The date of Lent and Easter are not fixed, which means that Holy Week dates also change each year. Holy Week typically falls sometime around the third and fourth week of March up to the first and second week of April.

In 2014, Holy Week will begin on Palm Sunday, April 13 and end on Holy Saturday, April 19.

Catholic Holy Week

The Roman Catholic Church begins Holy Week on Palm Sunday. Catholics attend mass on this day carrying palm leaves to be blessed. This practice echoes the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem, where he was met with people waving palm leaves in welcome.

Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday and Holy Wednesday do not seem to have any particular events associated with them. On Holy Thursday, private celebrations of the Mass are forbidden, and the only mass celebrated on this day is the one that marks the Easter Triduum, or the three days before Easter. This mass is known as the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and represents the Last Supper in the Bible.

Good Friday is traditionally celebrated by Catholics as a day of fast. One full meal is allowed, and only dishes made with fish or vegetables are allowed. On this day, merrymaking and doing leisurely things are also discouraged, as this day marks Jesus’ crucifixion and death. Holy Saturday commemorates the day when Jesus’ body was laid to rest in the tomb. This day is separate from Easter Saturday, which is the Saturday after Easter Sunday.

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday marks the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and is the main day of joyous celebration for Christians. It also marks the start of Eastertide, or the Great Fifty Days, which is from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday.

Holy Week in Southeast Asia

Despite being predominantly of the Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim faith, Southeast Asia has its share of Catholic and Christian holidays, particularly in the countries that experienced a lengthy occupation of European colonizers. Many countries observe the celebration of the Holy Week but in small concentrations, and not all places recognize it as a public holiday.

In Malaysia, the observance of Holy Week is strong in Malaka, while Good Friday is a state holiday in the Sabah and Sarawak states.

Singapore’s Christian population is somewhat bigger, and the government recognizes Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday as national holidays (link to Singapore holiday calendar article, if it’s up). It is business as usual for most establishments, but services and some traditional celebrations occur in Christian communities across Singapore.

Thailand and Vietnam both have a small population of Christians, so the holidays pass by relatively unnoticed by the general population. However, Catholics in the capital city Ho Chi Minh celebrate Lent with traditional processions and church services.

Holy Week in the Philippines

Holy week in the Philippines is a major event and begins on Palm Sunday. People flock to the churches in droves to have palm fronds blessed, a symbol to ward off evil and protect homes from lightning strikes. While Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday and Holy Wednesday pass quietly, the country marks Holy Thursday and Good Friday as national holidays. Government offices and most private businesses are closed on these days. Many people travel back to their hometowns during this long weekend. To many Filipino families, Holy Week is a time for vacation and reunions.

Various activities are held throughout the Holy Week, among of which are street processions that stop at pre-arranged homes representing a Station of the Cross. Some hold a live performance of the Passion of Christ, known locally as Sinakulo. Many people perform sacrifices, such as giving up eating meat or certain favorite foods, for the Holy Week. Many devotees, mostly male, perform self-flagellation or crucifixion as their pilgrimage.

Sacrifices

The Holy Week culminates the events around the adult life of Jesus Christ, particularly from his arrival in Jerusalem up to his death and resurrection. To the faithful, it is about his sacrifices and his troubles, and his death that atones for the sins of man. Devotees emulate this life during this time, abstaining from eating meat, merrymaking or giving up one thing that they enjoy doing.

Photo by kamerakamote

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From the intimidating views of its saw-toothed peaks and steep rock faces, it is clear that advanced mountaineering skills, physical stamina and endurance – and plenty of water – are required to make it to the summit. Because of the challenges it demands, G2 has earned the moniker of being the “K2 of the Philippines.” K2 is a “Savage Summit” that is more exacting to climb than Mount Everest.

In recorded history, G2’s summit has only been reached in 1982 by members of the Philippine Mountaineering Society based in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, and members of the University of the Philippines Mountaineers. From a compilation of the photos below, it is clear that G2 requires more effort than usual to reach its peak.

Magdiwang is one of the towns from which mountaineers can jump off to G2. The other jump-off point is from the town of San Fernando. The traverse route starts from San Fernando to Magdiwang; the reverse-traverse route is from Magdiwang to San Fernando.

