CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Organizers of the “Maleldo” 2016 in this city on disclosed Friday that they were able to successfully ward off candidates, politicians and their camps from campaigning during the Good Friday rites.
Maleldo 2016 Executive Committee Chairman Engr. Ferdinand Caylao said that their group strictly monitored the Good Friday ban on campaigning, including candidates’ conducting mini-miting de avance, distributing campaign materials, plying showboats and installing posters or tarpaulins along the route of the Via Crucis and within the three sites of the crucifixion reenactment.
This, despite the supposed start of local campaigning on March 25.
“Local campaigning had been a nuisance to our Holy Week in the past. But for this time, we ensured that no such campaigners would get in the way of the solemn observance of Maleldo,” he told Sun.Star Pampanga.
"Bawal ang epal dito pag Holy Week," he added.
Safe and secured Maleldo 2016
Caylao furthered that the city successfully implemented security measures to ensure safety of both penitents and the crowd of over 25,000 spectators composed of local and foreign tourists and other pilgrims who trooped to the rites despite the scorching heat of the sun.
About 184 uniformed and plainclothes police officers from different stations were deployed onsite together with barangay multiplier forces from the villages of San Nicolas, Sto. Rosario, Sto. Niño.
Five CCTV cameras from TeleSite were also installed in Barangay San Pedro Cutud as part of the security measures. It was also linked to an LED monitor for spectators to get a live view of Maleldo activities.
The City Health Office has also deployed four ambulances---one per crucifixion site and one following the Via Crucis or Way of Cross procession to assist the people, especially the "magdarame" or flagellants who passed out during the procession.
Health officers were also on-standby to administer anti-tetanus shots to the penitents and flagellants who walked several kilometers through village streets while beating their bare backs with sharp bamboo sticks.
Dozens of penitents were also nailed to crosses in the three realistic crucifixion sites here which highlighted Maleldo 2016.
Caylao said some 24 men from this city volunteered to be crucified and nailed on wooden crosses in a man-made Calvary hill in Barangay San Pedro Cutud and in the villages of San Juan and Sta. Lucis.
The most number of crucifixions were staged in San Pedro Cutud where 15 penitents led by 55-year-old Ruben Enaje, who was nailed to the cross for 11 minutes instead of the conventional five minutes while playing the role of Jesus Christ, re-enacted the traditional ritual, which ended at 3:00 pm, he added.
Meanwhile, at least 300 Fernandinos participated in self-flagellation or self-punishing rituals on Good Friday alone and more than 5,000 Kapampangan devotees in Pampanga’s 305 villages since Monday.