Holy Week in Bantayan

CEBU, Philippines - In Cebu during the Holy Week, all roads – well, almost all roads – lead to Bantayan. The name Bantayan refers to the island, where Bantayan town is located. That’s the only Bantayan in Cebu; the northern town in the province’s mainland is not Bantayan – but Daanbantayan.

From Cebu City, it takes about two hours and a half bus ride north to Hagnaya Port, where to take a boat to Bantayan. The bus fare is P100 pesos per person and the boat fare P175 on regular days; these could go up a little more during the Holy Week, owing to the great number of visitors headed for Bantayan. Getting a boat ticket can be quite a challenge, especially on a day or two to Maunday Thursday.

The boat docks at Sta. Fe Port. Visitors will have to take a jeepney or a motorbike to get to Bantayan. That would be another P15 to P20 fare per person.

But why force one’s way to Bantayan during the Holy Week? Because it’s really worth it, visitors attest. And, indeed, there’s a lot of attractions that draw people to Bantayan.

The main Holy Week highlight are the “pasos,” floats featuring life-size figures in various scenes of Christ’s crucifixion.  The Lenten procession in Bantayan is a showcase of the local artistry. Most of the figures on the floats are the works of local sculptors, although some are antique images from Spain brought in over a century ago.

The procession is, in a way, an art competition. Old families in the town try to outdo one another in setting up their “pasos.” And the result is always spectacular. Creativity and ingenuity are never scarce in the place.   

Another attraction is food. While the rest of the Catholic nation fasts during the Holy Week, Bantayan feasts. And it’s not necessarily seafood – which the island is abundant of – that the people of Bantayan serve their visitors, but other famed local fares like lechon and other meat dishes. Holy Week in Bantayan could strike first-timers to the town as a fiesta.

And the town’s public market continues to bustle with activity right to Good Friday itself. What with a lot of produce to sell – root crops, fruits, seashells, fish, both dried and fresh. And given the bloated population of the town on those days, people really need to go to the market.

Bantayan is a very old town. It used to be the only town on the island, before Sta. Fe and Madridejos became separate towns. The first Christian church to be established in the whole of Cebu was founded in Bantayan on June 11, 1580 – the Saint Peter and Paul’s Church. The almost 500-year-old church was once a part of the Archdiocese of Mexico. It is the oldest existing Christian church in the Philippines. The church is the center of the Holy Week celebration in Bantayan.

The town and the island itself become the destination to thousands of visitors from all over the country and the world for the Holy Week. During this time of the year all the resorts are filled to overflowing. Those that are not able to book a room would make do with setting up tents or simply laying mats on the beach at night – which even adds to the adventure. Backpackers also fill up every available space at the town plaza for a quick sleep.

And yet, despite the multitudes that troop to Bantayan and the many activities held to entertain the visitors, it remains a place for solitude and serenity. A short walk away from the town center or the crowded beaches, one can find a spot fit for meditation. One may sit under a coconut tree and look to the blue sea to reflect on the key issues in one’s life. Or one may simply lie on the beach and be lulled by the sound of the waves. Salvador Gamallo