Camp 1 is two hours away from the jump off point in Magdiwang. A water source can be found one hour before reaching Camp 1.

Mountaineers can set up camp at Camp 2 as night falls. Further up is Camp 3, two hours away from the previous camp and about 20 minutes away from the last water source on the way up. (Mabel Spring can be found before the 90-degree rock face on the way to the summit, but the presence of water is highly unpredictable.)

Bulod Spring, named after a local guide, is one of the few springs where mountaineers can stock up on water which will prove to be scarce on the way up. Many mountaineers have decided not to pursue the summit because of lack of water from here on until the peak.

Mayo’s Peak was named after a pioneer mountaineer in G2 and a member of the Philippine Mountaineering Society. The team reached this peak on the occasion of Mayo Monteza’s birthday.

The Knife Edge Trail is so named because on both sides of the trail are steep ravines.

There is a pass in G2 known as “Kiss the Wall.” It was so named because a mountaineer has to “kiss the wall” as s(he) ascends the steep slope.

The Peak of Deception was so named because mountaineers often mistake this peak as the summit of G2. It is also otherwise known as the “Peak of Decision” because one has to decide whether to pursue the climb or not, particularly if faced with exhaustion and dehydration. From here, it would only take about 45 minutes to an hour to reach the summit.

The 90-degree wall is the last steep climb to the summit of G2. Some mountaineers have called this rock face as the “Hillary Pass” in reference to that famed mountaineer who first summited Mount Everest.

From afar, the summit of G2 is actually obscured by the Peak of Deception. But topographical surveys have shown that this unassuming peak is the highest point in the island of Sibuyan.

“Guiting-guiting” in the local dialect means “jagged.” This ridge best describes why the locals decided to name it like they did.

Photos by Lester Lope and Maevin Poncejan-Recto

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So the next time you are in the country and are awakened at the most ungodly hours because of a crowing rooster with messed up body clocks, try to see the bigger picture first before you attempt to commit animal cruelty.

Here is the second part of Top 10 Filipino quirks and oddities explained. Feel free to share your observations or hilarious encounters with Filipino behaviours in the comments.

1. Top-loading

The Filipinos’ resourcefulness to stretch any scarce resource can be seen not only in their culinary inventiveness to make do with what is otherwise kitchen leftovers, but also in their ability to push the limits of vehicle capacity, hence the oft-seen case of overloading. Top-loading is overloading, with excess passengers taking their seats in the rafters. Top-loading is often a traffic case in remote rural areas where public transport comes by very rarely (if at all), but can still even be seen in capital cities, especially when everyone (lodging in the city) is in a rush to get home (to their hometowns) for the weekends.

2. The Filipino time

When you’re not really in a rush and the other person is also not in rush, and there are no serious consequences for not rushing, what is the incentive of arriving on time? Of course, this is fast becoming a bygone trend in urban settings where young (BPO) professionals had to clock in on time, or otherwise. But in smaller towns and cities with laidback lifestyle and with no punctilious master of efficiency to enforce strict time-keeping, arriving within 15 minutes of agreed time is without serious consequence. Punching in within 10 minutes of clock-in time is often not deducted from the paycheck.

3. Extended family of extended family

Filipino families are tightly woven, sometimes to a fault. The reason why retirement homes in the Philippines are as scarce as snow in the tropics is the fact that old members of the family are taken care of until they finally “retire.” This devotion, and sometimes sense of obligation, extends not just to immediate relatives, but also to in-laws, and in not uncommon cases, in-laws of in-laws.

4. You had me at “psst!”

Many Filipino anecdotes have been passed around how to best call the attention of a fellow Filipino when in a foreign crowd. And the consensus is a succinct “psst.” Regardless of where the Filipino came from, he or she would respond to this otherwise “impolite” call to attention of a “kababayan” (fellow countryman). (The really rude call to attention would be “hoy!”, a “you!” call to no one in particular.)

