LENT IN GASAN: MORE ON GASANG-GASANG FESTIVAL

This year is the seventh time that the Easter Gasang-Gasang Festival is being held in Gasan. It was initiated by Mayor Vicky Lao Lim in 2002 and was held annually up to 2005. It did not receive encouragement from the new municipal administration that took over in 2006 (and consequently was not held that year). In 2007, however, under the auspices of GASCUAF (Gasan Culture & Arts Foundation), a private foundation supported by Mayor Lao-Lim, Gasang-Gasang Festival" was revived but not without extreme pressure from the sitting administration then. GASCUAF and the participating contingents were not allowed to use public spaces (such as the Gasan Central School grounds and the Guingona Park). The organizers held this public activity in a privately owned niyugan, coconut farm in Libtangin, a few kilometers away from the town, where an open space was enough to accommodate a big-sized crowd.
There was no resistence when responsible members of the Sangguniang Bayan ng Gasan decided in the same year to adopt an ordinance declaring Gasang-Gasang Easter Festival as an officially-recognized festival of the said municipality with necessary funds to support it.

Mayor Vicky Lao-Lim won the elections in May 2007. Thus, highly successful and bigger "Gasang-Gasang Festivals" were held during the last three summers. It has found popular support and acceptance both here and abroad and has become the festival to see in Marinduque come Easter Sunday.

LENT IN GASAN: GASANG-GASANG FESTIVAL

It was in Gasan where scholars and journalists first discovered the existence of the Morions way back in the 60's. After it caught the imagination of the world in view of its uniqueness as a Lenten tradition, the introduction of ideas to come up with a more elaborate festival was entertained and pursued by the local leaders. Eventually, the holding of the evening cenaculo ("Pugutan" they called it because the play ends with the martyrdom of Longhino), was conceptualized in Gasan to replace the Easter Sunday moryonan street play (also called by the same name, Pugutan).

The "pugutan"-cenaculo was introduced during the incumbency of Mayor Mendoza. The commissioned playwright wrote then that it was intended to "put more meaning" into the ritual as this meaning "is lost" in the traditional street-play highlighted by the chase and mock-beheading of Longhino. Boac, the capital town followed suit years later, using the new Gasan script, the Malolos, Bulacan 'cenaculo' script, and additional scripts written by local writers.

The reason for the change propagated in Boac, then, and supported by many was for the bigger number of visitors and tourists to see the 'pugutan' in the form and context of a Saturday evening cenaculo, as most of them depart from Marinduque already on Easter Sunday morning.

The "Gasang-Gasang" concept was formulated this time is for present-day visitors and tourists to find good reason to stay longer on the island-province of Marinduque.

LENT IN GASAN: GOOD FRIDAY PROCESSION

'Pataraka boys', hooded boys in attires reminiscent of samurai movies, making loud noise with various types of pataraka, noisemakers made of bamboo or plywood lead the IFI (Iglesia Filipina Independiente)procession. (One of two major processions held in Gasan - the other one being that of the Roman Catholic Church). Their attires are in red, white and blue - the colors of the Philippine flag. The Marinduque IFI independent church is one of the earliest to be formally established after the Philippine revolution and schism with the Vatican.
Novicias. Young girls confine themselves for a number of days in the kumbento to engage in prayers, studies and meditation on the Passion of Christ. They join all Lenten religous mass and procession.
In Gasan, devotion to the Santo Sepulchro image, which is one of many icons lined up in the Good Friday procession, is reminiscent of the adulation given by followers to the Nazareno sa Quiapo. The rope used to pull the caro is a sought after item, later divided among believers and installed in a special place in pangulongs, fishing boats - anting-anting, charm for bountiful harvests.

LENT IN GASAN: MORIONES HIGANTES

In the early 60's one of many Philippine postcards published by a Manila-bookstore to promote the Philippines featured Gasan's Higantes. The dominance of these higantes may have waned during the last two decades. But this year they have been resurrected making a big comeback that took everyone by surprise. Taking on a new look in the form of giant Morions, all barangay clusters of Gasan participating in the Easter Sunday Gasang-Gasang Festival produced their own morion higantes this time, as part of their contingent and paraded around the poblacion. (Some shown here)

LENT IN GASAN: POPUA WOMEN

The practice of donning black sutana with their heads covered with popua leaves, as they go out into procession around central Gasan on Holy Wednesday and Good Friday, is exclusive to some women of this town. It is another form of panata, vow or sakripisyo, penance. Identities are concealed for personal religious beliefs and should not be flaunted in any manner by the subjects. Masks were normally for the menfolk, popua for the womenfolk.

MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: EASTER SANMIG NIGHT

After days of fasting and prayerful meditation for some, days of finding the meaning of all the rituals and superstition for some, or simply being in the midst of all mass curiosities in the enumerable things and images that comprise the Holy Week celebration in Marinduque, comes Easter. All of Christendom breaks into joyful celebration.

For the first time this year, the Moriones arena at the Boac riverbank was made the venue for an Easter evening concert with rockbands from Manila brought in by San Miguel Beer Corporation. Sanmig Night was the culmination of the Lenten celebration in Marinduque. For a hundred pesos equivalent to two beer-in-cans, entertainment and dancing that lasted well into the night, young people and the not-so-young had time to relax and have fun. Tomorrow means getting back to their daily routine - in the farms, the mountains, the seas, the big cities. But, enriched.

MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: ONE MORE SHOT FROM THE BOGNUYAN-BACONGBACONG MORYONAN GROUP

In the Battle of Morions competition, participants were required to present a choreographed march drill or synchronized movements to the accompaniment of a drum and bugle corps or any percussion instruments. The group from Bognuyan-BacongBacong (Gasan)utilized kalutang and batutong, bamboo instruments to produce their most unique rhythmic sounds. To drive home the meaning of Easter, an interpretive Resurrection scene was included as shown in this photo with a Kristo suspended in mid-air.

MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: RORO VESSEL & CRUISE SHIP

These two impressive buildings met at Cawit Port last Holy Week. Additional trip schedules were made by Montenegro Shipping Lines to accommodate the big number of people that flocked to Marinduque. Still not enough according to assessment - if one must insist on passenger comfort and safety. The culture of "puwede pa..." is so pervasive at this time of year.

MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: CRUISE SHIP TOURISTS

7107 Islands Cruise Ship included Marinduque in its 2009 Summer Cruise Special Package. The project was made possible in cooperation with the Office of the Governor and the Provincial Administrator. Coordination was also undertaken with the municipalities of Gasan and Boac, the tourism offices, the ports authorities, the jeepney operators and the Marinduque PNP (Philippine National Police).




Photos show the cruise-ship tourists at Cawit Port ready for their jeepney ride to Boac. Other shots of the cruise ship facilities were also taken by Gerry Jamilla.

MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: THE GOOD FRIDAY CROWD

This is the Good Friday Via Crucis religious crowd.

Lent is the season when Marin- duquenos who earn their living outside the province or those who might have settled elsewehere, and students taking up studies in Manila colleges and universities are expected by their families and relatives to come home. They represent the huge bulk of travelers to Marinduque beginning Palm Sunday.

It is estimated that during the Holy Week approximately 25,000 passengers enter the ports of Balanacan, Cawit, Buyabod and Gasan. Accommodation is not a problem for this type of visitors because they stay with their families. But small resorts, hotels and inns in Marinduque can only accommodate up to 400 guests (excluding the accommodations offered by Bella Rocca Island Resort). They are normally fully booked during this period. Home stay programs such as those in Gasan are therefore continually improved to make room for additional visitors.

For the rest of the year, hotel and resort bookings are easy to obtain, the reason why visitors are encouraged to visit the island-province when travelling is a breeze.

MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: YOUNG PENITENT

Young boy morion taking a break from the heat and mayhem.

MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: BOAC'S VIA CRUCIS - SPECTACLE LIKE NO OTHER

In Boac, and in many places elsewhere in the Philippines, participat- ion in the VIA CRUCIS or just watching it re-enacted in town streets has been an important exercise for devotees. Crowds of people from all walks of life line up the streets, to relive the suffering of Christ on the road to Golgotha. The spectacle that unfolds before their eyes, to many, bring them closer to God.

This transpires on Good Friday, an event that has always been a part of the Lenten rituals of yesteryears and has been carried on to this day. Yet, nothing in the world can match the uniqueness of the Boac spectacle. On this day, most of the people who have anything to do with church-related exercises on one-hand and government initiated events on the other, clad in their Jerusalem attire, gather in the town center along with the rest of the community to be part of this street play.

The man playing Christ is whipped hard with a rope by one or two morions, as he walks the streets with a cross, and falls for the first, second and third time. But behind them walking, running, scaring the children away are the throng of morions (that has more than doubled in number this year in view of the Battle of Morions competition). Somewhere behind in the midst of the morions are also seen the likeness of 'panatistas', penitents, playing 'Dimas' and 'Hestas' who are subjected to more brutal whipping and punishment often without reservation by the 'Roman soldiers'(local folks still associate these soldiers with Hudyos and call them as such). Further behind, in the scorching heat of the sun, the teeming crowd follows as Jesus' sympathizers.

