I went to Gasan, Marinduque on Good Friday, to personally witness the bloody ritual of the flagellantes who cut their skins as a form of penitence. Coming from Boac, I arrived in Gasan at exact 2pm. Gasan is a peaceful sloping hill town bounded on the west by sea, and on the east by mountains.
Arriving as a complete stranger, I was told by the locals that the flagellants were already at the Gasan old cemetery. I immediately proceeded there to document their Good Friday Bloody Ritual.
At the old cemetery, I found some fifty bleeding flagellants, still cutting their skins with razor blades. Some older men act as "cutters" making small breaks into the flagellants' arms, chest, back, and legs. The flagellants then hit their wounds with small bundles of sticks to numb the pain.
As I witnessed the ghastly ritual, I became extremely curious and went closer because the men were very friendly and seemed to enjoy being photographed. In my carelessness, I became too close so that some of theirblood splattered on my arms, shirt, and pants. I retreated and apologized for being too close, but the men, ever friendly, just smiled at me, and told me that the bloodstains on my shirt can be easily removed with Zonrox.
It was the very first time that I had personally witnessed a group of people purposely hurt themselves and seemed to be enjoying it, as all of them are smiling and even sharing some jokes. Some of them were even drinking Tawak, a drink concoction made from a mixture of indigenous roots, peppers, secret prayers, and Tanduay.The Tawak was supposedly magical and can make the drinker immune from the venoms of poisonous snakes and bugs.
The very strong and spicy Tawak
As I came to know some of the men, I asked them what their purpose was for doing this ritual. They said that it was an old tradition in Gasan, and a way to atone for their sins. The bloodletting is just small sacrifice compared to the agony suffered by the Lord on the same Friday that he was tortured and crucified.
After a few hours of cutting their skins, they then proceeded to the nearby sea to wash their wounds.
Arriving as a complete stranger, I was told by the locals that the flagellants were already at the Gasan old cemetery. I immediately proceeded there to document their Good Friday Bloody Ritual.
At the old cemetery, I found some fifty bleeding flagellants, still cutting their skins with razor blades. Some older men act as "cutters" making small breaks into the flagellants' arms, chest, back, and legs. The flagellants then hit their wounds with small bundles of sticks to numb the pain.
As I witnessed the ghastly ritual, I became extremely curious and went closer because the men were very friendly and seemed to enjoy being photographed. In my carelessness, I became too close so that some of theirblood splattered on my arms, shirt, and pants. I retreated and apologized for being too close, but the men, ever friendly, just smiled at me, and told me that the bloodstains on my shirt can be easily removed with Zonrox.
It was the very first time that I had personally witnessed a group of people purposely hurt themselves and seemed to be enjoying it, as all of them are smiling and even sharing some jokes. Some of them were even drinking Tawak, a drink concoction made from a mixture of indigenous roots, peppers, secret prayers, and Tanduay.The Tawak was supposedly magical and can make the drinker immune from the venoms of poisonous snakes and bugs.
The very strong and spicy TawakAfter a few hours of cutting their skins, they then proceeded to the nearby sea to wash their wounds.
The old Gasan cemetery where the bloody ritual is traditionally held every Good FridayThe Flagellants
My shirt and pants that had been smeared by the flagellants' blood
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