Montemaria, Mother of All Asia

MONTEMARIA

By ARNOLD R. A. GUTIERREZ

Montemaria is a 130-hectare township project of AbaCore Capital Holdings, Inc., a publicly listed company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Montemaria is situated in the barangays of Pagkilatan and Mabacong, Batangas City. The land was acquired by AbaCore, its subsidiaries and affiliates in the year 1991. Palafox Associates was commissioned to prepare the Montemaria Master Development Plan in 2006.

The name Montemaria (spelled as one word only) was coined by Batangas Governor Dodo Mandanas, who is a devotee of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On 7 January 2007, the first mass was concelebrated by then Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, Archbishop of Manila; Ramon Arguelles, Archbishop Emeritus of Lipa; the late Salvador Quizon, Auxillary Bishop Emeritus of Lipa; the late healing priest Fernando Suarez; and 60 parish priests of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lipa, at the Santa Cruz point where thousands of devotees and pilgrims attended the historical event (the area was formerly called Matoco Point which is now presently under the administration and management of the La Pieta Prayer Group International, Inc. of Sister Emma de Guzman).

On 17 August 2007, the Sangguniang Barangay of Pagkilatan, Batangas City, unanimously approved the passage of Barangay Resolution No. 5, series of 2007 which officially renamed the place to “Sitio Montemaria”.

MONTEMARIA INTERNATIONAL PILGRIMAGE & CONFERENCE CENTER

By ARNOLD R. A. GUTIERREZ

Nestled at the heart of the 130-hectare township development is the Montemaria International Pilgrimage & Conference Center, a faith-based tourism destination and a legacy project of Batangas Governor Dodo Mandanas, Montemaria Asia Pilgrims Inc.’s founding chairman.

Montemaria Asia Pilgrims, Inc. (MAPI), a stock non-profit organization registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 2013, is the owner and developer of the 8-hectare tourism destination.

Its masterpiece is the Mother of All Asia – Tower of Peace, which is constructed atop the plateau’s highest point with an elevation of 148 meters above sea level, overlooking the Verde Island Passage – reputed to be the center of the center of marine bio-diversity of the world, as she welcomes all domestic and international seafaring vessels entering and seeking refuge in the serene calm waters of Batangas Bay.

The Montemaria International Pilgrimage & Conference Center long-term plan is to create a walkable-friendly community with covered pathways interconnecting all the buildings and religious theme park attractions, landscaped gardens and waterways, planted with different species ofshade and fruit-bearing trees.

MOTHER OF ALL ASIA – TOWER OF PEACE –

By ARNOLD R. A. GUTIERREZ

The Mother of All Asia – Tower of Peace is a monument dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary as a symbol of unity and peace in Asia and the whole world. It is the tallest statue of Mary in the world with a height of 98.15 meters of 322 feet measured from the ground up to the tip of the cross on top of her crown.

It also ranks no. 9 among the world’s tallest statues. It is taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York, USA and the Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Its height is equivalent to a 33-storey building which also represents our Lord Jesus’ life year on earth.

It is also the only livable statue in the world with a gross floor area of 12,353 square meters or 1.2353 hectares, more or less.

The crown has 12 stars that represents the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ.

Construction of the hands and face of Mary was commissioned to renowned sculptor and national artist, the late Ed Castrillo, who started working on the project in 2008.

Upon completion of the hands and face in 2010, they were temporarily installed and displayed until 2017 at the Cloisters’ façade facing towards the northwest direction.

Construction of the Tower of Peace began in 2013 and was completed in 2021 in time for the year-long celebration of the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines.

There were 4 other designs and another location that was studied and considered before the 5th and final design was approved and constructed in its present location.

The monument has 12 foundations that represents the 12 tribes of Israel.

A person has to climb a total of 420 steps from the ground level to reach the crown but that is if the person opted not to use any of the 3 elevators in the monument.

The name “Mother of All Asia” was adapted from Pope Benedict XVI’s prayer to our Lady of Sheshan, Mother of the Church in China and All Asia, in 27 May 2017.