5. The penchant for everything melodramatic

One movie marathon of Filipino flicks would make a foreigner think that Filipinos are a sentimental bunch. The sadder the “teleserye” (serial soap opera) the better. The more vicious the “kontrabida” (antagonist), the stronger the conflict, the more complicated the plot – as in the bestfriend of the cousin of the mother of the heroine has finally revealed that the latter was adopted which the heroine confirmed from a long ago forgotten midwife – the happier the ending. This is because Filipinos can easily relate to struggle – Mt. Everest huge struggle – and the triumph in the end gives them hope that they, too, one day, may overcome all obstacles in the tradition of King of the Ring Manny Pacquiao, and live happily ever after.

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So the next time you are in the country and are awakened at the most ungodly hours because of a crowing rooster with messed up body clocks, try to see the bigger picture first before you attempt to commit animal cruelty.

Here is the first part of Top 10 Filipino quirks and oddities explained. Feel free to share your observations or hilarious encounters with Filipino behaviours in the comments.

1. The perennially crowing rooster with a messed up body clock

Philippine roosters have a nasty habit of crowing at the top of their lungs even well before the sun comes out of its hiding. This is because their forefathers have been artificially selected by early-rising Filipinos who had to work at the farm at the crack of dawn to avoid the intolerable heat come 9 o’clock and onwards. Roosters are also no respecters of people taking their “siesta” (afternoon nap) that one begins to wonder whether they crow just to irk people who are trying to get some rest.

2. The burning desire to be white

One look at the personal care department in any Philippine supermarket and you will see the deluge of products that promise to whiten in just seven days! This, of course, confounds white-skinned visitors who specifically come here to splash on some color. If getting a tan indicates that you can afford to holiday in the tropics, so is being white-skinned an indicator that one need not toil under the scorching heat of the tropical sun to earn one’s livelihood. Those who work in the farms are understandably darker than most, and had to endure the midday sun to put food on the table when night comes.

3. “Tingi” mentality

Filipinos take the concept of retail and break it down further into micro proportions. Foreign backpackers are often amazed when they find themselves in Filipino supermarkets because everything they could possibly need already come in pre-packaged mini-sizes. Shampoos and toothpaste in sachets; soaps in 60g packets; mineral water in 330ml bottles; and canned goods in 150g portions. For most Filipinos, buying retail has a lot more to do with economics than preference.

4. Ambiguity

Like most Southeast Asians, Filipinos – especially when they have to deliver bad news – beat around the bush in an effort to sound as least hurtful as possible. This can even be seen in their language, in how they couch serious news in roundabout phrasing, or euphemize emotionally damaging words with something less painful to the ear. Delivering bad news may take the form of “Something happened to John” when in truth, John had already figured in a messy road accident and was already declared “expired” on arrival to the hospital.

5. The “eyes” have it

Filipinos are often thought of speaking in gestures, or conveying information with a slight twitch of the eyebrows or a pout of the lips. It is not uncommon to be answered with both eyebrows raised when you ask a “yes” or “no” question (both eyebrows raised means yes), or a slight shrug of the shoulders when the answer is “maybe.” A generation ago, parents often warn their children of impending disaster when a house rule is violated, just with a “ready to devour” look. This is particularly true of Negrenses (peoples of Negros) whose parents would often discipline their unruly children to behave with just one stern look.

Click Here for Part 2 »

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Maundy Thursday 2013 falls on March 28.

Community Preparations for Maundy Thursday

Households along the “Via Crucis” or the Way of the Cross collaborate to put up the 14 Stations of the Cross in time for Maundy Thursday processions. Preparations normally start a day before and are a great occasion for neighbors to socialize and reflect on the significance of Holy Week as a community.

The stations are chapel-like structures that bear the image of Jesus’ journey from the Garden of Gethsemane to His death and entombment. In rural communities, these chapels are improvised and bedecked with indigenous decorations.

Maundy Thursday Mass

This day is believed to be the day that Jesus Chris shared His last supper with His 12 disciples. Thus, the institution of the Eucharist is commemorated by the Catholic Church on this day. The welcoming of new adherents to the Catholic faith is also incorporated in the liturgy.

A noteworthy celebration during the mass is the reenactment of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet, a hospitality practice prevalent during the time of Christ. The priest, dramatizing the event as Jesus Christ, washes the feet of his disciples played by the lay members of the Church.

