Holy Week in the Philippines

Holy Week in the Philippines (Filipino: Mahal na Araw; Spanish: Semana Santa) is a significant religious observance for the Roman Catholic majority and most Protestant groups.

It begins on Palm Sunday and continues on through Maundy Thursday, when businesses in the Philippines either shut down operations until Black Saturday or have a late opening and earlier closing times. Many communities observe Spanish-influenced Catholic rituals such as processions, with many having been syncretised with pre-Hispanic beliefs. This is evident in local practices and the many superstitions associated with the occasion.

During the Easter Triduum (usually a public holiday), some local terrestrial television and most radio stations usually go off the air for three days while some of them operate regularly on such religious circumstances (including radio stations owned by the Catholic Church and some Protestant denominations which air special programming and those owned by other religious groups may either choose to sign off or to air regular programming). Those that do operate truncate broadcasting hours and feature religious programming, films, and news coverage of various rites. Cable television channels in the Philippines however continue to broadcast on regular programming service.

At Mass (liturgy) on Palm Sunday (Linggo ng Palaspás, Domingo de Ramos), worshipers carry palm fronds to church to be blessed by the priest. Many Filipinos bring them home after the Mass and place these on door lintels or windows, in the belief that the fronds (considered by the Church as sacramentals) can ward off demons and avert lightning. In some places a procession is held towards the main church before the service, sometimes starting from an ermita/visita (chapel of ease), with the presiding priest riding on horseback. Other parishes would have the priest bless palms in a plaza fronting or near the church.

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