Standing proudly within the historic walls of Fort Pilar in Zamboanga City is the Nuestra Señora del Pilar Shrine, one of the most revered Marian pilgrimage sites in Mindanao. Facing the sea and open to the sky, the shrine is both a spiritual sanctuary and a living symbol of the city’s deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, known locally as Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza, the patroness and protectress of Zamboanga.