The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palo has asked the faithful to “witness and reflect” the Passion play or locally known as “Pamalandong”, held on Good Friday.

The archdiocese reminded that those who will not witness in person the reenactment of Jesus Christ’s passion and death are invited to watch the event live through the Archdiocese of Palo Facebook page.

“As we approach Good Friday, let’s remember that it’s a day that our flesh can’t possibly comprehend. Our Holy God hung on a human torture and execution tool. On that day, He was still fully God and yet He was also fully human so His words of forgiveness, promise, protection, provision, agony, human need, completion, and consecration are that much more profound,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Lenten presentation, known locally as “Pamalandong,” is considered Eastern Visayas’ most known reenactment of the passion and death of Jesus Christ.

The reenactment starts at noon on Good Friday (April 7) and ends at 3 p.m. when Christ is crucified.

All penitents are played by men. They join the play on the Palo Cathedral grounds as a form of offering to the Lord.

These men stay on until Black Saturday with some of them guarding the “body” of Christ in Palo Cathedral until Easter Sunday.

The reenactment of the Savior’s passion and death was originally written by a former priest in charge of the Cathedral named Msgr. Ben Lloren Sabillo.

“Every Good Friday for the past few decades, the municipality of Palo preserved and continued the tradition except during the time of Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic due to health protocols,” the archdiocese added.

Palo town, located 12 kilometers south of Tacloban, is the seat of the ecclesiastical province, the Archdiocese, where the Roman Catholic archbishop resides. One can also find the archdiocese’s Metropolitan Cathedral in Palo. (PNA)