Backpacking Philippines: Dapit and Holy Friday Procession in Paete, laguna

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Dapit and Holy Friday Procession in Paete, laguna

Holy Friday in Paete, Laguna is always marked with the usual ceremony inside the church with the seven last words to end at exactly three o'clock in the afternoon when the Santo Entierro commences (locals call the dead ChirstMahal na Senor). The Mahal na Senor will be brought to church accompanied by a multitude of churchgoers ( this is locally called dapit).

The disciples, biblical people, and almost every event of the passion are depicted in life-sized (except the Last Supper on Holy Wednesday) and life-like poon maintained by devoted families of the town famous for woodcarving.

many people make this some sort of lifetime devotion

on the way to church

I wonder if the little child really understands what he's doing or just mimicking what other people ceremoniously do

...and the brass band plays the punebre (dirge).

la mater dolorosa en vestido negro

The Friday procession, with most images in black dresses and people in their "friday best" garbs, winds through the narrow streets of Paete, where even the tutubi sometimes get lost in it's maze-like alleys, in a route designated to pass by every home displaying the images of the Holy Wednesday procession. The church bells will also be silent this time with children announcing the procession using wooden or bamboo clappers called matraka with incense adding an eerie feel of the event.

Tips: When coming to Paete for the Holy Week, do try to catch the Wednesday edition of the procession to witness the moving saints of the salubong with operatic voiceover starting at 6pm. The town is teeming with lots of curious tourists, photographers, media people and balikbayan and accommodations are not easy to find.

Labels: Calabarzon, Holy Week, Laguna, Paete

posted by GingGoy @ 11:23 PM,

16 Comments:

At Apr 13, 2007, 1:40:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Wish I was there to witness this. It looked really, really awesome.

(:
At Apr 13, 2007, 3:45:00 PM, Senorito<- Ako said...: Oh a new blogskin. Kaya pala hindi ko nakilala. Our family doesn't have any lent ritual.. we just stay home and enjoy traficless manila.
At Apr 13, 2007, 5:01:00 PM, Any given madness said...: the wood carvers of paete, they are known to be the best in the country. do you remember the time when there was no cable yet, and all the channels would be just static during thursday, friday and saturday. the whole town would be very silent. i kinda miss those days.
At Apr 14, 2007, 11:30:00 AM, MJ said...: Wow. Can't find exquisitely done santos better than Paete's. Ganda talaga. Been there once, when I was in college. The amazing thing I discovered was: there are separate payments for a sculptor and the who paints the image. Very good shots! I can't even name those saints. They don't usually appear in most processions I join.
At Apr 14, 2007, 11:44:00 AM, carlotta1924 said...: i don't have a province to go home to, as my hometown is in manila. the prusisyon is quite familiar, though, coz we pass some of them by whenever we go out of town on holy week.
At Apr 14, 2007, 12:03:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Great pictures as usual Tutubi. I've never been to Paete. The Poons are beautiful. I like the picture where they seem like pall bearers of Jesus Christ.
At Apr 14, 2007, 12:22:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Beautiful pics!

I'm also intrigued by that boy kissing the crucifix. I bet he comes from a very religious family.
At Apr 14, 2007, 1:18:00 PM, Anonymous said...: husay talaga ng mga pinoy sa pag-ukit, pang work class ang talento.
At Apr 14, 2007, 5:31:00 PM, Sidney said...: Next time I will spend the whole of Holy Week in Paete.
At Apr 15, 2007, 5:05:00 PM, Anonymous said...: Aba daming wardrobe ah. Gusto ko yung shot mo dun sa on the way to the church.
At Apr 16, 2007, 11:04:00 PM, jhenny said...: very interesting!
At Apr 18, 2007, 11:45:00 AM, Anonymous said...: ganda po ng shots... lalo na yung on the way to the church.. da best...
At Apr 19, 2007, 6:11:00 AM, Anonymous said...: Wow very cool photos!

I went to Marikina, Meycauyan and San Mateo last Maundy Thursday and Good Friday... wasnt able to take pics..

Can you please share some of these photos on my website www.latransfiguracion.com? I posted tons of photos of Paete Holy Wednesday procession..

Thanks a lot and next year, huhulihin kita sa Paete hehehe!

Cheers!
yamak
At Jun 28, 2007, 4:23:00 PM, Anonymous said...: pre, nandun din ka pala. kasama mo ba yung mga rangefinder group o you're with the others carrying DSLRs?

parepareho pala tayo shots :p

that paete feast seems a good thing to go to
At Apr 18, 2011, 9:58:00 AM, GingGoy said...: anonymous, thanks for the update. btw, taga-paete din po ako :P
At Apr 21, 2011, 12:04:00 AM, Anonymous said...: Actually, hindi po ako pure Paetenian, 4 years palang po kami dito sa Paete and laki po ako sa Manila, mommy ko lang ang taga-dito.

Kaya ganoon nalang po ako ka-excited tuwing Holy Week, kasi halos walang ganto sa subdivision. I mean, 'wala talagang ganto sa subdivision'.

BTW, san ka po sa Paete?

Dapit and Holy Friday Procession in Paete, laguna

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