MANILA, Philippines – The military yesterday vowed to be extra vigilant to ensure public safety during the Holy Week.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) information chief Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. said field units would be deployed to boost intelligence operations against lawless elements to ensure that the Holy Week would be peaceful.
“We will be extra vigilant to be sure that there would be no problems and everything would be peaceful this coming (Lenten) season,” Burgos said.
AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr. said it would be business as usual for soldiers even as the military’s alert level has not been raised.
“It depends on the commander if they will be allowed to go on Holy Week break… if they would give passes or leaves, depending on the situation as deemed appropriate by the commanders,” Mabanta said.
Mabanta said the AFP has not detected any immediate threat posed by armed rebels and terrorist groups. He gave assurance that the military would not be complacent during the long weekend.
Holy Week started yesterday with Palm Sunday and will end at dawn of Easter Sunday.
The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has been placed on full alert starting April 13 as it prepares for the exodus of thousands of people going to the provinces.
Full alert means all policemen would not be allowed to go on day-off or avail of vacation leaves to ensure the availability of enough number of personnel.
The military, however, did not raise its alert status as soldiers would only provide support to their police counterparts.
Around 5,000 policemen have been deployed around Metro Manila to secure public places. A total of 350 bus marshals and Motorized Anti-Crime Operatives were also tasked to monitor seaports, airports, churches, and bus terminals.
Around 500 soldiers were deployed in Metro Manila to augment the police.
AFP National Capital Region Command chief Brig. Gen. Tristan Kison said the soldiers will man checkpoints and secure vital installations like bus terminals, airports, and Light Rail Transit and Metro Rail Transit stations.
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=677558&publicationSubCategoryId

Camping is one of the popular outdoor activities that take place in Clearwater Resort which is generally regarded as one of the best hotels in Clark Philippines. Here in this popular resort in Pampanga there is a safe and clean campsite that comes also with a private campfire ground for a complete camping experience outside of Manila. Guests and families camping at this private resort in Pampanga often enjoy outdoor facilities by the lake, the beach and picnic grounds also. Clearwater Resort is considered by schools, event organizers and social groups as one of the best campsites in the Philippines.

Highly recommended beach resort in North Luzon for company outings and family retreats is most frequently visited hotel in Clark Pampanga because of beautiful view and good outdoor facilities for swimming, picnic and barbecue.

Families traveling out of town go to the north to get away from Manila to unwind, relax and swim with friends and children. Highly recommended holiday spot and vacation destination this summer in the north is Clearwater Beach Resort in Clark. Clark is adjacent to Pampanga’s Angeles City which is just 70 minutes from Manila and 25 minutes from Subic. Many visitors also come to Clark to play golf in one of the best golf courses in Pampanga. Pampanga is home to some of the finest golf courses outside of Manila.

New camping sites and picnic grounds in Philippines are now added to Clark for family outings in outside Manila. The best campsites are located at Yats Clearwater Resort & Country Club in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Philippines. Just bring camping equipment and enjoy the fun and ambience of outdoor living camping in Clark under safe, secured and clean conditions. Outdoor activities include swimming and water sports, boating and paddling a kayak, lawn tennis, golf, shooting range and all sorts of leisure activities including colonial games like croquet and horseshoe.

Clearwater Resort & Country Club offers several styles of accommodation from US$65 up inclusive of breakfast for two at the beautiful Breakfast Garden Restaurant overlooking the large Clearwater lake and beach. This is a good rendition of the lifestyle that the Americans left behind after they left the Clark Airbase. A good short description of this lifestyle is suburban laid-back slow-paced clean living, very suitable for tourists and guests looking for a way to unwind from the stress of living in Manila.

In a city like Manila, most residents rely on visits to spa and beauty parlor to unwind and relax. But with a short getaway to Angeles City Clark Pampanga one can de-stress by enjoying beautiful outdoor amenities of this beach resort, savoring what nature can offer.

For reservations, comments and inquiries,

Clearwater Resort & Country Club
Creekside Road corner of Centennial Road,
Central Business District, Clark Freeport Zone,
Pampanga, Philippines 2023

Tel: (045)599-5949 0917-520-4403 0922-870-5177

Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 Rea or Chay

http://www.ClearwaterPhilippines.com

Email: Inquiry@ClearwaterPhilippines.com

Getting to this hotel in Clark Philippines
After entering Clark Freeport from Subic, Manila, Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along Clark’s main highway MA Roxas, passing Clark’s largest wine shop called Clark Wine Center on your right, continue to bear right making no turns at all, go past Mimosa Leisure Estate on the opposite side of the road, you will hit a major intersection. Go straight and the road becomes Creekside Road. YATS Clearwater Resort and Country Club is on your right just 200m down. Traffic in Clark Philippines is light so it should be quite easy for get to this hotel in Clark Philippines.

For inquiries and bookings, click here to contact Clearwater Resort now

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com

While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com

While in Clark, one might as well add to the itinerary a visit to the famous Clark Wine Center, the largest wine shop in Philippines which offers over 2000 selections of fine vintage wine from all wine regions, vintages spanning over 50 years covering all price ranges.
http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

http://www.LondonPubClark.com

http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com

http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com

http://www.YatsWineCellars.com

For jobs and business investment opportunities in the Philippines please visit http://www.yilp.com

