While most of the flagellants started as early as midnight of Good Friday, this penitent started rather late, almost 0800H. Maybe, its not the time that counts but the effort. The skirt and panghampas he used was from another penitent who just finished his ritual. Blood stains from the previous person can still be seen here.
After the ritual, the penitent washes off and with the help of another, the wounds are pressed before being applied with pounded guava leaves.
Pegs of wood reddened with the penitent’s blood. Locally called the sablat or panghampas, its usually made from the lucban tree. In some parts of Laguna, the wooden pegs are replaced with steel rods and the rope with chains. Usually, the number of pegs refers to the number of years the penitent will do the flagellation but in the case of Infanta, it doesn’t seem to be that way. I was told that the number usually is 12 pegs referring to the 12 apostles but sometimes it can be 13 to include the penitent.
Other than shots of lambanog, a stick of cigarette sort of eases the pain as a penitent smokes during a break.
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