Let it Bleed
Metro Manila, 2019
Despite being condemned by the Department of Health and the Catholic Church, “Penitensya,” the act of self flagellation is practiced annually throughout the Philippines during Holy Week.
The click clack of bamboo sticks and slapping of leather whips can be heard throughout various neighborhoods of Manila, as bloodied devotees parade through streets and alleyways. The practice is meant to atone for ones sins and to share in the pain of Jesus prior to his crucifixion. In others cases, it’s to show gratitude for answered prayers, a plea for healing, or even a rite of passage for others.
The tools of the trade include “bulyos” (bundles of bamboo sticks), leather straps, paddles lined with shards of broken glass, and straight razors which are used to incise devotees backs. These processions last days and nights and lead the devotees across the Metro to Manila Bay, where they cleanse themselves and wash off their sins in the dawn’s morning light.