Rough Groove

Semana Santa 06: Senakulo

The Senakulo or Cenacle, the traditional play of Christ’s passion and death that is staple in most towns and cities during Holy Week. From town plazas, churchyards or in theatres, people gather to witness and meet friends, chat and sometimes ogle and cheer their friends and family playing a part. Not that the audience are very attentive, but the story is quite familiar and usually their there for the sake of having fun.
After a physical training in preparation for my climb in Mt. Amuyao, I went back home in Makati and along the way, found that there was an ongoing senakulo. Curious as I’ve not yet witnessed one, I came closer and realized that this is a good photo opportunity. Thus, hurriedly went back home, took a shower and got my photo gear.

The Makati senakulo is done every year. However, as I was told, it used to be held along Evangelista St. but it was only this year that it was done at Washington St. Usually held weeklong from Saturday before Palm Sunday to Black Saturday, I was just there Tuesday and wasn’t able to come back to witness it again the following days as I was already in Lucban. The play is quite colorful with the costumes, props and stage setup and the lines are sung. I went backstage and took photos of the characters preparing for their part, dressing up, practicing a few lines, moving props while some are just having a snack of noodles or a stick of cigarette.

 

 

Good Friday, morning and there was not so much activity in Lucban. There are no traditional penitents along the streets that can be found in most towns in Laguna, Pampanga and Manila that can keep me busy that’s why I decided to go to Majayjay town and visit the beautiful and massive church their. The first time I visited that place, and it was just locked. This time, the doors were open and I was able to take photos. Wandering outside, I saw young people dressed for a Passion play and I came over, did some shots and left.

 

 

Left, the crowd that gathered at the end of Washington St. to witness the weeklong senakulo being held. The front row consists of the band members who do the live music and audience from all walks of life spilling outside the iron railings, chatting, cheering friends and family in the cast as well as just to have fun.

Right, the director of the play behind a prop dictating the lines to the characters delivering the lines.

Left, the Kristo in action. Right, at the backstage, the same Kristo is enjoying a good laugh and a stick of cigarette while waiting for his part.

Portraits of a soldier wearing a Roman soldier’s helmet made of papier mache and a youthful Kristo before a passion play in Majayjay, Laguna, Good Friday.

The Majayjay troupe in the thick of preparations for the passion play that will be held a few hours later.

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: Flagellants
Semana Santa 06: Paete and Pakil processions
Semana Santa 06: Maundy Thursday
Semana Santa 06: Good Friday, 1

Semana Santa 06: Via Crucis

In the afternoon of Palm Sunday, the Via Crucis is held in Lucban. Here, designated houses set up the 14 stations of the cross. From the simple shed type structure decorated with palm fronds to the more elaborate like cavelike simulations complete with lights!

Left, one of the simple structures built along the sidestreet. Right, sacristans who accompany the priest and deacon walk barefoot despite the intense heat of the cement road.

Left, at the first station, the priests conducts the prayers while the people follow through at the back. Right, the lone image of the Christ borne on the shoulders of the town’s men is paraded to each of the stations along the narrow streets of Lucban.

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: 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: Domingo de Ramos, 2 and Pabasa

Continued from yesterday…

Left, one of the palaspas design that I saw in Tayabas, along the road, being sold.

Right, After the palms are blessed, most people place it either in their home altars or on windows (as in the photo above) and/or doors, a common practice with Filipino Catholics. Reasons range from for blessing while the superstitious, to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck. I also heard stories that some, especially faith healers will burn these blessed palms and incorporate the ashes in their folk medicine practice. These palms on doors and windows can last a year or until it is replaced by a newer blessed palm.

