SAMAL, Bataan- “Kalbaryo” on Holy Monday began to be visible again in the province especially in the towns of Orani, Samal and Abucay.
The “kalbaryo” or what people tend to believe as replica of Mount Calvary where the Lord Jesus was crucified and died are of various designs and sizes. Big or small or whatever design it was crafted, the message is clear – that of the sacrifices of Jesus and His Cross.
These are made of materials common in the area like bamboos and leaves of coconuts. Chanting of the “Pasyon” began to be heard night of Holy Monday. The Pasyon was either done by a group of persons or through canned music.
The reading by chanting of the Pasyon will go on until before the procession night of Good Friday. On Holy Thursday, flagellants called manggagapang will for some minutes lie fl at on their stomach with both hands stretched on the hot pavement in front of the kalbaryo.
On Good Friday, flagellants called mandurugo will kneel for some minutes before the kalbaryo. Both the manggagapang and mandurugo seem to be praying and asking for forgiveness or some favour to the Almighty before transferring to another kalbaryo along their way to a river or artesian well where they will bathe.
A manggagapang is one doing penitence by crawling on hot pavement or sand where usually little children following him whip him on the body with banana stalks. A mandurugo on the other hand whips his bloodied back, caused by broken bottles or razor, with strips of bamboo.
Commonly, both are bare from waist up with small ropes artistically tied around their long pants up to their neck.
The common practice in the olden times was to hide the face of the flagellant with cloth but as of the present, many flagellants prefer to expose their identity. Flagellants in Bataan used to be only manggagapang on Holy Thursday and mandurugo on Good Friday but time has changed. There are mandurugo even on Thursday.
Another type of flagellant was added – ones who carry on their back standing wooden crosses a little over their height. These new flagellants participate on Holy Thursday and Good Friday.
