Historical docufilm produced by Radio Veritas now showing in a Philippine cinema

The historical docufilm produced by Radio Veritas Asia and Radio Veritas 846 in collaboration with the Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines and Creative Travel and Tours International is now showing in a cinema in Quezon City, Philippines.

The docufilm entitled Pilgrim: 500 Years of Catholic Faith in the Philippines features how the Christian faith began, spread, and continued in the Philippines 500 years ago.

It features the history and a reenactment of the first mass in the country and how it flourishes over the years.

The film also features a brief history of Radio Veritas and its contribution on the country's Catholicism.

The special screening runs from January 18 to 31, 2023 at the Fishermall Cinema in Quezon City.

A turnover of the image of Our Lady of Fatima for the mall's chapel was also organized by Radio Veritas 846 and Radio Veritas Asia on January 24, 2023 as a gesture of the partnership.

Fr. Victor Sadaya, CMF, General Manager of Radio Veritas Asia and Fr. Roy Bellen, Vice-President of Radio Veritas 846 led the blessing of the image.

The docufilm was first premiered on April 23, 2022 at Radio Veritas Asia auditorium and a copy of the film was handed over to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) represented by Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, who is currently the president of the conference to disseminate to every diocese and communities in the country.

Fr. Victor Sadaya, CMF invites the faithful to watch the documentary.

"I invite you here to watch our original documentary drama about the journey of the Filipino faith. It shows us how the Lord blessed us with this faith and how it grew." he said during the premiere.

Christian faith in the country began when the great 16th-century Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, who led a Spanish expedition to the so-called ‘East Indies’, from 1519 to 1522, reached what is today known as the Philippines on 16 March 1521.  His sailors had planned to remain there for a month and a half. It is believed that during that time, the first Mass was celebrated on Filipino soil on March 31, 1521, on the island of Limasawa, south of Leyte.  Some 800 were baptized to form the first Catholic community. (Cindy Gorospe)