The best time to visit San Jose, Camarines Sur is during Good Friday.
There is an emerging tradition, initiated by the residents of the seaside town, which is getting wide attraction every Good Friday. The attraction has caught the attention not only of townpeople from far-flung barangays, but also those from other towns and balikbayans. And that attraction is unique because people in the community get to pose as biblical personalities in the various stations portraying the Passion of Christ.
The New Tradition
Some fourteen estaciones or altares, which the residents call kinurubong, are installed on strategic places along the procession route in the poblacion, passing through the barangays of Del Carmen, San Vicente, Soledad, San Antonio and San Juan. These kinurubong are no ordinary stations or altars that you see almost everywhere during Lenten Season, generally consisting of images in the form of pictures or paintings or "figurines".
People from all walks of life in San José participate in depicting the Passion of Christ. They come from diverse background: students, carpenters, laborers, dress makers, vendors, and even professionals and jobless. They pose like mannequins for about thirty minutes or so. They pose just before the ciriales arrive and until all the pasos and the tail of the procession have passed the kinurubong.
The town's residents organize themselves and execute their respective plans for their kinurubong, which consists of improvised stage or platform (either made of wood, or the back of an elf truck), backdrop design, lighting effects and soundtracks, actors/actresses, costumes and props. They do all sort of things that people involved in the theatre or stage plays do, including make-ups.
Origin and Expansion
According to Ms. Loreto Socorro T. Peñas, or simply "Loret" to a lot of people, it all started in Barangay San Juan in the late 1960s when they portrayed "Pieta" as their kinurubong. They would borrow the Crucified Christ image used in the traditional Siete Palabras held inside the parish church, and designate a lady resident to act as Mama Mary who is eventually clothed with a borrowed costume of a lifesize Dolorosa image. This immediately caught the people's interest; they looked forward to this kind of kinurubong year after year. The first to act as Mama Mary in San Juan was a certain Elizabeth Limjoco. Among the early designated Marys were Tiny Polo, Bettina Obias (who would later become beauty titlist as Miss Naga City), Jasmine Obias (Bettina's sister) and Hanna Dizon.
Several years hence, neighboring barangay San Antonio followed suit. Loret, now a Barangay Council member of San Juan, said that some residents of San Antonio have clamored that the same image of Crucified Christ must also be lent to them after the Siete Palabras for their kinurubong, especially that the image's caretaker is from their barangay.
Residents of Barangay San Juan acceded to the plea of their neighbors. Left with no Crucified Christ image, the folks of San Juan were thus compelled to improvise for their kinurubong. They therefore decided to choose someone in the community to act as the Crucified Christ, and the first one chosen for this role was a certain Arnulfo Velenzuela. Others chosen for the same role after Velenzuela were Franco Tubianosa, Ricardo Candia III, Elton Pillos and Ricky Ramirez.
The funny thing was, the two barangays were now both portraying "Pieta" -- one "all live" and the other, "semi-live". Not long after, the other barangays along the procession route also tried to replicate what San Juan and San Antonio were doing.
When Fr. Maximino Tria became the parish priest of St. Joseph Parish, he suggested that the portrayal of the Passion of Christ be conducted by fourteen barangays, not just by those in the poblacion. This was to do away with duplications, and to involve as much people and barangays as possible. Thus, the people of Barangays Tambangan, Camagong, Sta. Cruz, Dulo, Danlog, Buklod, Pugay, Tuminawog and Calalahan became actively involved, too, in the preparation of their respective kinurubong.
Prospects
Until now, this tradition continues in the town of San Jose with each involved barangay trying to outdo each other yearly in terms of better presentations and improvements in their craft.
And there is no end in sight. This emerging tradition has gained momentum. Every resident seems to enjoy and appreciate the spontaneous show of unity, communal belongingness, and sharing of talents come Lenten Season.
The joy of those involved in the kinurubong cannot be measured. Somehow, their participation, whether up-front or backstage, add to their self-worth in the community, even without the usual formal recognition ceremony. More importantly, they knew they are contributing to cultural tourism in their town, aside from professing their religious belief.
That cultural change is best initiated from below, from a small and critical mass and not imposed by institutions like church and government, is best illustrated in this San Jose experience. One could say that this is an evolving People Power in the cultural realm.
Come to San Jose next year. Or lose a chance to see a sight to behold, a redeeming experience.