Properly called the International Shrine and Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, this is one of the most visited Catholic churches in the Philippines. The image of the Virgin housed at the high altar — a small dark wooden statue brought from Mexico by Spanish galleon in 1626 — is the patroness of Filipino overseas workers, and the cathedral fills daily with families seeing off relatives or welcoming them home.
The annual pilgrimage from Manila on the eve of May 1 draws hundreds of thousands of devotees, who walk the 25 km uphill route through the night. The cathedral itself is rebuilt in modern form after wartime destruction; the surrounding square is full of stalls selling local fruits, cashew sweets, and suman.