The Way of the Cross and Life-Sized Religious Icons

After the mass, the procession of statues along the Way of the Cross commences. These statues are lifelike renditions of characters and events of the 14 Stations of the Cross, intended to educate the faithful of what Jesus Christ went through to save them from their sins.

This procession is full of detail and color. The carriages are decorated with fresh flowers and brightly colored cloth, and the religious icons themselves are dressed in expensive garments. The statues are traditionally owned by the old rich families of the town, so some of the images are centuries-old and made of materials imported from Spain and Portugal.

The procession is joined by the faithful, often helping to pull and push the carriage when motorized conveyances are not available. At dusk, the statues arrive at church grounds in a candlelit procession.

Visita Iglesia: A Modern Version of Church-Hopping

In urban areas where churches are in close proximity, “visita Iglesia” (Church visit) is a thriving tradition. Able-bodied penitents would visit 7 churches and recite the Stations of the Cross as they move from one church to another. Others are more in keeping with the original tradition of visiting just one church and spending time before the Blessed Sacrament on the Altar of Repose in silence and reflection.

The deeply devout, on the other hand, display their faith by carrying a cross from church to church as they emulate Christ’s via Crucis.

Travel Tips on Maundy Thursday

Government offices and all, save commercial, institutions are closed for the Holy Week starting this day. Malls are open until regular hours so some last-minute shopping can still be done before they close on Good Friday and resume on Black Saturday.

Traffic is heavy on Maundy Thursday as city workers leave for their provinces for the long weekend ahead. Land and sea transportations can be overbooked weeks before the Lenten holidays, and overloading of these conveyances are still a reality. Hence it is important to avoid boarding vessels which are clearly beyond capacity.

Maundy Thursday coincides with peak summer season so accommodation in premiere tourist spots like Boracay and Palawan fills up months before the Holy Week. Rates are also generally higher than the regular season, so a weekend stay in these retreats can be more than backpacker friendly.

As a whole, Maundy Thursday is an apt introduction to more color and higher drama that is uniquely the Filipino’s way of celebrating Good Friday.

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So mark your calendar, put your best foot forward, and shed your inhibitions.

Ati-Atihan Festival
14-20 January 2013 in Kalibo, Aklan

Originally celebrated as a pagan thanksgiving festival of upland-dwelling “ati” (Aeta) to the help given by lowlanders (descendants of Malay chieftains who fled from the island of Borneo) after a bad harvest of the Aetas, Ati-Atihan evolved to be a religious festival celebrating the Infant Jesus. The Aetas of the original festival danced for the lowlanders in grateful acknowledgment of the food they were given, and the lowlanders joined with them in celebration. Today, that very ritual is the core of the festivities, with merrymakers donning Aeta costumes (elaborate headdresses, spears, shields and colorful loincloths) and painting their bodies with soot. The “tribes” perform for the audience (but compete with each other for prizes) to the accompaniment of upbeat percussions that inspire wild abandon.

Dinagyang Festival
25-27 January 2013 in Iloilo City

Dinagyang, Ilonggo term for revelry, is the Iloilo version of Aklan’s Ati-Atihan. In keeping with authenticity, Aeta tribes from the hinterlands are sometimes invited to perform their dances and rituals, while the rest of the “tribes” compete with one another for prizes. As a result, costumes can really go over the top, and moves uninhibited as both performers and spectators gyrate and cavort to the drums.

Sinulog Festival
11-20 January 2013 in Cebu City

Sinulog Festival celebrates the embrace of Roman Catholicism by the natives of Cebu, the first people of the islands to have done so. A fluvial parade is scheduled on the morning of the 3rd Sunday of January (January 20) when the image of the Infant Jesus or Santo Nino is carried by bedecked motorized boat from Mandaue City to Cebu City. A reenactment of the Catholic conversion of Cebuanos (natives of Cebu) is performed in the morning, and a more solemn procession takes place in the afternoon of the feast day. On the days leading to the feast day, colorfully-clad Sinulog performers take to the streets to do the “sulog” dance (dance movement that mimics the water current) to the sound of percussions and native gongs.  The more traditional rendition of this dance is performed by candle vendors outside the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino in Cebu City, where they do the “two steps forward, one step backward” dance for devotees who want to light candles and offer prayers.

