The Filipino festival of Santa Nino continues to be an annual occasion when Filipinos living in Trinidad get together to demonstrate their faith in the power of Jesus Christ.

Last week the community was joined by several Trinidadians who attended Holy Mass and other aspects of the celebration.

Mass was said by Fr Patrick Brennan, parish priest of La Romaine. A Filipino choir headed by Dr Roxanne Tantaco provided lively music to those in attendance.

The celebration was held at the Gulf City home of Dr Maria Jaens and her husband Dr Noe Jaens.

After mass a special video was shown in which the citizens were seen dancing in the church where the original statue is kept.

A sumptuous Filipino dinner was served and the festival ended with dancing to local music.

Among those attending the celebration were Lawford Dupres, Chairman of National Petroleum Co Ltd, and his wife Isabelle, the current President of the local Filipino Association.

Dr Maria Jaens holds a statue of the Santo Nino. Also in picture are Fr Patrick Brennan and Dr Noe Jaens. Trevor Watson photo

The festival represents the strength of the infant Jesus which was manifested in a miracle in the island of Cebu, Philippine. It also represents the strength of good over evil.

The festival had it origin during one of the turbulent periods in the political life of the Philippines while a war between two opposing factions was raging.

When the battle ended, 100 houses were destroyed by fire, including the one in which a wooden statue of Santo Nino was housed. After the fire the authorities found the statue untouched.

When the natives heard about the miracle they gathered in large numbers to celebrate the joy of finding the infant Jesus.

Later, a church was built on the spot where the statue was found and each year the people of Cebu turn out in large numbers on the first Saturday of January to celebrate the occasion with street parades and other forms of thanksgiving.

There are 7,102 islands that make up the Philippine with Manilla as the capital of the Republic.