from a colonial “tool of empire to cornerstone. of local identities Catholic Festivals in the Philippines Reinhard Wendt Dressure however,degree, ives of the local population, any dramatic elements of sentiments. The cleries were also success i iously or example being the ways, © highlights of soci? priests” sermons, received! instruction: lective adaptation and partial integration paved the wa ‘br the population, which was under deeply changed politcal andoffer form an anifcial pol their own tradi ture that differe ures of contemporary very region of the country char= acterize different facets of indlige features, faith played a fan- le character in the archipelago. boring regions. The processes of adap circumstance tothe churches for their r Day Feasts that were fil parades of sp becomes rough these festivals, foreign was assim used before, t vised poetry contests, which became part of many festivals and ‘were already leisure activities before the Spaniards came into their way that their 1 tropical environ- ment adorned stages constructed! for the festivals ‘Thus, festivals made it possible for traditional behavior pat became common to drink copious amounts of alcohol and eat reat dishes at Catholic ceremonies. The practice of having god- parents in the Catholic religion resonated with the precolonial tradition of staging rituals and blood pacts in order to seal family relationships. In the social system whose main character entangled meshes in the network of patron-lient ‘elations. Furthermore, festivals were utilized to make the bier te gladly took over and positions involving the planning ancl management of fesivals, thereby gaining renown. Whoever was able (0 pay fF ‘he new wardrobe of a saint, to sponsor an orchestra, oF (0 Ntnumber of fies- f May added up to ‘no wonder th Wanted to learn ergy and offi religious and secular ials, their pers Mas y Sanz festivals was the perfecttupposed to learn (Kobak and important role “Semana Sa or the Holy Wet g the gospel. A variety of Holy Sepulcher ie. members of the local ete donated or presented of the apo: food to Jesus’ disciples. The ceremony conformed to the story the Bible up to Judas’ betrayal. The staging of the foot washing lowed in the early afiernoon, where poor older men played the Apostles and the priest washed their feet as an act of hurl: The Sermon held at noon on Good Friday focused on the Seven Last ‘on the cross, and e descent from the mila to how it ind elabor: settlements, O1 he other a figure of afl, «sort of arch as an angel was COP 5 black vel oF Selutong (meeting) began. it was also Holy Week's last joy Processions made their way through the with it an image of the resurrected Christ the Dolor made of bamboo, in which a girl dressed ¢ealed who descended on a rope and removed Marisng private ‘churches. Feom the cig journey province of Batangas south of Manila, Makal na Pasion ni Jesu Cristong Panginoon Natin wa Tes with Christian practices. The pal significa day were placed on li 's Pasyon was based on a Spanish mod cae eaves ich s howe ed not snp ang relent the ibid other pests. On Good Friday in some places people attached leaves figures Philippine features withour conan asie ohare of the alagaw tree to ters. The fi ‘ures without contor ir basi 1e cross, supposed 0 cure heaclaches of 9; Cordero-Fernando 1992, 49: dition of this Pas Stomach problems (Reyes 1889, 232; Cordero-Femando yyon was printed in 1760, with ® 5Century, lements for pol 10 1979, not least must have strengthened their te themselves and carry heavy 1 also to sacrifice their lives for hopdles 0, why basically non-political Pasiom the censor who claimed, for exampls Hat they spread cowepas errineos (“misconceptions”) and we contaminated with bardaridades Sean rar Rena 1906, 51244) asombrosas (“obscure plaza toprocession ‘cemetery, Longinus. His story : todemus. The character of Longinus combi eration, T ing penance, 34°35), In this Heind in many place figure of Longinus are staged Nowadays men during the Pin Rizal dress Province Laguna, known as Cnton, actors hide their faces with masks and helme's ‘exactly a they do on Marinduque. And in Sait An Laguna, Longinus, main protagonists of the ‘Jucleos” pi dusty streets by Roman soldiers on Good !appened on Marinduque during Fa* neleenth and the beginning of the 1wer® in Mogpog festival wh Santo Entierro, but not fever, that the sources do not nd Mexico came to M shipwrights worked at only a single person on a specific festival, ‘The most plausible hypothesis is that S formed by the background of their own religious and In sixteenth-century Spain the could neither read nor write. 1Pasion from P ty disapproved of ics, In any case 994, 25-27) end of the ing out license numbers t : w Holy Week celebration in order to prevent masked reb¢rvs Department 0 Dogan o advertise hard to wear. nd Star Wars can A growing © by religious motives to pa ay they € ip and down in masks to the judges b tragic love story betw narrative followed 1 Story of Longinus, w nce will take place on Holy Saturday td 08 an expeet i linas in pyrotec the dramatized resurrection of ChConclusion play. The str te 0 build and mai Fea ‘contrasted with from abovehy The Til of Ep 1 Reiee of nding He itt Cty New Yo Ong Frise nd pie tm. Pan Pope group forms of sell, and whose p-8, Fol. 16,17, Hendrick, Daniel R, 1981, The Tle yf Emp Ts fn the Ninenth Cony. Neve York: Oxford U ol Leg 5, New Mask