My Brother-in-law & Other Stories
By Johnny P. Novera

Healing Hands Shrine

It was a weekend and, whenever we are free, we always take the opportunity to drive out-of-town. This time we drove South of Manila towards Laguna and Quezon provinces.

We were stalled by the long line of cars at the toll gate after Alabang.  That day  was Araw ng Kalayaan but it is strange that  not a single car had  a flaglet!  Signs of the time?

Leaving Makati at about 10:00 a.m. , we reached Pansol, Laguna, at  noon . You know it is  Pansol because of the boys that stop your car on the road, shoving to you the sign “private swimming pool”. The  water in the pools is medicinal as it comes  from the  hot  springs of  Mt. Makiling .  There are public and private or family pools of your choice, with private rooms for overnight stay if desired, on daily fee or rental basis.

Manila 's  fast food eateries have invaded the town of Pansol .  We took lunch of fried chicken at Max along the main road.  After that, we drove through several towns on the  narrow but well-paved road.  We remember driving through Los Baños where there is a U.P. unit, Calamba, Sta. Cruz, and Pansanjan, where the bancas in the river would bring you to Pagsanjan Falls .  From Pagsanjan the road is going upwards until we reached Luisiana, the last town of Laguna.    Then the road would go down to Lucban, Quezon, near the foot of  Mt. Banahaw.  There were  some other towns we passed by but we did not remember them. We wish they have welcome archs  like Pagsanjan.

Lucban is known for its native hats and delicious  cookies  for many years.  But now as we crossed the town, there is the Healing Hands Shrine.  The Shrine has a giant-size statue  of Jesus Christ atop a 300-foot hill with hands extended in   blessing  to the people.  There are stations of the cross on the way up. 

With the number of pilgrims that visit the Healing Hands Shrine every week, a church has  been built at the foot of the hill.  The watch-your-car boys now charge a fee of  P15.00 at the parking lot along the main road.

New developments across the highway from the shrine have cropped up.  A new hotel complex with natural pools have been built here, as  some guests who visit the shrine are said  to  stay overnight with their families.

The government seems to lack an effective strategy for economic development.  Maybe they should just help build shrines so the surrounding areas will grow commercially like here in Lucban.