53Moreover, the locals admit that
their bloody Easter has become a
good source of income, which
explains why other towns in the
north of Luzon’s island have started
to dramatise the Holy Week in the
same fashion. Some now allow female
penitents to participate in what
many denounce as an exploitation of
women – to make the recreation more
attractive to outsiders.
Until a decade ago, foreigners were
also welcome to join in the voluntary
suffering with the locals, but the
authorities intervened. “A British
[visitor] even suffered a panic attack
when he was about to get nailed. Their
faith is not as unbreakable as ours,”
shares a penitent named Beningno,
whose wife heals the wounds of
participants – caused by lashes.
Rubén Enaje declares that he would
never have a change of heart. He
has been nailed to the cross almost
30 times, which is every year for the
second half of his life. “I wanted to
thank God for saving my life when I fell
from scaffolding in 1984,” he says.
“I promised Him I’d take part in the
Holy Week celebrations for 20 years,
but I keep doing it because the two
times I’ve tried to stop, my wife fell ill.
One time she was even close to death,
so I swore to keep the tradition.”“A British [visitor] even
suffered a panic attack
when he was about to get
nailed. Their faith is not
as unbreakable as ours”
Beningno, Catholic penitent
left Men from the village of
San Pedro Cutud walk barefoot
while they whip their backs
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