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Have a hipper Holy Week with a rapped Pasyon
(Updated 3:56 p.m.) - Holy Week is still animated by centuries-old traditions. But its hallowed customs are changing as fast as the rest of the world.
We now live in a time when the Pasyon (a narrative of the final days of Jesus Christ) is both chanted by little old ladies in a traditional long-winded Pabasa, and rapped by little boys in hip-hop finery, as shown in the April 2 episode of GMA News TV’s “iJuander.” Several Holy Week practices were listed and discussed, and it turns out that many of them, like the Pasyon, have been reinvented for modern times, just as rapping duo Gino and Carry did. 
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Rap-Pasyon, Online Pasyon
The two boys from Mandaluyong were shown rapping the traditional lines from the Pasyon, making the ancient poem sound more like a recent Billboard chart-topper.
The two boys shared that they think the tradition becomes much more engaging that way.
“Ginaya lang po namin ‘yung mga matatanda. Sa tingin po kasi namin mas cool ‘yung ganitong paraan,” they said.
Aside from the Rap-Pasyon, there is also the Online Pasyon, which in a way represents a true congruence of old and new.
The Online Pasyon is sponsored by the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and features recorded versions of the narrative, which can be accessed on the CBCP website. This way, Filipinos from any part of the world with an Internet connection can participate in the tradition.
Philippine Studies expert Dr. Gerald Abergos called it “cultural adaptivity.”
“Nagbabago ang practices, pero ang essence nito ay the same,” he said.
Still traditional Senakulo
Other Holy Week practices haven’t really changed much—at least not in the town of Dolores in Taytay, Rizal, where the iJuander team found that nothing is explicitly modern about the way they perform the Senakulo.
The Penitensya or Panata is the most physically gruelling of all Holy Week traditions. Photo from iJuander
The Senakulo is another Holy Week practice where entire roads are turned into stages, and props, costumes, and set design are prepared months beforehand, like a true theatrical presentation. The residents themselves are the actors, and some of them like Ato Sarmiento have been at it for years.
For Sarmiento, performing in the Senakulo absolves him of his sins—it doesn’t matter whether he’s playing Jesus or Pilate: “Taon-taon kong ginagawa ‘to para mabawasan ang kasalanan ko.”
Carlos Bernardino, from the neighboring town, San Isidro, feels the same way when he performs another Holy Week custom, the Penitensya or Panata, which is the most physically grueling of all Holy Week traditions, because it involves the penitents putting themselves through the suffering that Christ went through—including the whipping, the carrying of the cross, and yes, even the crucifixion.
For Bernardino, the whipping is extra painful: instead of using leather whips or wood like most penitents do, he chooses to use a metal chain, which he soaks in vinegar for at least 40 days to make sure it is safe from rust.
Apparently, he uses the chain because he believes that the more pain he feels, the cleaner his soul is from sin.
“Ginagawa ko itong penitensya ko para sa pamilya ko,” he said.
Penitents put themselves through the suffering that Christ went through. Photo from iJuander
But according to Rev. Father Ricardo Valencia, the Church is against this tradition.
“Hindi naman hinihingi ng Panginoon sa atin na ginagawa sa ating katawan ang nangyari sa kanya,” he stated.
The Department of Health shares the same opinion, saying that open wounds sustained from the whipping and the crucifixion are more prone to infection.
Fasting
Fasting is also another big Holy Week institution. Traditionally, people stave off meat and stick to fish, which is why many restaurants offer Lenten specials this time of year.
But as the "iJuander" team roamed around several cafeterias, they found that many people no longer follow this rule.
“Mas mahal na kasi ang isda,” one diner said.
Some people choose instead to fast on other things—like TV or the Internet.
Mystical Alay-Lakad
Yet another Holy Week practice is the Alay-Lakad or Penitential Walk where pilgrims walk all the way to Antipolo from various parts of the Metro, usually from Quiapo Church to the Antipolo Cathedral.
Nico Garcia and his friends are regular participants in the Alay Lakad, walking six hours from Quezon City to Antipolo. This year though, they’ve decided to head not to the Cathedral, but to the mountains of Antipolo, to see a mystical cave that is believed by many to have special powers.
On the route to the cave are various other natural formations that are believed to grant wishes and absorb aches and illnesses, such as a rock formation called “buhay na bato” that supposedly grows larger in size over time and a “bloodstone,” named so because drops of Jesus’ blood are said to have fallen on it.
Inside the cave, faint religious images have apparently formed on the rock formations—supposedly by some miracle.
But devotees believe that the most powerful part of the cave is the water that trickles down from the formation, which can supposedly heal any affliction.
A man named Mang Joselito attested to the waters’ powers when he said that he was healed within one month after his spinal cord was damaged in a tricycle accident. He believes that the water from the cave, made even more potent with a piece of bloodstone, healed him.
However, both the Church and the Department of Health are skeptical about this supposed mystical cave.
DOH physicist Agnette Peralta said, “Hindi nakakagaling [‘yung tubig]. Magkakasakit pa siya.”
Meanwhile, Fr. Valencia explained that only the Church can declare a place holy: “Ang simbahan ang nagpapadala ng opisyal para suriin ang authenticity. Talagang pinag-aaralan ‘yan.”
Forgotten superstitions
Meanwhile, as Holy Week traditions continue to thrive, whether in their conventional or modern versions, many Holy Week superstitions have long been forgotten.
One such superstition dictates that people should avoid getting wounded during Holy Week because Christ is dead, and it will take longer for the wounds to heal.
Another superstition recommends that people stop bathing during the week, to ward off evil spirits.
A survey made for the episode found that both superstitions have become obsolete, for practical reasons, obviously.
Ultimately, Rev. Father Valencia said that Holy Week is not about observing all these traditions. When it comes down to it, the best way to celebrate Holy Week and remember Jesus Christ’s sacrifice is to do good to others.
“Pinakamagandang expression ng pananampalataya ay gumawa ng kabutihan sa kapwa,” he said. –KG/HS, GMA News
Susan Enriquez and Cesar Apolinario host iJuander,a myth-busting program that reintroduces Filipinos to quirky aspects of Pinoy life and culture. iJuander airs Monday nights at 10 p.m. on GMA News TV Channel 11. Follow iJuander on Facebook and Twitter.
