A church-based organization has disclosed the forthcoming construction of a 150-foot tall icon of the Divine Mercy overlooking Samal Island off Davao City and surrounding environs.
The proposed Divine Mercy statue will be built on a mountaintop similar to the famous Christ the Redeemer of the seaside city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Under the project blueprint, the statue would emit rays of pale blue and red representing the Divine Mercy, to be made possible through digital technology.
Joji Ilagan-Bian, lay coordinator of the Divine Mercy Apostolates of the Archdiocese of Davao, said they waited 40 years to put their vision into reality.
“Now, in God’s perfect time, it’s finally happening,” she said.
The towering shrine will rise on a 25-hectare property owned by the Archdiocese of Davao.
The behemoth statue will form part of a projected larger religious and tourism center that will include a basilica, several smaller chapels or “prayer hubs,” a gallery of saints, a Marian garden, waterfalls, retreat centers, convention halls, and a “tent city” for youth pilgrims.
“We want it to be inclusive,” Bian said. “There will be high-end accommodations for big events and simple spaces for students and ordinary pilgrims. Everyone will have a place here,” she added.
The master plan for the shrine was crafted by architect and urban planner Felino Palafox, known for his sustainable and visionary designs. It was approved on July 18 during a ceremony attended by Palafox himself, Archbishop Romulo Valles, and Divine Mercy Apostolate–Davao officials.
The project’s master plan iss expected to be completed by November 2025, with ground-breaking for the statue and supporting structures anticipated in July 2026, pending regulatory approvals — including those from the Civil Aeronautics Board, due to the project’s height and proximity to flight paths.
The Divine Mercy Shrine aims to serve as a spiritual home not just for devotees, but for the broader faith community, regardless of religious affiliation, the apostolate said.
“This will benefit everyone — whether you’re a Divine Mercy devotee, a Marian follower, or just someone seeking peace,” Bian said.
The project is expected to be launched during the 5th Philippine Apostolic Congress on Mercy on Aug. 28-30,to be hosted by Davao.
The statue, a first of its kind in Mindanao , is deemed as a symbolic milestone for the country which was recently consecrated to the Divine Mercy, the first nation in the world to do so.
Once completed, the shrine is expected to become a major national pilgrimage site and spiritual pilgrimage destination, with the largest footprint of any such site in the country.
Bian said the Davao archdiocese will co-manage the shrine through a foundation to ensure long-term sustainability and stewardship.
“This is not just a statue,” she said. “It is a promise fulfilled. A monument of mercy, of hope, and of love — built not just with concrete, but with the prayers and sacrifices of generations.”
