Iloilo, the
celebration of Semana Santa has become a major source of domestic tourism as
many Ilonggos can take advantage of a long weekend for travel. Domestic
travellers go out of the city to the nearest towns to make a pilgrimage at the
same time to enjoy a beach or mountain getaway.
Travelling during
this time can be a special and intense experience for many, an opportunity not
just to observe but also to become immersed in deeply-felt local cultural
traditions.
The week pays
tribute to the Passion of Jesus Christ, the time of suffering before his crucifixion
and death. As Iloilo boasts a large population of Catholic believers, many
approach the Lenten season as an occasion for great, albeit somber,
festival-making. That is why Semana Santa or the Holy Week is one of the most
widely celebrated and important religious holiday of the year.
Observances of many
kinds can be witnessed in virtually every town in Iloilo, beginning with
Domingo de Ramos or Palm Sunday and ending on Domingo de Gloria or Easter
Sunday. Each municipality boasts unique traditions for celebrating Semana
Santa.
Domongo de Ramos or
Sunday is celebrated where the faithful joins in a special mass which includes
the blessing of palm fronds or palm crosses. A large procession follows after
the mass which commemorates Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. As he rode into the
city on a donkey, his followers spread palm branches at his feet and called him
"Hosanna" or "Savior." Palm branches were considered
symbols of victory and triumph at the time. Christian churches all over will be
decorated with palm branches. The parish priest will walk towards the church,
while the congregation places palms before him. Many hand out palm branches
that have been blessed by the priest to the congregation, who will then make
them into crosses. The branch is meant to serve as a reminder of the Christ's
victory over death.
A large percentage
of the faithful goes Visita Iglesia or Church Visit to pay homage to Christ. It
is a traditional practice among devout Catholics normally visiting seven or
more churches on Holy Thursday. The faithful, during Visita Iglesia, pray on
Stations of the Cross in the church. Iloilo is home to a number of beautiful
century-old churches and monuments. No wonder it is a favourite Visita Iglesia
destination for many.
In the towns Barotac
Viejo and Banate remembers the trial and crucifixion of Jesus Christ through
their annual Passion Plays on Biernes Santo or Holy Friday. Both involve a cast
of almost nearing a hundred of performers playing key roles in the Biblical
story. No professional actors are hired for the play, which is performed only
by those who were born in the towns mentioned. The play's cast is drawn from
all walks of life from within the municipality. The play is performed in
Hiligaynon.
In the mid-afternoon
of Biernes Santo or Good Friday, the streets of many historic centers are
filled with multitudes and the faithful carrying rosaries and candles for the
grand Lenten procession. Mounted on floats fully lighted and lavishly
decorated, mostly of fresh flowers are huge, heavy and most often almost a
century-old Biblical Lenten character statues where the towns of Janiuay, Sta.
Barbara, Cabatuan, Oton and Leganes are famous for. The procession departs
after the afternoon mass from their historic churches and winds a route through
their poblacion or town center. The towns mentioned boasts to be among the most
fervent and colourful Holy Week processions in Iloilo.
The town of Cabatuan
welcomes everyone with their annual Kapiya and Pasyon competitions after the
procession on Good Friday. Every barangay around the town center proudly
display their beautifully Kapiyas (Stations of the Cross) with life-sized
Lenten sculptures made from indigenous materials. The Kapiyas are well-lighted
during the evening. Pasyon is a practice of continued singing without
disruption from start to finish. The song recounts the life of Christ with
commentaries and moral lessons and ends with verses that encouraged everyone to
follow the teachings of Christ. It also speaks of sin and the punishment of
hell. The singers, young and old are engage in marathon chanting of the
Christ’s Passion in their little makeshift bamboo chapels clustered in the
different streets of the town.
Domingo de Gloria is
unquestionably the most important day of the entire Lenten week. It is a time
for spiritual renewal and people expect to see plenty of festive crowds
bustling about every town plaza following services.
The Department of
Tourism is piloting emerging faith tourism destinations highlighting various
Filipino traditions that will encompass a holistic pilgrimage experience.
Filipinos is encouraged to visit faith-based tourism destinations and
participate in the various Lenten activities in their respective towns and
cities.
The Provincial
Tourism Office is enhancing its promotions of the provinces’ rich cultural
heritage embodied in the historical, architectural and religious significance
of it numerous churches and age-old traditions.
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