Our Lady of Compassion Sculpture: A New Memorial at Roxas Avenue

While strolling  Roxas Avenue during the Kadayawan weekend last month with my daughter, I spotted this huge sculpture after Ateneo de Davao University. It was that of a woman with long hair and with a smaller "Pieta" figure in the bottom part. The giant sculpture can easily grab attention and I presumed that time we passed by the area that it was related to the bombing incident that occurred in the Roxas night market a year ago.

As there was no signage there about the sculpture, I searched the internet for some info. I was right all along that the figure was created in relation to the unfortunate event that happened in Roxas Avenue on September 2, 2016 that claimed the lives of 15 people and injured 67 more.

Sitti Maryam: Our Lady of Compassion by Jojo Barcena. 

An article on the Ateneo de Davao University website said the giant art piece standing at 12 feet tall is called Sitti Maryam: Our Lady of Compassion. A creation of Jose "Jojo" Barcena Jr. from Naga City, it is made of steel and cement and is meant to give hope to Dabawenyos.

The sculptor said despite the tragic incident, "let us accept the pain, move on and work again. Let us be united again and turn scars into stars."

This new memorial along Roxas Avenue was unveiled last June 27 in a simple ceremony. Another memorial is in place notably at the blast site. It was unveiled in October 2016, 40 days after the tragic incident.