Penitensya: a tradition that will last

Filipinos’ celebration of Holy Week has always been colorful and meaningful. This can be attributed to the traditions and Panata they have practiced ever since. One of which is the “Penitensya” or the reenactment of Christ carrying his cross when he was sentenced to death by crucifixion.

In Cainta, Rizal, townpeople are still engaged in this Holy Week street drama. The tradition of Penitensya still lives on and has not faded. Neither has it failed its audience, who come annually.

Actors dress like early Jews, putting on their Arabian costumes, goatees and wigs. Chariots are carried by horses and some Pontius Pilates and other royal soldiers in their armors ride in it. Jerusalem women are also seen in the midst of the afternoon walking on the narrow streets of the town. And Jesus Christ in his typical red and white costume with his crown of thorns is seen carrying the big cross and some Jersulem townpeople or “taong bayan” are hitting him on his back with whip made of rubber.

There are a lot of organizations in Cainta which conduct this activity. In fact, the municipal government created an umbrella organization for these cultural organizations and named it the Cainta Panata Council. One of the organizations which belong here is the Kabataan ng Kalbaryo, Inc. (KNKI).

Starting out in 1995, the group just imitated what they see in the street drama. They called their performances “Kristu-krituhan.”

They started out as children playing on the streets and seeing

the acts of penitensya. Now, it’s them who actually do it.

They were a group of children fascinated with what they saw. That is why they made their improvised cross and whips (pamalo or panghataw), and they try to carry the cross and mimic the whole act.

The group expanded until it became a formal organization who now ride their own chariot, wears the costume they made, and recite lines from the Pasyong Mahal–the book read during the Pabasa which is another holy week tradition where senior members of the town read the epic life of Jesus Christ.

The group’s headquarters is located at a residential house in A. Mabini Street in Cainta, Rizal, also called Barrio. And it is also in this house that they do rehearsals.

Your attention will get caught once you pass that street in Cainta because of big voices that you’ll overhear coming from men practicing and throwing their lines. The feeling is as if you are back to old Jerusalem.

The rehearsals happen two months prior to Holy Week and costumes are made three months prior.

The costumes are prepared three months before the holy week.

Organizations like the KNKI receive annual cultural fund from the local government that’s worth P40, 000. But according to founding member and board member of KNKI Monde Dela Paz, the fund they receive from the government is not enough and they have to ask for solicitations from local residents to sustain the needs of his crew and the organization.

In my interview with Dela Paz, he mentioned that in just feeding his actors and actresses who are around 100 in all, the organization spends so much where there are other expenses like the sound system, horse rental, etc. that needs allocation from their budget.

Another problem that the KNKI and the other organizations are facing is the promotion done by the local government which is very weak.

“Kinamulatang kultura na kasi namin ito pero mahina yung pagpropromote na ginagawa ng munisipyo.” (This is the culture that we have been exposed to, but the government’s support for its promotion is weak.) Dela Paz stated.

Totoy, one of the actors in Penitensya has already experienced carrying the cross and getting hit in the back. According to him, it’s a sort of “Panata” for him to do it in the belief that his parents will get good health and that the sins he have done will be forgiven or be lessen by God.

“Masakit na masarap magpasan. Parang kapatawaran kasi ‘yun sa kasalanan mo saka para sa pamilya kapag nagkakasakit.” (There is a sensation I get when I carry the cross and get flagellated in the back. I feel that my sins are forgiven and that my family gets good health every time I do it.) he said.

Members of KNKI come from different age bracket. There are those who are already working, some are still student, some are married already. But they don’t restrict anyone to join their organization. There is no age limit and even people of young age can join.

Their only restriction is that members should be from Cainta and that they should be baptized Catholics. Most of the members are from nearby barangays in Cainta and all of them are Catholics when asked what their religion is.

On Maundy Thursday, KNKI plans to perform a “mini-senakulo”–a stage performance of some scenes in the bible particular to Jesus Christ’s life. Theirs is different from the usual week-long Senakulo because they are a small organization and they don’t really do Senakulo. The day after is the Lenten Parade where all the cultural organizations performing Senakulo and Penitensya will gather in a parade announcing the start of their shows.

Caintaeños will surely watch again this annual tradition. The Thursday and Friday afternoon streets will be flooded again with people in Jewish costumes and people who excitedly wait for the show to set off.

This is one culture that will forever run in the bloods of the Caintaeño as long as there are fascinated audience and as long as there are children imitating this acts just like how KNKI started their humble beginnings.