PAGADIAN CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 9, 2012) – Tourists who have their photographs taken posing from wooden crosses used in penitence in the Philippines drew strong criticisms from various sectors after the pictures spread like virus in social media sites.
The tourists, who are still unidentified, posed as if they were nailed to the cross in front of a huge crowd. At least 5 photographs, believed to have been taken by Maike Domingo in Pampanga province, went viral in Face book.
One photograph showed a Filipino woman wearing a pair of dark sunglasses and denim short pants, posed as if she has been nailed to the cross. Another woman, believed to be a foreigner, also struck a pose on the cross and so was a young Filipino man wearing a bonnet.
The crowd seemed undisturbed by the photo shoots.
“Well, that’s really bad, Semana Santa was the week of sacrificing, not for enjoying,” said Darlene de Paz in her comment posted on this URL http://www.facebook.com/maikedomingo.
Bro. Martin Francisco said the pictures clearly violated the solemnity of the Holy Week.
“Grabe naman ito, e ginagawa ng komersyo at simpleng turismo ang ating pananampalataya. Hindi man lang iginalang ang Semana Santa, e kung talagang gusto niyang sumunod kay Kristo sapat na yun maging matulungin sa mga mahihirap at tumulong sa pagsagip ng kalikasan. Dapat matigil ang ganitong pa-show off,”(This is terrible. They have commercialized and turned our faith (in God) into tourism. If they want to follow Christ’s footsteps they can simply do by helping the poor and protect our environment. This must stop) he said.
The tourists remain unidentified. (Mindanao Examiner)
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