Moriones Festival is a very popular festival in the
Philippines. The festival is the most unique festival in
the world. The Moriones festival is celebrated in
Marinduque every Holy Week. The festival depicts the
martyrdom of St. Longinus. It was believed that St.
Longinus, a Roman soldier who pierced Jesus Christ's
side on the crucifixion.
One of the most colorful festivals celebrated in the
island of Marinduque is 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. This week-long celebration starts on Holy
Monday and culminates on Easter Sunday when the story of
Longinus is reenacted in pantomime. This is a
folk-religious festival that re-enacts the story of
Longinus, a Roman centurion who was blind in one eye.
The Moriones are the Marinduqueños in colorful costumes
and masks replicating the garb of Roman soldiers. The
act of donning this attire and roaming the streets in
town in the heat of the sun is done during Lent as a
form of yearly penance by natives of Marinduque. Many
practitioners are local farmers or fishermen. The
artistic and colorful attires and masks worn are unique
expressions of folk art and local ingenuity.
The practice originated from the town of Mogpog a
closely knit community which continues to establish
itself as a religious center in the province. Here the
practice having been made an integral part of Lenten
church rituals for over a hundred years, has undergone
very little change.