LOOK: Holy Week 2017 begins in Subic Bay

Rev. Fr. Kenneth Masong of the Diocese of Iba rides a donkey after blessing of the palms in a re-enactment of the entry of Jesus to Jerusalem in the observance of Palm Sunday at Holy Land Subic prayer sanctuary in Hermosa, Bataan.

Rev. Fr. Masong joins Ayta children for a souvenir photo during Palm Sunday commemoration at Holy Land Subic prayer sanctuary in Hermosa, Bataan Sunday morning.

(AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Subic Freeport gears up for holy week events

Honoring tradition, this premier Freeport is gearing up for the most solemn Catholic event, the Holy Week.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Atty. Wilma T. Eisma unveiled the agency’s plans for the upcoming Holy Week events yesterday, showing that this Freeport is not without observance of its religious traditions.

The start of the Holy Week will be welcomed with the Reenactment of Jesus Christ Entering Jerusalem at the San Roque Chapel, the oldest chapel in the area. This day’s event will culminate with the Blessing of the Palm on April 9, Palm Sunday.

Eisma said that aside from the event in San Roque Chapel, there will also be another reenactment in Holy Land, where a priest presiding in the mass will ride a donkey towards the chapel there. There will also be an animal parade at the religious theme park as mass goers will be able to interact with two camels, two donkeys, sheep, horses and ponies.

“On April 10 and 11, a ‘Pabasa’ will be held also in San Roque Chapel. And on Wednesday, a procession will be held at the San Roque Chapel, while the Boardwalk area will have food and specialty shops, with entertainment from local bands and DJs to liven up the place,” Eisma said.

The Mass of the Lord’s Supper and Washing of the Feet and the Reenactment of the Last Supper will be held at the San Roque Chapel. Tourists will be able to visit the chapel as part of the Visita Iglesia tradition on Maundy Thursday.

Good Friday events will include Private Station of the Cross at the San Roque Chapel, Guided Way of the Cross Meditation at the Holy Land, and a stage play of “The Passion and Death of Jesus” at the Boardwalk area.

Part of the Black Saturday events is the Black Saturday Concert at the Boardwalk area, and an Easter Vigil Mass will be held at the San Roque Chapel. The mass will include the Blessing of Paschal Candle, Blessing of Fire and Blessing of Water.

“And on Easter Sunday, we will have the ‘Salubong’ procession and an Easter Egg Hunt at the San Roque Chapel grounds. The ‘Salubong’ procession will be held at the Dewey Avenue as the Risen Christ and Mary Dolorosa will meet up at the San Roque Chapel,” Eisma said.

Eisma also said that these events are part of the SBMA’s thrust to show that the agency honor religious Filipino traditions and would like to make this an opportunity to get families closer while in Subic Bay Freeport. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] Holy Week 2017 schedule of activities to be held in various locations at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

[2] Schedule of activities for this year's Holy Week at the Holy Land

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Subic bible park hosts mass baptism for Ayta tribesmen

At least 25 Ayta tribesmen in Subic Bay Freeport converted to Christianity on Saturday during a mass baptism held at the Holy Land Subic Sanctuary and Biblical Theme Park.

The natives, who belonged to the Pastolan Ayta community, received the sacrament at the “Jordan River” of the Holy Land theme park here, where the likeness of Jesus Christ being consecrated by John the Baptist could be seen.

The natives were baptized by Bishop Ruperto Santos of Balanga, Bataan, on the occasion of the 12th anniversary of the “Mahal Ka Ng Dios” Outreach Ministry of the Bethesda Springs of Hope Healing Foundation, Inc.

The event coincided with the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Joint Management Agreement (JMA) between the Pastolan Ayta tribe and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), which covered the development of the Ayta ancestral lands in Subic Bay Freeport.

It also marked the 63rd birthday of Mrs. Maribi Garcia, wife of SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia, and leading light of the Bethesda Springs of Hope ministry.

The day-long event was also highlighted by the distribution of scholarship grants for deserving Aeta students, as well as gifts from Bethesda Ministry sponsors.

“This is the best birthday gift for me,” Mrs. Garcia said, as she presented the Pastolan natives who have come for the sacrament of baptism.

Those baptized included toddlers, as well as teenagers and young adults. Among them was Neneng Pelayo, a Pastolan housewife who said she was miraculously cured of her kidney ailment after Bethesda members prayed over her last year.

The Holy Land Holy Land Subic Sanctuary and Biblical Theme Park is a unique attraction in this free port, which is otherwise known for nature-themed parks featuring exotic animals like tigers and false killer whales.

