Actress and vlogger, Ivana Alawi with Fr. Reynante Tolentino (photo from Antipolo Cathedral)
Actress and video content creator, Ivana Alawi visited the International Shrine of the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage for thanksgiving.
Shrine rector and administrator, Fr. Reynante “Nante” Tolentino told Manila Bulletin that the young actress prayed at the cathedral on July 16, to personally thank the Virgin Mary, whose title is known in this city as the Nuestra Señora dela Paz Y Buenviaje for the “countless blessings” she has been receiving, through her mediation and prayers.
Alawi on her knees at the back of the original image of the Our Lady of Antipolo (photo by Antipolo Cathedral)
(photo by the Antipolo Cathedral)
In the post on cathedral’s social media page on July 18, it was mentioned that aside from visiting the Virgin, Alawi also fulfilled her promise to donate the proceeds from her vlog on You Tube, entitled, “Street Prank Sa Simbahan/Ivana Alawi” which was released during summer. Since then, the content garnered 5.4 million views.
In the Antipolo Cathedral’s post, it was mentioned that Alawi has been a devotee of the Birhen ng Antipolo since she was 15 years old, joining the traditional Penitential Walk (Alay Lakad) during her younger years trekking from Sta. Mesa in Manila all the way to the Antipolo Shrine as her vow for her prayers to be granted.
Since seeking the Virgin’s intercession, all her prayers have been answered, including her wished to become a television/film celebrity, that is why she has been keeping her vow to regularly visit the shrine.
Fr. Tolentino said Alawi told her that she was very happy to have prayed up close in the room where the Virgin’s image was, to utter her prayers and words of gratitude to the Virgin Mary.
In her You Tube vlog, Alawi disguised as a homeless sampaguita vendor selling her garland at P10 each. The catch, Alawi said in the same video, that whoever will buy a garland will be rewarded a thousand pesos and the cash rewards will be doubled or tripled depending on how many garlands are bought by her ‘target’ recipients, who are all men or women on the streets of Antipolo.
One target, a female vendor named Michaela Yuzon, a working student, aside from getting rewarded by Alawi, was later recognized by the city government for being a working student, as a result of Alawi’s vlog.
Other recipients of Alawi's instant cash reward were a fruit vendor who gave her a star apple fruit and a tricycle driver who gave the actress disguised as a vendor a piece of biscuit out of his compassion.
Upon emerging from the church premises, Alawi gladly agreed for a selfie or group pictures with some of those who recognized her during her Tuesday visit.
Alawi told the cathedral personnel that she had to disguise and hide her face whenever she attends Holy Mass or pray at the cathedral so as not to be mobbed by fans.
Fr. Nante said the cathedral is very thankful for Alawi’s donations which, will be used by the cathedral for all its on-going charity works, including its Tinapay ng Birhen, a bi-weekly feeding program for the city’s street people.
