Suprema de la Iglesia del Ciudad Mistica de Dios, Inc.
It all began with the birth of Maria Bernarda Balitaan who when she was born from her mother's womb was inside some kind of "bolang lamad" (a kind of soft tissue ball). This "ball" was given to the mother's cousin and she was ordered to throw the "ball" away. The cousin didn't throw it away because she felt that something is stopping her to do so. Instead she brought it to the Holy Mountain and left it there. She eventually returned three days later to the mountain and gave the ball to a midwife who broke it. Lo and behold, there was a little girl inside the ball.

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Given this "mysterious and enchanted" beginnings, Maria Bernarda Balitaan would manifest extraordinary actions since she was three. Later in her life, she reached Mt. Banahaw and it was here that the samahan was established in 1873. Maria Bernarda Balitaan is believed to have been sent by the Lord Jesus in preparation of his second coming.
According to other sources the foundress of the ‘Ciudad Mistica de Dios’, Maria Bernarda Balitaan, was a Benedictine nun who left her convent to found the indigenous religious movement, and is now venerated by her followers as a saint.

Her lasting words were an assurance of religious salvation: “That a white dove shall descend from above and land at several chosen places to sow the seeds of change; that one day, a piece of bamboo would suddenly shoot up from the top of Banahaw from which a golden Philippine flag shall emerge, and from which a New Jerusalem similar to that of St. John’s vision would be formed.”

Click image to enlarge. Suprema Isabel Suarez.

Suprema Isabel Suarez.
After Suprema Maria Bernarda Baltaan died, other women were appointed Supremas. The actual Suprema, Isabel Suarez, says that the samahan do not discrimate against men who could also be appointed as Supremo; however, leadership of the samahan has always been with women until today. Since its beginnings, they have had women priests in the samahan who are tasked with officiating their liturgical celebrations. Priests do not necessarily have to be celibates, but Nanay Isabel chose not to marry.

A portrait of Suprema Isabel Suarez when she was younger.
Isabel Suarez took over as Suprema when she was 22 years old. When she was young she wanted to become a doctor. Despite the strong exhortations of her father - who served as guardian to the samahan - and the elders of the association who were unanimous in choosing her as Suprema, she refused and continued to live in Manila hoping to become a doctor. Then she got sick and for 20 days she was confined to a hospital where the doctor could not diagnose her with an illness.
Ultimately, her father visited Isabel in the hospital and advised her to try to climb the Holy Mountain. Upon reaching the top she felt that her body has fully recovered. She realized that her illness was connected to her refusal to become the Suprema. So she decided to accept the samahan's offer to become their new Suprema. She eventually also became a healer but because she has so much work in the samahan she leaves the healing to other members of the community.

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A painting of Mount Banahaw and the Holy Places inside the National Park. People believe that Mount Banahaw is the New Jerusalem.
Source: Marc Greggy and Karl Gaspar with some minor corrections.