“People think this is just a way for old families to show off. It is not.” Dr. Silvino “Dodong” Du, Jr. expressed his lament at the misconception people have of the processional images and tableaus in the town of Bantayan that parade today, tomorrow and on Easter Sunday.
On average, according to him, he and his seven remaining siblings spend over P150,000 not just to decorate their processional image, the “La Paciencia de Jesus” (Our Lord of the Holy Patience), but also to feed people after the procession.
“We do not consider this a burden handed down to them by our parents and our grandparents before. This is our “grasya” (grace) and a way for us to express our devotion,” adds Dodong. One of his siblings is Msgr. John Du, the present Archbishop of Palo, who told his brothers and sisters early on when he was still a lowly priest to ensure that everyone should be welcome to eat in their house across the plaza, even if these number to 500 or more.
“When we feed the people who come to our house after the procession, we do this as a way of thanking them for the sacrifice they made in preparing and in moving the heavy processional tableau around the streets. That is why we cannot avoid providing plenty of food even on Good Friday,” says Atty. Jude Fernandez, son of Virginia Acain-Fernandez, whose family takes care of one of the biggest tableaus in town, the “Ang Pagduslak og Bangkaw sa Ginoo” (The Piercing of Christ).
Feeding people even with red meat on Good Friday has been bandied about as something that makes Bantayan special, creating many misconceptions. Among the most pervasive misconceptions about the Holy Week observance in Bantayan is that it is the town’s fiesta. It is not. Bantayan’s town fiesta is on June 29, which honors San Pedro and San Pablo. But very few people apparently go home in June whereas Holy Week has so many legal holidays that allow people to reunite in Bantayan.
Another misconception is that everyone in Bantayan eats red meat on Good Friday. Some do, due to a long-expired indult allowing the eating of meat on that day, that has now entered the realm of tradition but which still requires those who do to devote another day to replace this breaking of church law.
All these and many more are the subject of an intensive series of interviews and archival research in Bantayan now being conducted by church art history expert Dr. Louie Nacorda for a book on the pasos of Bantayan on behalf of the University of San Carlos Press with photography by Fr. Generoso Rebayla, Jr., SVD.
For five years, I have been egging Louie to write a book on these life-size processional images and tableaus to end all these debates and misconceptions about what these images mean and why. He has finally acceded to my request and it is hoped that before the year ends, a coffee table book as well as a less pricey handbook for tourists and visitors to Bantayan during the Holy Week will help explain each of the 32 pasos that make the town a magnet for visitors despite the piercingly hot sun.
All told, the book will not only trace the history of each of these pasos but also look at the beliefs, devotions and stories of lives touched by these images. And as we move from one house to the next in our quest to deepen our understanding of them, we are most enthralled and excited at things and facts we are getting to know for the first time.