The Obando Fertility Rites"Sayaw Obando." (''Fertility Dance''), ''Obando, Bayang Pinagpala!'' (Obando, Blessed Town!), ''Pamahalaang Bayan ng Obando'' (Local Government of Obando), 2006/2007 are a dance ritual, initially an Anitist ritual, and later also became a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

festival celebrated every May in

Obando, Bulacan Obando, officially the Municipality of Obando ( tgl, Bayan ng Obando), is a 2nd class municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. Locals and pilgrims, sometimes dressed in traditional costume, dance and sing in the town's streets to honour and beseech Obando's three

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

s: ''San Pascual'' (

Paschal Baylon Paschal is used as a name. Paschal, a variant of Pascal, from Latin ''Paschalis'', is an adjective describing either the Easter or Passover holidays. People known as Paschal include: Popes and religious figures * Antipope Paschal (687), a riv ...

), ''Santa Clara'' (

Clare of Assisi Clare of Assisi (born Chiara Offreduccio and sometimes spelled Clara, Clair, Claire, Sinclair; 16 July 1194 – 11 August 1253) was an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Francis of Assisi. She founded the Order of Poor Ladie ...

) and ''Nuestra Señora de Salambáo'' ( Our Lady of Salambao).

Origin

The fertility rites were initially done in honour of the ''

anito ''Anito'', also spelled ''anitu'', refers to ancestor spirits, nature spirits, and deities in the indigenous Philippine folk religions from the precolonial age to the present, although the term itself may have other meanings and associati ...

'' Diyan Masalanta, the Tagalog goddess of love, Lakapati, the Tagalog fertility deity, and

Bathala In the indigenous religion of the ancient Tagalogs, Bathala Maykapal was the transcendent Supreme Being, the originator and ruler of the universe. He is commonly known and referred to in the modern era as Bathala, a term or title which, in ea ...

, the supreme deity of the

Tagalog people The Tagalog people ( tl, Mga Tagalog; Baybayin: ᜋᜅ ᜆᜄᜎᜓᜄ᜔) are the largest ethnolinguistic group in the Philippines, numbering at around 30 million. An Austronesian people, the Tagalog have a well developed society due to their ...

. The rites were performed within the vicinity of a

dambana Indigenous Philippine shrines and sacred grounds are places regarded as holy within the indigenous Philippine folk religions. These places usually serve as grounds for communication with the spirit world, especially to the deities and ancestra ...

. When the Spanish arrived, they forcibly converted the natives to Roman Catholicism and changed their religious beliefs regarding the fertility rites.

Festivities

The rites are observed in a

triduum A triduum (plural: ''tridua'') is a religious observance lasting three days. Major tridua The best-known and most significant example today is the liturgical Paschal Triduum (the three days from the evening of Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday). ...

: 17 May for St. Paschal Baylon, 18 May for St. Clare of Assisi, and 19 May for Our Lady of Salambáo. Each of the three days usually begins with a morning

Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...

said by the parish priest. A

procession A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...

, held immediately thereafter, consists of the three saints' images followed by bands playing instruments made of

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...

or brass, and devotees who dance the ''

fandango Fandango is a lively partner dance originating from Portugal and Spain, usually in triple meter, traditionally accompanied by guitars, castanets, or hand-clapping. Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is usually bipartite: it has ...

'' while singing the hymn, ''Santa Clara Pinung-Pino'' (Saint Clare, Most Refined). The image of each saint leads the procession on his or her designated feast day. The rites, especially the fertility dance, are popular with pilgrims from all over the Philippines, most of whom supplicate the triad of saints for a child, a spouse, or general good fortune. Throughout the three days, devotees joyously dance in the streets as a form of prayer, asking for the spirit of life to enter into the wombs of women.

