It's more fun in the Philippines?

The popular tourism-campaign slogan, "It's more fun in the Philippines," definitely does not hold true for Holy Week, a somber time here. For much of the week many stores, restaurants, cafes are closed, and Manila empties out as the masses head home to the provinces. Even the Manila progressive-music radio station I listen to has shut down for much of the week. I've been searching for information on Easter festivals in Manila, but there's not much happening here. Supposedly some Filipinos refrain from music, dance, festivals, and the like during the Holy Week for fear that having fun will bring them bad luck.

Speaking of not having a good time, in San Fernando, two hours by bus north of Manila, a gathering takes place each year to literally reenact the crucifixion of Christ. A number of Filipinos dressed in Roman costumes nail penitents' hands and feet to crosses, while others self-flagellate, i.e., whip their own backs until they're bloody. These violent displays of religious fanaticism make you wonder if maybe the Christian missionaries (first the Spanish, followed by the Americans) weren't a little too successful at converting the natives.

It's interesting to note that the Philippines is 93% Christian, and is the fifth largest Christian nation in the world, while neighboring Vietnam is only 8% Christian, and overwhelmingly atheist.

As I didn't make it to San Fernando for the festival, the photo, found on the internet, is from a previous year there.

On Good Friday I was getting ready to have breakfast when I spotted a large crowd out on the street, so I grabbed my camera and went to have a look. It turned out to be hundreds of Filipinos on a "penance walk," heading to a church several kilometers away in Manila's Chinatown.

Jeepneys are the major mode of public transportation in the Philippines, and were originally made from leftover WWII US military jeeps. They're big, noisy, colorful, and cheap -- a Jeepney ride in downtown Manila is normally about 8 pesos, or 20 cents US.

And, lastly, here are a few photos I took while walking around my neighborhood during Holy Week.