Pabasa

The Pabasa (literally, a reading) is one of the must do activities during Semana Santa or in Lent. This poetic rendition of the life, passion and resurrection of Christ is done by many Catholic communities around the country and can start as early as the first few days of Lent. In some places like in Lucban, it commences on Palm Sunday. Still, others do this on Maundy Thursday and marathon readings are done until noon of Friday, non-stop.
The first Tagalog version of the Pasyon ni Kristo came out in 1704 by Gaspar Aquino de Belen. It proved to be so popular that a fifth edition was done. Around 1840, anonymous and illicit versions came out that became a headache with the Spanish clergy as these contained “heresies” but was later corrected. It should be noted that during the Spanish colonization, the Pabasa became so popular that these were even read during festivals, courtship and death, even outside that of the usual holy season that is Lent. One of the possible reasons put forward by scholars was that, the ancient Filipinos have local epics depicting the exploits of their heroes. It also tells of their deaths and eventual coming back to life. When the Spaniards introduced Christianity, these old epics were abolished but the introduction of the Pasyon became a replacement as it also tells the story of Christ’s life, his death and resurrection.

Sunday afternoon in Lucban and several tables are assembled in the side streets outside the houses. Covered in white linen and with similarly white plastic chairs under a portable canopy, families, friends and lovers congregate and start the Pabasa. Microphones are hung or placed on tables connected to a karaoke system. While I was expecting a more mournful and lamenting hymn, I was just shocked and amused that their rendition of the Pasyon is set with lively music! It sounded like there was a feast. In one house, it even featured a hiphop tune as background music! And yet in another, the owner of the Buddy’s fastfood chain, other than the blaring music with complete soundsystem, dancing lights add to the lively atmosphere.
I remember that way back in Cebu, Holy Week afternoons were often punctuacted with the eerie hymns of the Pabasa which were usually done by old women in some archaic style of singing more like a lamentation. The same in Maragondon, Cavite. But in Lucban? Its quiet lively! I just have a feeling that purists will surely object.

Children and lovers (above,?) converge and sing the Pasyon.

What I have noticed in Lucban, and this is a good thing, is the participation of family and friends. Children and their close pals actively participate in this lenten ritual. This may help explain why popular music is used unlike in other areas where it is solely the domain of old women singing archaic hymns.

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: 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: Domingo de Ramos, 1

Domingo de Ramos or Palm Sunday, is one of the significant days of the Semana Santa wherein it marks the start of the Holy Week. It is a reenactment of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem when he was received by the people, waving palms while he was riding a donkey (or an ass?). I woke up 0300H, very early despite having little sleep as I just came from Lucban the other day. Too early to be able to document the Palm Sunday activities in Lucban, around three hours by bus. I’ve decided to pass Tayabas since if I’ll go via Sta. Cruz, I was just afraid that the minibus there will not be able to go on time and therefore miss this opportunity.

 

 

Palm Sunday, or in my vernacular, Cebuano, bindita sa lukay (blessing of the palms) has always been experienced with the usual Sunday mass in my native hometown of Talisay. Here, fronds of coconut palms are formed into rudimentary crosses and other forms but simple. When the activity starts, the priest just enters the church and blesses the palms. Its just that simple. When I came to Lucban, I never expected that it will be grand. Different.

 

Left, early morning, around 0600H in Tayabas, vendors are already hawking their unblessed palaspas or palms in time for the blessing of the palms that is the Domingo de Ramos.

Right, a simple structure where the osana (hosannas) are sung. In other places, the practice is for a small group of girls dressed as angels (sometimes, not angels), where the priest or even the carroza bearing the image of the Christ goes. Other than singing, they also throw flowers. In Lucban, this used to be the practice where it is done arond the four corners of the quince quince, the wavelike church perimenter that can be found in some old churches. However, after the construction of the stage in front of the church, this was no longer observed. Still in Tayabas.

 

 

Left, a vendor plying her unblessed palms. One of the visual treats during this day is the different designs that one can see. These was taken in Tayabas.

Right, finished palm fronds, ready for the blessing. These were displayed at the side of the church in Lucban. Costs range from 5 - 8 pesos depending on the design.

Left and right, churchgoers assembling in the churchyard waiting for the priest to bless their palms. When I arrived at the church, I never expected that there will be a carroza (carriage) depicting Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem. This is owned by the family of Jayson’s distant cousin, Paugio, and it shows an image of Christ riding an ass lushfully decorated with palaspas. I never expected that this is also observed here. I’ve only seen it in books showing images of Palm Sunday activities in Bulacan. Compared with my town in Talisay, this is not practiced.

