the faithful who continued to hope for the image’s return.
The celebration began with a Holy Eucharistic Celebration presided over by Archbishop Charles John Brown, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, together with bishops and archbishops attending the CBCP plenary assembly. Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David also witnessed the historic coronation.
Governor Henry S. Oaminal, who supported preparations for the celebration, joined the faithful during the occasion together with provincial government officials, members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, city and municipal mayors, First District Representative Jason P. Almonte, Second District Representative Sancho Fernando “Ando” Oaminal and Asenso Pinoy Party-list Representative Henry “Indy” Oaminal Jr.
The Episcopal Coronation added another chapter to the long history of the Birhen sa Cotta, whose disappearance and eventual recovery have become part of the religious heritage of the local Church.
For the Catholic community of Misamis Occidental, the occasion was more than a ceremonial recognition. It marked the return of a cherished religious image to its community and its renewed place in the devotional life of the faithful.
From its disappearance in 1975, recovery in Manila and return to Misamis Occidental in 2017, the Birhen sa Cotta’s journey has become a story of enduring faith and devotion—one that culminated in its historic coronation in the heart of Ozamiz City.
