Being a pre-dominantly Catholic country,
the Philippines holds lots of religious activities, one of which is the
observance of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection.
Lenten season or Holy week is one of
the most sacred times for Catholics. This is the time that everyone performs sacrifices
and religious vows through different traditions like going to different
pilgrimage sites.
In
Pangasinan there are various pilgrimage sites to visit where everyone can spend
holy week.
Listed are the most popular:
Natividad
Sky Plaza
Natividad
Sky Plaza is a park built on top of a hill beside the Caraballo Mountains in
Bachelor East Natividad, Pangasinan.
A
chapel and a 287-step concrete stairway leads to a grotto of the Virgin Mary
and a 30-foot Holy Cross on near the hilltop.
From
the cross is a winding trail leading to the mountaintop, where a 40-foot statue
of Christ the Redeemer, called “Ayat ni Apo Jesus” (God’s Love) stands.
Jesus
Christ’s fiberglass statue, which was erected in June last year, is 1,108
meters above sea level, overlooking the town
Bani
Calvary Hill
 |
| Bani Calvary Hill - Photo Courtesy of www.pangasinan.gov.ph |
One
of the most popular tourist attractions in Bani, Pangasinan especially during the
Lenten Season is their version of Calvary Hill. The said place has a 1,000-step
“Via Crusis” that leads to a gigantic cross.
 |
| The Redeemer's Cross - Photo courtesy of www.bani.gov.ph |
The
cross is perched on a plateau overlooking the West Philippine Sea. Bani’s
Calvary hill also has other structures to be used for other religious
activities on the site.
Mt. Zion Pilgrimage Mountain
Located in Brgy. Laguit Padilla,
Bugallon, Mt. Zion Pilgrimage Mountain is a 52-hectare religious site that
holds structures for pilgrims to perform their Lenten traditions.
Aside from the retreat house and the chapel,
the said pilgrimage site’s life-size statues portraying the Passion and Death
of Christ are the reason why it is one of the most visited sites in the
province during the Lenten season.
