Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma gives the closing message for the Siete Palabras program at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral (above) and blesses the faithful with holy water during the Easter Sunday dawn Mass. Below, devotees witness the removal of the image of the crucified Jesus Christ.
While thousands of Cebu residents and visitors spent time in the beaches and stayed in the airconditioned comfort of hotels and resorts, thousands more Catholic faithful attended and took part in activities lined up by the Church in observance of the Holy Week.
Aside from the Siete Palabras (Seven Last Words) held at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, there are the Masses and the reenactment of the crucifixion (Buhing Kalbaryo) at the Guadalupe Church last Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
The large crowd that joined in the programs as well as the Sugat sa Minglanilla in Minglanilla town and the Easter Sunday Mass showed that while many took advantage of the long Holy Week break to relax, the reason for the annual observance remains foremost in their minds.