It is that time of the year once again as the Holy Week is being commemorated by Christians around the world, especially among the Christian faithful in the Philippines, to remember the events in the life of Jesus Christ from his triumphant entry to Jerusalem, celebrating the Last Supper, leading to his passion, death, and resurrection.
While the celebration of Holy Week came from the influence of Spanish Catholicism that was introduced in the country in the 16th century, it has certainly evolved over time as Filipinos, especially the Catholicized ones, not only embraced this celebration but also added their own flavor into it, so to speak. These traditions still remain strong today even in a place as urbanized as Manila, from the pabasas you hear being blared via loudspeakers to the men who cover themselves while beating or whipping themselves.