Tourists are expected to come to historic walled city as the San Agustinian diocese decreed to revive Spanish tradition in holding a yearly celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Consolacion y Correa.

On Sunday, the very first fiesta celebration was held inside the Intramuros walled compound, which was well attended by thousands of Catholic devotees at the historic San Agustin Church.

Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna as first “Hermana Mayor” and Vice Mayor Yul Servo as “Hermano Mayor” were at the Mass officiated by Antipolo Archbishop Rupert Santos, who read the decree during the Mass declaring the yearly feast of Our Lady of Consolacion y Correa to be held yearly on every second Sunday of September.

Vice Mayor Marvin “Yul” Servo, for his part, read the approved city ordinance declaring the holding of a yearly fiesta in honor of Our Lady of Consolacion y Correa.

During the event, Archbishop Santos gave miniature images of Our Lady of Consolacion to Mayor Lacuna and Vice Mayor Yul Servo as gifts for the San Agustin Church diocese.

In an interview, Lacuna said that the return of the Spanish tradition of holding the yearly fiesta is a welcome thing in the city of Manila.

“This step will bring great things because it is a way for Manileños to reflect on Our Lady of Consolacion y Correa, along with the expected influx of tourists who will come year after year,” Lacuna said in an interview.

Servo, on the other hand, he stressed the importance of holding the yearly celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Consolacion as it will bring the people closer to God, and for this, the Manila City Council is united in crafting a city ordinance supporting the holding of the said yearly fiesta.

“When we heard that there would be a fiesta inside the Intramuros walled city, we did not hesitate to issue an ordinance that would give full support to the initiative of the San Agustin diocese organizers, and we are united and unanimous in the council,” Servo said.