The patron saints

Saint Clare

St. Clare of Assisi is the oldest saint declared patroness of ''Catanghalan'' (the town's former name), her image first enshrined the chapel built by missionaries of the

Order of Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (also called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi. The order adheres to the teachi ...

in the town. St. Clare was a 13th-century Italian nun, who founded the

Poor Clares The Poor Clares, officially the Order of Saint Clare ( la, Ordo sanctae Clarae) – originally referred to as the Order of Poor Ladies, and later the Clarisses, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Order, and the Second Order of Saint Francis ...

according to the rule and teachings of her contemporary, St. Francis. St. Clare became the patroness of good weather because her Spanish name, ''Clara'', also referred to clearer skies after a storm. This formed the basis for the Filipino custom of offering chicken eggs to St. Clare to ensure good weather, as the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

word for egg white or

albumen Egg white is the clear liquid (also called the albumen or the glair/glaire) contained within an egg. In chickens it is formed from the layers of secretions of the anterior section of the hen's oviduct during the passage of the egg. It forms arou ...

, ''claro'', is also a pun on her name. Devotees participating in the rites would sometimes hold eggs as they sway to the ''fandango''. The introduction of St. Clare by Spanish Franciscans as a replacement for pre-colonial Tagalog gods, especially the deity of conception Diyan Masalanta, transformed the old,

animist Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, Soul, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct Spirituality, spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—Animal, animals, Plant, plants, Ro ...

''Kasilonawan'' dancing ritual into the offering of the ''fandango'' to the saint to prevent or cure sterility in women. Eventually, St. Clare evolved into the patroness of individuals seeking a mate and to have children, particularly daughters.

''Santa Clarang Pinong-pino''

*"''Santa Clarang pinong-pino'' / ''Ako po ay bigyán mo'' / ''Ng asawang labíntatló'' / ''Sa gastos 'di magreklamo!''" *("Saint Clare, most refined / Unto me bestow / Spouses, thirteen in all / For the expense, I shan't complain!") *A variation: "''Santa Clarang pinong-pino'' / ''Ang pangakò ko ay ganitó'' / ''Pagdatíng ko sa Obando'' / ''Sasayáw ako ng pandanggo.''" *("Saint Clare, most refined / My promise is like so / When I arrive at Obando / I shall dance the

.")

Saint Paschal

During the 18th century, the Franciscan missionaries built the town church and introduced the veneration of

Saint Paschal Baylon In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Ortho ...

. His surname, ''Baylon'', was taken to mean "one who likes dancing", ultimately derived from the Spanish ''bailar'', the verb form of "dance". Like St. Clare, he also became the patron saint of fertility, wealth and abundance. An anecdote tells of how a childless couple from the neighbouring town of Hagonoy met a youth selling crabs. The young man told the couple to visit Obando and participate in the rites to ameliorate their condition. Upon entering Obando Church, the couple were amazed by the sight of Saint Paschal's image, for its face looked exactly like the young crab vendor. This is the origin of St. Paschal's patronage of childless couples who wish to have children, particularly sons.

Our Lady of Salambáo

On 19 June 1763, the image of Our Lady of Salambáo (formal title: "Our Lady of

Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth w ...

of Salambáo"), was the last saint whose

cultus Cultus may refer to: *Cult (religious practice) * ''Cultus'' (stonefly), a genus of stoneflies * Cultus Bay, a bay in Washington * Cultus Lake (disambiguation) *Cultus River The Cultus River is a stream in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in Desc ...

was introduced to Obando. Legend tells of three fishermen named Juan, Julián, and Diego dela Cruz caught the Virgin Mary's image in their ''

salambáw ''Salambáw'' (Spanish: ''salambáo'' or ''sarambáo''), is a type of lift net used by indigenous fishermen in the Philippines. They are found throughout the Philippine islands but are most prevalent in large lakes like Laguna de Bay, and shelte ...

'', a fishing net supported with bamboo crosspieces and mounted on a raft. They were fishing at a place known as Hulingduong, Binwangan (now part of

Malabon Malabon, officially the City of Malabon ( fil, Lungsod ng Malabon), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 380,522 people. Located just north ...

), and when they decided to bring the image to the neighbouring town of

Navotas Navotas, officially the City of Navotas ( fil, Lungsod ng Navotas), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 247,543 people. It is known as the ...