Today is Good Friday, the Friday of Holy Week when the Christians commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Unlike the days when I post about my usual topics on technology, business and other matters, I will now talk about Holy Week, a significant religious festival in the Philippines. In our predominantly Roman Catholic country, Holy Week is known as both Semana Santa (the original Spanish name) or by the Filipino name Mahál na Araw (literally translated to English as “Precious Days”).
Beginning Holy Thursday, businesses in the Philippines shut down operations until Easter Sunday. During these days, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, many local television and radio stations interrupt broadcast or at least replace regular programming with more solemn or religious content out of respect.
Many communities observe the Spanish-influenced Catholic rituals such as sermons and processions but it is thePabasa ng Pasyon (Reading of the Passion) that really reminds me of the importance of the celebration. Called “Pabasa” for short, this long-time tradition is said to have begun also during Spanish time. The Pabasa is a ritual wherein the life and passion of Christ is chanted a capella (unaccompanied vocal music). Groups of singers usually take turns in doing the Pabasa while devotees gather around them to listen and reflect.
In some parts of the Philippines, Holy Week has become a tourist attraction with multiple crucifixions and a great number of flagellants. The week-long spectacle draws thousands of participants as well as interested local and foreign spectators. While the Catholic Church does not recognize the ceremonies, these so-called religious practices have been going on for generations and became part of the Holy Week of Filipinos.

Some of the good resorts in Pampanga offer beautiful outdoor picnic grounds that can be used for prenuptial pictorial and wedding photography. Wedding pictures can be taken in one of the beautiful resorts near Manila for a wedding album. Special packages and discount offerings for wedding photography, prenuptial pictorial and other photo-shoot are available at this popular wedding venue in Pampanga. In fact, Clearwater Resort is one of the best resorts in Pampanga that is lauded for its good outdoor garden wedding reception venues. Visitors to Clark and Angeles City Pampanga seldom pass up the opportunity to relax and unwind by the lake of this popular resort in Pampanga.

Companies in Manila travel out of town for a short getaway to hold their events and function outside of the city in the north. Many companies choose Clark in Pampanga because of its safety record. Clark is home to some of the best golf courses in Pampanga. Although golf continues to be one of the reasons why visitors from Manila travel to Pampanga, residents of Angeles City, Subic and Bulacan travel to Clark not just to play golf in one of the best golf courses in Pampanga but also to relax and unwind in the best resort in Philippines.

Clark offers some of the best outdoor venues for company outings in Pampanga, Angeles City and Subic. Being so accessible from Manila via the North Luzon Expressway, Clark Philippines is exceptionally convenient for all sorts of events and picnics. Each year, many company events like team building, corporate planning, outings and awarding ceremonies are held in resorts like Clearwater Beach hotel located in the central business district of Clark Pampanga.

Although Clark is not revered for fancy ballrooms and stuffy function rooms, there are many options for meeting and conference facilities. Companies travel out of town from Manila heading north to Pampanga typically look for meeting facilities within leisure and recreational areas. More and more companies mix in a good amount of activities in the program to help participants unwind and relax in between sessions.

Clearwater is a highly recommended and most frequently visited private resort in Pampanga. This Clark hotel is a famous private resort outside Manila for corporate planning because of its exclusivity. Although the function rooms for planning and meetings are simple and basic, the surrounding gardens and ambience more than make up for what it lacks in lavish interior decoration.

New camping sites and picnic grounds in Philippines are now added to Clark for family outings in outside Manila. The best campsites are located at Yats Clearwater Resort & Country Club in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Philippines. Just bring camping equipment and enjoy the fun and ambience of outdoor living camping in Clark under safe, secured and clean conditions. Outdoor activities include swimming and water sports, boating and paddling a kayak, lawn tennis, golf, shooting range and all sorts of leisure activities including colonial games like croquet and horseshoe.

For reservations, comments and inquiries,

Clearwater Resort & Country Club
Creekside Road corner of Centennial Road,
Central Business District, Clark Freeport Zone,
Pampanga, Philippines 2023

Tel: (045)599-5949 0917-520-4403 0922-870-5177

Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 Rea or Chay

http://www.ClearwaterPhilippines.com

Email: Inquiry@ClearwaterPhilippines.com

Getting to this hotel in Clark Philippines
After entering Clark Freeport from Subic, Manila, Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along Clark’s main highway MA Roxas, passing Clark’s largest wine shop called Clark Wine Center on your right, continue to bear right making no turns at all, go past Mimosa Leisure Estate on the opposite side of the road, you will hit a major intersection. Go straight and the road becomes Creekside Road. YATS Clearwater Resort and Country Club is on your right just 200m down. Traffic in Clark Philippines is light so it should be quite easy for get to this hotel in Clark Philippines.

For inquiries and bookings, click here to contact Clearwater Resort now

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com

While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com

While in Clark, one might as well add to the itinerary a visit to the famous Clark Wine Center, the largest wine shop in Philippines which offers over 2000 selections of fine vintage wine from all wine regions, vintages spanning over 50 years covering all price ranges.
http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

http://www.LondonPubClark.com

http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com

http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com

http://www.YatsWineCellars.com

For jobs and business investment opportunities in the Philippines please visit http://www.yilp.com

ALONGSIDE THE LITURGICAL celebrations that the Church observes during the Holy Week are practices which, in the Philippines, have long been linked with it. Among them are the siete palabras, the way of the cross, procession of images, salubong,pabasa, cenaculo, and penitencia. For most Catholics, they not only add color to the week-long celebrations, but are, in fact, so associated with the Holy Week that it could not be conceived without them. It is not seldom that devotees–if only for these folk rituals—would spend the Holy Week in Sta. Cruz (Marinduque), Palo (Leyte), Grotto (Novaliches), or in some remote town in Bicol or Pangasinan, rather than in their own parishes. Some, for example, may decline to attend the Good Friday liturgy, but they will certainly make an effort to witness penitentesreenact the crucifixion on that day. Indeed, it happens that these activities attract more people than the liturgical celebrations themselves. But since these practices belong to the extra-liturgical spiritual life of the Church, the question is often raised: how do you look at them a critical point of view?

