HOLY WEEK Reenactment of the capture of Longinus in the
moryonan Lenten ritual in Mogpog, Marinduque (Photo by Roel Hoang Manipon)
The International Information and Networking Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (ICHCAP) has recently launched 10 video documentaries on different Philippine intangible cultural heritage (ICH) elements.
The documentaries, which run for an average of 27 minutes,
can be viewed in two versions, one in English (with English subtitles) and the
other with Korean subtitles, on ICHCAP’s official YouTube channel. They are
part of ICHCAP’s video documentation of ICH project in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to Roel Hoang Manipon, the main writer of documentaries and the
director and co-director of several of them, ICH elements “are some of the most
impactful factors in shaping civilization and culture.”
UNESCO defines ICH to include “traditions or living
expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such
as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events,
knowledge, and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge
and skills to produce traditional crafts.”
Moryonan Lenten penitential rite in Marinduque Island
In the distinctive penitential rite moryonan or pagmomoryon, the townspeople of Marinduque wear masks and costumes and roam the streets in the oppressive of summer during Holy Week as penitence, vow, expression of gratitude, and request for something. They are called moryon. The practice also involves the re-enactment of the story of the Roman soldier Longinus, locally called Longhino, who is said to have stabbed Jesus Christ with his spear during His crucifixion. Every town in Marinduque now practices the moryonan such as Gasan, Santa Cruz, and the capital Boac, but the tradition originated in Mogpog, where the most traditional form of the practice is still exists. The moryonan has become a main tourist attraction in the province as well as its strong cultural marker and identity.
Follow this link to watch the video: Moryonan penitential rite
Mask making for Moryonan Lenten tradition of Marinduque
The most distinctive feature of the Lenten penitential rite of the moryonan or pagmomoryon in Marinduque is the wearing of masks, which not only hides the identity of the wearer but also contributes to the discomfort, thus enabling the wearer to relive the suffering of Jesus Christ. The moryon masks are carved out of local wood and made and designed by folk artisans, who learned the craft from their elders. There are fewer than 10 moryon mask-makers in Marinduque, all concentrated in the town of Mogpog, where the most traditional form of the moryonan is still practiced.
Follow this link to watch the video: Mask making for Moryonan
Buklog ritual of the Subanen of Zamboanga Peninsula
Piña handloom weaving of the Aklanon of Panay Island
Igal, traditional dance of the Sama people of Tawi-Tawi
Lepa and other watercrafts and boat building practices of
the Sama people of Tawi-Tawi
Feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia of Naga City, Bicol Region
Using mud as mordant in the traditional dyeing process of
the Ifugao of Northern Luzon
Giant Christmas lantern tradition of San Fernando City,
Pampanga
Traslacion of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo, Manila
