Mabalacat City holds maitinis for hope and gratitude

Mabalacat City holds maitinis for hope and gratitude | Daily Tribune

As most people in the Philippines, which is predominantly Roman Catholic, prepared for the midnight Mass called Misa de Gallo and Noche Buena on the eve of Christmas Day, 24 December, many residents of Mabalacat City, Pampanga, were busy preparing for the maitinis, the final procession of the lubenas tradition.

By five in the afternoon, groups of procession participants from different chapels in the sitios and barangays of the city in northern Pampanga began converging at the Our Lady of Grace Parish Church in the city proper, with images of the patron saints, mounted on carrozas or karosas (float) bedecked with fresh flowers, and Christmas lanterns.

By six in the evening, the darkness descended and the thick clouds obscured the stars. A shear line was affecting parts of the Philippines, and Mabalacat experienced intermittent drizzles. But the church grounds were brightened by lit lanterns bearing a variety of designs and powered by portable generators as parishioners readied for the procession.

Participants from different chapels in Mabalacat trooped out of the Our Lady of Grace Parish Church for the maitinis procession.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROEL HOANG MANIPON FOR THE DAILY TRIBUNE

A cross-shaped lantern leads the maitinis procession.

A program was set up, with hosts interviewing participants on their preparations and revealing for the theme for this year’s Lubenas ding Parul at Maitinis ning Pascung Panagbait ning Guinu, “Hope for the promise, gratitude for his birth,” explaining that “[i]t reflects the faithful anticipation of God’s continued blessings and guidance while also expressing deep thankfulness for the birth of Christ. His birth symbolizes the beginning of the divine promise that brings peace, joy and love into the world, reminding the parish to celebrate both the hope for what is to come and the gratitude for what has been given through Jesus.”

The hosts introduced the 11 chapels with their groups of participants and patron saints, as they trooped to the front of the church to be blessed by the parish priest, Reverend Monsignor Jose U. Lacap, and out to the street for the solemn procession, which proceeded along a stretch of MacArthur Highway and returned to the church.

The maitinis procession was participated in by the Santa Maria Magdalena (Saint Mary Magdalene) Chapel in the sitio of Libutad in the barangay of Santa Maria Magdalena; the San Judas Tadeo (Saint Jude Thaddeus) Chapel of the sitio of Aguso, San Francisco; the San Francisco ning Assisi (Saint Francis of Assisi) Chapel of the barangay of San Francisco; the San Roque (Saint Roque) Chapel of the barangay of Mamatitang; the Santa Ines (Saint Agnes) Chapel of the barangay of Santa Ines; the San Joaquin (Saint Joachim) Chapel of the barangay of Santa Joaquin; the San Jose Talapagobra (Saint Joseph the Worker) Chapel of the barangay of Mangalit; the Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario (Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary) Chapel of the barangay of Santo Rosario; the Santa Maria, Indu ning Dios (Holy Mary, Mother of God) Chapel of the sitio of Homesite in the barangay of San Francisco; the Nuestra Señora de Lourdes of the sitio of Lourdes in the barangay of San Francisco; and the Nuestra Señora de Gracia (Our Lady of Grace) of the barangay of Poblacion.

The carroza of the barangay of San Joaquin.

Bright lanterns of barangay of Santa Ines illumine the maitinis procsession.

The lubenas tradition

Mabalacat is one of the several towns and cities, which still practice the lubenas, a devotional procession of patron saints held for nine days before Christmas, from 16 to 24 December, on the eve of the simbang bengi, the dawn Mass, usually limited within a barangay or sitio and centered around its chapel.

The celebration of Christmas, a largely Christian commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ, was introduced in the Philippines together with Roman Catholicism with the Spanish colonization of the archipelago starting in the sixteenth century. It eventually became the most beloved celebration among Filipinos, giving rise to folk and extra-liturgical practices and traditions among several Christianized ethnolinguistic groups, including the Kapampangan of Central Luzon.

