Short Photo Stories

photo by Rachel Loise

The Philippines, being the catholic country, celebrates many religious customs. One of them is the reenactment of Jesus’ crucifixion which portrays the emotional journey experienced by Jesus on the lead up to his death. Here, a talented photographer Rachel Loise, shared a few of her photographs presenting this religious tradition that occurs yearly on Good Friday (during Holy Week). The photographs illustrate the walk of pain and suffering experienced by Jesus called Penitensya (Public Penance), in which participants walk in the scorching heat for at least 3 hours, whipping themselves with sharpened chains and creating wounds on their bodies as an act of their repentance. Some participants blindfold their face as a way of hiding their shame for their sins, while others choose to expose their face to onlookers as a way of admitting to their sins.

These photographs have been taken in Abucay, Bataan – the same streets in which the famous 80 Mile Death March occurred; however the most impressive and extreme part of these events occurs in the city of San Fernando – Pampanga, which is located only 40 km away from Manila. In this city, more than 1000 participants (men only) get whipped including 3 volunteers who are crucified around midday. The crucifixion ritual is medically structured – i.e. harm done to volunteers are with consent and are not life-threatening.

This spiritual event is also broadcasted on national television allowing all viewers to understand and witness the spiritual significance of this yearly event. For devoted Filipino Catholics, this event is a symbol of love and sacrifice and is to encourage and remind everyone to reflect on life, value one’s existence and try to be better self in future.

If you are interested to experience and see this religious custom with your own eyes, as well as many other traditional events which are held in the Philippines, it is recommended to visit the Philippines during so called Holly Week, usually the first week of April each year.

Story and photographs by Rachel Loise

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Rachel LoiseSunday August 25th, 2013Thank you all for the kind comments :) Mike - not a silly question at all.. anyone can travel to the Philippines and witness Holy Week celebrations. It's a public event, open for everyone to witness. Katie - I would suggest to always travel with a partner. It's still safe to travel w/o a local guide; however it is best to stay in major cities and tourist spots. To get the most out of the Philippines and its culture, i suggest you research the top tourist destinations, historic landmarks and festival dates. The Philippines has more than 7 thousand islands and has festivals all year round, so its just a matter of choosing when to visit. However do try to avoid typhoon season Mid June to early September.
KatieTuesday August 20th, 2013Hi Rachel, interesting write and good shots. I intend to make Philippines my next holiday destination, could you please advise if it’s safe to travel around on my own? (three of us together)
MikeSunday August 4th, 2013Great pics Rachel! Silly question (I've never been to Philippines) - can anyone attend Holy Week celebrations or it's restricted to Catholics only?
Renata BlonskaFriday August 2nd, 2013Thank you for sharing the story and your photos with us Rachel, hope to see more from you in the future.