The intricate interaction of religion with art established during the Spanish colonial period has shaped Filipino culture. This is most evident when Catholics observe religious holy days and celebrate their devotion to their faith during Semana Santa (Holy Week), the Marian festivities and the Christmas season. At the heart of this tradition are sacred images or santos which have become enduring symbols of faith and creativity. The santos tradition is a blend of indigenous art, Spanish colonial influence, and religious fervor.
Origins and Influence
During the Spanish colonization of the Philippines from 1565 to 1898, profound changes occurred in the life and art of the Filipinos. Spanish missionaries, in their quest to Christianize the natives, harnessed the visual arts as powerful tools. The colorful pageantry of the Roman Catholic Church enchanted the locals, making it easier for the evangelists to win hearts and instruct them in the new faith.
Sculpting was a familiar art form and skill to the Filipinos. Before the arrival of Christianity, early Filipino craftsmen carved anito, images representing their native religion. However, with the advent of Christianity, the carving of santos—images of Christ and the saints—replaced anito. The transition was not too difficult, as Filipinos were already skilled in wood carving techniques. Adjustments and adaptations were made in proportion and style, and the santos began to take on the iconography of their Western prototypes.
The Santo Entierros which are images of the dead Christ are among the most revered of the santos. The Santo Entierro inside a carozza (carriage) is typically the most solemn highlight of Good Friday processions. The image of the dead Christ in repose and garbed in burial vestments inside a parish church is usually venerated by the faithful by touching, kissing, and fervent praying. Its care, as with the other santos, is the responsibility of a family and the practice has been handed down from their ancestors through the younger generations.
In the Bicol region, Holy Week observances in two municipalities involving the Santo Entierro attract thousands of loyal and fervent devotees. Namely, these are Gainza’s “Tulong Hinulid” and Calabanga’s “Amang Hinulid,” loosely translated to “Three Laid to Rest” and “Lord Laid to Rest,” respectively. Both towns are in Camarines Sur and whose origins date back to the 15th century during the Spanish colonial times. Calabanga’s “Amang Hinulid” includes the “Alay Lakad” annual pilgrimage where thousands of hardy participants walk the distance from Naga City to Calabanga with prayer stops at churches along the way.
Tulong Hinulid: A Devotion to Three Santo Entierros in Gainza
Although the smallest among the 35 towns and two cities of Camarines Sur province, Gainza is the annual destination of many pilgrims who venerate the three images of the dead Jesus Christ during Semana Santa. According to stories handed down by townsfolk through the generations, three images of the Santo Entierro were found during separate times floating down after floods at the same spot along the Bicol River banks, although nobody could ascertain when the trio of “Hinulid” images was completed.
The three images were brought to the Tabuco Church in Naga for repair and repainting and then brought back to Gainza for caretaking. Before the images were repaired, it was noticed that the images were of different lengths and marked in the back. The biggest measuring 1.52 meters (5 feet), was marked “Jesu Cristo Master.” the second biggest measuring 1.25-meter (4 feet, 11 inches) was marked “Jesu Cristo Dios, and the smallest measuring 1.21 meters (4 feet) was marked “Jesu Cristo Adonie.” The images are brought out for procession every Good Friday, one Santo Entierro every year in the following order, from the biggest to the smallest one. The images which are believed to be miraculous are now housed at the chapel in barangay Cagbunga in Gainza.
Placed inside a glass-encased platform in the chapel, the three wooden images display different tortured facial expressions and bloody injuries. They have identical garb of white satin embroidered with gold stitches along the neckline and knotted belt of gold-colored rope. They are accompanied by replicas of two white doves placed on their legs, which devotees believe help bring their messages to God. A devotee has to touch and kiss the bare feet of the statues while praying and hold the dove replica as they say their prayers and deliver other wishes to God.
The ritual of bathing the Tulong Hinulid every Maundy Thursday has become a tradition that has drawn devotees from neighboring towns. It begins at 2 p.m. after the members of the Parish Pastoral Council had prayed around the Tulong Hinulid. They dab the statues’ bodies with cotton dipped from several pails of water that would, in turn, be used to miraculously heal ailments and afflictions. Water used during the bathing is apportioned to devotees who wait until the ritual is completed.
No townsfolk can find a rational explanation for how these images remained together, even though they were swept away by floodwaters from the chapel when super Typhoon “Sening” battered the Bicol Region (October 1970). From a chapel made of nipa shingles and bamboo years ago, the Tulong Hinulid are now enshrined in a concrete chapel with the elevated backroom of the altar constructed to protect the statues from flooding. According to the Parish Pastoral Council, the Tulong Hinulid are sustained by donations from devotees that reach an average of P3,000 a month and thousands of pesos during the Lenten season. The number of devotees has increased through the years. During the observance of Holy Week in recent years, more than 1,000 came until Good Friday, with people standing shoulder to shoulder as they crowded the streets going to the chapel.
About the town of Gainza
(Excerpts from Wikipedia)
The town of Gainza can be counted among the ancient towns and cities in the Bicol Region. Its origin is as old as “Ciudad de Caceres” – Naga City today. The municipality was formerly a barrio of Ciudad de Caceres founded by Captain Pedro de Chavez. The barrio was called Sto. Domingo, after its patron saint, Sto. Domingo de Guzman. Because the natives of this farming and fishing village had progressively clung to the fertile lowland soil and fish-rich meandering rivers and creeks in the central part of the province, its people earned the benevolence and recognition of Bishop Francisco Gainza, O.P. of Nueva Caceres. On December 10, 1863, the Bishop gave the village of Sto. Domingo its Ecclesiastical Charter as a municipality. The feast of the parish patron saint, St. Dominic of Guzman is celebrated annually on 8 August.