MassKara Festival
1-19 October 2013 in Bacolod City

In 1980, Negros Occidental and its capital Bacolod City was hard hit by the sugar crisis. As the province was mostly reliant on sugar back then (and even now), the crisis meant a period of famine for farm workers and their families. To rally the Negrenses to persevere despite the economic gloom, the MassKara festival was born. The festival is celebrated throughout the first two weeks, and sometimes even extends to the third week, of October, to celebrate the Bacolod Charter Anniversary as well. “MassKara” is a word play for “mask”, the prominent feature of the festivities as all street performers wear smiling masks and brightly colored costumes as they dance to taped Ilonggo music. A recent addition to the festivities is the Electric Masskara, where performers wear LED lights on their costumes and perform in the evening on each stage set along Bacolod’s main artery. Revelers who are too conscious to lose it on the streets may opt to wear a mask, or bring one home as souvenir.

These are by no means the only festivities in the region, but these are by far the biggest in terms of participant turnout and scale of grandiosity. “Fiestas” or festivals are deeply ingrained in the Filipino psyche, and each town and even “barrio” (borough) celebrate their own festivities to honor their local patron saint. This means that anytime and anywhere is a good time to visit and celebrate with the people.

Photos by blueacid, jsigharas, blueacid and jeff pioquinto, sj

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The many travelers who came back from the far north have only good words for this smallest of the Philippine provinces. Apart from its pristine scenery of rolling pastures, craggy peaks and breaking surf, most of Batanes’ heritage structures is well-preserved and extant – and still fully functioning. The Ivatans, as Batanes locals are called, uphold honesty and integrity, values that are quite lacking in Filipino politics. Their way of life is also not one would call contemporary: Ivatans live according to the ebb and flow of nature, and this intimate community with the earth can be seen in the way they build their homes. The Ivatans’ abodes are low and squat and sturdy – the kind of structure you would build if you were in the path of typhoons for a good part of the year.

So why does all this uniqueness remain an open secret to travelers both local and abroad? The answer could be found in Batanes’ geography.

Separated not only by sheer distance from Manila, Batanes is also surrounded by frothy seas that even a short boat trip from one island to the next can be a rough ride. So the next best mode of transport to get to this isolated province is by air. As of today, there is only one airline servicing the Manila-Basco (capital of Batanes) route, and if traveler reviews were to be believed, not the kind of airline you would want to hop onto if you are constrained with time. This sole carrier’s hold on the Manila-Basco route is soon to be challenged by Skyjet, as the Philippines’ Civil Aviation Authority granted them a certificate to operate last November 16.

Skyjet will be flying passengers to Basco using two British-manufactured planes that can seat up to 94 passengers. The present operator can only seat up to 32 passengers per flight, so Skyjet’s entry into an otherwise monopolized route will likely expand the number of tourists visiting Batanes, and hopefully decrease fare. At present, going to and from Batanes costs around US$400, a steep price for any budget-conscious traveler.

Skyjet is expected to start its Batanes flights on December 14, 2012. Booking for seats has commenced.

Photos  by chemanyulo, dennistanay, and chemanyulo

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Filipinos are divided as to whether Boracay is hot or not. Some feel that it is already a well-worn path, and lacks the natural rawness that is characteristic of Palawan. That argument has merits, considering that Boracay has this city vibe in an island setting. Some, who are newcomers to the place, still feel that magic when their feet land on Boracay’s white shores for the first time, or see the perfect sunset set the horizon ablaze while they have cocktails in hand.

No matter how divided the opinion on Boracay, it is one place in the Philippines that a traveler should drop anchor if only because of its White Beach. Plus, it’s the summer mecca of the Philippines. No beach pilgrim should miss Boracay, or they are going to go on with their lives with a heavy heart.

Named the number 1 island destination in 2012 by travelandleisure.com, Boracay stands up to scrutiny.

