Quo Vadis? Going Back to Simala, Sibonga, Cebu.

I had to go back to Cebu, not only to process my PRC registration but to climb back to the Hills of Simala and pay my gratitude to the miraculous Virgin Mary. I feel that it was through my pilgrimage to Simala that I was granted the grace to pass the medical board exams.

So I traveled back to Cebu City, alone for the first time. I traveled to Cebu City via Don Salvador Benedicto. It was a bright day and the mountains of Negros wore brightly their green slopes. The Negrense countryside is very beautiful, especially the route to Don Salvador Benedicto.

I reached Cebu City at around 1:30 p.m. and checked in at a pension house. After a quick nap, I went around the city again, alone and trying to reminisce the last time I was here with my classmates when we took the medical board exams. During my first night, I bought some fancy paper and pen and wrote my thanksgiving note to Our Lady of Simala which I would offer during my visit to her the next day. Together with the letter was my name plate during my med school days.


The following day, I woke up early and rode a taxi that brought me to Citylink Terminal where all the minivans(V-hire) were parked. I asked which V-hire would bring me to Sibonga, the town where Simala is located, and they pointed me to a white van. The van had to wait for passengers and had to be fully occupied before it would leave for its destination. But what was nice with this particular van was it would bring us pilgrims straight up the hills of Simala where the monastery was located. Some vans would only bring us to the entrance near the highway.

During my second visit the entire road leading to Simala was filled with cars and walking pilgrims. When I reached the monastery it was already swelling with pilgrims and the rosary was about to start. I headed straight to the sacristy behind the main altar where there mini museum was also located. I gave my thanksgiving offering along with my petition prayers and letter of gratitude to the monk. The monk gave me two hold cards, on the back of each was a petal of rose which was once offered at the foot of the miraculous statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I lit one candle and said a prayer and then went back to Cebu City.



For interested pilgrims, here’s how to get there to Simala:
Info: Simala is found in Sibonga, a town south of Cebu City, right after Carcar town. To get to Sibonga, you can ride a taxi and tell the driver to bring you to the V-hire terminal at Citylink. The Citylink terminal is actually near the South Terminal, just a few hundred meters from Elizabeth Mall(E-mall). Once you are at the Citylink terminal, ask for the van that will bring you to Sibonga, more specifically Simala.

The road to the monastery in Simala is surrounded by many pedicabs and motorcycles and food stands and carinderias. If your van cannot bring you directly up the monastery entrance, you can hire a pedicab or a motorcycle that will bring you straight to the monastery entrance. A motorcycle ride can cost you 20 pesos. You can also request your driver to wait for you and bring you back to the roadside once your done with your pilgrimage. Going back to Cebu City, you can wait by the highwayside for any passing ceres liner or another V-hire that will bring you back to the same Citylink terminal. You can do your pilgrimage in the morning and be back at Cebu City by lunch time unless you decide to have your lunch in Simala. Outside the monastery are carinderias which offer good cuisine and lutong bahay.

Good luck and may God be on your way.