The biblical park is popular among Christian pilgrims because of its life-sized statues depicting the Way of the Cross, as well as other events in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

Holy Land Subic straddles foothills and forest areas that form part of the more than 4,000-hectare ancestral domain awarded to the Ambala Ayta tribe in Subic Bay Freeport. The Ayta land also covers part of housing areas, industrial parks and tourism attractions here. (HEE/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

Members of the indigenous Pastolan Ayta tribe line up to receive the sacrament during a mass baptism held on Saturday at the Holy Land Sanctuary and Biblical Theme Park in the Subic Bay Freeport. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Subic Freeport all set for Holy Week

Subic is all set for the upcoming summer holiday, as it plays host to several events organized by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and Freeport business locators to ensure a meaningful and enjoyable observance of the Holy Week here.

According to the SBMA Tourism Department, religious activities for the Holy Week will kick off with the “Blessing of the Palms” on April 13, to be followed the next day by the traditional “Pabasa”, which will run until April 16 at Subic By's San Roque Chapel.

A procession will be held on Holy Wednesday, while a re-enactment of the Last Supper will highlight of Maundy Thursday.

On Good Friday, devotees can join the guided “Way of the Cross” at the Holy Land Subic theme park in the morning and the “Veneration of the Cross” at the San Roque Chapel in the afternoon. There will also be the traditional Good Friday grand procession, which will go around the Freeport's central business district.

Meanwhile, the Bethesda Springs of Hope Ministry will hold its annual healing prayer and musical concert at the Boardwalk Park, featuring singers Karylle, Yael Yuzon, Gino Padilla and Jose Mari Chan. The event will also have actress Boots Anson-Roa and broadcaster Tina Monson-Palma as guests.

On Black Saturday, religious activities will include the “Blessing of Fire” and the Easter vigil mass at the San Roque Chapel.

Easter Sunday will start with the traditional “salubong” and Easter mass, followed by an Easter egg hunt at the San Roque Chapel grounds.

Apart from the usual religious activities slated for the Holy Week, visitors will also be treated to various contemporary fun events at the Subic Bay Freeport.

These include a group-dance competition at the Boardwalk Park on April 16, and a musical show headlining local bands and DJs until April 17.

On April 19, a concert featuring the Incre-T-Booms and Jireh Lim, as well as dance and acoustic band competitions will be held at the Boardwalk Park.

A food bazaar will also open to serve tourists visiting the Boardwalk Park area from April 16 to April 20. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Subic Bay Freeport set for Holy Week

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), together with business locators and community organizations in this free port, is all set for the Holy Week with a program of activities planned for tourists who wanted to enrich both their body and soul.

Holy Week activities in Subic will kick off with the “Blessing of the Palms” rites on March 24, to be followed the next day by the traditional “Pabasa” at the San Roque Chapel. The latter will run until March 26.

On Holy Wednesday, a procession will be held along the parade route in the Central Business District (CBD), while a re-enactment of the Last Supper will be made on Maundy Thursday.

On Good Friday, devotees can join the guided “Way of the Cross” at the Holy Land Subic Sanctuary theme park in the morning and the “Veneration of the Cross” at the San Roque Chapel in the afternoon. There will also be the traditional Good Friday grand procession around the CBD.

On the same day, the Bethesda Springs of Hope will also hold their annual healing prayer and musical concert at the Subic Bay Boardwalk Park. The healing prayer will be led by Rev. Fr. Mario Bije while the musical concert will feature Karylle, Julie Anne San Jose, Ku Aquino, Anna Tirol, Danny Cruz and Coke Bolipata.

Black Saturday religious activities will include the “Blessing of Fire” ceremony and the Easter vigil mass at the San Roque Chapel.

Easter Sunday will start with the traditional “Salubong” and Easter mass, followed by and Easter egg hunt at the San Roque Chapel grounds.

Apart from the usual religious activities slated for the week, some fun and contemporary activities are lined up for visitors.

A food and fun festival dubbed as “Subic Pascha” will open on March 26, and run until March 31. The festival will feature events such as the Yamaha 3s display, the Kawasaki leisure bike display, and animal encounter.

Musical groups like Sub Projekt, Jeff Cifra & the Driven Band, and DJ Matthew Carbonell, as well as poi and fire dancers will entertain guests at the Subic Bay Boardwalk.

The festival, organized by Clawdaddy Restaurant with the participation of various restaurants at the Harbor Point Mall, will close with a concert featuring True Faith on Black Saturday at the Boardwalk.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia has assured visitors to the Subic Bay Freeport that emergency response teams, traffic and law enforcers will be on standby along major roads here throughout the Holy Week.

SBMA's new Tourism Info Center along Tipo Expressway, as well as several tourist info kiosks including one at Harbor Point Mall, will also be opened to assist visitors and tourists coming in for vacation in Subic.

"We expect a heavy influx of arrivals here this Holy Week, as Subic Bay has become a favorite destination at this time of the year", Garcia added. (FMD/MPD-SBMA)

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