Our Lady of Salambao
Our Lady of Salambáo is a Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated in Obando, Bulacan, Philippines. The Virgin Mary under this title is venerated as the local patroness of fishing, owing to the image's discovery in a salambáw, a type of large lift net supported by bamboo crosspieces and mounted on a raft.
The image is enshrined with Saint Clare of Assisi and Saint Paschal Baylon inside Obando Church. The three saints form a triad that is the focus of the annual Obando Fertility Rites held from 17 to 19 May.
Legend
The date of the image's finding is traditionally held to be 19 June 1763. Three fishermen, named Juan, Julián, and Diego de la Cruz, were fishing at a place known as Hulingduong in the town of Tambobong. There, they caught the statue within their salambáw, which is a large type of fishing lift net made from bamboo crosspieces and mounted on a raft. When the fishermen tried to bring the Virgin's image to neighbouring Navotas, their salambáw suddenly grew heavy and their boat immobile. They decided to head for Obando, and their raft lightened and became easy to row. This they took as a sign the Virgin wanted to be enshrined in Obando.The image—complete with a replica salambáw—is now housed in a wooden retablo above the high altar of San Pascual Baylón Parish, together with statues of Saint Clare and Saint Paschal. A replica of the statue, in its own salambáw, is used for the annual procession on the final day of the Rites.