Moriones Festival is a truly unique attraction that draws visitors to Boac, Marinduque. Throughout the years, the festival is one of the highlights in Marinduque during the Lenten season where thousands of people here in the country join Marinduqueños as they celebrate this truly exotic festival.
The site sakamar.marinduqueno.com gives us insight on this year's Moriones Festival, with this year's became one of the most-awaiting events in Marinduque because aside from its usual tradition, they will be having a “Battle of Morions.” This was conceptualized in 2009 by now Congressman Lord Allan Velasco. The participants were encouraged to use local materials on their costumes. Prizes given were Php 80,000.00 (First Prize), Php 50,000.00 (2nd Prize), Php 30,000.00 (3rd prize) and consolation prize of Php 10,000.00 each to the 4th to the 10th placer.
This year's festival was organized by Club Marinduqueño in cooperation with Congressman Lord Allan Velasco, Mayor Percival Morales and the Municipality of Sta. Cruz.
The Colorful Moriones Festival
The site sakamar.marinduqueno.com states that the Moriones or Moryonan tradition has inspired the creation of other festivals in the Philippines where cultural practices or folk history are turned into street festivals. The "Moriones" are men and women in costumes and masks replicating the garb of biblical Roman soldiers as interpreted by local folk. On the other hand, they refer to the masked and costumed penitents who march around the town for seven days searching for Longinus.
Morions roam the streets in town from Holy Monday to Easter Sunday scaring the kids, or engaging in antics or surprises to draw attention. This is a folk-religious festival that re-enacts the story of Saint Longinus, a Roman centurion who was blind in one eye.
The festival is characterized by colorful Roman costumes, painted masks and helmets, and brightly-colored tunics. The towns of Boac, Gasan, Santa Cruz, Buenavista and Mogpog in the island of Marinduque become one gigantic stage. The observances form part of the Lenten celebrations of Marinduque. The various towns also hold the unique tradition of the pabasa or the recitation of Christ's passion in verse.Then at three o'clock on Good Friday afternoon, the Santo Sepulcro is observed, whereby old women exchange verses based on the Bible as they stand in the wake of the dead Christ.
One of the highlights of this festival is the Via Crucis – a re-enactment of the suffering of Christ on his way to the Calvary. Men inflict suffering upon them by whipping their backs, carrying a wooden cross and sometimes even crucifixion. They see this act as their form of atonement for their sins. This weeklong celebration starts on Holy Monday and ends on Easter Sunday.
Via Crucis
