LENTEN CHARACTERS In this photo taken during the Holy Week in 2017, a group of Morion, or devotees wearing wooden masks and costumes depicting Roman soldiers, prepares for their turn to roam the streets of Sta. Cruz, Marinduque, as part of the Lenten practices in the province. This year, the Moriones will not be staged due to the coronavirus pandemic. 鈥擱ICHARD A. REYES
With the continuing threat of community transmission of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the uncertainty of the availability of vaccines, the island province of Marinduque, one of the country鈥檚 top destinations during the Lenten season, will remain closed to pilgrims and tourists.
鈥淲e still have to control those coming in. It鈥檚 not yet time to open (Marinduque) for tourism,鈥� Gov. Presbitero Velasco Jr. said in a local radio broadcast recently.
鈥淏ut we will study that. I think if there are already (COVID-19) vaccines, that will be the time to [ease restrictions],鈥� he said.
Velasco, in a recording of his Feb. 21 radio program on his Facebook page, said it would be a bad idea to open the province to visitors this year due to the possibility of the new COVID-19 variants spreading in local communities.
Vaccination program
鈥淲e should get vaccinated. But the problem is getting the vaccine supply is difficult; even the national government is having a hard time,鈥� he said in a speech during the celebration of the 101st founding anniversary of Marinduque in the capital Boac on Monday.
Velasco said the provincial government had prepared for its vaccination program, 鈥渂ut the vaccine is still unavailable.鈥�
He said the province could open its doors to visitors when at least 70 percent of the island鈥檚 more than 230,000 residents had already been vaccinated to hopefully create herd immunity from the highly contagious respiratory disease.
No Moriones
Velasco recalled his frustration when the provincial government was forced to cancel the crowd-drawing Moriones last year.
鈥淭o our disbelief and frustration, we have to abandon the major tourist activity that we prepared for because of the onslaught of COVID-19,鈥� he said.
Before the pandemic was declared in March last year, Marinduque used to welcome thousands of foreign and local tourists and devotees for its Moriones starting Holy Monday.
Provincial tourism officials, Catholic Church leaders and residents would join the traditional parade of Morion (devotees wearing wooden masks and costumes depicting Roman soldiers) to start the Holy Week.
But the Holy Week observance on the island does not only focus on the festival but also features traditional Lenten activities, such as the 鈥減asyon鈥� (chanting, or recitation of the Passion of Christ), 鈥渃enaculo鈥� (Lenten play), Visita Iglesia (church visits) and Via Crucis (Way of the Cross).
Each of the six towns of Marinduque stages all or any of these events during Lent. 鈥擠ELFIN T. MALLARI JR.