For the nonce, it may be well to focus on the pabasa, cenaculo, andpenitencia, and, to start with, give a short description of these practices. Usually held at home, the pabasa is the singing of the life of Jesus in poetic form, calledpasyon. Accompanied by a musical instrument, with the book placed between the two lighted candles, singers chant verses, oftentimes in alternation, before a crucifix. It is not uncommon for the host to serve drinks and finger foods during a pabasa. The cenaculo is the dramatization of the passion story, which normally begins with the scene of the agony in the garden, and ends with the crucifixion. It may take the form of simple passion play or a grand one similar to that of Oberammergau in Bavaria, where practically the whole village is involved in holding it once every ten years. Unlike the way of the cross which is aimed at meditating on the journey to Calvary, the penitencia seeks to dramatize the physical sufferings of Jesus bodily, either by physical flagellation, the carrying of a heavy cross, being crucified on it, or their combination. All of them are,objectively viewed, forms of participation in the suffering of Jesus: oral(pabasa), dramatic (cenaculo) and bodily (penitencia).

Expressions of Affective Faith

It is instructive that whereas in the siete palabras, procession, salubongand the way of the cross, the priest ordinarily accompanies the participants, especially in the provinces, he is conspicuously absent in pabasa, cenaculo andpenitencia. Of importance, however, is that these three rituals are basically meant for the edification of lay people. And they are held without having to be joined with the liturgical celebrations going on in the church. The priest has no role in them. They belong to the popular tradition. But they are originally aimed at participation in the celebrations of the mysteries of redemption. If these observations have anything to tell us, it is that these rituals are expressions of the people’s affective faith, which scarcely finds place in the official worship in the Church. In effect, it may be said that these popular practices are expressions of the lay people’s affective dimension of faith and at the same time are catered to it. They enhance religious affections and feelings. In the chanting of the pasyon, it sometimes happens that singers, swept by their emotion as they sing the poetic lines, shed tears; in the cenaculo, the participants become emotionally involved as they dramatize the events surrounding Jesus’ death; and in the penitencia, they are able to empathize with him in his pain. On the other hand, Roman liturgy is sober and reticent, and such emotion experience has scarcely any place for expression in it.

At the same time, however, they also externalize the people’s understanding of the faith. Of course, the lay people did not compose thepasyon; priests did. Most likely too, they did not, at the beginning, write the script of the cenaculo; but they make the oral and dramatic expressions, and obviously, having been written for them, these influence their ways of thinking and acting. For this reason, it is not surprising, indeed, that in most cases, their knowledge of who Jesus is and his salvific work shows a familiarity more with the pasyon and the drama than with the gospels or the official Christology and soteriology of the Church. Moreover, today, the script of the cenaculo is being written by laymen and, although priests are consulted, the over-all outcome mirrors the understanding of lay people. But this is especially true of penitencia. Though its roots may be traced to the practice of doing penance during Lent, it expresses the lay people’s faith in what participation in the suffering of Jesus must consist of. The rituals, in the other words, are a vehicle which expresses the faith experiences of the participants, but at the same time serving to call that faith to mind, and to catechize their audience in that faith.

Reason for Attractiveness

That these rituals (particularly the cenaculo and the penitencia) attract more people than the liturgical celebrations has at least four significations. First, this indicates their success, at least in catering to the affective dimension of their faith, and the understanding of that faith. In other words, they are able to speak to the needs of the lay people. Unhampered by liturgical discipline, they undergo changes and additions as they develop and flourish in response to those needs. For this reason, they are meaningful to them. The second implication is simply the reverse of the first. These rituals may also be interpreted as an expression of their disaffection from the official Church liturgy. For lay people, it is difficult to appropriate the meaning of the prayers and the action of the official liturgy. Hence, they feel the need for a ritual in order to plug in to the reticent liturgical celebration. A case in point is the holding of hands during singing of the Lord’s Prayer. Although it is against liturgical norms to do so, people in Manila make that gesture because, as someone said, it feels good. More should be said of this, but the point is, there is wisdom in the proposition that liturgy should not be foreign to the affective dimension of the people’s faith.

Moreover, the lay people have been estranged from the official liturgy because, before the Second Vatican Council, they had a little chance–save forcantoras–to take an active part in the liturgy. They were simply spectators, who could not understand the meaning of the words and gesture in the liturgy. Third, in these folk rituals, the lay people are, on the contrary, the subject of the expressions of faith experiences, not merely the recipients or onlookers of the celebrations. And the medium of expression is the language they speak and are at home with. On the other hand, that of the liturgy before, which was Latin, was opaque to their understanding. Hence, they could never comprehend nor feel for themselves the meaning of the celebrations. And fourth, on account of all this, the rituals provide them identity.

Environment of Poverty

The aspect of disenfranchisement brings the discussion to the social location which these religious practices presuppose: an environment of poverty. In general, those who take part in pabasa, who are involved in the cenaculo, and who engage in bodily flagellation do not came from the middle class or above it. They belong to the lower classes–those often alienated from the official liturgy. Even today, they are, in many areas, still disenfranchised, because they are not given opportunities to take an active part and express their faith in parish celebrations to a degree which these rituals allow. (Eucharistic celebrations in which members of charismatic communities are able to express themselves emotionally are an exception rather than the rule.) Quite apart from the gulf created between the language of the liturgy and that of the poor people, the common values which these practices represent are the pain and the suffering which Jesus endured until death, and people who are poor easily understand and identify themselves with these values. Hence, solidarity in values also accounts for the popularity of these rituals in an environment of poverty. The crucifixion for them is God’s empathy from which they can derive strength and inspiration. Clearly then, these rituals speak something of the part of society or the environment in which they thrive.

