‘Looking Outside’ and ‘Days of Rest’—How Filipino Youth Used Religious Traditions to Cope with COVID
Following the initial global outbreak of COVID-19, the Philippines government responded by initiating some of the world’s most stringent lockdown measures. Under its highest-tiered lockdown, the country introduced Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), which required residents to stay indoors unless they had a “quarantine pass” that permitted them to go shopping or conduct other urgent business.
Schools and churches closed, and in-person and group meetings of faith were prohibited.
As a result, Filipino youth, a friendly and highly social demographic, were isolated. With 30 million young Filipinos—over a quarter of the population (28%)—unable to access school and church, the country’s attention turned to how it could best support them.
Coping with COVID-19 Through Faith Expressions
Many Filipino youth adopted familiar religious expressions during COVID-19 to address their sudden and prolonged social isolation, according to a 2021 study, “Dungaw: Re-imagined Religious Expression in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic,” published in the Journal of Religion and Health.
The Philippines is predominantly a Christian country, with 80% of its 113 million inhabitants belonging to the Roman Catholic religion, statistics show.
“In the Philippines, where most people profess the Catholic faith, the salience of religion, popular piety, and adaptive coping strategies were demonstrated, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Catholic scholar Dr. Fides del Castillo, associate dean of the School of Innovation and Sustainability at the Department of Theology and Religious Education at De La Salle University in the Philippines.
Dr. del Castillo, the lead author of the 2021 study, looked into the religious viewpoints and faith narratives of young Filipinos.
Believing that ‘the transcendent has control over life-threatening situations’ allowed some Filipino Catholics to feel more optimistic and less depressed.
“Prayers fostered hope among Filipino Catholics,” Dr. del Castillo—who specializes in the intersection of innovation and sustainability with theology and religious education—told The Earth & I.
Moreover, believing that “the transcendent has control over life-threatening situations” allowed some Filipino Catholics to feel more optimistic and less depressed, she says.
‘Dungaw’: Seeking Divine Protection
One area of religious expression that Dr. del Castillo researched for her 2021 study is called “dungaw,” which means “to look out.”
Dungaw is a practice in which Filipino Catholics place cherished images of their faith—such as figures of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, or Catholic saints—near a window or door of a house, typically around 6:00 in the evening.
The families position the religious images to face the street or “look outside.” Sometimes, people will put the figures or images on a small table (“la mesita”) and/or create a small altar with candles.
“They hope God will protect them from the virulent disease, console the suffering, cure the sick, foster hope during the health crisis, and miraculously end the COVID-19 pandemic”
The family will then sing and pray the Holy Rosary and the Oratio Imperata, or Obligatory Prayer. The latter is an important part of the ritual because it “implores God’s protection, blesses health workers, and calls upon the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Catholic saints,” Dr. del Castillo wrote in her study, which focused on urban areas and youth.
“Filipinos who practice dungaw coped with the pandemic,” says Dr del Castillo. This is because, as she says in the study, they “hope God will protect them from the virulent disease, console the suffering, cure the sick, foster hope during the health crisis, and miraculously end the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Overcoming Lockdowns: The Concept of ‘Tengaw’
In another study, Dr del Castillo examined Filipino youth who live in rural, primarily agrarian areas and repurposed the indigenous practice of tengaw to handle the government-ordered lockdowns.
Tengaw has its roots in spirituality. This religious expression (“days of rest”) refers to staying at home to avoid disturbing spirits in the fields. It comes from the Christian tradition of sabbath, Dr. del Castillo explains.
“Tengaw is essential during the agricultural cycle for Cordilleran peoples in the Cordilleran Mountain Province, Philippines,” Dr. del Castillo says. “Before the planting season and after a harvest, the council of elders usually declares tengaw, and villagers are prohibited from passing through the rice terraces because their disturbance might upset the ‘spirits,’” Dr. del Castillo wrote in “Re-Imagining the Religious Beliefs and Cultural Practices of Indigenous Christian Youth,” published in Religions 2022.
Villagers are prohibited from passing through the rice terraces because their disturbance might upset the ‘spirits.’
The “days of rest” during this time are also connected with cleansing, protecting, and healing the community. “Thus, the concept of ‘staying at home’ for a specific time is a part of Cordilleran’s life,” says Dr. del Castillo. “This is a valuable lesson for many Christian Filipinos to reflect on the sabbath and the importance of rest.”
The Importance of Religion During Crises
Even after the pandemic’s restrictions are lifted, the effects of isolation may prove challenging to resolve. Studies by Dr. del Castillo and others, which explore the intersection of theology, religion, and education, may provide comfort and support.
For instance, how successful were these faith practices during COVID-19, and can they be effective to meet future social, psychological, and spiritual needs of Filipino children?
“Looking back on the articulations and praxis of faith in these [studies], it is noteworthy that many people continue to use religious coping to get through the different challenges in life,” says Dr. del Castillo. Most of the participants in her studies said they communicated to God through prayer, while some found solace in written religious materials. Others found meaning in the crisis by helping the poor and suffering. Many used technologies to view online worship services or otherwise fill the void left by in-person religious gatherings.
The findings show that many people find religious practices to be useful and necessary in stressful times, says Dr. del Castillo. “It also affirms that many still believe God is present and active in their lives.”
Lessons, learning, leaning in
To date, Dr. del Castillo has published sixty-seven studies and commentaries on religious education, empirical theology and Laylayan theology—the theology of a particular Filipino community—in addition to her recent focus on Filipino youth and the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an unpublished-to-date study, she asked several young people what matters in their lives. Their answers and survey results, which relate to the earlier published studies, suggest they need more time to pray and meditate.
Dr. del Castillo says that parents, educators, health professionals and policymakers can look for ways to provide opportunities to create meaning and offer time for quiet moments, prayer, and personal space.
“The world has been full of noise, and people long for silence where they can listen attentively and understand themselves and their God better,” Dr. del Castillo says.
*Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe is a freelance journalist and editor. Over the past 10 years, Natasha has reported for a host of publications, exploring the wider world and industries from environmental, scientific, business, legal, and sociological perspectives. Natasha has also been interviewed as an insight provider for research institutes and conferences.
Interview with Dr. Fides del Castillo, Associate Dean of the School of Innovation and Sustainability at the Department of Theology and Religious Education at De La Salle University, the Philippines.