By Telly G. Ocampo
Religious Practices of Baclayon during the “Cuaresma”
This will be our second cuaresma during the time of the pandemic. The first one was in 2020.
I am really missing those Holy Week moments before when most of us were in church by this time – for reflection, retreats and station of the cross. I am missing most that strong sense of community when the encargadas of the carros would gather in church to bring their balde, silhig, trapo, etc. aron hinluan ang ilang mga carro nga gitungtungan sa mga imahen sa mga santos. The flowers the encargados bring to adorn their carros looked very beautiful and fresh. Upon seeing all these, I could not help but feel happy and heavenly. The feeling is inexplicable.
Then, as soon as Wednesday would come, one of the most awaited activities was the procession, I could just imagine the long line of devotees waiting for their favorite carro where they could insert themselves (in the queue) for the procession. The same would happen for the Good Friday procession.
I personally know the families who are the encargados taking charge of the carros. Their families, from generation to generation, have been religiously been taking care of the carros. The respobsibility is also owned by the present and younger generation nga maoy motud sa bug-at nga carro apil na ang pagsabat sa pangaliya sa Kahitas-an ug ang pagdayan dayan sa kabulakan. Sa panahon nga wala pay generator, iyahay ang mga encargado ug dala ug lampara nga pagtawgon namo ug “petromax”.
These are scenarios that I miss the most. Seeing the familiar faces during holy week; sharing current events of the town while doing our thing with our carros; renewing ties with old friends; accepting new friends into our lives; etc. It has been my custombre pagpasanay sa akong pite-pite that I took with me from Tacloban. I lent them to the carro of Jo, my friend, and she has been using those for last many years after the earthquake. My cousin Nani has been applying different decorating ideas since the time she assumed the role of “artist” of the carro.
I would know, then, that it was cuaresma time because the images representing the sorrowful mysteries were displayed every week and to be changed the Monday after. The display was done in church at the gospel side of the altar.
These are the Baclayon Carro Encargados:
The 1st Sorrowful Mystery: Jesus’ agony in the garden. This image is being taken care of by the Alarba-Villamor family. You must be familiar with Dr. Asuncion Villamor, the Dologuin sisters: Lenie, Trudes and Nelly. Included in the group before was Engr. Melchor Villamor, deceased.
The 2nd Sorrowful Mystery: The scourging at the pillar. The icon on the second week of cuaresma is taken care of by the Buhion-Realista family. The head of the family is known as Andong Datu. Datu gyud sila. One child was married to a Ginete and the other daughter married to a Bayan. Both are now deceased and the present encargada is Remedios Realista Uy after the demise of the older siblings, Linda and Zita.
The 3rd Sorrowful Mystery: Jesus is crowned with thorns. The encargados are Nong Dodoy Ayaay and Teodora Revil. The icon is housed at Delfina’s, the mother of Josefina Caballo. During the Holy Week celebration, the members of the entire clan would gather at the Caballo house to support one another in the preparation of the carro. Nong Dodoy used to work in the convent. He had a son who was a good painter and the latter did a painting with subjects: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These paintings are distributed to the four corners of the church’s dome.
The 4th Sorrowful Mystery: Jesus carries the cross. The original encargados were Tan Akoy, Ciriaco Iyog Villamor and Agripina Buhion, the parents of my grandmother Lola Danday. The icons with the hudejo and Simon are kept in our ancestral house in Baliaut. The last encargada before us was my Oyang Tiva – Primitiva Villamor Ramo. In her time, she would not allow flowers on the carro. She would only have the palmera and the san francisco. But our generation and the present generation are dividing our roles in “taking care” of the carro during the Holy Week. Nani Caballo Plaza takes care of the carro with sister Lina. Daria Caballo-Realista and I would take care of the food and other incidental expenses. For whatever capital expenditure, it is drawn from the common fund. Ug ang motulod sa carro mao ang children of the of those traditionally helping us out with the carro.
The 5th Sorrowful Mystery: The crucifixion.
The image of the crucified Jesus is displayed during the Siete Palabras on Good Friday. The backdrop of the retablo is composed of shrubs and cuttings of trees found in the town. After the siete palabras, at about 3 in the afternoon, male observers would usually gather the leaves of the trees and shrubs being adorned on the carro. They do this for it is a common belief that these leaves and shrubs could heal ailments of whatever kind including general well being. Then, the crucifix is placed below the choir loft after the siete palabras till the next Biernes Santo.
If there is a 5th Sunday in lent, the Jesus Sentenciado is displayed. The encargada for this is sister Ursing Ongcoy. There are two figures here, Pontius Pilate and Jesus Christ.
This year, come Holy Wednesday and Good Friday, the procession will be all over the town. It will go to its inland barangays. The carros will not anymore be used because the images of saints will be placed on vehicles. We the devotees would not mind the cost of this operation.
On Holy Wednesday and Good Friday, the procession will be passing by your homes, our homes. Please light your candles like the Passover of the ancient biblical times. It’s our sacrificial offering pleading in prayer to end this pandemic.
This is an opportunity for all of the people to witness semana santa with our churches mandated closed to pilgrims. Normally we have our Visita Iglesia consisting of 7 doors of churches to be visited which we can’t anymore observe now.
With our celebration of THE HOLY WEEK, we implore our God to stop the pandemic.
The image of Senyor Jesus de Paciencia (the crowning with thorns) whose encargados are Nong Dodoy Ayaay and Teodora Revil.
The image of Senyor Jesus Nazareno taken care of by the family of Tan Akoy
Senyor Jesus de la Huerta (The agony in the garden)