Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited the statue of Our Lady of Aparecida at Manila’s Metropolitan Cathedral on Nov. 14, 2026. (Foto: Instagram)
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited the statue of Our Lady of Aparecida at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Manila in the Philippines on Nov. 14, 2026. Brazil’s National Shrine of Aparecida donated the statue to the cathedral in 2025 as a gift to the Filipino people.
First Lady Janja Lula da Silva joined the president, along with Monsignor Rolando dela Cruz, rector of the Manila cathedral, and Brazilian Monsignor Guilherme Sanches of the Apostolic Nunciature in the Philippines. Lula and Janja prayed before the statue in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Pillar. Lula said the visit also included Brazilian religious figures living in the Philippines.
In a statement shared on social media, Lula called it moving to see a cherished symbol of Brazilian faith and devotion welcomed so warmly far from home. He said the statue’s presence in Manila represented ties of friendship, faith and hope between Brazilians and Filipinos. The Philippines has Asia’s largest Catholic population.
Lula is in the Philippines to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit and make what the report described as the first state visit to the country by a Brazilian president. He called the visit a source of pride and said the Philippines is Brazil’s oldest partner in Southeast Asia. The trip is intended to expand diplomatic and commercial relations with countries in the region.
The visit comes days after the Philippine Department of Agriculture announced a 60-day suspension of pork imports from Brazil. On Nov. 14, Lula also met with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. After the meeting, Lula reiterated his support for the Palestinian people and discussed the effects of the Iran war on the Philippines.
Lula said the two leaders rejected wars and their effects on human lives and global supply chains. He also said the Philippines was among the countries most affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, where several Filipinos had been killed, and reaffirmed support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.
