The devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help in the Philippines began in 1906, shortly after the arrival of the Redemptorists in the country, when a copy of the icon was placed in the parish church of Opon, Cebu. This initial introduction laid the foundation for a devotion that would gradually spread beyond the Visayas.

In June 1913, the Redemptorists arrived in Manila and assumed pastoral responsibility for the parish of Malate, then under the Columban priests. Malate Church had long been known as a pilgrimage site dedicated to Our Lady of Remedies, and it was here that the devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help first took root in Luzon. The growing pastoral demands in the area eventually led the Redemptorists to relocate southward to a three-hectare property in Baclaran, reportedly bequeathed “to the Blessed Virgin” by a woman remembered simply as Anastacia.

At the time, Baclaran was a quiet fishing village on the outskirts of Manila. The Redemptorists envisioned it as a mission station that would allow them to reach surrounding barrios more easily. A small wooden chapel was built to serve the local community near the convent. Modest in size and construction, the chapel reflected the rural character of Baclaran and met the immediate needs of the fisherfolk who made up most of the early parishioners.

A significant turning point came on Wednesday, June 23, 1948, when the first perpetual novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help was held in Baclaran, attended by about seventy people. In the months that followed, participation steadily increased as the devotion became more widely known. What began as a local practice among nearby residents soon drew devotees from other parts of Manila and beyond.

By 1958, a new and much larger church had been completed and formally dedicated. Earlier that same year, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines elevated the church to the status of a National Shrine, acknowledging the widespread and sustained devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help throughout the country. From this point on, the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help became the recognized spiritual center of the devotion nationwide.

The shrine enshrines the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help and is among the largest Marian churches in the Philippines. Designed in a modern Romanesque style, the building has a seating capacity of about 2,000, but can accommodate up to 11,000 people during well-attended Masses when standing areas are included. At the heart of the interior is a marble baldachin, which frames and protects the icon. The ceiling design, patterned after two joined hands in prayer, reinforces the devotional character of the space.

The belfry stands apart from the main church, closer to Roxas Boulevard. Its four sides feature mosaics of the icon, making it visible from different vantage points. Crowning the belfry is a finial shaped as a simplified Redemptorist coat of arms, depicting the cross, spear, and sponge on a stick of hyssop.

Now, the church is open 24/7 especially for the faithful seeking prayer and devotions. On June 27, 2023, the shrine was declared an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum of the Philippines.