Nuestra Senora de la Inmaculada Concepcion y del

Triunfo de la Cruz de Migpangi

One of the enduring religious accounts in the town of Misamis (now Ozamiz City) is
that of the image of the Blessed Virgin in the old Spanish Fort or Cotta that still stands
today, guarding the entrance to Panguil Bay. The Fort was built in 1756 by Spanish
Jesuit Father Jose Ducos and his to serve as an outpost of Spanish forces guarding
and defending against the marauding Muslim pirates. Father Ducos placed the fort
and the town that grew around it under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Immaculate
Conception. A special chapel was built inside the walls of the fort and an image of the
Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, in the pink and blue attire, was enshrined in the
chapel. Outside the fort on the wall facing the bay there was carved also the image of
the virgin.

The image has been referred to simply as the Birhen sa Cotta or Virgin of the Fort,
although its actual title is Nuestra Seora de la Inmaculada Concepcion y del triunfo
de la Cruz (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and of the Triumph of the Cross
of Panuil Bay, a name taken after the flagship of Father Ducos, the El Triunfo. The feast
day of the Virgin was set on July 16, which is the feast of the Triumph of the Cross, an
old Spanish feast commemorating the victory of the Christian Spain over the Moors in
Las Navas, Tolosa, Spain. In the beginning the celebration of the Virgin's feast day was
confined within the walls of the fort, but when the town of Misamis grew and the
number of her devotees increased, the feast day became an important holy day, a cause
for celebration, for the whole town as well.

Oral tradition tells of the miraculous intercessions of the Virgin during the Muslim
raids to which the fort was often subjected. Oftentimes the fort was undermanned due
to its distance from the main Spanish garrisons and the infrequent visits of the armada
whose principal anchorage in the south was Cebu. But the fort had always withstood
even the fiercest Muslim attacks, a feat which they could attribute only to the Blessed
Mother's intercession.

In 1876, the Spanish priest assigned in Misamis noted that the chapel and the image
were not properly cared for. He ordered that the precious image be transferred to the
parish church of the town. From that time on his ancient and historical image was
kept on the side of the altar of the church, encased in a crystal urn, and its feast
customarily observed on July 16 Since July 16 is also the feast day of our Lady of Mt.
Carmel, the image has been erroneously taken for that of the Lady of Mt. Carmel. It
was therefore repainted to conform to the brown habit of the Carmel image. The actual
image of the Lady of Mt. Carmel is one with the child Jesus in her arms. In the late
90s, heeding the historical studies of Fr. Miguel Bernad, SJ, the then Archbishop Jesus
A. Dosado, as part of his endeavour to revitalize and strengthen the devotion to the
Birhen sa Cotta, ordered the restoration of the original pink and blue color of the image.

The old church was destroyed by the strong earthquake in 1955 but the image of the
Virgin was left intact. When the new Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was built,
the image was enshrined on the right side altar. On its feast day the miraculous -image
is taken by devotees in procession around the city and the old Cotta where Holy Mass
is offered in her honor. Today many devotees from far and near trek to the Cotta to
importune the Blessed Mother for favors and light candles in front of the craved image
enshrined within the fort.

Birhen sa Cotta of all Misamisnons, pray for us.