Tomorrow is January 9 again. Here in the
Philippines, that could only mean the feast of the Black Nazarene. Every year, the
devout prepare for this event hoping for an opportunity to touch and be blessed
by a 400 year old statue brought to the Philippines by its Spanish colonizers. The
devout may prepare with reverence for such festivities, but enforcing authorities
and motorists on the other hand, will prepare for this event with a collective
sigh as once again, main roads will be blocked by the Nazarene’s entourage,
effectively halting any economic activities on those areas.
Seeing as the Philippines is a tropical country, it would be
common to expect people to experience complications that come from the heat and
of course, the mind-numbingly crowdedness of the venue. Heatstroke cases are,
if not a customary, always expected hence the imperative need for medics to be
always nearby. Also, should the worst case scenario happen, we may expect some other
cardiovascular complications, stampedes and ultimately; death. Kind of a funny
way to look at being “blessed” isn’t it? But it’s all worth it.
Or so we are told.
But that’s beside the point. Miracle or no miracle, this
Feast of the Black Nazarene reflects the dysfunctional society the Philippines
have. How? Let me enlighten you.
The Philippines is proud to be a predominantly Catholic
country. In fact, we are so proud of our religion that we even drag it in issues
where religion are not even relevant (elections, anyone? Or how about political
debates on the RH Bill? Hmmm?). Moreover, if these so-called devout Catholic practitioners
are challenged by scientific facts that have been proven with empirical
results, they will always have a passage in their book that they will gladly
defend to the death despite the overwhelming evidence (Creationism and
Evolution come to mind). It’s always the same analogy of belief over proof; or
more like a fairy tale versus a biography.
But I digress. Catholicism and religion are such big things
in a despair-ridden country such as the Philippines. And for people in such a
country, the Black Nazarene is beacon of light which somehow makes one’s
problems all go away by simply wiping a white cloth on the statue. Yes, we Filipinos
are complete suckers for instant gratification. Why then wouldn’t noontime
shows that promise instant cash be a hit? Why then wouldn’t “Get rich quick”
scams work? Why then wouldn’t visiting the Black Nazarene, getting trampled by
the pushing and pulling of the multitude and risking one’s self for injury once
a year be worth it if people claim that they got what they want by simply
pulling on the ropes and/or by touching the statue itself?
Another thing is the religious hypocrisy. The First
Commandment say so and the books of Exodus and Leviticus will agree with me.
Exodus 20:2-5: “I [am] the LORD thy God,
which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
“Thou shalt
have no other gods before me.
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven
image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is]
in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth:
“Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor
serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of
the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them
that hate me.”
And Leviticus 26:1: "Do not make idols or
set up carved images, or sacred pillars, or sculptured stones in your land so
you may worship them. I am the LORD your God.”
Let me get one thing straight though, I think it’s perfectly
fine to use a statue as a reminder or a figure for your god. But if you have
such a commandment that is said to have come from heaven above—well, I don’t
know about you but if making a ritualistic feast for a statue, kissing and
bowing to that specific effigy, and crafting merchandises, mementos and
what-have-you in the name of that one specific statue (as if it was the god, not just an effigy) isn’t some
form of worship, then I don’t know what is.
Remember, you worship your god because of the goodness they
have done for the world. So working on that thought, if you truly believe that
your god is miraculous, any incarnation of their statue will do as reminder of
their goodness—not just one specific
statue. Sure, you believe that there is god. That that god is invisible and
faith is the proof you have for their existence. But if your belief on your
deity is truly based on faith, you wouldn’t need mere statues and effigies to
believe in their miracles. That is, of course, if you’re like an agnostic who
will refuse to believe unless given empirical proof. For if you are, welcome to
the club.
I’ve mentioned earlier that we Filipinos are suckers for
instant gratification. This feat is mostly evident in the people believing in
the Black Nazarene. Years of observing the local media and the devout
themselves provide more than enough proof of that (Believe me; I even
personally know some of them). Every year, interviews will be shown asking
people why they believe and most of the answers you’ll hear will always play
somewhere between the lines of “Because the Nazarene grants wishes” and “Because
I realized my dream of ________” and so on and so forth.
 |
| We are a Republic of Nganga. |
Never mind that we don’t work for ourselves the whole year if
the Nazarene grants wishes for one day. Never mind that we reproduce more and
more children each year without thinking of the consequences. Never mind that
we remain “Nganga” during political scandals such as the DAP and PDAF. Never
mind that we remain politically ignorant and elect candidates with the
flashiest campaign ads and the shallowest platforms. Never mind that we have a
depressing brain drain in the country. Never mind, because by dragging yourself
every year to Quiapo, by utterly risking yourself to the dangers of stampede
and heat just to wipe a white cloth to a statue means that you are blessed and
are entitled to expect your life to be completely turned around in one day.
Last I checked though, successful people relied more on hard work
and diligence—not just through prayers. “Sa
tao ang gawa,” as they say.
Truly, we are a Republic of Nganga.
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