Exploring Philippines 74 - Marinduque (Post 9 - Moriones Festival's Station of the Cross )

The station of the cross started at around 10:30am.  At that particular time, the heat of the sun can already be felt.  As I looked at the character of Jesus Christ, I was thinking that he must be really good in portraying his character for several years.  With the rope tied around his waist, the acacia thorn in his head, the weight of the wooden cross in his shoulder, the heat of day, the long walk ahead, and the whipping done by the Morions, were all challenging factors for him and I had to see it myself.

During the start of the program, spectators had to be contained within the side of the road by participants who held tightly to their assigned rope.  The tall order of the day was to prohibit the crowd in entering the participants line.  For us who were there to cover, were somehow allowed but from time to time were restricted and pushed aside so as not to interfere the course of the program.   I simply restrict myself within some paces away from the Morions and I had to check my perimeter every now and then to avoid collision with the rest of the participants.  In this way, even if I was with the Morions, I had the privilege to join and ran after them as the event progresses.

The moment the station of the cross started, the whole place suddenly transformed into a big stage.  The spectators were on their feet, curious and excited about the ongoing activity.  All eyes were suddenly fixed to the main actor of the play and to his every move.

If you were part of the audience, the moment the whipping of the Morions to the one portraying the role of Jesus Christ could be heard, you might feel a bit uneasy.  The whipping sound was somewhat loud and if those whips would land on someone's flesh, the hurt could be troublesome.  Since this was just a play and I had a better view of the charade, I saw that those whips landed on the wooden cross. 

A few meters away from the starting line, the actor fall to the ground.  The act was so real.  From my end, I could see photographers rushing to the scene trying to have a good shot of the fallen man.  Morions were likewise stepping into the picture and tried to land their whips on the body of the person to the ground.  I could tell the intensity of the impact of the whips because that time around, some of the whips landed directly to the body of the actor.

I really admired the dedication and the portrayal of the lead actor.  Carrying a heavy cross under the heat of the sun was no joke.  Falling and lying in the hot concrete ground was no joke either.  That early, I could tell that the station of the cross here in Marinduque was remarkable and one of a kind experience.