Written by Esther Ho
Photographs by Sarah Choong
So close, but no cigar.
The guards stopped us just as it came our turn to board the last of the 150 boats that will join the fluvial procession welcoming Santo Niño. What a pity, we thought as we watched the rest of the boats sail away to spirited drumbeats and salutary fire crackers. Maybe we should have come in suits, like Hermana and Hermano Mayor. Or maybe in costume, since several boats featured Ati tribe dancers, an entourage in Spanish getup and even beauty queens in their elaborate gowns and sparkling platform stilettos. Or maybe we should have come hours earlier instead of arriving punctually, and saved ourselves some of the wild jostling of people with Santo Niño figurines across the narrow pier hacked rough and ruined by daily port traffic. No matter, it was worth the try, and our guide Peter told us that we could simply catch up with the procession on land.
Boats heading out to the Fluvial Procession
In the meantime, we had some excellent lumpia and fried chicken.
Delicious fried chicken and fried garlic rice from Roberto's
Ahem. Back to business.
We leant against sidewalk rails, waiting beside the likes of a stick-on tattoo peddler, patient devotees and a local tv crew; savoring the buttery, caramel-y, bbq smoke-y fumes permeating JM Basa Street near the Freedom Grandstand. All around us, mothers walked past vendors selling Santo Niño costumes for babies to toddlers, their own little boys dressed as Santo Niño. Others carried various kinds of Santo Niño figures: two feet tall, four inches tall, dressed as a farmer, dressed as a king, long curly hair, short golden ringlets, and so on. Vendors with a fistful of string and a cloud of helium balloons overhead bobbed their balloons to the beat of the bass blaring from the Grandstand.
Vendors selling Santo Niño costumes and figurines
Devotees and their little Santo Niño figurines
The music stopped abruptly, and the media crew snapped into position- our cue! Just then, the motorcycle escorts rolled in, Members of the Metro Iloilo Responders Group and other policemen clearing the road ahead of the procession on their Harley Davidsons and dirt bikes. Second came two large cars flashing lights of warning... of the impending crowd of devotees. And that was just the beginning.
Make way for Señor Santo Niño!
Bearing Santo Niño figures to be blessed at the church, the procession was solemn, and slowly followed by the Knights of the Altar- older boys and young men who serve the priest- bearing the censer, crucifix, candles and bells, perfuming the air with incense. Behind them sashayed Miss Dinagyang 2013 and the second and third runner-ups, followed by an entourage of little Niños, boys in Santo Niño costume. Thereafter came more crowds divided by the organizations they represent, such as San Jose Catholic School, Colegio de Las Hijas de Jesus, University of Iloilo, Panay Anglers’ Association Inc., and so on. By now, a catchy tune had crept into the air, and the distinct smell of San Miguel beer replaced the holy incense as the Iloilo Society Commercial group marched past, their musicians playing on handheld xylophones and drums; the large group behind them all marching with a Santo Niño figure in one hand, a can of San Miguel beer in the other.
Knights of the Altar
Colegio De Las Hijas de Jesus marching past
The procession, first solemn then festive turned vibrant when representatives of the various Ati tribes participating in this year’s Dinagyang festival filed past. Cameras started to flash in earnest as the dancers waved, and voices chattered in delight as this year’s Santo Niño Ambassador arrived, flanked by an entourage of Spanish soldiers and flag-bearers. Then, once more, the atmosphere stilled as the flower-wreathed float bearing THE Santo Niño statue arrived, surrounded by a double-layered human wall of police and navy soldiers. Bearing this same air of sacred office well behind them, the Hermana and Hermano Mayor marched past, followed by Princess Isabel and Sergeant Calafata- the very same I witnessed days before at their “wedding”. Scattered amongst them were more boys dressed as Santo Niño. I left the procession to catch up to the church shortly after watching the beauty queens, navy soldiers and ambulance go past, for the church bells were a-ringing!
An Ati tribe dancer heading to the church
Santo Niño Himself
Santo Niño Ambassador riding on his throne
Children dressed as Santo Niño
It is to welcome Santo Niño’s arrival to the church, Peter, my guide, tells me. Outside, chains of firecrackers erupt with joy. The church is bursting at the seams with people, much more of the crowd on tiptoe, hoping to glimpse the goings-on in the church from the church courtyards and Plaza Libertad. With a bit of ninja-like weaving action, we managed to make it near the altar in time for the entry of the official Santo Niño, to which everyone in and around the building raised their Santo Niño figures and cheered after the priest, who cried “Viva Señor Santo Niño! Viva!”
A ‘warm welcome’ is truly putting it lightly. The fervor of the devotees and the parish, the vibrancy and exuberance of the dancers, celebrities and every party involved in celebrating the arrival of Santo Niño to San Jose Church, Iloilo. On our way out, the procession continued, with great groups representing sponsors of every conceivable industry marching to pay homage to the star of the Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo City. From concrete to KFC, it seems the entire city resounds and will repeat for the entire festive weekend “Viva Santo Niño!”.
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Esther is a newly-grad who uses her life as a social experiment: Just how far can a romantic life view take a person? Will the sight of 'Gender Studies' on her resume scare off employers? How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? It's all terribly perplexing...
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