Rough Groove

Infanta flagellant-penitents, 1

Infanta is balmy and refreshing with its long coastline and beautiful blue beaches that the long and drawing ride from Makati to Siniloan via Sta. Cruz on public transport, taking almost 6 hours to negotiate is easily forgotten. Of course, there’s the shorter ride via Rizal but I opted to take the latter. The familiar smell of the sea and its salty breeze hits you instantly as the jeepney I took, full with passengers ranging from beach worshipers looking forward to a long weekend to travellers hoping to catch the last trip to Polillo Is., to townsfolk from Mauban and Infanta returning to their hometowns from Manila or tending business in Laguna in time for the important last days of Holy Week.

I came to this westerly town in the upper reaches of Quezon province, crossing the Sierra Madre to witness and document the flagellant-penitents. Unlike what one sees in most of Metro Manila and Central Luzon, those in Laguna wear skirts of dried banana leaves (but unfortunately, as what I saw in the Laguna towns like Pakil, Siniloan and Kalayaan, this practice is slowly disappearing). The ones in Infanta goes further: besides wearing these skirts, a floral headdress is donned, a stunning visual indeed!

As I have written in my previous posts, I was supposed to document these flagellants last year but unfortunately I didn’t have much time as well as preparations that I vowed to do it this year. Thus, Maundy Thursday, I was already in this quaint town, staying at a P100.00 a day lodging house preparing for the very early start of the Lenten ritual.

As early as 0100H, Good Friday, a clacking noise can already be heard from my room moving from one end of the street to the other but I didn’t realized that it was already the flagellants. Too sleepy, I just dozed off. However, at around 0300H, I awoke and the clacking sound was heard again. Peeking at the jalousied window, I was just struck by the seeming sight that greeted me down below: almost a kind of ghostly apparition but it was hooded, colourful flowers adorned its headdress, upper body naked, its skin glistening with sweat while the familiar panghampas is being flung from left to right, the wooden pegs clacking loud as it hits the bloodied and swollen skin of the back. The skirt of dried banana leaves covered the bare feet, producing a somewhat eerie sound as the leaves hit against the asphalt pavement. This is it. These are the Infanta flagellant-penitents.

To be continued…