Linggo Ng Palaspas (Palm Sunday)

Linggo ng Palaspas - Palm Sunday - is celebrated in the predominantly Catholic Philippines to usher in the Holy Week. Roughly 90% of the Philippines is Catholic, thus it is of small wonder, of course, that the Filipinos prepare for the culmination of the season of lent with remarkable zeal.

It has been said that local traditional rites such as the observance of Palm Sunday (Linggo ng Palaspas), the reading of the Passion Of The Christ (Pabasa), and the visitation of churches (Visita Iglesia) are dying, specifically in the urban areas. Maybe not yet, for now. I live in Barangay Poblacion, one of the oldest parts of the highly urbanized Makati area, and the celebration of Holy Week here in my place is taken rather seriously.

Take the Linggo ng Palaspas, for instance. I attended the 6am mass at the St. Peter and Paul Parish Church (walking distance from my flat), and the devotees were overflowing, all of them holding on to their fabricated palms. After the end of the mass, the blessing of the palms was performed at the patio in front of the church. A schedule of activities is plastered just in front of the parish church, and trust me, the residents observe this schedule like they have done so for many years.


A palaspas or palm is used to signify The Christ's entry into Jerusalem. A devotee can buy a palaspas for PHP20 here in Poblacion (USD0.44 or EUR0.33), only on Palm Sunday of course.

To be in the Philippines during the Holy Week is to be treated to an excursion of the senses and the spirit if you go past the idea of frolicking in the beach. One need not go out of the greater Manila area to experience this.

I am not a devout Catholic, but for many years I have stayed put in Manila during the Holy Week when almost everyone else goes outside to be in the beach or the mountains. I find the quietude in Manila during the Holy Week sufficient enough for reflection. Besides, the roads are so peaceful, and if I want to see something festive, I only need to go a little inside the barangays to see the churches, the makeshift Stations of the Cross and the like. The same atmosphere can be found - at a grander scale I believe - in the provinces.

I will add more posts on how the Holy Week is observed in Manila in the next few days. Photo of Jesus entering Jerusalem is taken from this site.