Encounter between Faith and Culture

Their practitioners to some extend cut off from the official Church, and coming from the grass roots, these rituals–it is the whole understandable–reflect an understanding which is the outcome of the encounter between the Christian faith, which they received with much limitations, and the culture in which they were brought up. They presuppose an environment removed from the centers of religion and politics. Before the coming of the Spanish missionaries, our forefathers believed in animism. Here, it was taught that the forces of nature were controlled by spirits who, by magical rituals, could be rendered beneficent or harmful. These were performed by the diwatahan, tambalan or baylana. If Holy Week folk rituals have anything to tell us, it is the animism has not been completely erased from the Filipino psyche. If one makes a survey on those who join in the cenaculo, for example, he will discover that the motive for participation is not simply to share the suffering of Christ, if at all; some likely answers are: fulfillment of a promise, thanksgiving for a favor granted, or reparation for sins.

In a study made on the penitentes of Palo, Leyte, it emerged that fear of punishment was among the motives for submitting oneself to penitencia. The fear of punishment for doing something wrong the year round motivates a person to placate an angry God. By experiencing pain, one assures himself of forgiveness, escape from punishment, and peace of mind. Nonetheless, this is actually an animist theology, though one cannot blame the devotees .They probably have never been thought correct theology, or have correctly understood it, in the first place. On the other hand, the environment of poverty prevents them from having access to opportunities to learning orthodoxy. Hence, the theology of these rituals does not perfectly cohere with the official teaching of the Church. On the contrary, it represents the result of the people’s appropriation of the gospel message vis-à-vis their pre-Hispanic culture and their situation of poverty.

Which brings us to other shadows of these rituals. Alienated from the centers of Catholic authority and life, they are in danger, among others, of being engaged in for utilitarian purposes. That one participates in self flagellation to obtain God’s forgiveness values the ritual for what the subject can obtain from it. This borders on superstitions, which nurtures the belief that as long as one engages in the ritual, he will be safe, for example, from calamities. This is true of other expressions of popular piety which are celebrated in connection with liturgy. For instance, although a procession is designed as a public witness to the faith, this is not how lay people take it. In many cases, they do not participate in it for that end. That one takes part in it so his illness will be cured, or so his son will reform his life–motives like these are very common. It fact during fiestas in rural areas, many residents will complain if the conduct of the procession excludes their houses from its ambit, convinced as they are that this will also bar them from receiving the graces that are obtained through the intercession of their patron saint.

Subjectivism and Lack of Ecclesial Sense

Related to this is the risk that these rituals are anchored on subjectivism. As already noted, one reason for the popularity of a Holy Week ritual is that it caters to the people’s affective needs. Because it is in touch with their feelings, it makes them satisfied. But there is a danger in thinking that what satisfies is good. That is subjectivism. In official liturgy, of course, this is not supposed to happen, because liturgical signs have their own meaning. That is why the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments, for example, forbids the raising of hands during the Lord’s Prayer because this gesture symbolizes communion. At any rate, lay people continue the practice because they feel good doing it. But it is precisely the role of liturgy to educate us in such a way we are able to express the meaning of liturgical gestures as our own, and so enter into the mystery of God and our own as a community. This frees liturgy from the danger of subjectivism. On other hand, since lay people engage in Holy Week folk rituals because they make them feel good and satisfy their affective needs, they do not lead to a real participation in the saving mystery.

In addition, these rituals hardly promote a sense of belonging to the Church. Because they focus on answering the effective needs of the participants, they, in general, are individualistic in orientation. If one were to ask the motivations of Black Nazarene devotees in Quiapo for joining the January procession or for wiping their handkerchiefs on the image, the responses would hardly differ from the ones that would be given for joining the cenaculo or thepenitencia: personal favors, either material or spiritual. There is scarcely any sense of being community or of belonging to one. (Which reminds us the pre-Vatican II eucharistic celebrations where each member of the congregation acted as if he or she were not related to the other worshippers in the church.)They lack social direction. Understandably, the theory of salvation or soteriology they embody is likewise individualistic: it is the individual who is saved from material and spiritual evils. Hardly ever clear is the concept of salvation of the community, still less the teaching that we are saved through the community. Consequently, the idea of building up the kingdom as part of their mission is far removed from them. On the contrary, the understanding is oriented toward the maintenance of the status quo. It is not farfetched to say that these rituals are burdened with the pre-Vatican II theology. And since they tend to develop apart from the hierarchical structure of the Church, it is not surprising that, in some cases, they are celebrated without any harmony with the liturgical time and meaning of the Holy Week. And their lack of ecclesial sense of belonging opens itself to abuse. It does happen that these rituals are held either for the personal advantage of their patrons, or for tourism purposes, or both.

As is true of other popular devotions, these Holy Week popular rituals–to many lay people–are regarded as more important than the liturgy itself for reason already noted. As a young priest assigned to the seminary, I used to say Mass in far-flung barangays. For lack of priest, only one Mass was celebrated in each of them once a month. One day, in one barangay, the old ladies asked me a favor after the mass: “Father, since you come here only once a month, may we suggest that instead of coming every first Sunday, you rather say Mass for us every first Friday?” Similar views can be encountered when it comes to the Holy Week rituals. For many, it is more fitting to act as Pilate in the cenaculo than to attend the Holy Thursday liturgy. It is more meaningful to undergo self-flagellation than to participate in the Good Friday liturgy, for, in the penitencia,one really experiences than the pain which Jesus himself experienced. And so on.

