Legarda: 3rd Episode of Buhay na Buhay on Kultura ng Pamamanata

Senator Loren Legarda invites everyone to watch the third episode of Buhay na Buhay, featuringKultura ng Pamamanata (Devotion to the Patron Saint and Village Community), on Saturday, March 3, 5:45pm, on GMA News TV.

“This episode explores how Catholicism has become an important part of Filipino culture especially those in the countryside. Celebrations or fiestas commemorating feast days of the Santo Niño, Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, or a patron saint have brought many communities together,” said Legarda.

The episode features the awitan in Quezon Province, the Feast of Saint John the Baptist in Nueva Ecija, and the various practices during the Holy Week, such as the pabasa, the senakulo, self-flagellation and crucifixion. It also looks into colorful pahiyas festival in Lucban, Quezon, and the Feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila, which is participated in by thousands of Filipino devotees.

Legarda’s family has also been observing Holy Week traditions, especially the pabasa. Her great grandparents, Gregorio Bautista and Agapita Torres-Bautista, started the Bautista annual pabasa in the early 1900s in their house along Avenida, Rizal in Manila.

With the impending arrival of the Japanese during World War II, Legarda’s grandparents hid two sacred images over which the pabasa was sung. Today, the two life-sized images of Christ—the Scourging at the Pillar and the Crowning With Thorns—are located in their ancestral home in Malabon. These statues came from Spain and are believed to be already 200 years old.

Legarda said that she, her brothers and cousins continue to observe the tradition with their aunties every Holy Wednesday and they intend to pass on the tradition to their children. “Not only does our annual pabasa bring our family closer together, but it also gives me the perfect opportunity to share with Jesus Christ’s suffering.”

Buhay na Buhay, produced by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), is an engaging and informative series that introduces the eight living cultures of the Philippines.

Legarda, the program host, presents the groundbreaking study of Professor Felipe De Leon Jr., former NCCA Chairperson, in this eight-part weekly series written by Floy Quintos and directed by Jeypi Salonga of Business Unusual Media Solutions (BUMS) Inc.

“The Philippines is a culturally diverse country. We continue to unravel artifacts and ways of life of our forefathers, and we have been constantly learning about our rich heritage, culture, and the arts. We are always in pursuit of deepening our understanding of the very soul and identity of being a Filipino. Through this series, we will also experience and witness how our culture continues to bebuhay na buhay,” said Legarda.

Buhay na Buhay is a product of academic and scholarly work presented in an engaging manner through an interesting narration and video documentation. It is presented in the Filipino language so that more Filipinos would better grasp the different facets of our culture.

Buhay na Buhay airs every Saturday, 5:45 p.m., on GMA News TV.