10:00:27 Music.. The dance of Hadin
10:01:10 Zoilo Castro : This is not just a show. It’s a religious thing.
10:01:28 Zoilo Castro : So when they come here we will entertain them.
10:02:45 Ruben Enaje : I started being crucified in 1986
10:02:48 Ruben Enaje : That was my first
10:03:04 Ruben Enaje : Now it’s my 20th year.
10:03:19 Father Leo Monteya : You can see by there apparent, you know they come mostly from the poor area no and there, because that are covered no we can not see them clearly. Drunker or even drug addicts do this, those who are in the lower group of society there are the ones that do this the lower class…just the same there is no real change, inter-change it becomes only something that is external.
10:03:55 Arnold Maniago : When I was first crucified…
10:03:58 Arnold Maniago : I was 19 years old.
10:04:02 Arnold Maniago : That’s when I performed my first penitence
10:04:06 Arnold Maniago : They didn’t want to nail me here in Calvary.
10:04:15 Arnold Maniago : They wanted me to get a letter from my parents…
10:04:19 Arnold Maniago : because I was the youngest of all those doing the penitence.
10:04:24 Music.. Inside story-no percussion
10:05:16 Father Mon Torres : ultimately the best way to please God is not just through inflicting pain on one self but through a change of heart through a transformation of life..
10:05:46 Angelito Manansala : It is really my freewill that I wanted to be nailed
10:05:48 Angelito Manansala : for the sake of my children and my family
10:05:51 Angelito Manansala : most of all for my brothers, sisters and my mother
10:05:54 Angelito Manansala : it’s like that
10:05:52 Music.. The dance of Hadin
10:06:11 Father Mon Torres : That cleansing that one desires during holy week through self flagellation, through self inflicted pain, what we have been discussing must lead to a deeper desire for inter-renewal
10:06:40 Oscar Rodrigquez : Pardon me for saying it, I have not seen persons coming from the affluent sector doing it… practically 100% of pledges are coming from the down trodden from the poorest of the poor but never from the upper echelon of society
10:07:11 Victor Caparas : It’s because of the sins that I committed…
10:07:16 Victor Caparas : especially the drugs…
10:07:19 Victor Caparas : that my youngest brother is sick with asthma.
10:07:24 Victor Caparas : It is the only thing that I ask the Lord our God…
10:07:29 Victor Caparas : that what I pray for will be granted
10:07:36 Father Leo Monteya : They are the poor, poorer groups of people and I think that they find constellation in that they do something for the Lord although it’s only during the season
10:07:52 Arnold Maniago : With our shortcomings, it is our way of asking for forgiveness
10:07:59 Arnold Maniago : but the other priests they don’t understand
10:08:03 Arnold Maniago : It’s not just a spectacle…
10:08:06 Arnold Maniago : You are offering your life up there.
10:08:15 Father Mon Torres : As this activities are being done there, rituals are also being done in the church. The rituals of Good Friday co-inside with the practices of crucifixion and a catholic is lefted to chose some chose to joint the church event and some chose to go there
10:08:43 Music.. Pergolesi-stabat-mater
10:09:49 Father Mon Torres : It is still a religious event and it will always be an religious event but the point is the government is taking advantage of the tourist attraction it gets from tourist
10:10:06 Oscar Rodrigquez : Let us face it, it’s a question of luring tourist to come, its one way of attracting tourist it is a tourist attraction definite
10:10:20 Music.. Inside story-no-percussion
10:10:39 Zoilo Castro : This is a very big deal for tourism here in San Fernando
10:10:56 Zoilo Castro : Even if we didn’t say it’s a show
10:11:00 Zoilo Castro : people will still come because they want to see the truth.
10:11:08 Ruben Enaje : I am glad to see so many people come…
10:11:14 Ruben Enaje : especially the ordinary people, because I can see
10:11:19 Ruben Enaje : the Lord is still in their heart.
10:11:26 Father Mon Torres : People who flock there are natives of our city are not natives of our…..place anymore ….they come from farther places…they are more curious…especially foreigners
10:11:45 Zoilo Castro : We welcome everyone who comes to our town…
10:11:50 Zoilo Castro : and hope that they will be enlightened.
10:11:57 Oscar Rodrigquez : I believe many of tourist come here just to see it, just to witness it and there for out of curious sake. Some and I think they are in the minority are coming because of there deep religious conviction, I believe many of those who go there just to witness it not for there deep religious convictions
10:12:30 Zoilo Castro : This is not a carnival. This is really for the Lord.
10:12:44 Ody Gabriel : It’s painful just to slip and fall…
10:12:47 Ody Gabriel : what more if someone drives a nail through your hand.
10:12:56 Victor Caparas : Others have asked if it is painful.
