The Land of 'Fiestas'

The series of annual fiestas in the Philippines begins with the Feast Day of the Black Nazarene. This life-size, dark-colored, wooden sculpture of Jesus Christ enshrined at the Quiapo Church, is believed to have miraculous powers. It is pulled through the streets of Quiapo in a caroza where millions of devotees flock to catch a glimpse of the statue.

It was past midnight when the procession finally ended last Saturday. From an estimated crowd of two million devotees who walked the streets almost barefoot, two died while 200 others were injured according to the police report. This year’s celebration was said to have had the most number of people on site. I guess with the numerous natural disasters we have experienced in the past year, Pinoys feel that we need to have a deeper and stronger devotion. What a fascinating trait. It saves our spirit!

For starters, it has been 403 years ago since the Black Nazarene was brought to Manila by the Augustinian Recollect friars from Mexico. The statue has experienced great fires that destroyed Quiapo church in 1791 and 1929, great earthquakes of 1645 and 1863, and the destructive Bombing of Manila in 1945 during World War II. It has withstood the test of time, natural calamities, man-made atrocities as well as political violence. By the way, this festival is considered the largest religious festival in Asia.

People believe that whoever touches the Black Nazarene will be healed of their disease or will receive a miracle. In fact, many devotees throw towels to the people guarding the statue and ask to rub them on the statue in anticipation of carrying some of that power away with them.

It is amusing to observe, however, that around the church where people congregate to worship and strengthen or renew their faith is a ‘sea’ of vendors selling amulets, folk cures for obscure ailments and an army of fortune tellers. This is very Pinoy. It’s quite surreal.

This is what makes our culture so colorful, exciting, dramatic and powerful. As a matter of fact, many of our kababayans around the world come back to the Philippines just to attend their towns’ fiesta. Whilst the town fiestas provide them with an opportune time for family reunions, to meet and touch base with old friends, the need to return to the Philippines is more to fulfill a panata which was probably a tradition passed down to them by their forefathers.

We are a very superstitious people. There is a mix of our faith in God, listening to the manghuhula (fortune teller) and getting advice from the feng shui experts not to mention witchcraft in the South. We have folk beliefs pass down from generation to generations — paniniwala (beliefs), kasabihan ng mga matatanda (what the old people say), and pamahiin (superstitions). This value system is deeply rooted in our culture. Sometimes we overdo it. We allow such beliefs to rule our lives. But as one put it, “Beyond the power of religion and constant change, we still uphold the customs and practices undeniably ours, giving us a keen perception of things and a higher sensitivity towards others.”

Aside from the Feast of the Black Nazarene, the Ati-Atihan (in Kalibo, Aklan), the Pasungay (San Joaquin, Iloilo), the Sinulog (in Cebu City), the Dinagyang (in Iloilo City) and the Zambulawan (in Pagadian City, Zambaonga del Sur) are also celebrated on this month of January. Truly, who can’t resist the temptation of a fiesta? Aside from bringing people together from all walks of life, it brings graces from above (as many believe it to be so) and it offers a unique quality of a locality – from the delicious delicacies, decorations to the costumes, parades and presentations which get better and better every year.

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In a reaction to my column written a few weeks ago, I received a letter from Mr. Obet Pagdanganan airing his side of the electoral protest he filed versus Joselito Mendoza on the grounds of misreading, miscounting, mistallying, misappreciation and the inclusion into the counting and tallying of spurious/fake ballots in favor of Mendoza. After preliminary hearings and a counter-protest filed by Mendoza that lasted for almost one year until July 2008, revision of ballots of the Pagdanganan protest and the Mendoza counter-protest revealed that – a total of 77,292 ballots of Mendoza were rejectible because they were either written by one person and at the same time spurious, written by two persons and marked ballots. In addition, 1,583 ballots should have been counted in favor of Pagdanganan but were declared stray by various members of the BEIs.

Finally, last December 1, 2009, the COMELEC Second Division promulgated on the electoral protest filed by Pagdanganan versus Mendoza. In its decision, it annulled and set aside the proclamation of Mendoza and proclaimed Pagdanganan as the duly elected Governor of the Province of Bulacan with a winning margin of 4,321 votes. DILG was ordered to implement the said Resolution. On the same day, Pagdanganan filed his Motion for Immediate Execution of Judgement Pending Motion for Reconsideration by Mendoza. I understand the decision is still to be handed down.

The long, frustrating and agonizing quest for truth and justice may have finally paid off for Pagdanganan but for those who are just about to take that dangerous plunge into the political arena, things are just warming up. I will not be surprise if electoral protests will happen again in the coming May 2010 elections.

I can’t help but wonder, how in the world can the COMELEC allow such a thing to happen — and I know it happens all the time! What makes matters worst is their inability to make swift decisions when in fact all evidences are in hand. In this case, if the decision was handed down earlier, then Pagdanganan would have been given the opportunity to serve the Province of Bulacan longer and would have delivered well. But changing the guards at this point in time will not help at all, it will just add havoc to the municipality. And I know such scenarios happen all the time.

If only the COMELEC can stand by the rules written in the Omnibus Election Code, then no one will resort to ‘cheap political gimmickry’ and with the rightful winner in place, everyone can move on and tread the path to progress.