Fiesta fanfare greatly missed

No fanfare, no banderitas. May 1 is the start of merry month,  fiestas are much more than just a good time. Their absence is deeply felt amid the stress of the pandemic. Photo: Leo Udtohan

Saturday's fiesta was indeed a sad day for candle vendor Mara Valmoria. 

Valmoria, 25, found no reason to celebrate since she is one of the millions who were crippled financially due to the pandemic. 

"Only a few are coming to church to attend masses," she said. 

Selling candles at the St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral in Tagbilaran City is the only way to support their hand to mouth. 

Before the pandemic, she went to different towns where fiestas were held for a living. It was the life of the fiesta.

She said she received fiesta invitations from acquaintances where she could eat for free in different houses. 

Fiesta in Bohol is characterized with abundance of food, drink and music.

"And I can bring" bringhouse" too given by the house owners, " she recalled. 

But when pandemic started last year, Valmoria felt the impact- drastic loss of livelihood and invitations. 

For the second time, Tagbilaran closed its borders to all visitors on May 1, in time of the city fiesta celebration. Police were assigned at the borders to check those who traveled to the city. Only those residents, frontliners, workers, businessmen and with emergency cases were allowed to enter. 

Present! (From left to right) Radio personality Edward Guyano, your VRS, actress and performer Scarlet, Fiel Angeli Araoarao-Gabin, fashion icon Maximiel and media assistant Helen Castano have observed social distancing during the feast at Espejo-Araoarao residence in Cogon village, Tagbilaran City. Contributed Photos 

In this province of Bohol where majority is Catholic,  May 1 is city's fiesta in honor of St. Joseph the Worker.  It also starts the merry month of May wherein fiesta is held every day in Bohol.

The travel restriction is to curb the spread of the coronavirus. People from other towns usually come to Tagbilaran to attend fiesta and stroll in malls.

A week before the fiesta, the province lacked the fiesta ambience.

The fanfare was to a certain level silent and somber as it is mostly virtual,  following physical distancing protocols.

The streets and highways were almost empty with less vehicles. Malls - Alturas Mall, Plaza Marcela, Island City Mall and BQ Mall- were closed to prevent people from gathering to keep people immobile at home.

Tagbilaran resident Fiel Angeli Araoarao-Gabin, 51, cancelled the feast  because of the surging COVID-19 cases. 

“I missed those times that friends come to the house for the vesperas dinner. Everything is sad and controlled now," said Gabin, a government employee.

Before, Gabin said that the weekend before May 1, she and her family were supposedly busy for the general cleaning of the house in preparation for the fiesta.

She said they would hire additional people to do the house cleaning, marketing, cooking, serving food and dishwashing, a week before the fiesta or else it's hard to find someone to do the work.

If her house is open to her friends, relatives and even strangers during fiestas, this time it was closed.

She just prepared a small feast for the family as a thanksgiving to St. Joseph the Worker even the ambiance is totally different.

Tagbilaran City has a total 257 active COVID-19 cases, the locality that has the most number of cases in the province. Bohol has 873 active cases and  41 deaths.

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Unspeakable peace at Bohol Calvary

For hundreds of devotees who trekked to the Bohol Calvary in Garcia Hernandez town, about 53 km from Tagbilaran City, they found a sanctuary as a source of infinite holiness and unspeakable peace.

At the feast of Black Nazarene on Thursday (Jan. 9), devotees in Bohol walked 3 kilometers to the Bohol Calvary to visit a small chapel that housed an image of the revered icon.

For residents, it was a mysterious place revered by many.

Mae Janice Galon, a devotee for eight years, said the mountain was itself a symbol of faith.

“As a single mom, I offer all to Him,” said Galon, 35, a mother of two sons.

The chapel drew devotees starting in 2011 when healer Marina Tadlip Reblinca transformed the place into a mountain retreat for prayer and healing.

Visionary and healer Marina Reblinca performs the "patunob" to devotees who seek healing and divine intervention to overcome life’s challenges at Bohol Calvary in Garcia Hernandez, Bohol. Photo courtesy: Mae Janice Galon

“This place is blessed by the Black Nazarene so it is sacred for those in search of inner peace and spiritual strength,” said Reblinca.

Reblinca brought the image of the Black Nazarene from Palawan to Bohol Calvary after building a small chapel at the crest of the mountain with funds from devotees.

Since then, the place has become a destination for pilgrims.

Another devotee, Edward Guyano, a radio personality, said he hasn’t failed in his pilgrimage to the mountain but this year, he came alone.

Guyano, 49, said he didn’t feel lonely in his journey, however.

He took a shortcut since he has difficulty walking.

“I felt the Black Nazarene is with me so I don’t feel lonely,” he said as he walked to the chapel.

Guyano said he promised to visit the image following his healing from a stroke three years ago, which he attributed to a miracle by the Black Nazarene.

Marina Tadlip Reblinca (with some devotees of the Black Nazarene) transforms Mount Kalagan to Bohol Calvary which is now become a prayer mountain. Photos courtesy: Mae Janice Galon

"Thank God, the harder it is the more blessings it brings," he said. "The place gives me a spiritual experience and inner peace."

Reblinca said the Black Nazarene gives spiritual nourishment, hope, healing and inner comfort.

“He is our refuge and our strength for He is our God,” she said.

Hundred of devotees heard Mass at 10 a.m. and shared lunch.

Devotees fell in line to kiss the image of Black Nazarene after lunch and Reblinca performed “patunob”, a ritual of touching the heads and shoulders of devotees with the image of the Nazarene. 

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