ABU DHABI // A religious tradition introduced by Spanish priests who brought Catholicism to the Philippines is being kept alive by Filipino Catholics in the UAE.
The "pabasa" is one of the uniquely Filipino traditions during the Holy Week that involves the chanting, or a cappella singing of the "pasyon": a narrative about the life and suffering of Jesus.
Palm Sunday, which fell on April 17 this year, is the traditional beginning of Holy Week for Catholics.
Families and friends gather inside homes or in churches and take turns singing the verses of the pasyon for about 16 to 24 hours. It is a form of religious expression, meditation and reflection.
A majority of Filipino Catholics in the capital are holding the pabasa inside their homes, said Father Troy de los Santos, the Filipino priest at St Joseph's Cathedral in Abu Dhabi, who arrived here in August 2009.
"It's important that they are able to practise it," he said. "It strengthens their faith and enriches their spiritual life."
Rona has been able to preserve her family's tradition in Abu Dhabi, where she works a banker. "My grandmother hosted the pabasa for several years," she said. "She later passed on this family tradition to her children."
On April 15, before the start of Holy Week, 50 Filipinos from various church groups took part in the singing that began at 9am and ended at 2am the next day.
"Many people are not aware of the pasyon," she said. "I'm inspired to do this as a service to God."
For Juvy Perez, 46, an executive secretary in Dubai who lives in Sharjah, it was her second time participating in the pabasa since moving to the UAE in 1994.
"It feels good to be part of the pabasa," she said. "But I tend to get emotional on the way home from church. It reminds me about not being surrounded by family and loved ones at this time of the year."
Her first pabasain the Emirates was held inside a friend's home a few years ago, but this year is particularly special, she said.
Members of five Filipino church groups were been taking part in the nightly pabasa at St. Michael's Church in Sharjah last week.
"This is the first time that we're holding it inside the church," Ms Perez said.
In her native Olongapo City, about 127km north of Manila, it is a communal activity done inside the home or on one of the streets within the neighbourhood. "The organisers would close a portion of the street and set up loudspeakers so that people are able to listen to the singing and reflect on the verses," she said.
The Visita Iglesia, which means church visits in Spanish, is another Catholic tradition practised by Filipinos. The faithful go to at least seven churches and offer prayers.
The Catholic churches in the UAE are St. Joseph's Church in Abu Dhabi, St. Mary's Churches in Dubai and Al Ain, St. Francis of Assisi Church in Jebel Ali, St. Michael's Church in Sharjah, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Fujairah and St. Anthony de Padua Church in Ras al Khaimah.
"Some people say we're too old-fashioned," Ms Perez said. "But these religious practices make us feel closer to each other and to God."
rruiz@thenational.ae