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Has anyone thought of what
Moriones Festival is all about? For many, this is one fancy event in Marinduque, Philippines
where huge and tall male catholic devotees wear mask-like Centurions during
the Roman Empire and litter the town's streets for the entertainment of tourists visiting the island.
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Moriones in the streets of Sta. Cruz, Marinduque |
The Holy Week is celebrated by
Catholics but many are not aware that moriones actually have originated from the story of a Roman soldier named Longinus, who pierced the side body of Christ when the Jesus was crucified. The blood of Christ splattered on his blind
eye and healed him instantly, making him a believer of Jesus as the Son of
God. After getting healed, he then rejoiced and disseminated the news of Jesus’ resurrection that led to his public execution performed by his fellow centurions.
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A morion passing by in one of the oldest/ancestral houses in Sta. Cruz, Marinduque |
I decided to visit Sta. Cruz, Marinduque
together with friends to witness my very first morion. And it wasn’t
disappointing that on the very first day (Monday) we already spotted some
Morions walking on the street where we excitedly requested for a picture taking.
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Young children participate in the annual Moriones Festival |
As we explore the sleepy town of
Sta. Cruz, we have witnessed the preparation of the Centurions parading on the
street and it was just so entertaining to watch these guys being approached by
the people to have a piece of a picture with them . What surprised me was witnessing the young generation participating as little moriones, scaring some spectators
especially children on the street of Sta. Cruz.
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Don't get scared, just chill watching the morions parading the streets of Sta. Cruz, Marinduque |
I just hope that people be
reminded that this event was created not only to entertain but to rekindle our faith to God and be a believer of what true love is, as what
Jesus did sacrificing His own life for the salvation of human kind.
How to Get to Marinduque?
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Guess who's in the mask ? |
From Manila, there are buses (JAM
or JAC) in Buendia or in Kamias Kamuning in Cubao that would take you directly to Lucena Quezon, the fare was roughly
P200.00.
If the bus did not take you to Dalahican Port, you can take a tricycle (Php30.00/pax) to the pier. There are two major shipping lines that can take you to Balanacan, Marinduque, one is Montenegro and the other one is Starhorse, fare is just Php 260.00 plus a terminal fee of Php 30.00.
If the bus did not take you to Dalahican Port, you can take a tricycle (Php30.00/pax) to the pier. There are two major shipping lines that can take you to Balanacan, Marinduque, one is Montenegro and the other one is Starhorse, fare is just Php 260.00 plus a terminal fee of Php 30.00.
The Ferry schedule bound for
Balanacan is almost every three hours with the last trip at 4:00pm.
At Balanacan Port, jeepneys and
vans wait for passengers bound for Sta. Cruz, fare is Php 80.00.
If you are already tired of the sight seeing in the mainland Marinduque, you can bring your friends and family for an island hopping in Maniwaya.
And if you have the budget for a posh staycation I could really suggest visiting Marikit-Na Beach Resort.
And if you have the budget for a posh staycation I could really suggest visiting Marikit-Na Beach Resort.
Where to Stay in Sta. Cruz, Marinduque?
If you don’t have relatives or
friends to crash in in Marinduque, here is the list of few accommodations you
can choose from:
Accommodation in Sta.Cruz Marinduque
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Address
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Contact
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Dewey Hotel and Restaurant
Cheapest (Php 350 non-aircon)
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Zamora St. Brgy. Maharlika
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(+63) 919.642.6550
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Oromismo 898 (Near the plaza- expensive for Php 1600.00
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Gomez St., Brgy. Maharlika
|
(+63 42).321.3024
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Red’s Hotel
(Mediocre for Php1200)
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Brgy. Pag-asa., Sta. Cruz
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+63 939.171.4361
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Residencia de Palo Maria Beach and Resort& Hotel
(expensive for Php 1500)
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Brgy. Maniwaya
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+63 46 517.2819/ +63 919.237.5633/ +63 917.954.0495
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Casa Marino
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Brgy.Mongpong
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+63 921.508.5771
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