MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: WOMEN AND GAY GUYS AS MORIONS

Gender equality and gender sensitivity have long been respected issues in Marinduque. That women and gay guys would form one group to bring more life and color to the Battle of Morions did not come as a surprise, therefore. Such a group, one of two groups from Gasan, made quite a statement with their choreographed dancing that toyed with huge canvass-on-bamboo fans, apparently to promote one of their town's most popular souvenir items. Save for their masks and costumes the dancing, however, seemed more like one inspired by Sinulog or Dinagyang. Nevertheless they received a rousing applause fom the huge crowd that came to watch.

MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: WINNERS

Author and publisher Ms. Bing Carrion-Buck, provincial board member Yolando Querubin, visiting San Francisco California Commissioner Ms. Pucchi Carrion-Di Ricco and provincial administrator Allan Velasco award the prizes to the winners.

MORION 2009 IMAGES: STA. CRUZ CAME MARCHING IN

Sta. Cruz, Marin- duque's 1st class municipality was first to confirm its participat- ion when the Battle of Morions competition was announced. Their decision marked the very first time that a group of morions from Sta. Cruz came down to join the Boac 'kapatagan' morion affair. The Santa- cruzin's appreci- able response and formidable presence in the Battle is indeed quite significant. The unique cultural inter-action among the municipal- ities with moriones as the unifying factor is symbolic of bigger things that could be achieved in the Marinduqueno's cultural life. Blue, the color of love was their color.

Lower photo shows Boac's Kapatirang Morion led by Glyne Arevalo, who has been the town's Longhino for many years, his personal panata, vow. The Battle concept's introduction aimed to generate sustained interest on the moriones through broader participation was welcomed by the Boac morion group. Their number hasn't increased substantially over the years, as the same photo will show.

MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: NEW MORION GENERATION

"Legion" a new group organized in Boac this year came in strong with a batallion of morion men and kids. They were some of the most visible morions on the streets of Boac throughout the Lenten week even as they visited other towns also for 'visita iglesia'. At the covered court in Boac was installed their head- quarters where an enlarged photo of the St. Longinus statue at St. Peter's Basilica greeted visitors. All their morions were clad in similar Roman centurion attire, easily recognizable with their red capes. "We are the champions my friend..." one of them started to sing when declared the grand prize winners in the 1st Battle of Morions. And with that, the participating kids may have something to look forward to next year, and the year after that, and many years after that. A new generation of morions borne by the Battle of Morions!

MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: THE AUTHENTIC ONES

The ever authentic and colorful masks and costumes of the morions from Mogpog (most of them won in the indiv- idual categ- ories), are the most awaited entry. No moriones festival would ever be complete without them. Their concept of the morion get-up are all their own and rightly so. This festival started in Mogpog in the first place when the first re-enactment of the crucifixion was staged by the secular priest, Dionisio Santiago in the early 1880's (not 1807, which merely signifies the year Mogpog was founded).

Inspired by the publication of "Pasyong Mahal ni Hesukristo" by Mariano Pilapil during that period. Some 18 pages of the pasyon, poetic narrative of the Passion of Christ, were devoted to the exploits of the moryonan central figure, Longhino, including his valedictory "bulag yaring mga mata, loob sampung kaluluwa"... If Mayor Senen Livelo's research is accurate, the first actors in the re-enactment were some of the town's ilustrados.

The Mogpog contingent this year was joined in by a brass band. During the last couple of years such bands that made Mogpog famous in the 1920's have made a comeback and are becoming in demand once more during fiestas in Mogpog's barangays and elsewhere. Livelo himself, who plays the trumpet (and many other musical instruments), is often seen joining these bands to play every now and then. (Click to enlarge these hi-res photos).

MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: BATTLE OF THE MORIONS

Oops! Umus-us ang burloloy nung naka-sungkayaw o!

The contingent from Gasan was the first to perform in the "Battle of the Morions" competition introduced this year. They had been active participants in their town's "Gasang-Gasang Festival" for the last couple of years and were composed of high-school and out-of-school boys. Perhaps they were the most excited among the various groups in showing off the choreographed movements they rehearsed for weeks and the costumes that they themselves had made.

There was an attempt to add something novel to their performance as some morions entered the arena riding in sungkayaws, bamboo stilts. The others danced together in unison like they were simulating the movements of galloping horses to the beat of kalutang and to the delight of the crowd.

A man draped in white taking on the role of the Risen Christ materialized at the end of their presentation, suspended in mid air using bamboo poles and more drapes for support.

BELLAROCCA ISLAND RESORT AND SPA

One of Marinduque's best kept secrets so far yes, but no longer secret now as a high-end resort. Soft-launch was held in December last year for a group of some 30 foreign Asian guests. We were requested by the manage- ment to perform. Brought along the capitol choir to perform the "putong" ritual. the "Boghai" group from Bognuyan and the "Gasang-Gasang" festival players from Masiga. Sure, the guests enjoyed the brief inter-action with the performers even though they spoke little English.