The problem, of course, is that this only reinforces the development of wrong values in the sense that these are at variance with those held by the Catholic Church. And precisely because many consider these rituals more important than the liturgy, there lurks the danger that they might think that all that is needed to be in the right before God is to take an active part in these folk practices. They might believe these are the ways of approaching God. That many ritual enthusiasts do not go to Church on Sunday, that they do not receive the sacraments, that they are more familiar with their practices than with the Bible–these reflect their lack of belonging to the Church and the importance they ascribe to these rituals. That the most important in being Christian is to follow Jesus daily in discipleship within the community, not in the yearly act of self-flagellation–this, it would seem, is still lost to the devotees.

Incomplete View of the Passion

Finally, the primary importance attached by the participants in thecenaculo, pabasa and penitencia to the death of Jesus results in the formation of values which have grave consequences for their faith and life. (Of course, such significance is not limited to the practitioners of these rituals. As may be observed during the Holy Week celebrations all the country over, it is only during Good Friday that people feel obliged to go to church; hence, pews are occupied to the full. But Easter and its Vigil, which are the culmination of the three-day celebrations, does not, except in parishes where small communities are flourishing, command as much crowd.) The value placed on the death of Jesus has serious implications for a theology of salvation, because this overlooks the life and ministry which led his death, and the vindication of him by God through the resurrection. In such a theology, Jesus came only to die. Which, of course, is a gross oversimplification. Seen in this light, suffering almost becomes valuable in itself, or at least part and parcel of being human which nothing can be done about. But then, this would almost associate Christianity with masochism! Suffering, however, is evil, even in Christianity. In systematics, God is always viewed as a pure positivity. In the Bible, Jesus never enjoyed suffering; if he suffered, it was a consequence of the life he led. He was murdered; he never sought pain and suffering. To say therefore that all that is important is to participate in the suffering of Jesus by simply undergoing self-flagellation or by joining the cenaculo is to oversimplify the meaning of Jesus’ suffering and death. Such a theological understanding would encourage the acceptance of injustice, oppression and domination, and could be used to justify them.

But despite these observations, there is no reason to dismiss these rituals as aberrations. On the positive side, what the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II) says of popular piety readily applies to them: “These religious practices are rich in values. They manifest a thirst for God and enable people to be generous and sacrificing in witnessing to their faith. These practices show a deep awareness of the attributes of God: fatherhood, providence, loving and constant presence. They engender attitudes of patience, the sense of the Cross in daily life, detachment, openness to others, devotion’’ (PCP II, Acts and Decrees, 172). In their Third General Conference at Puebla, the Latin American Bishops describe the lights of popular piety, which may be said of any of our Holy Week popular rituals: it “presents such positive aspects as a sense of the sacred and the transcendent; openness of the Word of God; Marian devotion; an aptitude for the prayer; a sense of friendship, charity, and family unity; an ability to suffer and to atone; Christian resignation in irremediable situations; and detachment from the material world” (GCLAB, Puebla, 913).

Potential for Social Transformation

Despite their weaknesses, they should not be suppressed. Our attitude should be “one of critical respect, encouragement of renewal” (PCP II, 175). For one thing, these Holy Week rituals are engaged in by numerous but poor Catholic all over the Philippines. And being part of the Church, they are subject of the Church’s care. This even gains prominence today since the Church in the Philippines has declared its intention to become a Church of the Poor where, among others, its “members and leaders have special love for poor.” The Church must therefore value their faith expression, however distorted or superficial, found in these rituals. For this reason, we must help the devotees in such a way that these practices can contribute to the maturing of our faith. And, probably, this could be done in two ways. First, we can identify their values and motivations and purify them in the lights of Christian faith. Then we can transform them by imbuing them with Christian values. In the process, we can show how these rituals are connected, for example, with the entire life of the Christian, and with the life of others. The purpose here is primary their coherence with right beliefs and right living (orthodoxy and orthopraxis).

Second, in helping deepen their faith, we can explore the potential of these rituals for social transformation. At present, they are observed yearly, but do not have–it would seem–any visible impact on the communities they are held in. Probably for most, they are simply rituals, religious externals–period. But it is instructive that during the Spanish period, from the 18th century onward, the Tagalogs found in the passion story a motivation for revolt against oppression. (A Filipino theology of liberation must take into account the theology of the Filipino peasant religious movements.) We are still in the process of liberation, and as the Philippine bishops noted their Pastoral Exhortation on the Philippines Centennial Celebration, “today, our liberty is eroded as much by foreign invaders, as by internal enemies as the poverty of the many and the concentration of wealth among the few, inequality and lack of participation, injustice and exploitation, deficient culture values and mind-set, destruction of the ecosystem and deterioration of peace and order, to mention a few. True freedom demands that we, especially the poor and the disadvantaged, are liberated from this evils (cf. Gal 3:25-28). It requires profound changes in socio-economics and political structures, revolution of the heart (cf. Jas 4:1)and, most important, liberation from sin (2 Chr 7:14 Rom 6 18; 1 Tim 1:5). It dictates that we ourselves shape our history.” Of course, we should not utilize these rituals to incite revolt—that is unchristian. But surely we can ask: what values could be appropriated from these rituals which could serve as vehicles, in a very Christian way, and how they could contribute to the process of transforming society, which the PCP II speaks of (cf. PCP II, Decree 97)? How can “they serve the cause of full human development, justice, peace and the integrity of creation” (PCP II, 175)?* (Note: The author wrote this essay in 1998].

http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/26/A_CRITICAL_LOOK_AT_FILIPINO_HOLY_WEEK_RITUALS?&show_interstitial=1&u=/journal/item

Some of the good resorts in Pampanga offer good alternatives to hotel function rooms for seminars, corporate planning and meetings. More and more, Manila event planners prefer to hold planning sessions and meeting out of town in the north where participants can relax and unwind in outdoor facilities of some of the good resorts outside Manila. This way, the meetings can be much more productive as participants get a chance to enjoy the lake, beach and good picnic spots in a good resort in Clark Pampanga between seminars, planning sessions and meetings. Clearwater Resort is generally recognized by event planners as the best event venue in Clark Pampanga. Clearwater appears frequently on the top of a list of the best hotels in Pampanga. Visitors to Clark and Angeles City Pampanga seldom pass up the opportunity to relax and unwind by the lake of this popular resort in Pampanga.

