Past and present in a mask
A project commissioned by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) for Senator Loren Legarda's DAYAW show
Photographs and Art Direction by Dino Dimar
Written by Floy Quintos
Theaterhas always played a significant part in the Catholic church. But it is in thefolk expression of theater that we see how the stories from Catholicism havebeen filtered through folk sensibilities and reinterpreted year after year,with dynamism and creative energy.
In the moryonan ofMarinduque, the story of Longinus is told and retold. Costumes and masks anddramatic action, all becoming, with every passing Lent, more and more colorful.
The apocryphal story of theRoman centurion Longinus is the basis of the moryonan ofMogpog, Marinduque. Here he is known as Longino. Blind in one eye, he piercedthe side of Christ and the blood that spurted restored his vision. Converted,he was prosecuted by his fellow centurions and then beheaded.
The carving, finishing, and embellishment of these masks tell the story of an evolving tradition.
In Mogpog, the story is told and re-told in the town streets every Holy Week. The use of masks, costumes and theatrical techniques by both men and women re-tell the narrative of Longino in a way that is both folksy and fanciful. While other towns in Marinduque have visualized the Roman centurion in a more historically correct manner, with their helmets bristling with feathers or horsehair, the traditional artisans of Mogpog have opted for a more festive rendition. Here, the pop-eyed, grimacing faces of the Morion are topped by bouquets of paper and tinsel flowers. The fearsome and ferocious made whimsical!
The iconic masks have undergone many transformations.
The carving, finishing, and embellishment of these masks tell the story of an evolving tradition. The older masks are carved from a soft wood and painted every year with acrylic or enamel paints. Newer versions are now being made from resin and are painted withairbrushes. These bright new creations are paired with breastplates festooned with eagles and medieval dragons. Abs(six packs at that!) are a current rage. When the participants don these masks breast plates with sandals, tunics and short leather skirts, they are faithfulto the look of the traditional moryonan, butthe outfits also reflect current sensibilities and fads.
For many, their participation in the yearly ritual is a “panata”, a pledge and prayer that grows yearly, as both tourism and commerce color their devotion.
The man who plays Longino must face up to a yearly challenge. He takes on a role that is reflective of his own panata, his promise. But he must also represent a tradition to an outside world that now sees an exercise of folk faith as a spectacle, a tourist attraction.
The chase of Longino is the highlight of the pageant.
In his attempts to escape,the streets and fields around Mogpog become a theater, where an imagined past and a very real present meld. The streets of the town meld with the Calvary of our imagination. Modern settings, like the back of a dump truck, place the executed Longino squarely in our time, in our realities.
The image of an executed man, unceremoniously dumped on to truck, resonates with realities all over the world. And brings the moryonan of Marinduque into the painful present.
This story has been published in the book called Dayaw.
Senator Loren Legarda proposed the idea for the Dayaw documentary series, which is now available as a book, as part of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts' (NCCA) roadmap. Using print and broadcast media, the objective is to popularise both our tangible and intangible cultural legacy.
Senator Loren Legarda is a supporter of Philippine arts and culture as well as the preservation of our national legacy.
For the book, Dino has been commissioned as both the art director and photographer.
For assignment and print inquiry, please send a message to dinoldimar@gmail.com
All images are copyrighted property of Dino Dimar © All rights reserved
These stories offer us a glimpse into a world that we may never have the chance to experience ourselves.
These are a few that made it and are worthy of global dissemination.
We can't wait to hear your's.
A fragment of Filipino DNA
The HeadOn Photo Awards are among the most prestigious photography contests worldwide, attracting over 10,000 entries from photographers in more than 30 countries. The portrait category is one of the most competitive, with entries from some of the world's most renowned portrait photographers.
Carrying the Talisman story, photographer Dino Dimar from the Philippines has been selected as one of the competition's finalists out of over 10,000 entries from 30 nations.
The winning photographs are now on display at the Bondi Pavilion in Sydney, Australia, from November 10 to December 3, 2023.
Together, let's explore what lies ahead for us.
You can tell me the story you have in mind, and together we can make it come to life.
