Today, most of the barangays of Agoo town are still named after saints, showing the deep root of Catholicism in the area.

The strong faith and practices of the people during Holy Week reflect this heavy and lasting influence.

As with most places in the country, Holy Week in Agoo town starts with Palm Sunday, locally known as Domingo Ramos for Ilocanos.

For the locals, the palms they bring to church are blessed with holy water and are then taken home and placed in an altar where it stays for quite some time as a form of protection from bad spirits.

These palms are also burned by the people during Ash Wednesday to drive evil spirits away.

During the Holy Week, they also practice fasting, especially the eating of meat in favor of fish and vegetables.

This fasting is more evident during Maundy Thursday and Black Friday, as fasting is also partnered with refraining from speaking loudly or from doing any vice.

In the Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Charity, statues of saints are covered with cloth for the majority of Holy Week, in observance and commemoration of the death of Jesus Christ.

A procession of saints flocked by devotees happen during Good Friday, with majority of the people holding a lighted candle throughout the procession while procession leaders pray and lead the flock.

After the parade, a statue of the dead Jesus Christ is displayed inside the Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Charity, where devotees line up in order to get a glimpse of the figure, wiping it with handkerchief or touching it because of the Catholic’s belief of faith healing.

The night of Holy Saturday features the longest mass of the year, with the whole church Basilica darkened for the majority of the mass, only to be lightened towards the end of the mass in all the church’s glory to remember and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

During the mass, water bottles and containers, candles, and lights are placed at the foot of the church altar to be blessed by the ordained minister.

Resurrection Sunday in Agoo is the culmination of Holy Week as well as the breaking of the fast, as people in the town can once again go about their daily routine after successfully observing fast for most of the week.

Families often visit the town’s pristine coastlines for a quick getaway before again resuming work and other daily activities the following Monday.

For Felix Villanueva, 63, Holy Week in Agoo presents an opportunity to decompress and to focus on the divine, noting how doing the yearly Holy Week traditions provide an opportunity to refresh his mind.

He says that the Holy Week also allows him to reunite with his children and relatives who have since moved to different places in the country and also abroad.

“Naragsak iti Holy Week ta makaawid ti pamiliak ditoy ken makadwak isuda nga agbisita iti simbaan. Saan kanayon nga adda kastoy a mapasamak,” Villanueva said.

(Holy Week is a happy time because my family could come home here and visit church with me. It doesn’t always happen like this.)

The lasting traditions practiced in Agoo town during the Holy Week serves as a reminder of its people's cultural heritage and unwavering faith.

From Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday, the people's desire for unity within their families and for renewal of faith is as strong as it has ever been. 

As the people continue to practice these centuries-old customs, they not only honor the legacy of the catholic but also strengthen the bond between family and faith. (JCR/MJTAB/CCMT, PIA La Union)