Geographically located at the center of the Philippine archipelago, Marinduque hosts one of the most inspiring cultural festivals during the Lenten season.
Dubbed as the Moriones Festival, which replicates the garb of the Roman soldiers who searched for Saint Longinus, the Roman centurion who has one blind eye.
While all other festivals in the country are celebrated for good harvest and cultural promotion, the Moriones Festival centers in the most important aspect of the lives of the Filipinos – their faith in God
The convivial spirit of its people and their undeniable sense of kinship add to the festive flavor of the annual festival.
One of the highlights of this festival is the Via Crucis. A re-enactment of the suffering of Christ on his way to the Calvary.
Moriones refers to the masked and costumed penitents who march around the towns in Marinduque for seven days searching for Longinus. Morions roam the streets from Holy Monday to Easter Sunday scaring kids and doing antics that never fail draw public attention.
The festival is characterized by colorful Roman costumes, painted masks and helmets, and brightly-colored tunics. The towns of Boac, Gasan, Santa Cruz, Buenavista and Mogpog in the island of Marinduque become one gigantic stage during the festival.
The weeklong celebration starts on Holy Monday and ends on Easter Sunday
Being a country mostly dominated by Catholics, the festival portrays the inseparability of the Filipinos and God.
Morion means "mask" or "visor," a part of the medieval Roman armor which covers the face. Moriones, on the other hand, refers to the masked and costumed penitents who march around the town for seven days searching for Longinus.
The Moriones Festival is generally a festival held to commemorate and reenact—on the streets—notable Biblical events. Local participants—called the moriones—wear flashy costumes and colorful masks to imitate Roman soldiers and other Biblical characters. But aside from the iconic street parades, the Moriones Festival also involves a lot of events held in each municipality.
The highlight of the celebration is the Via Crucis (way of the cross), a re-enactment of the suffering of Christ on his way to the Calvary.
The festival is characterized by colorful Roman costumes, painted masks and helmets, and brightly-colored tunics. The towns of Boac, Gasan, Santa Cruz, Buenavista and Mogpog in the island of Marinduque become one gigantic stage during the festival.
The weeklong celebration starts on Holy Monday and ends on Easter Sunday
Held on the island-province of Marinduque with participants wearing masks and costumes of Roman soldiers, Moriones tells the story of the legendary Roman soldier, Longinus, who is said to have been blind in one eye. As he pierced the side of the crucified Jesus, a drop of the blood cured his blindness. The first thing he saw with both eyes was Christ's passage to heaven
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