In Binangonan, Good Friday procession lasts almost 12 hours

After nearly 12 grueling hours, the Santo Entierro (Holy Burial) image finally arrived at Santa Ursula Church at 4:25 a.m. on 4 April. Before the revered image was carried into the historic church, the priest led devotees in prayer and in the singing of the “Ama Namin.” With this solemn moment, the Prusisyon ng Paglilibing (Procession of the Lord’s Burial), which began at around 5 p.m. on Good Friday, 3 April, in Binangonan, Rizal, came to a close — making it among the longest, if not the longest, Good Friday processions in the country in terms of duration.

Holy Week in the Philippines, a predominantly Catholic nation, is marked by a wealth of rituals, devotional traditions, and expressions of faith. Good Friday, which commemorates the death of Jesus Christ, stands at the heart of these observances.

In Binangonan, a lakeside town on the northern coast of Laguna de Bay, the day unfolds through a sequence of solemn practices led by Santa Ursula Parish. The observance begins at dawn with the Estacion General (Stations of the Cross) at 4:30 a.m. The procession features the images of Jesus Nazareno and Mater Dolorosa, moving from station to station around the town proper. At each of the 14 stations depicting the final hours of Jesus Christ, participants pause and reflect.

Inside the church, other rites follow throughout the day, including the Pagtatanod sa Banal na Santisimo Sakramento, Siete Palabras, Pagpapatirapa, and Pagpaparangal sa Krus na Banal — each deepening the atmosphere of reverence, somberness, and contemplation.

By early afternoon, the Santo Entierro image is transferred from the home of its caretaker family in the sitio of Dalig in Batingan, a barangay in Binangonan, to the parish church. Devotees accompany the image, many preparing to take part in the evening procession.

By midafternoon, the church grounds are filled with activity. Parishioners gather at the patio, while the pasos assemble at the adjacent town plaza. These elaborately adorned floats — also called carroza — bear images of Biblical figures and scenes from the Passion of Christ. The pasos are cared for by different families in Binangonan and nearby areas. Known as kamarero or santero, these lay caretakers are responsible for preparing, dressing, and safeguarding the religious images.

One by one, the pasos are brought before the church for blessing by parish priest Reverend Father Moises dela Cuesta Villamayor. Their narratives are recounted, and the families and communities who care for them are acknowledged. This year’s procession features more than 60 pasos.

Church acolytes lead the procession, sounding the crotalus — wooden liturgical clappers locally known as takatak. Their steady, rhythmic cadence signals the movement of the procession and serves as an expression of profound mourning for the death of Jesus Christ.

The procession is arranged into two parts, or phases. The first, called “Mga Hapis ni Hesukristo” (The Passion of Jesus Christ), consists of numerous pasos depicting scenes and figures from Christ’s suffering and final hours.

The second, “Ang Paglilibing” (The Burial), consists of the pasos of Santa Maria Ina ni Juan Marcos, Santa Veronica, Santa Juana ni Cuza, Santa Maria ng Betania, Santa Marta, Santa Maria Cleofe, Santa Maria Jacobe, Santa Maria Salome, Santa Maria Magdalena, San Juan ang Pinakamamahal, the Santo Entierro, and Mater Dolorosa.

The Santo Entierro image is the highlight, inspiring intense devotion similar to that shown to the Jesus Nazareno image of Quiapo, Manila. Mamamasan (literally meaning “one who carries”), mostly young men, take turns pulling the carroza through the procession route, which can become unruly and unpredictable.

This feature of the procession — the contingent of mamamasan and devotees surrounding the Santo Entierro image — is colloquially called Gewang-Gewang (sometimes spelled Giwang-Giwang), referring to its swaying movement as it proceeds along the route.

The Santo Entierro image is brought out of the church and welcomed by hundreds of devotees waiting at the church patio. It takes time before the image can fully join the procession, as devotees seek to touch or help “carry” it.

Long after the other pasos have completed the route, the Gewang-Gewang continues its slow, staggering journey through the town. In the hush before dawn, the return of the Santo Entierro to the church marks the fulfillment of a journey — one carried in faith, sacrifice and shared devotion.