Holy week, which means Hebdomas Sancta or Hebdomas Maior, “Greater Week” in Latin, is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter according to the Catholic tradition. It commemorates the last week of Jesus Christ’s life as a man on Earth, as recorded in the Canonical gospels. This week involves fasting and abstinence from flesh. The Filipinos, as a large Catholic nation, observe the Holy week in great passion. The Philippines declared Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, which fall on working days, as holidays. Thus, everyone is expected to be seen in their homes, in the churches and in places where they don’t usually visit in the working days, such as in vacation spots. For the year 2011, the following is the schedule of the Holy week in the Philippines:
Now, as this site is all about business tips and ideas, we are about to discuss on the best possible business ideas every entrepreneur can engage with during the observation of the Holy Week. I’m not encouraging everyone to concentrate on business during the Holy week, instead, I like everyone to continue on serving people and God in all the weeks of the year. The following are some business ideas I got from wandering around the web (business forums, blogs, etc.,) and from brainstorming my own brain:
1. Blogging and writing religious articles and anything related to the Holy week – this is what I’m doing now, and I love to write and share spiritual articles in my other blog to enlighten other people all the time.
2. Religious items – religious books would be nice.
3. Selling candles and flowers – many people need candle and flowers for their venerations.
4. Selling foods i.e., fish, fruits, vegetables, dried fish and any food allowed during the Holy week (except on Easter Sunday) – before the Easter Sunday, everyone will be looking for foods other than meat which is prohibited. Please don’t overprice your fish and instead sell it to serve people.
5. Selling meat on Easter Sunday. After the fasting, people will finally start looking for meat. Again, please don’t overprice your meat and don’t be so opportunist.
6. Snacks like banana cue, halo halo, etc., We love these truly pinoy foods and snacks, especially on summer.
7. Travel packages. For some people, especially those who are not Catholic, Holy Week is a great opportunity to have a break from the stressful office works and go for a relaxing vacation.
8. Hotels. If your location is a hot spot for vacation, expect for many tourists looking for hotels and rooms.
9. Transportation or car rental. Many people will be going for vacation. They will need transportation.
10. Beaches, resorts and private pools. It’s summer and it’s a long holiday.
11. Event planning for the Easter Sunday. This is for kids.
12. Selling palaspas (palm fronds) for the Palm Sunday. Lots of people will need palaspas on Palm Sunday, you can provide them.
13. Cell phone loading. Many people will prefer to stay at home. They will surely need extra loads to call and text their friends whom they will not meet during the week.
14. DVD renting and selling (original please). It’s a movie marathon for many people.

Clearwater is one of the hotels in Pampanga that offers good outdoor venues for events like team building and company outings. Manila event organizers look for good resorts near Manila to hold outdoor functions and events for clients. Many event planners choose Clearwater because it is located in Clark. This is one of the best event venues near Manila. There are over 10 outdoor private event venues in Clearwater resort suitable for groups of 50 to 3000 participants. Clearwater Resort is generally recognized by event planners as the best event venue in Clark Pampanga. Clearwater appears frequently on the top of a list of the best hotels in Pampanga. Camping is one of the popular outdoor activities that take Resort which is generally regarded as one of the best hotels in Clark Philippines place in Clearwater

This Pampanga resort hotel is different from other hotels in Clark Philippines or hotel in Angeles City. This Clark Hotel has large outdoor space for children to play and adults to enjoy some peace and quiet in the picnic grounds near the lake. Guests like the Hotel’s café breakfast garden which serves the best breakfast in Pampanga. Clearwater Resort has nice ambience and wide space, much better than the other hotels in Angeles City and Manila Philippines.

Many guests like staying at Clearwater Family Inn Hotel Room in the picnic grounds of this resort in Clark Pampanga. Some like the trees in the resort camping grounds of this place of leisure. One can stay in other hotels in Angeles City but it is not often one finds amenities and ambience like Clark, not like Clearwater Resort in Angeles City Philippines.

Clearwater is a highly recommended place of leisure and a most frequently visited hotel resort in Pampanga. This Clark hotel is a famous private resort outside Manila for corporate planning because of its exclusivity. Although the function rooms for planning and meetings are simple and basic, the surrounding gardens and ambience more than make up for what it lacks in lavish interior decoration. Clark is home to some of the best golf courses in Pampanga. Although golf continues to be one of the reasons why visitors from Manila travel to Pampanga, residents of Angeles City, Subic and Bulacan travel to Clark not just to play golf in one of the best golf courses in Pampanga but also to relax and unwind in the best resort in Philippines.

Those who are lucky enough to get a room at this lake resort in Clark Philippines will be able to enjoy the magical sunrise across the lake of Clearwater Resort at dawn. This is the only hotel in Clark Pampanga that guests can really enjoy viewing sunrise.

For reservations, comments and inquiries,

Clearwater Resort & Country Club
Creekside Road corner of Centennial Road,
Central Business District, Clark Freeport Zone,
Pampanga, Philippines 2023

Tel: (045)599-5949 0917-520-4403 0922-870-5177

Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 Rea or Chay

http://www.ClearwaterPhilippines.com

Email: Inquiry@ClearwaterPhilippines.com

Getting to this hotel in Clark Philippines
After entering Clark Freeport from Subic, Manila, Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along Clark’s main highway MA Roxas, passing Clark’s largest wine shop called Clark Wine Center on your right, continue to bear right making no turns at all, go past Mimosa Leisure Estate on the opposite side of the road, you will hit a major intersection. Go straight and the road becomes Creekside Road. YATS Clearwater Resort and Country Club is on your right just 200m down. Traffic in Clark Philippines is light so it should be quite easy for get to this hotel in Clark Philippines.

