Rough Groove

The spectacle that is Cutud

Originally uploaded by *bahag-king.

Mention Cutud and I just shake my head in disappointment. San Pedro Cutud in Pampanga has become a circus, a tourist trap that is becoming a yearly spectacle for those who want blood, gore and pretense rolled into one. Personally, I haven’t been to that place and I don’t think that I will ever go there to document the Lenten rituals. It has become commercialized, overly exposed offering cheap thrills for foreigners and gawkers alike.

Wet Lent, in Infanta, Quezon

It’s rather unusual that this year’s Semana Santa is rather wet. Weather forecasters say that its because of the ITCZ or intertropical convergent zone currently affecting the country that’s bringing showers. Especially that I’m now in Infanta, Quezon and the weather seems gloomy.

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In Paete

The pagsusuob of the image of the Santo Intierro here in Paete was just held earlier this morning and really, it was something that you cannot just forget. The pagsusuob is a ritual that is one of a kind probably in the Philippines (and possibly the world?) wherein the iconic image of the dead Christ is ritually bathed (more like daubed with cotton) in a mixture of lambanog (a local spirit that has high alcohol content akin to vodka) and agua de cologna (an aromatic or perfumed liquid). Then a makeshift tent is placed over it comprised of wooden frames and blankets. The image is then smoked for almost 5 hours.

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Out for the Holy Week

I’ll be out of circulation for the week as I’ll be doing my Lenten documentation in Paete and surrounding municipalities…

Semana Santa 06: The Images

In gratitude to the invaluable assistance accorded to my by my friend from Lucban, Jayson Maceo, I gave him this series of pages, 34 in all comprising 64 images that I’ve done during the Holy Week festivities in Lucban, Quezon.

This is the last post for the Semana Santa 06 Series. Whew!

Related posts:

Series 31: Semana Santa 06
Semana Santa 06: Santo Señor Sepulcro
Semana Santa 06: Dressing the Santo Señor Sepulcro
Semana Santa 06: Domingo de Ramos, 1
Semana Santa 06: Domingo de Ramos, 2 and Pabasa
Semana Santa 06: Via Crucis
Semana Santa 06: Senakulo
Semana Santa 06: Flagellants
Semana Santa 06: Paete and Pakil processions
Semana Santa 06: Maundy Thursday
Semana Santa 06: Good Friday, 1
Semana Santa 06: Good Friday, 2 - procession preparations
Semana Santa 06: Good Friday, 3 - the procession
Semana Santa 06: Good Friday, 4 - Procession of the Senor
Semana Santa 06: Black Saturday and Easter Sunday
Semana Santa 06: Insights