Believed to be more than 400 years old, the image of the Sto. Niño of Pandacan is carved out of dark wood. This wood is strikingly similar to the dark Mexican wood of the images of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo and the Black Madonna of Antipolo suggesting that like the latter two images, the Sto. Niño de Pandacan was brought to the Philippines by the Spaniards via galleon trade from Acapulco, Mexico.
In the early 1600s, the miraculous black image of the Sto Niño was found by little children playing near a carabao wallow surrounded by pandan plants from where Pandacan got its name. The place of discovery is near the present Sto. Niño shrine at the right side of the Parish Church.
Since Pandacan at that time was still part of the parish of Sampaloc, the elders of Pandacan had the image enshrined at Sampaloc (Our Lady of Loreto) Church.
After some time, however, the image inexplicably disappeared from Sampaloc, only to be found in the same place where it was first found in Pandacan. When it was brought back to Sampaloc church, it disappeared the second time, only to be found on the very same spot where it was originally discovered. This happened several times.
Believing that the miraculous image wanted a home in Pandacan, the twon elders, together with the Franciscan Priests of Sampaloc, decided to build a Visita to enshrine the image. The Visita was constructed on the very spot where the Holy Image was found. A spring of clear running water was unearthed, which was later made into a well called the Well of the Holy Child.*
