By I. Inojales | 08:15 AM June 30, 2026
CALAPE, Bohol — The renovation of the Birhen sa Kalooy Chapel officially began with a groundbreaking ceremony held on Saturday, June 27, in Barangay Bentig, Calape.
The event was organized by the Birhen sa Kalooy Association and the descendants of Maximino Dumayac and Baldomera Borong, whose family has preserved the Marian devotion for generations.
The ceremony opened with a Holy Mass celebrated by Rev. Fr. Edsil P. Pagulon, resident priest of St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Inabanga. This was followed by a procession from the existing chapel to the construction site, where the priest blessed the groundbreaking site and the symbolic materials to be placed beneath the chapel’s foundation.
Representatives of the provincial government, the municipality of Calape, and Barangay Bentig attended the ceremony and expressed their support for the project.
Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado was represented by Ian Bomeniado, while Councilor Ayen Dumadag Veloso represented Calape Mayor Junie Yu.
Barangay Captain Amado Samijon and members of the Barangay Council also took part in the event.
Architects Lindsay Ann Valeree Clarin Cimeni and Khelvin John Arado presented the design of the renovated chapel, which aims to preserve the site’s history while providing a more functional place of worship for devotees.
A time capsule containing historical records, the chapel’s architectural plans, holy water, blessed salt, St. Benedict medallions, and other commemorative items was placed beneath the future foundation of the chapel.
The ceremony concluded with a ceremonial shovel turn involving clergy, government representatives, barangay officials, project architects, officers of the Birhen sa Kalooy Association, and members of the Dumayac family, formally marking the start of construction.
The Birhen sa Kalooy devotion traces its roots to the oral tradition surrounding Maximino Dumayac, a farmer and fisherman from Sitio Kalooy, Barangay Bentig.
According to family tradition, he discovered a giant clam shell that later revealed a naturally formed image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, giving rise to a Marian devotion that has been preserved for more than a century.
The chapel renovation is expected to help preserve the site’s religious and cultural significance while providing a better place of worship for future generations of devotees.
