I am a native of San Fernando and am very familiar with Macho Temple, yet I'm as confused as most tourists when it comes to the image of the holy lady enshrined there. Yes, it's a CHINESE temple, but...
Many Taoist and Catholic devotees have accepted without question that mama deity Ma-Cho and our Lady of Caysasay are the same person. As the Chinese deity, she sacrificed her life while trying to save seafarers endangered by rough seas. She died at the young age of 28. However, she is also recognized as a miraculous image of the Virgin Mary by the Catholic church.
Many Taoist and Catholic devotees have accepted without question that mama deity Ma-Cho and our Lady of Caysasay are the same person. As the Chinese deity, she sacrificed her life while trying to save seafarers endangered by rough seas. She died at the young age of 28. However, she is also recognized as a miraculous image of the Virgin Mary by the Catholic church.
All these baffling thoughts converge and don't really require any clarification as tourists and locals simply enjoy the seabreeze that permeates the hill where this lady's temple is located.
Ma-Cho Temple, the first Taoist temple in the Philippines and one of the largest outside of China. Perched on a hill in downtown San Fernando, it offers breathtaking views of the South China Sea, making it an ideal home for the “Goddess of the Sea” and “Queen of Heaven.”
How to get to Ma-Cho Temple?
By bus: If this is your first stop on your way to the San Juan surfing area, disembark right on the highway. Tell the driver you want to stop at Ma-Cho temple in front of the Caltex gas station with a 7-11. If the bus is Partas and only stops at the Partas terminal itself, alight from there and walk back southward towards Ma-Cho temple.
The best practice is to take a tricycle and tell the driver to bring you to Ma-Cho Temple. If you're carrying luggage, though, be prepared to carry it up a hill.