"Penitensya" (Public Penance) 3

"Penitensya" (Public Penance) 2

Holy Thursday afternoon at Sadsaran Chapel, Sta. Ana

Historical Places and Ancestral Houses 1

Our Lady of Assumption Church (Nuestra Senora dela Asuncion Parish)

Nuestra Senora dela Asuncion
a view from Municipal Hall

This centuries old adobe church Nuestra senora dela Asuncion Parish (founded by Augustinian Priest)  is the oldest Roman Catholic church in the province of Bulacan, it has a baptismal book entry as early as 1572, it was precious artifact for almost 400 years it was not destroyed by fire or war. On the first page of the book, written was the name of the barrio of the town of Bulakan, Bagio, Bulakan (Camino Real), Daan Estacion, Matungao, Banban, Dapdap, Parian, Paniqui, San Nicolas, Nagdasig, Calungusan and Taliktik.

Nuestra Senora dela Asuncion's
Bell Tower

An imposing site it is, the architecture is said to be mixture of Barouque and Muslim. The construction of church and convent started about 1578 and fininshed before 1762. It was occupied and later burned by the British during thair brief stay which was then rebuilt.

The earthquake in 1863, 1869 and 1880 cracked the walls and damaged heavily the belfry that is was in danger of collapsing. Restoration both of the belfry and the church were finally done in 1889.

Looking at this church, one cannot help but admire the highly decorated facade with its engaging decorative scrolls, volutes, vines and floral motifs carved on the quadruple arch on the main door, columns, niches and eaves.

Our Lady of Assumption
Patron Saint of Bulakan

"Penitensya" (Public Penance)

It is a common sight in the Philippines every Holy Week a hooded-half naked men flogging their backs with whips embedded with thorns and glass shards. Penitensya or public penance  is tradition among Filipino Catholics. The appropriate term for this practice in Roman Catholicism is "mortification of the flesh".

Long ago, individuals engage in these rituals aim to atone for a particular sin, have their prayers granted or achieve a higher spiritual experience or vision.  Filipinos exercise their public penance vows in different ways. The most well known are self flagellation, the carrying of a heavy wooden cross or in some cases being actually crucified.

Here in Sta. Ana, children and even adults are very excited to watched penitensya  and pasang krus.

Six or seven years ago, I follow my brother and his group in performing their public penance. Their group consist of more than 10 persons. Their starting place is from Tawiran and will finished at Sadsaran Chapel in Sta. Ana, approximately 5 kilometers. They wear their hood and Nazereno inspired costumes and start walking barefooted at 3 pm while carrying a heavy wooden cross. For every Catholic chapel they pass by they kneel, pray and lie down in the ground and their company will start to strike them using a nipa "sasa" leaves, leather belt and rubber. They arrived in Sadsaran at almost 7 pm. It is really need a high stamina and faith for a person perform penance.

I don't see myself doing public penance, to carry a wooden cross, be crucified or wounding my back. Maybe because I don't believe that forgiveness of sins cannot be attain doing those rituals.  But I'm  not questioning their faith., that is their vows abd their way of asking forgiveness. If that is permitted by the Catholic faith so be it.

Here are some pictures I have taken this Holy Monday at Sadsaran Chapel, Sta. Ana, Bulakan at 7 pm.

Bulakan ..my town ..my Home

Bulakan, one of the municipality of the province of Bulacan. This is also a former capital of the province. The birthplace of Marcelo del Pilar and Gregorio del Pilar. The town had a big contribution to the Philippine history.  

For me, Bulakan is my home espacially barrio Sta. Ana. In this place my ancestors were born, grow and die. This is also the birth place of my Amang Peping and where my Inang Maring grew (parents of my mother).



Amang Peping is married with Inang Maring and blessed with nine children. Their children also grew up and have their own family and still live within the vicinity of Bulakan. This town witnessed the history of my family, how my Amang Peping courted Inang Maring and get married for more than 50 years, lived with simple life but with a lot of love for each other. It is also the witness of my father's love for my mother and now living as couple for 32 years. 

My grandparents (parents of my father) Lolo Roming and Lola Chayong was from Malabon, Manila and moved to Bulacan during the late 60's and spend their years here in Bulakan. Their children also grew up here and now with their own family. May father whose the eldest and his youngest sister still live in this town. Some of his brother and sister are moved to Manila, Rizal and Quezon City.

This place is where my family lives, this is the witness of my childhood and now that I have a wife and a son, I want to spend the rest of my life with them. Maybe time will come we will move and live to other place, but still there's no place like Bulakan, a place I called Home.

An Introduction: Brief History of Bulakan

Bulakan is the first class partially urban municipality in the province of Bulacan, It is 35 km (22 mi) north of Manila. Bulakan, which is one of the oldest towns in the Philippines, became the encomienda or capital of the Provincia de la Pampanga, and later became the first capital of the Province of Bulacan before it was moved to Malolos shortly after the American occupation.

The municipality of Bulakan lies in the southwestern part of the province of Bulacan and is surrounded by a number of municipalities. It is bounded on the North by the Municipality of Guiguinto, on the South by the manila Bay, on the East by the Municipality of Bocaue, on the West by the City of Malolos, on the Northeast by the Municipality of Balagtas and on the Southeast by the Municipality of Obando.Approximately, 72.9 square kilometers or 2.73% of the total land area of the entire Province. It ranks 10th in terms of land area among other municipalities in the province.

The name "Bulakan" is derived from the Tagalog word "bulak", which means "cotton'. The Spaniards named the town Bulacan due to the abundance of cotton plants growing in the region. the town is one of the oldest in the country. The Augustinians funded the town in 1574 and dedicated it under the patronage of Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion. According to local, records Father Agustin del Alburqueque, OSA is the first priest and founder of the town of Bulakan.

Prior to the arrival of the Spaniards, Bulakan as well as the rest of the towns of Bulacan province was consisted of small scattered settlements of villages each hen called "balangay" or "barangay" a word derived from the name of the boats used by the early seafaring Malays who went to various islands of what now called Philippines. The villages and barangays were headed by a pretty cheiftain who bore the title of "Gat" or "Lakan". These early settlers lived along the seashores and rivers, thus they were called "taga-ilog", meaning people wo dwell near the rivers or other waterways. From this term "taga-ilog" came the word "Tagalog".

By the year 1591 the town of Bulakan had 1,200 tributes or 4,800 persons, one Agustinian convent and one Alcalde mayor who had juristiction over the town of Malolos (Become independent in 1673) Balagtas formerly "Bigaa" (become separate town in 1596), Guiguinto (become separate town in 1915). In the heart of the town stands the centuries old adobe church of Nuestra senora de la Asuncion in front of it, stand the municipal hall and the park dedicated to General gregorio del Pilar.

Bulakan consist of fourteen barangays namely Bagumbayan, Tibig, Sta. Ana, San Francisco, Sta. Inez,San Jose, Pitpitan, Maysantol, Bambang, Perez, Tatiptip, San Nicolas, Matungao and Balubad. The town still enjoys trade and commerce with the neighboring towns and Manila with whom she shares a coastline, a place that is replete with historical and glorious past.