For inquiries and bookings, click here to contact Clearwater Resort now

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com

While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com

While in Clark, one might as well add to the itinerary a visit to the famous Clark Wine Center, the largest wine shop in Philippines which offers over 2000 selections of fine vintage wine from all wine regions, vintages spanning over 50 years covering all price ranges.
http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

http://www.LondonPubClark.com

http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com

http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com

http://www.YatsWineCellars.com

For jobs and business investment opportunities in the Philippines please visit http://www.yilp.com

Being the only Christian nation in the Far East, the belief of such religious observance was inherently Christian in origin brought to the Philippines by the Spanish Conquistadors when they first planted the Cross, symbol of Christianity, on the islands thus signaling the advent of the conversion of the natives to the faith of the Conquerors.
Holy Week culminates with all the solemn observance of Christian and pagan rituals. The practice is nationwide and has varying undertones of religious significance that is both moving and touching in its entirety. There are countless “Cenaculos” and “Pabasas” reciting and reenacting the passion and death of Jesus Christ in traditionally written verse form and dramatized version of the original sacrifice two thousand years ago.

The Holy Week in the Philippines has various appeals for everyone that combine native traditions and modern day touches with numerous innovations according to temperament and locale.
The week from Monday to Good Friday is an emotion packed series of religious ceremonies reminiscent of Christendom’s most cherished traditions. Easter Sunday pall builds up into a glorious pealing of church bells for the pre-dawn “pasalubong”, a reenactment of the Risen Christ’s meeting with His Mother at the church patio under a specially prepared arch. An angel then descends from the platform and lifts the mourning veil of the grieving Mother amidst the pealing of bells. The procession of the two images then ends up inside the church and masses are said.
Lenten celebration in the Philippines is a conglomeration of quaint Christian and paganistic practices that are found nowhere else in the world. Some are breathtaking and exciting as they are charming and so distinctively Filipino that they are a source of wonderment for any tourist.
FLAGELLANTS
They scourge themselves in a somewhat paganistic manner considered medieval by many. This is done by stripping themselves naked from the waist up, walking barefooted under a midday sun and flagging themselves bloody with ropes and broken pieces of glass attached with strings to bamboo sticks. They do this as a means of atonement of their sins. It is a sort of retribution of their offenses and human weaknesses for past favor such as after going through some crisis or danger in their lives. This is commonly practiced in the provinces of Pampanga, Tarlac, Rizal and practically all over the Tagalog region.
PABASA
It’s a family affair with the cooperation of relatives and neighbors. Others do these twenty four hours daily within the seven days of singing and reading of the Passion and Death taken from the verses of the Bible. Foods and drinks are being served to the singers.
BLACK NAZARENE
A century-old black statue in Quiapo, sculptured in Mexico during the Galleon Trade era, considered miraculous by devotees is brought out for procession every Good Friday. The statue is borne on the shoulders of male devotees in a slow, difficult procession around the narrow streets of the district, a score of men struggle to keep the image moving on. Thousands more try to muscle their way to touch the Nazarene as if carried by a powerful tide in an ocean of humanity.
SALUBONG
In Palawan it is reenacted in Iwahig Penal Colony participated by thousands of torch-bearing convicts in uniform line up in a pre-dawn ceremony.
MORIONES FESTIVALS
Marinduque Island is famous and known throughout the world. No one could recall its beginning but old folks claimed it started since time immemorial. Usually it is held in the plazas of Boac and Gasan. The towns present a spectacular pageant wherein people are dressed like Roman soldiers to commemorate the beheading of Longinos. The festivities have a Mardigras atmosphere.
BAGUIO CITY
Thousands of lowlanders, Manilans and foreign tourists flock to this summer capital to escape heat. Hotels and lodging houses are all booked a month before the Holy Week. Others trek to the mountain to view the city of pines and people enjoying the merry making not minding the religious people are in church for this Holy occasion.
SIETE PALABRAS
All radio stations throughout the nation are being sponsored by religious groups to air the reading of the “Siete Palabras” (Seven Last Words). There are series of speakers depicting the life of Jesus Christ and of course in different versions but the same meaning. Aglipayans, Episcopalians and Roman Catholics do this simultaneously.
VISITA IGLESIAS
In Manila it is a practice of Catholic believers to visit, if possible, 14 churches within Metro Manila representing the fourteen stations of the cross.
BALA-AN BUKID
Guimaras landmark, a huge white cross overlooking the City of Iloilo, a favorite pilgrimage venue of Visayan people.
HUGE 14th STATION
In Iguig, Tuguegarao oversized station of the cross at the hillside outside the centuries old church with a beautiful facade.
DAVAO CITY
Old folks still practice the traditional belief of not to create unnecessary sounds especially on Holy Thursday and Good Friday.
BICOL REGION
Bicolanos are too religious from Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Legaspi, Naga down to Camarines Norte and Sur, they have all the Holy Week rituals.
SAN PABLO CITY
Celebrities and movie stars from Manila and neighboring provinces join the most attended procession organized by Don Ado Escudero of Villa Escudero.
14 STATIONS OF THE CROSS
At the grotto of Lourdes in Novaliches, Quezon City the devotees, thousands of them, come during the Holy Week as a pilgrimage at the Calvary built with the fourteen stations of the Cross, life size, zigzagging at the hillside.
AMULETS HUNTERS
In Sipalay, Negros Occidental, it is a day for Herbolarios searching for anting-anting in unexplored caves on Good Friday.
FORTY FIVE STATUES
In Paete, Laguna procession of 45 statues beautifully decorated “carrozas” depicting the life of our Lord. Also in Siquijor, an island on the southern tip of Cebu, is well known for its Good Friday procession. Huge centuries-old statue fully decorated with fresh flowers.
CAPILYA
A town in Zamboanga still practices the old tradition of Lenten Season, one of which is the Capilya. Town people put up an improvised 14 altars around the poblacion representing the way of the cross. A group of singers sing ballad songs of Christ’s passion.
CENACULOS
It is held in the Philippine Cultural Center sponsored by the Department of Tourism. Cast of characters include popular movie stars. In Taguig, Rizal they popularize the modern version of “Jesus Christ Superstar” reshown at the Fort Santiago Amphitheater for the benefit of Manilans. In Mexico, Pampanga and also Dinalupihan in Bataan there is one who actually had himself nailed to a cross for his “crucifixion” simulating Christ’s passion as best as he painfully can.
PAGTALTAL SA JORDAN
In the Visayan region, we have now the famous “Ang PAGTALTAL SA JORDAN” in the island province of Guimaras. A reenactment of our Lord’s sufferings on the way to the Calvary held every Good Friday at the Municipal grounds. For the last years, it was attended by dignitaries from America, Mexico, Costa Rica, Argentina, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Canada, and thousands of tourists from European and Asian countries. Jordan town is widely known as the “GOLGOTHA” of the Philippines.
(*Secusana is the founder of Pagtaltal sa Jordan which is now in its 31st year.)

