Our Lady of Guidance
The story of the oldest revered Marian icon in Filipino Catholicism and the patroness who gives our Academy its name.
Our Lady of GuidanceNuestra Señora de Guia
The oldest revered Marian image in the Philippines and the namesake at the heart of our school community.
The image of Nuestra Señora de Guia—Our Lady of Guidance—holds the distinction of being the oldest revered icon in Filipino Catholicism. In 1571, a Spanish soldier encountered natives venerating a beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary near the present site of Ermita Church.
From that time, Virgen de Guia was associated with charitable favors and miracles, especially for navigators, earning the title Guia, or guide.
Tradition holds that the image was brought to the Philippines by Magellan’s ships in 1521. A Royal Decree dated August 9, 1578 declared Nuestra Señora de Guia the Sworn Patroness of Manila.
Devotees recount that navigators offered novenas before voyages and carried the image in procession when galleons were delayed, seeking safe passage through tumultuous seas.
The image’s precise origin remains a mystery. The statue stands approximately 50 centimeters tall, including its pedestal. Its dress and tunic are lined with dark red silk and white parallel stripes, while the lower garment resembles the tapis traditionally worn by Tagalog women.
