The Moriones Festival
Marinduque is considered as the Lenten Mecca of the Southern Tagalog because of the Moriones Festival. Morion means “mask” or “visor,” a part of the medieval Roman armor which covers the face. Moriones, on the other hand, refers to the masked and costumed penitents who march around the town for seven days searching for Longinus. Morions roam the streets in town from Holy Monday to Easter Sunday scaring the kids, or engaging in antics or surprises to draw attention. This is a folk-religious festival that re-enacts the story of Longinus, a Roman centurion who was blind in one eye. The festival is characterized by colorful Roman costumes, painted masks and helmets, and brightly-colored tunics.
Location:
The festival can be wacthed in every town of Marinduque
- Boac
- Gasan
- Buenavista
- Sta Cruz
- Mogpog
Photo by: Ompoint59
What to do:
- Watch the Festival and the Highlights of it
- Join the PABASA ( The recitation of Christ’s passion in verse )
- Wacth the Via Crucis ( Highlight of the Festival )
- Watch Men inflict suffering upon themselves by whipping their backs, carrying a wooden cross and sometimes even crucifixion
- Bring a camera and take shots of the whole Festival
When to Go:
- The festival is observed from Holy Monday to Easter Sunday
Comments or Inquiry?
This is great tradition and custom of Marinduquenos…..You will enjoy seeing Morions during lenten season..I’ve been in marinduque last year to watch Passion of christ at Boac mariduque and also to visit my relatives in Balanacan Mogpog….
Those morions (with mascarra) are scary and crazy….hehehehehehe…..
I am very interested in going to this Festival. Can someone please tell me how to go there? Please?
Hi Dhee,
Just ride any bus going to Lucena (Dalahican Pier). There are lots of bus companies going there in buendia, taft.
In Dalahican, take a ship going to Balanacan Port or Cawit Port.
Hope this helps.
kita kita tayo sa holy week
ellow!…try to visit our province n marinduque were u will be intertain with our moriones festival and beauty of beaches lyk boracay had..no regrets and waste of money f u visit there…promise!
its been a two years in a row when im not celebrating holy week in my province because of my work but as far as i am concerned and from the news that i heard coming from the people who experience lenten season in marinduque they enjoy it and they want to visit again the province not only because of the festival but also because of the people…..may we have to preserve what we have right now and we don’t have to change what is the tradition of our province because we known from that tradition and we establish the name MARINDUQUE because of the MORIONES festival……we have to love what tradition we have its better to improve but not to change it………….