In the Philippines, particularly in the Visayas, the 22nd of August is not just a celebration of the Queenship of Mary; it becomes more intimate as she is honored under the title “Our Lady, Queen of the Visayas.”

The title and devotion to Our Lady, Queen of the Visayas began in 1996, when the Visayas Region Pastoral Assembly voted unanimously to celebrate the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the entire Visayas. The feast chosen was the feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In 1997, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines confirmed the request of the Bishops of the Visayas. In the same year, Pope John Paul II granted the indult for the Visayas to celebrate August 22 as a Patronal Feast and added the title: “Our Lady, Queen of the Visayas” to the feast.

Despite the fact that Our Lady is already honored throughout the country as patroness under the title of the Immaculate Conception, the devotion to Our Lady of the Visayas is a testament to the deep love of the Visayan people for Our Lady. Through the centuries, she has showered these lands with her grace through her constant intercession for the people of God.

Shortly after the Holy See’s approval, an image of Our Lady as Queen of the Visayas was commissioned. This is a de tallado image of the Blessed Mother, patterned after the Immaculate Conception. The Virgin wears a white robe and a gold cloak over it. The Virgin’s hair was long and loose, standing on a cloud base with cherubs; her hands are in prayer position, a scepter in her arm, and she sports a crown and the estrellas on her head – the traditional iconography of her queenship.

Today, the image of Our Lady, Queen of the Visayas, is enshrined at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, where she is honored every 22nd of August, on her feast day.