Philippines | pinaywifespeaks

Manila Bay Sunset..

With nothing much to do last weekend, I dragged my husband and kiddo to take a walk along Roxas Boulevard, Manila. Gone are the restaurants along Baywalk, but still a lot of people were taking a leisurely stroll along the sidewalks.

One reason I wanted to go there is to take some pictures. It certainly one of the places I’ll be missing once me and my family moves back to Phnom Penh. We used to take regular weekend strolls here, buying fishballs, ice cream then having dinner on a restaurant along Roxas Boulevard. Here’s some pics of Manila Pier and Manila Bay Sunset..

Holy Week – Traditions in Bicol

I was born and raised in Bicol, Philippines and have spent most of my childhood there. Bicol is at the southern end of Luzon. It’s a beautiful place with lots of natural wonders. More than just Mayon Volcano, Bulusan Volcano and Mt. Isarog, and whale shark spotting, Bicol Region have lots of breathtaking islands and beaches.

Albay, my home province has vast amount of rich farm lands, and one of the main produce is abaca. So if you’re in search for handicrafts (handbags, mats, baskets), this is the place to visit. What is also unique about the province is the churches in each municipality mostly of Baroque Architecture.

What I really miss though are the religious traditions we celebrate. Most notably, the holy week procession where you can see the evident influence of Spanish and Roman Catholic culture to our place.

2007 Holy Week Procession – Bacacay Albay, Philippines

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Agony in The Garden - 2007 Holy Week - Bicol, Philippines

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This is the 'santo' - Agony in the Garden, our family has taken care of for generations already..

I won’t be able to go home this Holy Week season, so I’d content myself with sharing pictures of last year’s Holy Week Procession. Back home, each “santo” or “paso” is taken care of by a clan. Most of these santos are with clans for several generations already. Our family has one “paso”, the Agony in the Garden. Every year the whole clan helps out fixing the image, putting decorations, and going to the processions. Processions are done on Holy Wednesdays and Good Friday. It goes through the town’s narrow streets ending at the Church where the priests bless the people and the images. (it was raining a bit last year ..)

Majority of these images or ‘santos’ are centuries old and has been handed down through generations. See the photos below and you’d be amazed by the details and the craftmanship of each piece. The newer ones now are mostly made of fiberglass but the old ones are really impressive. It has life-like sizes as well as features.

Update: 2008 Holy Week Procession (photos courtesy of my niece Andrea)

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