according to the "anales de la catedral de manila", the crew of miguel lópez de legazpi discovered a group of natives in what is now ermita along the eastern shores of manila bay worshiping a statue of a female figure. there are a number of theories as to its origin, it could either be an animist-tantrist diwata which is a localization of the hindu "devata" (देवता), an east asian idol due to her chinese features, a marian icon imported from nearby portuguese macau, or, due to its striking resemblance to the santo nino de cebu, may be a relic left by the magellan expedition when it passed by the philippines during the first circumnavigation of the world. this sacred statue had managed to survive islamic iconoclasm by the sultanate of brunei (نڬارا بروني دارالسلام), a state that had invaded manila. while its original purpose is debated, the image was later identified by missionaries as that of the virgin mary. local folklore meanwhile recounts the spaniards witnessing natives venerating the statue in a ""pagan manner"", by placing it on a trunk surrounded by pandan plants. the pandan plant itself is a common food ingredient in the indianised cultures of south and southeast asia. this is remembered in the placement of real or imitation pandan leaves around the image's base as one of its iconic attributes.