, their boat suddenly grew heavy and immobile. When they eventually decided to bring the image to Obando, their boat quickly lightened and became easy to paddle. This was taken a sign that the Virgin wanted to be enshrined in Obando Church. She is still venerated there as the local patroness of fishing and of good harvests.

Ban and post-War revival

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the church and a large portion of Obando were ravaged by fire; included amongst the damaged property were the images of the three patron saints. A few years after the war's end, both the

Archbishop of Manila The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila ( lat, Archidioecesis Manilensis; fil, Arkidiyosesis ng Maynilà; es, Arquidiócesis de Manila) is the archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in Metro Manila, Philippines, encompassing ...

and the

vicar A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...

of Obando Church forbade the fertility dance due to its pagan origins. During the prohibition, normal religious processions were still held on the triduum, but without the lively street dancing. In 1972, parish priest Rev. Fr. Rome R. Fernández and the ''Komisyon ng Kalinangan'' (Commission on Culture) of Obando helped in having the ban lifted and in reviving the ancient dance ritual, which is still practised to this day.

In popular culture

The rites were featured in the pilot episode of the Filipino ''

teleserye Philippine television drama, also known as ''teleserye'', Filipino telenovelas or P-drama, is a form of melodramatic, serialized, televised fiction in the Philippines. ''Teleserye'' is derived from two Filipino words: "tele", short for "''telebis ...

'' '' Ina Kapatid Anak'', which used fertility issues as a plot device. In his 1887 novel ''Noli Me Tángere'', the Philippine

national hero The title of Hero is presented by various governments in recognition of acts of self-sacrifice to the state, and great achievements in combat or labor. It is originally a Soviet-type honor, and is continued by several nations including Belarus, Ru ...

José Rizal José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (, ; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is considered the national he ...

, has a character in Chapter 6 ("Captain Tiago"), attribute her long-sought pregnancy to the rites. The pregnancy results in the birth of one of the novel's principal characters,

María Clara María Clara, whose full name is María Clara de los Santos y Alba, is the ''mestiza'' heroine in '' Noli Me Tángere'', a novel by José Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. Her name and character have since become a byword in Filipi ...

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

Reyes, R. delos, E. de Guzman and J. Lozano. Obando: Alamat ng Isang Sayaw (Obando: The Legend of a Dance), Languages: Tagalog, English and Spanish, Angelfire.com, 24 February 2005
retrieved on: 9 June 2007.

retrieved on: 9 June 2007

retrieved on: 9 June 2007 * ttp://events.britishairways.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=7272 British Airways Event Details: Obando Fertility Rites, BritishAirWays.com retrieved on 9 June 2007
Philippine Daily Inquirer. Obando, Bulacan, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inq7.net, 2005Liong, Ricardo. Obando Church - For Those Who Hope, The Beaten Path, Tsinoy.com
retrieved on: 9 June 2007

retrieved on: 9 June 2007 * ttp://www.ph.net/htdocs/tourism/philfest.htm World Fair Philippine Festivals, The Internet 1996 World Exposition, No. 9: Obando Fertility Rites, Ph.net, 1996 retrieved on: 9 June 2007
Noli Me Tangere by Jose Rizal, Chapter 6: Captain Tiago, Study Notes Online, WebManila.com
retrieved on: 8 June 2007

retrieved on: 8 June 2007. *[https://web.archive.org/web/20040309025159/http://www.geocities.com/albinoski/obando.html Claridades, Alvin. Obando: Alamat ng Isang Sayaw (Obando: The Legend of the Fertility Dance), Language:Tagalog, Geocities.com], retrieved on: 10 June 2007

External links

retrieved on: 9 June 2007 * ttps://www.bbc.co.uk/80faiths/locations/australasia1.shtml#prg-header-main Obando Fertility Rites Around the World in 80 Faiths at BBC.com {{coord missing, Philippines Religious festivals in the Philippines Dance festivals in the Philippines Religion in Bulacan Tourist attractions in Bulacan Christianization