We went to the Municipality of Obando in the Province of Bulacan to attend the 3 day long Fertility Dance Festival known as Pandanguhan in Honor of the Triduum Saints, San Pascual Baylon, Sta. Clara of Assisi and Nuestra Senora Imaculada Conception de Salambao. It was believed that when you dance in honor of the 3 saints during their feast day, all your wish will be granted specially for couples who wishes to have children.
People who come in this festival does not only come to ask in having a child but also ask for secured job employment, life time partner, blessings for a prosperous business and so much more. But these Fertility Dance Ritual has been observed every Mid Summer in the Philippines and even have predated to the Conversion of Filipino's in Catholicism.
Yes! This fertility dance was known as Kasilonuan which means torch of light. According to the Official Website of the Municipality of Obando, Kasilunuan Dance Ritual were performed by early Filipino's headed by a Katalonan or High Priest/ess. Normally the ritual last for 9 days and held at the home of a Datu. Originally, this Fertility Dance Ritual was done in Honor of Dayang Masalanta which is the Tagalog Goddess of Love, Lakapati which is the Goddess of Fertility and Bathala which is the Supreme Diwata among the Tagalog People. And when the Spaniards arrived, our ancestors were forced to convert into Catholicism, and in order for the Spanish Friars to convert Filipino's they Dressed up our Diwata into the Catholic Saints. This dressing up of our Diwata into Catholic Saints is known as Synchretism.
I was told once by a friend that the catholic hates syncretism.
But unfortunately, the Catholic Church were the one who first synchretize their Divinities into our Diwata. So, if you are asking, where is the Diwata now-a-days? To answer that is they are inside the Catholic Church such as on what we have found in San Pascual Baylon Church or also known as the National Shrine of Nuestra Senora Immaculada Conception de Salambao.
Aside from these Diwata, there are more Diwata that have been dressed up as a Catholic Saints such as the Diwatang Maguayen who becomes the most venerated Virgin of Antipolo or Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage.
Then there is an interesting story about Miguel Lopes de Legaspi when he was in the Philippines. It is remembered that he arrived in the Philippines in Cebu by February 1565 and by 1571 he moved his base near manila bay. And by that time he discovered a group of natives worshipping a statue of a female figure. This female figure Goddess is uncertain but they believe that it was an Anito. Since this Goddess Figure is worshiped by the natives near the sea shore of Manila Bay so u suppose that this Goddess is Amansinaya.
It is quite interesting to know that when the spaniards saw the natives worshiping this Goddess, they see it that this Goddess was placed on a trunk surrounded by Pandan Leaves. And with that we mau say that this Goddess is the Diwatang Amansinaya who guides sea travelers to land safely on shores.
I believe that there are more Diwata that have been dressed up as a Catholic Saint, as the early catholic missionary strategize their work of evangelization to convert people into Catholicism from our Indigenous Anituhan Spirituality.
So as a modern Binabaylan of the present time, we hold on our own Indigenous Spirituality and reclaim what is supposed to be ours. You will see more of this soon as you continue to buy us a coffee and will share to you the information and experiences that we have gathered as we Go to places in the Philippines in Celebrating our very own Indigenous Spiritual Culture.
Again, Thank you very much for continuesly supporting us here at Filipino Magick by Rolando Comon.