Travel Globally

Moriones Festival in Marinduque

Filed Under Philippines

Marinduque is a small island about 170 kilometers away from the Philippine’s capital city of Manila and is in a good proximity to the Mindoro island that is popular for their beautiful Puerto Galera beach.

Marinduque is also known for its pretty beaches as well as with its old churches and butterfly sanctuaries. The people in Marinduque are very hospitable and they will welcome every tourist with a smile.

Holy Week is a very special religious moment for all the Filipinos and it’s also the best time to visit Marinduque as they celebrate their Moriones Festival during Easter. It’s how the people in Marinduque celebrate Easter with masked men that are dressed as Roman soldiers would parade their streets.

They celebrate the Moriones festival as their way of giving thanks or vowing for penance. Men and women wear masks that look like Romans and they walk along the streets of Marinduque from Holy Monday to the Easter Sunday. It’s amazing to see the people in Marinduque follow this tradition of penance and thanksgiving and it only shows how religious the Filipino people are. While some go for vacations on beaches, many Filipinos devote the Holy Week for sacrifice and repentance and they do this every year.

The tradition is believed to have started in 1807 when their parish priest back then, Fr. Dionisio Santiago, had organized the festival for the very first time. The festival is based on Longinus, a Roman soldier who pierced Jesus on the crucifix and became a Christian when Jesus’ blood had spurted to his blind eye and he got his vision back.