10:12:59 Victor Caparas : I say it is painful, it feels like someone is
10:13:02 Victor Caparas : boring a hole through your hand
10:13:04 Victor Caparas : that’s why you never see a crucified person laughing
10:13:16 Angelito Manannsala : At first, they don’t hammer they push the nails in very hard
10:13:20 Angelito Manannsala : Then they use the hammer, to hammer the nails in.
10:13:22 Angelito Manannsala : Once tha nails are in, then they raise us up.
10:13:35 Ody Gabriel : I will be the one to crucify them
10:13:38 Ody Gabriel : Because when you crucify, some hands are too light…
10:13:41 Ody Gabriel : others are too heavy.
10:13:45 Ody Gabriel : When you bang the hammer, it shouldn’t just be banging…
10:13:49 Ody Gabriel : there should be a technique, not just any old how.
10:14:08 Music.. Pergolesi-stabat-mater
10:14:28 Father Mon Torres : Most of them are, are poor. Most of them are, I may say they do not, they do not really find them self as churched
10:15:05 Oscar Rodrigquez : I have never encourage it but.. I am not openly against it because I believe it is being done out of there deep faith
10:15:23 Ruben Enaje : The crucifixion it really helps a lot
10:15:26 Ruben Enaje : especially for my family.
10:15:29 Ruben Enaje : When someone is sick, I go to pray quietly…
10:15:37 Ruben Enaje : so that we don’t have to go to the doctor.
10:15:40 Ruben Enaje : The sickness immediately goes away.
10:15:49 Oscar Rodrigquez : Many of them, if not all are very religious… they have that strong faith
10:16:02 Music.. The dance of Hadin
10:16:40 Oscar Rodrigquez : I have not seen yet the criminal or one who is an outcast in society because of doing bad things to them and there are up volunteering to be crucified
10:16:53 Angelito Manannsala : I regret all my sins
10:16:58 Angelito Manannsala : I was a drunkard before
10:17:01 Angelito Manannsala : I would always get into trouble.
10:17:07 Ody Gabriel : It’s truly painful. If only it were ok to cry, then they would
10:17:13 Ody Gabriel : Of course they can’t be seen to cry…
10:17:16 Ody Gabriel : because it is not good to see them cry.
10:17:25 Arnold Maniago : It’s like our bodies are very heavy…
10:17:29 Arnold Maniago : but after the penitence our suffering suddenly disappears.
10:17:42 Arnold Maniago : Because for me, when I’m nailed to the cross…
10:17:46 Arnold Maniago : I feel very light, that’s what I’m feeling up there.
10:17:56 Ody Gabriel : Some of them feel nervous…
10:17:59 Ody Gabriel : but those who are used to it don’t any more.
10:18:29 Angelito Manannsala : All my veins ache, but I just endure the pain…
10:18:39 Angelito Manannsala : then I look up and ask for forgiveness from above…
10:18:44 Angelito Manannsala : and hopefully he will help me.
10:18:46 Angelito Manannsala : When I’m on the cross hanging up
10:18:49 Angelito Manannsala : and I look up and ask for forgiveness…
10:18:51 Angelito Manannsala : hopefully I won’t suffer.
10:18:55 Father Mon Torres : The church has always been respectful of these practices, it does not condemn the practices but it evangelizes these practices. That is why you see there are rituals inside the church these are for those who have progress in their knowledge about the faith
10:19:30 Ruben Enaje : Once you are already on the cross, no matter how hot it is…
10:19:36 Ruben Enaje : you don’t feel it, you only feel cold.
10:19:42 Ruben Enaje : When I close my eyes praying the Lord is by my side
10:19:49 Ruben Enaje : guiding me in what I am doing.
10:19:58 Arnold Maniago : They ask “Why are you making yourself suffer?”
10:20:01 Arnold Maniago : The priests say we shouldn’t do this, but they don’t understand
10:20:10 Arnold Maniago : They don’t understand the hardship that we go through.
10:20:22 Arnold Maniago : Even if we spoke to the priests just the two us…
10:20:28 Arnold Maniago : we were raised to believe that we have to do penitence.
10:20:40 Father Mon Torres : I think ultimately they please God that is, that is what I believe what really motivates them. It may it may be for so many people a horror end taboo difficult to understand…. But I think the driving forces for people who do this is to please God, through their sacrifice through their faith
10:20:36 Music.. Pergolesi-stabat-mater
10:21:17 Music.. Pergolesi-stabat-mater
-END-
Zoilo Castro Town Councilor
Ruben Enaje
Angelito Manansala
Arnold Maniago
Victor Caparas
Father Leo Monteya San Fernando Priest
Father Mon Torres San Fernando Priest
Ody Gabriel Carpenter
Oscar Rodrigquez San Fernando Town Mayor