This is not, however, the first time that the island has received such a distinction. In 1990, the BMW Tropical Beach Handbook published by the Fourth Estate of London, selected Boracay as the best in the world after over 200 beaches were visited by three researchers for the project. Their definition of best was something like this: Boracay has everything that a beach lover could possibly ask for.

Boracay, a dog-bone shaped island off the northwestern tip of Aklan in Western Visayas, was the aboriginal domain of the Aetas until tourism and development came in stages in the 1980s and slowly shouldered them into near assimilation. Back then, the island’s most frequent visitors were people from the neighboring mainland of Panay. Getting from the mainland to the island entailed waiving an entire branch of palm frond so the boatman can spot the passenger. Beachfront cottages were mostly “nipa huts” (airy cottages made of coconut shingles and bamboo), and electricity was a privilege.

Today, Boracay is a full-blown, highly mature beach destination that can stand toe to toe with the best of the world.

In fact, if cruise ship stewards of Caribbean vessels were to be believed, Boracay’s sands are finer, whiter and more fitting for a tropical paradise than those of the famed Antilles islands. (Why do we hear Boracay sand ‘stealers’ if that were not true?)

Boracay’s crown jewel, and one that in itself is a natural marvel, is its 4-kilometer stretch of white sand beach aptly named White Beach. Most of the action happens here, especially during the months of November through May when the monsoon blows from the island’s eastern backside. With White Beach protected from the vagaries of northeasterly winds (“amihan”), the beach is blindingly white, the turquoise waters are sparkling clear, and the skies are achingly tropical blue. These natural qualities make Boracay an apt postcard for what a summer mecca should be. (Of course, Palawan is another Eden on earth, but that would be another story.)

White Beach is divided into three sections: Stations 1, 2 and 3. The northern portion of the beach is Station 1, the midsection is Station 2, and the south tail is Station 3. Of the three, Station 2 is the busiest because it is where a concentration of accommodation, good eats, retail therapy and thumping nightlife are found.

Station 1 is the retreat of choice of discriminating travelers. The finest sand is here, and so are plush hotels. The atmosphere here smells with vacationing in luxury. The atmosphere is laidback, even when the beach starts to fill up as the sun goes down.

Station 3 can easily be described as a backpacker’s haven. Beachfront budget accommodations abound. Even in regular season, a backpacker on the hunt for ocean view room is likely to find one in Station 3. Those seeking solace are also likely to find peace and quiet on this end of White Beach without being that far from action.

Bulabog, on Boracay’s eastern backside, is more for the adrenaline-seeking kitesurfers and wakeboarders when “amihan” is at its fiercest. The white sand here is coarser, and the pelagic zone is carpeted with seaweeds that would have made sea cows at home. Bulabog waters are protected by an offshore coral reef, about 500 meters away from the tide line.

Boracay’s reggae vibe can be felt in pockets in Station 2, but it is palpable here on Bulabog’s south end. There is plenty of room for “development” on this side of the island, but it can get downright surreal at dusk when the prevailing winds switch and pummel White Beach instead.

Yapak, a baranggay (smallest political unit in the Philippines) on Boracay’s northern tip, was intentionally left in its natural state – at least some of it – as a reminder of how the island once was before the glittering promise and rewards of tourism came in and nearly wiped out the Aetas. (They are still here, trying to assimilate in a tourist-driven economy.)

Puka Beach in Yapak is worthy of mentioning because the entire beach is heaped with puka shells. Coconut trees growing in untamed directions line the beach and provide the requisite backdrop for a tropical postcard. The waves here though are rougher, and swimming could be dangerous when the ‘habagat’ (opposite of ‘amihan’) starts blowing. This is more of a divers’ site – there are plenty around Boracay – when the winds are calmer and the waters are clearer.

Summer in Boracay is a magical experience, both for the partygoer and the solo backpacker. It is one place in the country to rekindle romance, or to bring the family to have fun. It is a perfect place to unwind, or to chase away your sorrows with a smorgasbord of delights. Whatever your desires, Boracay is bound to satisfy it, and then some.

The pollsters were right: Boracay is the best island destination in the world. It has everything that a beach lover could possibly ask for.

Photos by -Gep- and hongchou

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