The town was named after Francisco Gainza of the Dominican Order, the late bishop of Nueva Caceres. He selected the barrio Sto. Domingo for the construction of a canal originally planned by two Franciscan Friars and by Governor Norzagaray as early as the first half of the 17th Century. The canal called “Via Gainza” was to connect the river of Naga to the sea of Pasacao which would shorten the route from Naga City to Manila avoiding the treacherous San Bernardino Strait. It would also serve as another outlet for the flood waters of the lower plains of the province. Bishop’s death unfortunately meant an end to this development.
Amang Hinulid: A Sacred Pilgrimage Site in Calabanga
In the quiet village of Barangay Santa Salud in Calabanga, Camarines Sur, a centuries-old wooden image of the dead Christ lies in repose, drawing thousands of pilgrims seeking miracles during the Lenten season. This revered image, known locally as “Amang Hinulid” (which loosely translates to “Father laid to rest”), has become a symbol of faith, hope, and divine intervention.
The story of Amang Hinulid traces back to the 1800s. The image, crafted from wood, is said to have been brought to Calabanga by a sculptor from Spain. Its exact origins remain shrouded in mystery, as no records exist in the national archives. Nevertheless, its antiquity and spiritual significance have endured through generations.
Every Holy Week, pilgrims embark on a 13-kilometer trek from Naga City to Calabanga, paying homage to Amang Hinulid. The journey is a testament to their unwavering devotion. Calabanga Mayor Evelyn Yu estimates that at least half a million pilgrims participate in this sacred pilgrimage. Devotees come from far and wide, seeking divine favor. They wipe their handkerchiefs on Amang’s feet, hands, face, and body, which is draped with a velvet blanket. The water used to bathe the image is considered sacred, and devotees apply it to aching parts of their bodies, believing in its healing properties.
Countless tales of miracles surround Amang Hinulid. One such account involves a fisherman whose boat sank during a storm. Stranded in the vast sea, he miraculously stayed afloat when a log appeared out of nowhere, serving as his lifeline. Upon reaching safety, the fisherman claimed to have seen Amang Hinulid waving at him from a distance.
Julio Tandog Hilario, the caretaker of Amang, ensures the image’s preservation. He shares that the statue was purchased by the clan’s great grandmother, Doña Bartola Repolito, for 500 pesetas from the Spaniards. Although its exact age remains uncertain, it is believed to have been sculpted around 1600. The image was said to have been brought around 1840 or earlier. The village chapel, where Amang Hinulid is enshrined, receives special attention during Holy Wednesday. Devotees gather to dress the image in a new garment, donated by a faithful follower. The water from the bathing ritual is distributed to those seeking solace and healing.
Amang Hinulid continues to inspire faith, draw pilgrims, and serve as a powerful symbol of hope in the heart of Calabanga. As the Lenten season unfolds, the wooden figure silently testifies to the enduring connection between the divine and the faithful.
About the town of Calabanga
(Excerpts from Wikipedia)
In 1578 when the head Mission of Quipayo was established, Calabanga was only a visita or barrio. The first four missions established by the Spanish colonizers were Quipayo, Naga, Nabua and Bula. Calabanga became separated from Quipayo in 1749 by virtue of the approval of the Spanish administrators.
It was during the latter years of the Spanish colonial period when Calabanga became larger than its mother town Quipayo which no longer exists today, driven by a thriving agricultural economy. It continued to grow as an agricultural center during the American occupation and thereafter. The town has rich natural resources and fertile soil especially on the highlands to the southeast at the foothills of Mount Isarog. In the 1930’s, Calabanga evolved to become a fishing hub of Camarines Sur. Its strategic location near the mouth of the Bicol River with access to the rich fishing grounds of San Miguel Bay spurred the growth of the town’s fishing industry.
The Devotion to the Santo Entierro Elsewhere in Camarines Sur
Devotion to the “Hinulid” in Bicol dates back to the 19th century. Other “Hinulid” icons are reverently housed elsewhere in Camarines Sur other than those in barangay Cagbunga, Gainza and barangay Santa Salud, Calbanga, and each has its own loyal devotees. These include among others the Immaculate Conception Church of Quipayo, Calabanga; the Holy Rosary Church of Bombon; and the “Hinulid” Christ of San Francisco Church in Naga City.
(Report written by Jojo De Jesus for Dateline Ibalon based on content from the following references: a) Tulong Hinulid of Gainza – Town fiesta souvenir program of Gainza, 2004; “Trio of dead Christ venerated in village,” Juan Escandor, Jr., Inquirer.ph, March 24, 2016; “Gainzanos Pride: Tulong Hinulid,” Bicol Mail, March 28, 2019; Wikipedia. b) Amang Hinulid of Calabanga – Wikipedia; “Thousands trek to ‘Hinulid’ in Calabanga” by Sonny Sales, Vox Bicol, April 6, 2012. Header photo from Santero de Calabanga. Other photos from Province of Camarines Sur FB page.)