My Good Friday Panata

Doing this every year gives me a sense of peace and contentment.
The effort and expense don’t even count. I feel grateful to be given the chance to do small things like this. I just feel blessed doing this. I hope to still be around, year after year. It’s my simple panata.

Staging my panata required a big production.  Two weeks ago,  I had this place cleaned,  new toilet fixtures, tiles  and lights were installed around the fence.  Seven days prior,  I sent the freezer (for the ice candy),  electric fan, 8 plastic chairs, 3 plastic tables, papag,  water containers, plastic drums, etc.   Maids were sent to clean again before our arrival.  Maalikabok kasi.   I usually bring 4 male and 3 female assistants.       I only brought 2 maids and 2 drivers last Friday  kaya medyo pagod sila.   Kulang ang apat, kaya my family helped out too.

The sacks of tube ice and bread were bought from the town two hours before the procession.

Nyke and Edmund separated and folded the towels.

Laging kulang yung towels

2011 — 500 pieces Maroon print
2012 — 700 pieces Green print
2013 — 750 pieces Blue print
2014 — 1,020 pieces Violet print with rose petal scent
2015 — ilan kaya?

Some got 6 pieces of tinapay and kept coming back. It’s hard to turn them away, baka mga gutom na talaga. We had to tell them
isa-isa lang, para yung iba makakain din. Yung iba naman gustong magsilid sa bulsa.

Ganun din sa ice candy, merong tatlo gusto, tapos mabibitawan kasi malamig, sayang lang.

I didn’t know how many people carried the Santo Entierro. I wanted to give towels to each and everyone of them pero yung iba naman doble doble. There were women who tried to get also. They would say “para sa asawa ko”. Merong hindi naman bumuhat eh humihingi rin.

This year’s toll:

Ice candy — 1,270 pieces
Bread——– 1,000 pieces
Water——– 1,500 cups
Towels——- 1,020 pieces

We ran out of water. Last year maraming natira pero this year, naubos.

Aside from the waters in plastic cups, we also refilled people’s own empty bottles and cups.

Last drop- for the musikero

Another year has passed. Till next year.