Alay Lakad in Antipolo

Alay Lakad to Antipolo 2010
April 1, 2010
Antipolo City, Rizal

By Lakwatsero

13th Station of the Cross

“TAYO NA SA ANTIPOLO” is one of the line in a folksong now almost forgotten. Equally extinct is the "Hinulugang Taktak" where pilgrims used to swim and cool down from the summer heat in the city. All that remains of the historical Antipolo is the place, the place name, and the sanctuary of Our Lady of Immaculate Concepcion (Antipolo) whose kilometric Spanish title happens to be Nuestra Señora de la Paz y de Buen Viaje (also known as Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage). One would think her image should be found in all public transport rather than St. Christopher, but then she is said to have provided good voyage to seafarers rather than motorists or people who now travel by air.

food stations beside of one of the stations of the cross

14th Station of the cross

I am not a devout or religious person, but I have already tried this few years back together with my friends, but last Holy Week I decided to hike together with my wife and kidz, from Tikling only to Antipolo to test if I would be able to endure the Camino de Santiago like in Spain. But sad to say we wasn't able to go to Tikling because it is very hard to go down from Antipolo, the only available route was only for Sumulong Highway, the mainroad going down to Tikling was already closed because for this event, so what I did is we just walk from our place where nearby Unciano Hospital Antipolo up to Our Lady of Immaculate Concepcion (Antipolo).

I really don't know why this kidz have to do this?

Actually that day I have to go to work, and around 3pm is my out from the office. On my way to go to Antipolo, As early as 5pm I saw many people, maybe all from Metro Manila walking towards to Antipolo, I was already at Ortigas Avenue that time. More suprising was that these groups are mostly young people. I was inspired of their willingness and thinking way back when im on their age, were we do this devout too, that we walk from Sta. Mesa, Manila towards to Antipolo, and for the past few years, I wasn't able to that, because most of that time I was on a vacation, mostly on Mountains and for past 2 years im always reporting to my work. So I decided when I got home, that together with my 2 kidz, and my wife we will walk also but we will gonna start from Tikling only up to Antipolo Church. It was 8 p.m.(thursday) that we started our walk, but just what I have said we wasn't able to that. But even though we just walk from our place, it was a bottle-neck, pilgrims kept arriving and a slow face of movement up to the church of Antipolo. Fearing a stampede, because there were so many people and on that time I'm with my kidz who happen to be 3 and 1 1/2 years old only.

devotees from different places of Manila wants to get inside the church...

on the other side of the church some of the devotees will gonna sleep on this places.

Walking along Circumferential Road up to Antipolo Church was not so bad since the pilgrims commandeered one lane. You needed a lot of loose change to buy bottled water from vendors who also sold peanuts and crunchy things in foil. With the exception of a woman who sold singkamas there were no summer fruits available: no mangoes, makopa, siniguelas etc. Suman, and kakanin are available near the church. Of course, a lot of gay and macho barkadas teasing each other. Macho guy shouts, “Naglabasan na ang mga sagala ng bakla!” then, gay responds by walking down along Ortigas as if he was on a fashion runway. Then of course big groups wore identical shirts that identified themselves as “Tropang Chupa-chups.”, "Barangay Bagsic", "Mga Batang Tondo", and many more. As were near the church.

One of the patrons here at Antipolo Church

upon entering "Our Lady of Peace of Antipolo"

were getting nearer inside the Church....

But as we all know this devout correspond for one reason, retained the religious nature of the “Alay Lakad” by walking barefoot. Some prayed the rosary. Some spoke uncharitably about local politicians who campaigned by setting up stations distributing free water. In two places, a senakulo was going on and the monotony of walking was broken by a sense that the pilgrimage was one big political rally. Chants you would normally hear in Mendiola or Plaza Rotonda, like “Ibagsak!” made their way to Antipolo. One that energized the crowd was, “Pa-tal-sik-in-si-Glo-ri-a!”

On the whole it was a very pleasant walk. The moon was bright and round. Before midnight we back at our home, cool air and dew started to descend on weary pilgrims. People slept on the roadsides. There was a lot of rubbish everywhere.

It took us time to get inside the Church...

Although I had previously paid my respects to the Virgin of Antipolo and touched the train of her veil, I wanted to see how she was garbed during Holy Week. I knew that the wooden image, venerated for centuries and believed to be miraculous, arrived in 1626 from Mexico with Spanish Governor-General Juan Nino de Tabora who conferred on her the title “Reina y Gobernadora” and entrusted her to the Jesuits in 1632. Legend says that the Virgin chose the place where she would be enshrined since the image would often disappear and be found atop a tipolo tree, hence “Ang tipolo.” Thus, the base on which the virgin stands is wood carved from a tipolo tree.

Patron Saint of Antipolo

The image has survived the ravages of time and even the 1639 Chinese revolt when lances were driven into her face and body before it was consigned to a bonfire. The image did not burn, but the cuts and gashes remain to remind us of the troubled times she has seen and endured.

Our Lady of Antipolo

Our Lady of Antipolo made many trips from 1640 to 1653 on the Manila Galleons that traveled the Manila-Acapulco route providing the “peace and good voyage” that has become her official title.

Medical Assistance infronting the Church to be exact at Rizal's Plaza

some of the devotees usually use prayered candles for their wishes and prayers.

Along Ynares Center, free Christian Movies was been offered courtesy of a political candidate (BF) ?????

Why do people flock to Antipolo on Holy Thursday or during the Marian month of May? You have a whole year when you can visit without the crowds or traffic. I don’t know why I decided to walked last week, but it is something I will try again and hope to complete, end to end, someday because the Virgin of Antipolo is both a religious and historical relic.

yours truly with my two angels.....hehehehe!!!!

To end the night of tiring walk, I just want to have a souvenir shot that i could show to my two angels, 1st ever Alay Lakad to Antipolo Church.