"Panata" is a pledge to God from Man, it's a way of expressing your faith.
Bishop Pablo David explains the rituals and traditions of Holy Week. He also outlines his view that the poor have a need to give meaning to their lives by partaking in the suffering of Christ. Fr Lyndon Valenton is the voice of reason, attempting to convince penitents that a true "pinata" would be to give up their vices, such as smoking, drinking and gambling. Yet, despite the chaos and the greed, for the people of Pampanga, the nailing and flagellation are an annual celebration of hope. In the Christian faith, it is the 14 stations of the cross, which is linked with Easter and the sufferings of Jesus Christ which the penitents will not easily give up.—Lindie Naughton
"Panata" is a pledge to God from Man, it's a way of expressing your faith through acts of Scourging,flagellation, carrying the cross and Crucifying yourself in a manner that imitates the sufferings of Jesus Christ. To some , it's about be true to your values by pledging the act for a loved one or by risking you life to better a community.—Scott Wurth
Passion plays and pageants are common throughout the Christian world the week before Easter. In the Philippines, these bloody re-enactments of the passion of Jesus Christ have become notorious because they are so literal. Over 5 years, this Austrailan filmmaker visited Pampanga province during Holy Week, speaking to everyone from bishops and priests to the inmates of a local prison to create a more complex and thought-provoking view of the practices they will not easily give up.
Disturbing
