Sunday, June 28, 2009

MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: THE AUTHENTIC ONES



The ever authentic and colorful masks and costumes of the morions from Mogpog (most of them won in the indiv- idual categ- ories), are the most awaited entry. No moriones festival would ever be complete without them. Their concept of the morion get-up are all their own and rightly so. This festival started in Mogpog in the first place when the first re-enactment of the crucifixion was staged by the secular priest, Dionisio Santiago in the early 1880's (not 1807, which merely signifies the year Mogpog was founded).

Inspired by the publication of "Pasyong Mahal ni Hesukristo" by Mariano Pilapil during that period. Some 18 pages of the pasyon, poetic narrative of the Passion of Christ, were devoted to the exploits of the moryonan central figure, Longhino, including his valedictory "bulag yaring mga mata, loob sampung kaluluwa"... If Mayor Senen Livelo's research is accurate, the first actors in the re-enactment were some of the town's ilustrados.

The Mogpog contingent this year was joined in by a brass band. During the last couple of years such bands that made Mogpog famous in the 1920's have made a comeback and are becoming in demand once more during fiestas in Mogpog's barangays and elsewhere. Livelo himself, who plays the trumpet (and many other musical instruments), is often seen joining these bands to play every now and then. (Click to enlarge these hi-res photos).

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