Apropos of the Philippine National Heritage Month, the Philippine Embassy in Nairobi participated in the “Masks of the World” exhibition at the Nairobi National Museum, organized by the Embassy of Romania in Nairobi and the Kenya National Commission for Unesco.

The Philippine Embassy showcased a Morion head mask crafted by Gilbert Monsanto, a local artist from Mogpog town.

The Morion mask is an important piece of Philippine cultural heritage that is worn during the Moriones Festival, which takes place annually in Marinduque during Holy Week.

Participants in the festival wear these masks and reenact the story of Saint Longinus, a Roman centurion who purportedly pierced Jesus Christ’s side during the crucifixion and converted to Christianity after being cured of blindness by Christ’s blood, symbolizing both penance and celebration.

In Mogpog, a Morion mask is traditionally worn with a bulaklakan turban. It is named after the flowers made from various colors of Japanese paper and attached to the headgear.

The number of flowers on the turban indicates how many years a person will participate in the Moriones. Each year, they remove a flower from their turban after completing the ritual.

Removing the last flower signifies the fulfillment of their vow.

Other masks featured at the exhibition include those from Romania, Thailand, Mexico and Costa Rica.

The exhibition runs until 26 May.