Palm Sunday brings good profit to “lukay” vendors

CEBU, Philippines - Roman Catholics flocked to the church yesterday to have their palm or coconut leaves blessed in the traditional “bendita sa lukay”, and for the vendors near the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, it was business as usual.

Expecting a huge crowd of devotees, 46-year-old palm leaf trader Marita Sanchez, who has been selling “lukay” during Palm Sundays for 15 years now, displayed her goods near the church premises as early as 4 a.m. yesterday.

Sanchez was seen selling “lukay” on top of other regular religious articles and candles she trades during normal days, hoping to make extra income with the occasion.

Citing her “lukay” was sourced from a supplier in the town of Consolacion, Sanchez was one of the estimated 150 vendors who stationed their little “lukay” business within the Cathedral area.

She, however, clarified that they have been selling “lukay” since Saturday and that they even intended to continue selling until today or until customers run out.

While others were selling “un-blessed” leaves, requiring the buyer himself to get them blessed during the Holy Eucharist, Sanchez said hers were already blessed after she attended the very first mass in the morning.

A full “palwa” or frond, consisting of 50 to 80 leaves, was priced at P60 to P100, although off-the-rack “palaspas” or a cross formed out of palm leaf was also made available at P5 to P30 each depending on complexity of design.

Sanchez revealed the prices slightly went up in the morning as it was considered the peak hours and expected the same to dip in the evening toward the holding of the day’s final mass.

She was looking forward to earning P3,000 at the rate she was selling, praying for a fine weather for a chance to hook more customers.

About a few blocks away from the Cathedral, palm leaf business was also very thriving at the Santo Rosario Church along P. del Rosario St.

“Kalooy sa Ginoo, ubay-ubay pud ang mipalit. Murag mas daghan ang tawo karon kaysa miaging tuig (Thank God, it’s doing good. I think there are more buyers this year),” said Asuncion Sabang, 55, church vendor for 19 years.

Sabang said there were five in her family selling “lukay” yesterday in hopes of maximizing profits.

“Sa kalisod karong panahona, di mahimo nga ako rang usa maninda (In these tough times, I need my children to help me trade the goods),” she shared.

It was found out that palm leaves sold near the Church were priced practically the same as those sold near the Cathedral.

Meanwhile, self-confessed devout Catholic Erlinda Mansala, 44, told The FREEMAN it has been her practice to buy “lukay” on Palm Sundays, believing the blessed leaves could cast away evil spirits when pinned on walls in their house.

“Para sab magdala og swerte sa pamilya ug pasalamat kay ni-graduate na akong anak (To bring good fortune to the family and as thanksgiving of sorts now that my son has finally graduated),” Mansala said.

In its observance of Palm Sunday yesterday, the Church remembered the biblical account of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem with his followers waving and spreading palm branches in his path, marking that a dignitary was arriving in triumph. /JOB (FREEMAN)