By: Rudy Viernes
May is the merriest and most colorful month of the year in the Philippines. It is a month of fiestas, processions, Flores de Mayo, Santacruzan, Virgin Mary…and mangoes, too! In most little towns and villages the annual fiesta is an anticipated event held in May. Most part of the year the barrio perks up when the fiesta is planned. Its the centerpiede of village activity. There would be fanfare and Ferris wheels.
The central focus is the election of a fiesta queen whose parents, by necessity, is the host and should show hospitality. They would lavish the dining table with sumptuous fares. For entertainment the guests could have sing-a-longs, or play the CDs of Gary Valenciano or Tom Jones.
For drinks they would toast with basi or lambanog, Genebra or San Miguel beer, or both, with kilawin as pulutan to boot. Let this be a festive day!Guests would come and go, from far and wide, relatives or not, invited or not. They would be host for the day and their daughter queen for a night. The governor or congressman would crown her. Why, the occasion happens only once in a lifetime they would be toast of village society.
They should celebrate! Bahala na! It’s hiya typified. Image. Karangalan.There were social reformers who viewed fiestas with aversion because they often border to worldly frolic and excessive fanfare that tend to overshadow the religious aspect. The late Sen. Raul Manglapuz launched a movement not to ban fiestas but to curtail its pomp and excesses; that the people should realize what entails to overspend for fleeting pleasures. He said that if the money spent for the gluttonous feasting were spent for more productive pursuits there would be progress.
His catchphrase then was “Fiestas for Progress.”What happens when the party is over and the guests have gone and the giddy queenship fizzles out into memory? The family would be beset with debt problems—how to pay back the money that may have been borrowed at usurious rates. At that time Manglapuz cited the example of Pateros which made some progress because the townspeople pulled their resources to form cooperatives to produce balut which Pateros was known for.
He also campaigned for agricultural fairs to showcase the yield of the earth. To encourage production there would be awards for the largest kalabasa, the longest patola, the fattest swine..Of course, Manglapuz, a Catholic, never suggested to do away with the religious aspect of fiestas—the celebration of the mass to thank the patron saint for a bountiful harvest.
Just refrain from profligate spending.Nobody but nobody would want fiestas abolished. They account for the totality of the thrills and frolic that they enjoy the entire year. Not the fatalists who philosophize that the fiesta is an occasion to enjoy for tomorrow they die. For once they have the excuse to splurge a little, to indulge a little to make up for all the days of sloth and boredom. Not the town pastor who would make hay because it’s boom time for baptisms, confirmations, church weddings; when the more affluent would feel more generous with their contributions.
The Ati-Atihan processions in the Panay provinces, Iloilo and mini-versions elsewhere are tourist attractions where the sooted and freakishly-clad revelers tromp the streets in frenzied abandon. Sinulog in Cebu is equally a splash hit for its festive air, and like the Ati-Atihan it is held in tribute to the miraculous image of Santo Nino. The fiesta of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo, and our Lady of Manaoag are not as flourish but they have their share of faithfuls for their religious fervor.
The fluvial processions of Penafrancia and Bocaue are legendary fiesta celebrations in honor of their own patron saints and are favorite travel destinations. The traditional block Rosary in the neighborhood is minute but ubiquitous that adds to the color of May. All are integrals of the Filipino culture fabric and heritage.
Other months of the year may come and go but May may not without the fabulous Santacruzan. It is considered the most alluring of Filipino festivals not because of its pomp and glitter but for its awesome display of pulchritude and fashion. It is a religious procession to commemorate the mythical finding of Helena of the holy Cross on which Christ was crucified.
Legend had it that when Constantine was emperor of Rome he and his mother Helena became avid cross devotees. Constantine followed a vision to change the eagle sign of the Roman emblem to a Cross with “In Hoc Signo Vincit” inscribed on it which means “By This Sign You Conquer.” The intercession of the Cross won Constantine decisive battles which convinced him that Christianity was the true religion and the cross sign of the Christian faith.
Thankful for his successful exploits he decreed Christianity the state religion and he and her mother were converts to Christianity. Because of her devotion to the Cross Helena went on a hunt for the Cross on which Christ died. She came upon three crosses buried in the ruins of Jerusalem. But which one was the true Cross?
She asked a woman suffering from leprosy to touch them. The leper touched the two. They could be the thieves’. The instant she touched the third she got cleansed instantaneously. It was Christ’s no doubt! Helena brought home her precious find amidst joyful celebration and thanksgiving.
Thus Santacruzan has become a storied Filipino tradition since the Creole Friars introduced it in the 16th century.But many people began to be quizzical about the relevance of Santacruzan. What this generation knows about Santacruzan is essentially a roadshow of pretty girls called sagalas, elegantly dressed and made-up, escorted by good looking gentlemen called Constantinos in resplendent barongs.
It has become a beauty pageant com fashion show where the sagalas and their escorts are the marquee names of filmdom and the modeling ramps gowned by the Who’s Who of the fashion world. Due to its mass appeal the Department of Tourism stages Santacruzan on a grand scale to drumbeat tourism.Santacruzan and Flores de Mayo are often integrated festivals.
What is focused in Flores de Mayo are the Reyna de las Flores who carries bouquet of flowers and the beautiful Virgin Mary behind her on a caroza. The show feature of Santacruzan is the sagala Reyna Elena (to honor Empress Helena) who carries a symbolic small cross. The Virgin Mary whose image had been brought down to the side altar is adorned by little girls with garlands of flowers, while the faithful recite the rosary to end the Flores de Mayo celebration.
While the fragrance of May blossoms pervades the air, the pleasant scent of Philippine summer fruits is unmistakable. The most famous is the mango. It is now produced year-round in some parts of the country but it is sweetest during summertime. It is a major Philippine export (but not to the USA?) unrivaled anywhere because it is “luscious and delicious and sweet” so the tourists say. We say “Amen” to that.*****