Left, the priests offers incense before blessing the palms. Its just a beautiful view as the palms are swayed by the faithful while the priest bless these with holy water.
Right, another surprise for me here. Just like in Bulacan, as read from books, old women, called by townsfolk banal na mga babae, literally, holy women lay their tapis, wrap skirt, along the pathway for the priest to walk on. Of course, not all still have their tapis but the practice still holds and one can now see black cloth being used. In one instance, a headveil was lain down.

Left, the priest on the way to the altar with the banal na mga babae laying down their tapis and/or black cloth. They kneel down and afte the priest passes, they quickly grab the black cloth and race to the front to lay it down again. Even 80 year old ladies still do this one. I’ve also observed that after the priest passes, some ladies touch or grab the edges of his vestment or stole to kiss it.

Right, the carroza of the Christ entering Jerusalem is pulled along the churches aisle to the altar where it is placed until the end of the mass.

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, 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: Dressing the Santo Señor Sepulcro

Every month, the herederas (heirs of the Rañola patriarch) or their representatives (some have already migrated to other places and countries) gather at the ancestral house to dress the image. And every Friday the whole year round, devotees come and visit the imahen to pay homage and offer supplication. It is only during the Holy Week that this routine ritual is heightened. Upon the advice of Jayson, I came the Saturday before Palm Sunday, 8 April, to document the dressing of the image in time for the Semana Santa (Holy Week) preparations.

 

Experiencing this sort of ritual is intriguing and an eye opener and I really admired the care and devotion that these people did. Before this was done, I was thinking that while doing this, a prayer is said or a hymn is being sung but with the intricacy of changing the clothes under drapes, fastening it to the pedestal and completing the vestments, there’s really no time for a religious song, as what Jayson told me.

One important information about this image and the rest of the santons (saints) under the care of the families is that these imahens have under their name tracts of land or haciendas. Even bank accounts are registered under the image’s name. This was practiced since the upkeep and preparations of an image, especially for feasts and celebrations in which these are used for processions is just expensive! The family has to spend for the carroza (carriage) to bear the image. The flowers to decorate it, feed the people, usually farm hands (these are really prominent families in the town with vast tracts of lands) or devotees.

 

 

Left, the image was transferred to its new pedestal made of aluminum instead of the one made of wood which was already decaying and has to be discarded. Here the herederas and their representatives placed the image to have it ready for the change of vestments.

Right, whereas in other areas (as far as what I’ve read and seen in books), the Señor here is covered with a white cloth before the changing is done. In other areas, one can see the bare body except a piece of cloth covering the groin. I observed that generally, its the women who do this ritual while I spotted only two males assisting.

 

Left, after the new robe and belt is fixed, the white drape is removed. The image is fastened with two belts, one across the abdomen, the other at the portion just below the knees. This is done so that during the procession, where, really, devotees scramble to it, it will not get dislodged from its pedestal.

Right, a new drape, this time, part of the accoutrement, with laced edges, is placed on the image. The wig is then placed and the faux hair is spread. Jewelry is then placed and arranged.

 

 

Left, at the other end, the drape is sewn to fix it to the image so that, again, during transport, it will hold.

Right, the salungbaba or the golden piece of cloth that is tied around the head to hold the month from opening is affixed. Next, this some sort of jeweled headress is placed.

 

Left, now the golden antigo (antique) drape is retrieved from the room where it is kept and this is placed over the image.

Right, the silver book with jewels and a lamb on top biting a banner is afixed with wires and placed on the chest.

 

Left, the final touch is made and the wires afixing the silver book is then tied under the pedestal to hold it during transport.

Right, the imahen already dressed and ready for devotees and the Holy Week procession. By Wednesday night, this image is then transported to the home of the heredera, who is tasked to sponsor the year’s event. During that time, a pabasa is done and devotees start to flock and venerate the image.

 

Related posts:

Series 31: Semana Santa 06
Semana Santa 06: 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