The finale takes place at a man-made hill inside a walled complex in what is now known as the moriones arena at the Boac riverbank. There, the two 'thieves' are crucified with Jesus (Jesus has been portrayed in the Via Crucis by Meynard Penafiel, a provincial capitol employee, as a panata), before a mammoth crowd of humbled procession followers and plain spectators.

In truth, the Good Friday Via Crucis as practised in Boac beats all other cultural 'things to see' in Marinduque during Lent. Here lies the distinction between ritual and festival. The interplay of colors, human drama, humility, piousness, violence, suffering, blood, sweat, and grief in the very light of day may be more than enough to trigger a witness' transcendent experience.

MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: ANG KRISTO: PASYONDULA

Governor Bong Carrion and P.A. Allan Velasco, based on general feedback, initiated the introduction of something new to the evening cenaculo presentations in Boac, stressing that culture should be dynamic and not static. The said cenaculos, a provincial government project introduced in the late 70s, are divided into three parts and shown on Holy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday and Black Saturday. All music and dialogues were pre-recorded in 1979 "in highly dramatic fashion", by Manila-based radio talents (most of whom are now presumably dead) and used to this day.

To quote Will Peterson from his published work on the said Boac cenaculo, it's “as if every word is meant to be etched on stone tablets for eternity”. These cenaculos have since been mimed by players composed of capitol employees, students, morions and other participants and have kept the same directorial patterns set down in the 70's.

“ANG KRISTO: PASYONDULA”, (written and directed by this blogger), that had its successful premiere in Buenavista in 2006, (with actor J.E. Sison as Kristo), and in Gasan in 2008 (with award-winning actor John Arcilla as Kristo), was given the Thursday slot in the Boac schedule of activities. (The Holy Wednesday and Black Saturday cenaculos were still presented in-toto by the capitol group). For Pasyondula, done in live theater style, a technical group was hired to handle the sound and lighting requirements of the production that had a cast and crew of about 150 and utilized a vast acting space.

Teatro Balangaw cast were pooled from members from Buenavista, Gasan, Boac and Mogpog (majority are out-of-school youth), with a few selected actors from the capitol. Kristo was played by Janmart Lacdao of Buenavista.

The 2 ½ hour play (beginning with the Baptism of Christ by John the Baptist and ending in Resurrection), was mounted in a period of three weeks. For two straight hours it rained heavily then stopped at 9:oo pm at which time the play started.

Pasyondula played to a capacity crowd at Boac’s Moriones Arena (above photo), the biggest audience in the community theater group’s history. (Pasyondula is a major part of Living Asia Channel special feature on the Moriones Festival '09).

Photos by Gerry Jamilla.

MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: WOMEN AND GAY GUYS AS MORIONS

Gender equality and gender sensitivity have long been respected issues in Marinduque. That women and gay guys would form one group to bring more life and color to the Battle of Morions did not come as a surprise, therefore. Such a group, one of two groups from Gasan, made quite a statement with their choreographed dancing that toyed with huge canvass-on-bamboo fans, apparently to promote one of their town's most popular souvenir items. Save for their masks and costumes the dancing, however, seemed more like one inspired by Sinulog or Dinagyang. Nevertheless they received a rousing applause fom the huge crowd that came to watch.

MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: WINNERS

Author and publisher Ms. Bing Carrion-Buck, provincial board member Yolando Querubin, visiting San Francisco California Commissioner Ms. Pucchi Carrion-Di Ricco and provincial administrator Allan Velasco award the prizes to the winners.

MORION 2009 IMAGES: STA. CRUZ CAME MARCHING IN

Sta. Cruz, Marin- duque's 1st class municipality was first to confirm its participat- ion when the Battle of Morions competition was announced. Their decision marked the very first time that a group of morions from Sta. Cruz came down to join the Boac 'kapatagan' morion affair. The Santa- cruzin's appreci- able response and formidable presence in the Battle is indeed quite significant. The unique cultural inter-action among the municipal- ities with moriones as the unifying factor is symbolic of bigger things that could be achieved in the Marinduqueno's cultural life. Blue, the color of love was their color.

Lower photo shows Boac's Kapatirang Morion led by Glyne Arevalo, who has been the town's Longhino for many years, his personal panata, vow. The Battle concept's introduction aimed to generate sustained interest on the moriones through broader participation was welcomed by the Boac morion group. Their number hasn't increased substantially over the years, as the same photo will show.