Holy Week in Marinduque is more than just a religious holiday—it’s an emotional, physical, and spiritual journey. From Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, our towns come alive with dramatizations, penance rituals, and processions. As a child, these events shaped how I understood sacrifice and faith—and they still leave me in awe today.
🎭 The Dramatizations: Real Emotions, Real Ordeals
Every year, local actors reenact the life and Passion of
Jesus Christ, from His entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, to
the crucifixion and resurrection.
I’ll never forget watching my sister play Mary, seeing her weep as Jesus
carried the wooden cross down our town streets. It wasn’t just a performance—it
was emotional, raw, and for some of us, almost too real.
🩸 Antipo – The Bloody Act of Repentance
🪓 Local Tip: Don’t be surprised if you see people bleeding in public—it’s a form of sacrifice, not violence.
The most intense form of penitensya I saw growing up was Antipo.
Men (and some women) would cut themselves with razor blades and repeatedly hit
their wounds with
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🔢 According to my Nanay, the number of rods reflects how many years they’ve been doing penance.
🛁 Afterward, they would walk barefoot to the sea to cleanse their wounds. I always imagined how painful that first touch of saltwater must feel—like burning and healing at once.
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🦶 Payapak – A Different Kind of Pain
Another unforgettable form of penance is Payapak, where people lie face-down along the road and ask passersby to step on them. Yes, really.
🚶♀️ As a child, I was too scared to step hard, so I would only graze them with the tip of my toe. My naughty sister, on the other hand, would jump on them like it was a game!
👣 They welcome your steps—it’s their way of carrying the weight of their sins, literally.
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Wearing the Morion mask is another form of sacrifice.
Underneath the exaggerated helmets and heavy costumes are real people sweating
under the midday heat, walking around endlessly. Some do it for devotion,
others for promise, others as a vow.
👀 My mom once said an old man in our town lost his eyesight because of the heat while wearing the mask. Whether it’s true or not, I’ll never forget the seriousness in her voice.
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🕯️ Prusisyon – A Candlelit Walk of Silence
We didn’t always attend Mass before the procession. Most times, we’d just wait outside the church with our candles. If we were late—because we lived far—we’d wait by the roadside and join the line as it passed.
🕯️ We’d ask strangers if
we could light our candle from theirs.
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No small talk. Just a quiet, slow walk through the town in solemn reflection.
Back then, there were no streetlights, and we’d walk home in the dark. Maybe that’s our way of repenting, too.
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This is the most dramatic—and for kids, traumatizing—moment
of the Moriones Festival.
On Black Saturday, a man portraying Longinus runs around shouting
that Jesus has risen. But the Morion soldiers catch him, and in front of
the crowd, they behead him (well, act it out… but still terrifying as a
child!).
🧠 As a kid, I really
thought his head was cut off.
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Locals and tourists gather in the town plaza to witness it. It's
intense—but it's tradition.
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Easter Sunday starts before sunrise. We’d wake up early to walk for over an hour to the tiangge where my mom sold vegetables and fruits. With sleepy eyes, I’d carry heavy bags and stumble off the road. But the moment we reached the town proper, we’d get to witness Pagsalubong—the reunion of Mary and Jesus.
👼 Fake angels hanging by
the church.
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Flowers everywhere.
🎶
Hymns softly playing.
As a child, I believed the whole story through what I saw in
these reenactments—and I still do.
It’s a tradition I hope to share with my son one day, when he’s old enough to
understand—and strong enough to walk the long road back home with me.
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🙏 Travel Tips for Holy Week in Marinduque
💡 Bring candles –
You’ll need them for the procession.
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Prepare cash – ATMs are limited and tiangge days are busy.
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Wear comfy shoes – You’ll be walking a lot.
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Be respectful – Ask permission if you plan to photograph penitents.
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Plan ahead – Holy Week is peak season; book stays early.
❤️ Holy Week in Marinduque is not a spectacle—it’s a living testimony of faith and culture. Whether you're a local like me or a visitor drawn by curiosity, these traditions speak of pain, redemption, family, and love passed down through generations.
🕊️ It’s not just about watching—it’s about feeling.
📣 Have you ever experienced Holy Week in a Filipino province? Got questions about Marinduque’s Moriones Festival or penitensya traditions?
💬 Leave a comment below or share your own story—let’s keep the tradition alive together. If I left out other penitensya, drop me a message.
📌 Planning your first Holy Week in Marinduque? I’d love to help you make the most of it. Just ask!
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