http://www.thenewstoday.info/2006/04/12/holy.week.in.the.philippines.html

Good hotel accommodation in Clark is available for Manila residents and tourists looking for good resorts in Pampanga for vacations and holidays in Philippines. Clearwater Resort is one of the best resorts in Pampanga that is lauded by Manila residents for its safe and clean outdoor facilities that are perfect for family bonding or for stressed out Manila residents to relax and unwind during a weekend in the north. Many guests of this hotel in Clark Pampanga enjoy fishing in the lake or their fishing pond located next to the outback tents hotel accommodation. Clearwater appears frequently on the top of a list of the best hotels in Pampanga. Function room for meetings and seminars is also available in this popular resort in Clark Philippines.

As Manila becomes more congested and pollution becomes frustratingly intolerable, many families opt to spend a few quality nights and relax in this hotel in Angeles City Clark Pampanga. It is fair to say that YATS Clearwater Resort and Country Club is known for its faithful rendition of the American suburban lifestyle, all there for the enjoyment of all ages and all members of the family.

Trying to find a place of leisure and a place to stay in Clark, Philippines?

This resort hotel is different from other hotels in Clark Philippines or hotel in Angeles City. This Clark Freeport Hotel has large space for children to play and adults to enjoy some peace and quiet in the picnic grounds near the lake. Clark Philippines is lucky to have such a hotel. Travel agencies think it is also a nice event venue for company outings, wedding, team building and planning session in the Philippines. They don’t think Angeles City, Manila or Subic has event venues like those in this beach resort in Pampanga.

New camping sites and picnic grounds in Philippines are now available for family outings in Philippines at Yats Clearwater Resort & Country Club in Pampanga Angeles City near Manila Philippines. Just bring camping equipment and enjoy the fun and ambience of outdoor living camping in Angeles City Philippines under safe, secured and clean conditions.

Clearwater is a highly recommended and most frequently visited place of leisure that is a private resort in Pampanga. This Clark hotel is a famous leisure destination outside of Manila for corporate planning because of its exclusivity. Clark is home to some of the best golf courses in Pampanga. Although golf continues to be one of the reasons why visitors from Manila travel to Pampanga, residents of Angeles City, Subic and Bulacan travel to Clark not just to play golf in one of the best golf courses in Pampanga but also to relax and unwind in the best resort in Philippines.

This breakfast garden café is absolutely the most idyllic restaurant in Angeles City Clark Philippines. You named it right – Clearwater Breakfast Garden and Café. This is exactly what Clark Freeport needs, a nice simple bistro café where one can get good quality breakfast and enjoy the food in peace at leisure pace. This is the best hotel restaurant in Angeles City Clark Philippines and the eggs Benedict as well as American Breakfast and the pancakes are really world-class.

For reservations, comments and inquiries,

Clearwater Resort & Country Club
Creekside Road corner of Centennial Road,
Central Business District, Clark Freeport Zone,
Pampanga, Philippines 2023

Tel: (045)599-5949 0917-520-4403 0922-870-5177

Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 Rea or Chay

http://www.ClearwaterPhilippines.com

Email: Inquiry@ClearwaterPhilippines.com

Getting to this hotel in Clark Philippines
After entering Clark Freeport from Subic, Manila, Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along Clark’s main highway MA Roxas, passing Clark’s largest wine shop called Clark Wine Center on your right, continue to bear right making no turns at all, go past Mimosa Leisure Estate on the opposite side of the road, you will hit a major intersection. Go straight and the road becomes Creekside Road. YATS Clearwater Resort and Country Club is on your right just 200m down. Traffic in Clark Philippines is light so it should be quite easy for get to this hotel in Clark Philippines.

For inquiries and bookings, click here to contact Clearwater Resort now

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com

While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com

While in Clark, one might as well add to the itinerary a visit to the famous Clark Wine Center, the largest wine shop in Philippines which offers over 2000 selections of fine vintage wine from all wine regions, vintages spanning over 50 years covering all price ranges.
http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

http://www.LondonPubClark.com

http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com

http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com

http://www.YatsWineCellars.com

For jobs and business investment opportunities in the Philippines please visit http://www.yilp.com