This Maundy Thursday, April 18, and Good Friday, April 19, hundreds of Filipinos are back with the Holy Week tradition - pabasa, senakulo, and penitensiya - after being prohibited last year due to the COVID-19 crisis. 

Many streets in the country were filled with flagellants who uses leather or thorny straps to hit themselves and even crucify themselves on a cross as they visit from church to church as a spiritual act of seeking forgiveness this Holy Week. 

“This is a religious vow. I will do this every year for as long as I am able”, said Rusty David, a devoted flagellant for half his life. 

While, Pabasa, a marathon reciting or chanting of the book of De Belen, echoes through towns of the country overnight without interruption, narrating the life story of Jesus Christ. 

These annual traditions to atone for the sins and seek divine intervention have become a major tourist attraction over years.

The Catholic Church did not sanction the practice of self-flagellation calling it a “misinterpretation of faith”, but that did not hamper the devotees to practice these annual traditions.