The Kapampangan lubenas is believed to have started in early 1800s in the town of Bacolor. The name was derived from the word novena, the nine-day practice of praying. In early practices of the ritual, devotees used candles to light the way. Eventually, lanterns were incorporated, first lit by candle flames and then by gas lamps and electric light bulbs.

The Kapampangans are believed to have pioneered the parul or Christmas lantern, especially its continuing development into star-shaped ones and ones with intricate designs, which have become an icon of Filipino Christmas celebration.

The present format of the lubenas, includes a cross-shaped lantern leading the procession, followed by people holding poles with 12 lanterns, arranged in two rows, representing the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. Sometimes, a lantern in the shape a fish, a symbol of Jesus Christ, is included, usually placed behind the twelve lanterns. At the tail of the procession is the image of the barangay’s patron saint, carried on the shoulder or mounted on a carroza, bedecked with flowers and illumined by a giant lantern behind it, and devotees singing “Dios te Salve.” The procession can be accompanied by a brass band or a guitarist.

Devotees carry Chrtistmas lanterns to the church for the maitinis procession.

The corroza and lanterns of the sitio of Homesite, San Francisco, after the procession.

The final lubenas on the eve of Christmas, in which processions of different barangays or chapels, converge at the church, is called maitinis in some towns, said to be derived from the Spanish maitines, the first of the seven canonical hours of prayer, observed after midnight or early hours of dawn. The maitinis is followed by the Misa de Gallo and Noche Buena.

The practice of lubenas can vary in different towns. In some, maitinis is only observed. In Santa Ana, the majigangga, a giant puppet representing John the Baptist, and simple lanterns in the shape of a tent were incorporated until they were discontinued. In San Fernando, lantern competitions were held at the end of the lubenas, which became a separate attraction and evolved into the now famous Ligligan Parul, a showdown of giant lanterns.

Many practitioners join the lubenas as panata, a common religious expression among Filipinos — a ritual vow or promise to ask favors from God (or any religious figures), as thanksgiving for favors granted, and to ensure overall wellbeing and good fortune.

The devotional practice though has diminished over the years. Presently, town and cities with existing lubenas include Bacolor, Angeles City, San Fernando City, Mabalacat, Mexico, Magalang, Santa Ana and Santo Tomas in Pampanga; and Bamban, Capas and Concepcion in Tarlac, which is part of traditional Kapampangan home range.

With renewed interest and intention of revival, events are being produced, reenacting the lubenas with participants now wearing costumes, geared towards being a holiday attraction with components such as lantern competitions and touristic spectacles such as a grand gathering and recently created festivals that proliferate in the country. These are usually organized by local governments. Lubenas are traditionally held by communities and local churches.

A group from the barangay of San Joaquin during the procession.

Parishioners attend the Misa de Gallo at the Our Lady of Grace Parish Church, known for its pastoleras.

The pastoleras

In Mabalacat, the maitinis remains organized by the parishes, with a very visible youth participation including LGBTIQ+ people.

The procession was followed by the Solemn High Mass of the Lord’s Nativity. The simbang bengi in Mabalacat is known for using the pastolera, the collection of hymns in Latin, arranged by local musicians and performed during the ceremony.

Latin hymns had been sung in Masses in the Philippines until 1969, when Pope Paul VI promulgated the Novus Ordo Missae or new Roman Missal, allowing local languages in liturgy. However, a few areas in the Philippines retained the Latin hymns, especially during special occasions such as Christmas, including Mabalacat.

During the Mass, a choir sung a repertoire including the “Kyrie” (Lord Have Mercy, which is in Greek), “Gloria” (Glory to God in the Highest), “Credo” (Apostle’s Creed), “Sanctus” (Holy) and “Agnus Dei” (Lamb of God), believed to be from Missa de Pastores (Shepherds’ Mass, a Christmas Eve mass honoring the shepherds who watched over the birth of Jesus Christ) of Catalan composer Antoni Vaqué. The voices were accompanied by music from violins, organ and cello, played by a group of musicians.

Shepherded by faith and tradition, parishioners packed into church, spilling into the patio and grounds, as soft drizzle began to fall.