Two north towns align activities with church

A caro portraying the crucified Jesus Christ is part of the procession during the Holy Week in this file photo on Bantayan Island.

HOLY WEEK IN Madridejos, Bantayan

If the town of Santa Fe will hold the Isla Music Festival next week, what activities of its neighboring towns promote tourism on Bantayan Island during the Holy Week?

Bantayan Island, which is made up of the towns of Bantayan, Santa Fe, and Madridejos, is one of the tourist destinations of local and foreign tourists during the Holy Week.

In the 1800s, the island was issued a papal indult or a special dispensation by Pope Leo XII for the consumption of meat on lent.

An activity during the Holy Week in Sante Fe town, the Isla Music Festival 2017, has drawn controversy because it would be held from April 12 to April 15.

Fr. Roy Bucag, Sto. Niño Catholic Church parish priest and some of the parishioners, had opposed the activity by the Isla team approved by the Santa Fe mayor. (See separate story)

However, in Bantayan town, Mayor Art Despi said that they would hold a photo contest called “Bantayan Photo Contest Holy Week 2017,” for amateur and professional photographers.

“This is to promote the rich culture and heritage we have in the town especially during the Holy Week,” Despi told Cebu Daily News.

According to the mechanics of the contest posted by the Bantayan town in its Facebook page, the “images should capture the activities pertaining tothe Holy Week in the Municipality of Bantayan 2017.”

Images should be taken from April 9 to April 16 in which there are three categories : caro (carriage), people and sidelights. Prizes range from P1,500 to P4,000.

Despi said that this would be the first time that a photo contest would be held in the town for the Holy Week.

Despi said he sees no need to invite bands or hold any music festival for the Holy Week.

“Rich culture and heritage are already in place here in the town. What we do is to promote it, and through photo contest we can show to the people through images the culture we have,” Despi said.

When asked to comment on the Isla Music Festival controversy, Despi said that the activity should have been discussed first to prevent any conflict.
In Madridejos, Mayor Jay River Dela Fuente said they are supporting the religious activities of the church for the Holy Week.

Dela Fuente said whatever the church would need.

He said that they would respect and would let the church do its religious activities in the Holy Week.

In the tourism destinations of the town, he said that they were still renovating Kota Park, one of the most visited tourist attractions in Madridejos, which is an old Spanish fort turned into a park in Barangay Lawas.

When asked on his stand between the rift of Fr. Bucag and Mayor Esgana, he said that he goes with the church.

“As a Catholic, I go with the church.
Better to respect the Holy Week, and it is not a fiesta,” he said.