A few of our members later applied for work there and now some have jobs in the food and beverage department or at the front desk. Photos posted here of Bellarocca courtesy of oneasean.multiply.com

SEAIR FLIES TO MARINDUQUE... SOON. BUT RUNWAY MUST BE READY. PGMA HELP!

SEAIR (South East Asian Airlines) top executives visited Marinduque last week for talks with local and airport officials to finalize plans for Marinduque inclusion in their "paradise to paradise" destinations. Seair now flies to Boracay, Puerto Princesa and El Nido, among 17 tourist destinations in the Philippines.

If all goes well Seair will soon offer flights to Marinduque Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. (Zestair currently flies to Marinduque Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays). A visit by Seair's technical team will soon follow.

With the opening of Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa, Marinduque's inclusion in SEAIR’s Leisure Escape Packages (LEP), that caters to tour and holiday packages, mostly Boracay and Palawan bound at present, is also expected. Seair describes LEP as 'a holistic approach to travel, making its client’s holiday experiences convenient, practical and unique' in partnership with luxury resorts.

Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa hopes that the Seair flights could already be commenced by August in time for the Korean holiday season. This, apparently depends largely on the airport capability to land the Seair aircrafts.

All other airlines are actually just waiting. But all these only means one thing: IMMEDIATE REPAIR/WIDENING OF THE RUNWAY SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN BY THE CIVIL AERONAUTICS ADMINISTRATION-DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT VP NOLI DE CASTRO PROMISED LAST MONTH! FUNDS HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED FOR IT AND ALL IT TAKES IS A GO SIGNAL - THROUGH A MARGINAL NOTE - FROM NO LESS THAN THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES TO RELEASE THE BUDGET!

WHAT'S TAKING YOU SO LONG ALL THIS TIME? PAGING VP NOLI AGAIN !!! OR PAGING PGMA DIRECT !!!

Or whose intercession do we need? Sta. Veronica's? (Photo above. The procession photo of Sta. Veronica was posted here by accident but I decided not to remove it. WHo knows...)

MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: INDIGENOUS MATERIALS

These were some of the entries that competed for the individual prizes sponsored by the provincial government. The formal presentation of these moryons was held in the morning of Maundy Thursday at the trade exhibit area at the Boac riverbank.

San Miguel Beer and PETRON were also major sponsors for this year's moriones festival. Then there was another competition held in the afternoon for the various contingents from the whole province, the "Battle of the Moryons", a brainchild of Atty. Allan Velasco, chair of the provincial tourism council and provincial administrator.

MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: HOW IT WAS BEFORE

Children would cringe in fear at the sight of moryons, to the delight of the moryons themselves who'd engage in mock attacks and antics to scare the kids some more.

But such encounters with children they chance upon along the streets is a welcome respite after having walked the miles for hours from the hinterlands, running away from stray dogs. Where it would be fairly safe, and where there'd be ladies, the masqueraders would just waltz along the way clop-clopping their ‘kalutang’ sticks. One might carry a guitar as accompaniment for songs like "sa bahay ni kampara, may taong nakadapa", sung in muffled voices.

In return, the ladies might have a 'singko' coin to spare as ‘pabaon’, give-away.
Men who are into daytime drinking might offer a glass of ‘tuba’, coconut wine and the moryons wouldn't ever refuse it as that'd be simply unthinkable. Un-Marinduqueno.

MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: FOLK INGENUITY

In the early 60's moryonan, as what the people called the moriones tradition then, attracted the world outside because it WAS the only known Filipino folk tradition that made use of masks. Most of the masks then were made of “dapdap”, Indian coral tree, a thorny softwood tree that grew abundantly everywhere on the island. (In summertime when their flowers would bloom, local fisherfolks would be pleased because this was a positive sign - the period for huge catches. They were never wrong).

It was common for children in those days to call most of these masked men, (or women sometimes), “moryong tanga”, stupid moryon, because those early masks did have that blank stupid look. The masks used to be washed out with pink paint, had huge eyes and high pointed noses that hardly depicted the pango Filipino nose.

Turbantes, headresses, were decorated with flowers made of crepe paper, cigarette foil or papel de hapon, japanese paper. "Bulaklakan" they were called. The number of flowers were usually seven, (the association of seven with magic – 7 days a week, ‘siete palabras’, seven last words, is perhaps an explanation for that), and it indicated the number of years one would become a moryon as his or her personal panata, vow. Then one would find fullfilment and inner peace thereafter.

Today's morion masks and turbantes reflect a greater sense of beauty and competition as shown in this year's entries. Folk art evolves and survives, thus, in Marinduque.

VIVA MARINDUQUE SLIDESHOW

Unpublished shots of the "Viva Marinduque" performance series together with behind-the-scene lighter moments. This slideshow also contains photos with our dear choreographer, Bhong Macunat, whom we still miss after passing away at 22 one month after this project. "Leron-Leron Sinta" background music played by Pangkat Kalutang.

MORIONES 2009 IMAGES: HOLY WEDNESDAY PROCESSION, BOAC