Palm Sunday in Paete, 1

May 9th, 2007

Domingo de Ramos or Palm Sunday, the biblical blessing of the palms marks Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem is also the start of the most solemn and significant celebration of Lent where from Sunday to the next Sunday the passion, death and resurrection of the much revered Christ is observed by Catholics worldwide. While the activity of the day is done in all Catholic parishes, I was in Paete since after the blessing, the ritual pagsusuob starts with the procession of the image from the church to the recamadero’s (caretaker) house where after a few days later the ritual proper is done.

I just had a few hours of sleep but at 0400H, I was already in Buendia LRT to board a bus for Sta. Cruz, Laguna for the much anticipated Semana Santa photodocumentary. Well, I didn’t have really much choice but in order for me to be able to be on time for the early morning blessing of the palms I just have to wake up early than usual.

Along the streets leading to the church, vendors are already in position, selling palms with different designs that were done the previous day or early Sunday from coconut leaves probably sourced from within the town or in surrounding areas. Church goers were well dressed, carrying their fronds while several young girls in white dresses carrying baskets with cut out colored foils are nervous and excited as they will be leading the procession while strewing these colored foils along the ground. I’m not really sure when this town used colored foils but in years past, I’m sure that flowers were used. Come to think of it, these are more practical and readily available considering that if you do it with real flowers garden varieties might not just be enough for the activity.

The Catholics are not the only one celebrating Palm Sunday. The Philippine Independent Church, a few meters from the old Catholic church just across the small plaza (town square) is also doing parallel preparations for the same activity, albeit smaller. If one is not attentive enough, a Catholic might venture inside an Independent’s and would not realize it as the rituals are almost the same. The rite is held at almost the same time but on separate routes.

The procession will start at the visita, a chapel that even predates the stone church a few blocks from the church grounds. Unfortunately, this chapel has undergone renovations that it is hard to discern the original parts. The first time I gazed up this structure last year and I was suspecting that it might be old but now, one would not realize that it is the oldest religious structure in the town.

People are now gathered, lining the streets and making a path for the procession. A long nylon rope cordons off the crowds at both sides. People are chatting, laughing, saying hellos and catching up with gossip and happenings while clutching on to their palm fronds, young coconut palms decorated with yellow, blue and red plastic flowers tied at the stems and cut designs on the tip of the leaves held together with staples. Meanwhile, inside the cordoned off path, some nervous women are holding on to their tapis (a cloth traditionally used to wrap around a woman’s hips and legs) or their versions of it anyway in varied colors from the traditional black silky smooth cloth to red, maroon velvet, shimmering blue synthetic or light colored oversized kerchiefs with faux designer motifs and prints. At the far end, just at the portal of the visita, the carroza (carriage) of the Christ atop a donkey decorated with palms is put in place. The priest and sacristans are assembled as the white clad girls are already in line with baskets at hand. In a while, the Palm Sunday rite will start.