Abstract

On 16 March 2020, then Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte imposed the Enhanced Community Quarantine putting the main island of Luzon – where Manila, the National Capital Region, is located – on a total lockdown to protect the spread of COVID-19. The lockdown restricted mobility, social gatherings were prohibited, and everyone was mandated to stay inside their homes. Moreover, there was a temporary closure of what were considered as non-essential establishments, including religious institutions. Being a predominantly Roman Catholic nation, religious rituals and festivals were heavily affected by the lockdown. Many of its ritualistic and festive performances involve human contact, which serves as the faithful’s direct and intimate relationship to the heavens. This essay interrogates how cultural festivals in the Philippines, mostly organised by the Church, adapted to the global health crisis. It reflects how the adaptations challenged and recontextualised the understanding of the live vis-à-vis the context of the digital or the virtual. Finally, a preliminary speculation on the future of the religious festivals in the Philippines is provided as a concluding reflection.

摘要

2020 年 3 月 16 日，当时的菲律宾总统罗德里戈·杜特尔特 (Rodrigo Duterte) 实施了加强社区检疫，将国家首都区马尼拉所在的吕宋岛主岛全面封锁，以防止 COVID-19 的传播。封锁限制了流动性，禁止社交聚会，每个人都必须呆在家里。此外，包括宗教机构在内的被认为是非必要的机构暂时关闭。作为一个以罗马天主教为主的国家，宗教仪式和节日受到封锁的严重影响。它的许多仪式和节日表演都涉及人际接触，这是信徒与天堂的直接和亲密关系。这篇文章探讨了菲律宾的文化节，主要由教会组织，以适应全球健康危机。它反映了改编是如何挑战和重新理解对生活在数字或虚拟的环境中。最后，作为总结性思考，对菲律宾宗教节日的未来进行了初步推测。