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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 150-foot Divine Mercy statue set to rise on Samal Island

150-foot Divine Mercy statue set to rise on Samal Island

Published Aug 10, 2025 11:52 am  |  Updated Aug 10, 2025 01:12 pm
From left, Joji Ilagan-Bian, lay coordinator of the Divine Mercy Apostolates of the Archdiocese of Davao and overall coordinator for Mindanao; Archbishop Romulo Valles; and architect and urban planner Felino “Jun” Palafox Jr. attend the signing of the Divine Mercy Shrine master development plan in Davao City on July 18, 2025. (Photo courtesy of CBCP/Davao Catholic Herald)
From left, Joji Ilagan-Bian, lay coordinator of the Divine Mercy Apostolates of the Archdiocese of Davao and overall coordinator for Mindanao; Archbishop Romulo Valles; and architect and urban planner Felino “Jun” Palafox Jr. attend the signing of the Divine Mercy Shrine master development plan in Davao City on July 18, 2025. (Photo courtesy of CBCP/Davao Catholic Herald)
A 150-foot Divine Mercy statue is planned for construction on Samal Island as part of a religious and tourism project led by the Divine Mercy Apostolates of the Archdiocese of Davao.
In a statement released on Sunday, Aug. 10, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said the statue will be erected atop a mountain overlooking the island and designed to be visible even from the air.
It is expected to become one of the tallest religious monuments in the world, much like Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
At night, the proposed statue will have digital lighting to project blue and red rays symbolizing Divine Mercy.
The shrine will stand on a 25-hectare property owned by the Archdiocese of Davao.
It will be part of a larger complex with a main church, several chapels or prayer hubs, a gallery of saints, a Marian garden, waterfalls, retreat centers, convention halls, and a tent city for young pilgrims.
Accommodations will range from simple lodgings to high-end facilities for large events.
The master plan, designed by architect and urban planner Felino Palafox, was approved on July 18 during a ceremony attended by Palafox, Archbishop Romulo Valles, and officials of the Divine Mercy Apostolate.
The plan is expected to be finalized by November.
Groundbreaking for the statue and supporting facilities is scheduled for July next year, pending regulatory approvals, including from the Civil Aeronautics Board, due to the statue’s height and proximity to flight paths.
The project’s completion date will be set after construction begins, as the timeline is still being worked out.
It will be officially launched during the 5th Philippine Apostolic Congress on Mercy, to be held in Davao from Aug. 28 to 30, the first time the congress will take place in Mindanao.
Organizers said the site, once completed, is expected to become a major national pilgrimage site and spiritual destination.

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CBCP DIVINE MERCY STATUE CHRIST THE REDEEMER SAMAL ISLAND
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