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By Angelique P. Manalad, Contributor
“In the temple he found those who were
selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the moneychangers at their
business. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the
sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of
the moneychangers, and overturned their tables. And he told those
who sold the pigeons, ‘Take these things away; you shall not make
my Father’s house a house of trade.’” —John 2:14-16
IT was like a scene taken from the Bible itself.
The fringes of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene—Quiapo
Church—festering with all that is pagan and unchristian. Fortune
tellers and prayers-for-hire, rainbow colored candles, brass Masonic
talismans, stone pyramids, glass orbs, jade Taoist and Buddhist
zodiac symbols as well pirated DVDs, many sold by local Muslims.
But then again, the church itself is home to a
most pagan tradition—the Black Nazarene that attracts a fanatical
mob of devotes that shove another in a frenzy just to touch the
400-year-old holy relic once a year. And “pagan” is not a bad
word. It’s better that it be known as “indigenous Filipino and
Asian beliefs.” That we practice Christianity in a very Filipino
way is a successful subversion of a colonial tool. If Christ were
here today, perhaps he’d be cracking the whip inside the church.
He may even go out to do some shopping.
Aside all this spirituality, we discover many
alternative medicines for common ailments that we can buy for prices
cheaper than a craven idol. We listed some services and merchandise:
Massage
OK, so it’s not spa-quality service, but what
the heck? If you need a quick relief for those soaring muscles, take
a sit and let the masseurs of Quiapo work their wonders on you. With
your choice of alcohol, oil or powder; a full body massage costs
P150 and P50 on single parts like shoulders, back or foot massages.
Fortune telling
It’s an unscientific scam. But it can be
therapy. Like religion, having possible answers to one’s dilemmas
gives one relief and hope. But as it’s Filipino term hula means,
these are nothing more than possibilities foreseen. And a word of
advice: if the session costs P20, give them exact amount. There is
an on-going price hike here worse than the oil and food crisis.
Candles
The colorful sticks sold near the church is said
to have meanings that suit every aspects that a person prays for.
Whites, signifying purity, are wish candles. Red is for romance or
love offerings for families. Blue is for peace of mind, green for
money, yellow for good spirit, pink for health, orange for
brightness, brown for good fortune, peach for studies, violet for
material wealth and black for conscience. Three sticks costs P10. A
rainbow package—complete with all the whishes you could ask
for—costs P20. One wonder if they have other packages available
like a trendy pastel-colored package or citrus scented candles.
You’ll also encounter candles in the shape of a girl; their
meaning is obvious.
Herbs and others
They have a lot of these in different shapes and
sizes, some in their raw form and other already in capsules.
There’s the gamot sa binat (cure for fever) for only P50 and gamot
sa kulam (cure for curses) composed of lubigan, atis and anonas.
There are capsules for dysmenorrhea (menstruation) costing P75/6
capsules. Cogon, boiled for the treatment of urinary tract
infection, is sold for P10. The Pito-Pito (seven-herb tea) also cost
P10 per pack. Tawas (alum), the age-old treatment for body odor sold
as rock-hard crystals here will surely tear all those smell off your
body. Choose your own herb, it’s better than the idiotic products
advertised with no therapeutic claims written on it.
Surely, your prescriptions can’t be bought in
the shabby streets of Quiapo. But with the increasing prices of
other commodities, alternative medicines can be a source of relief.
And perhaps those prayers said inside Quiapo Church can help as
well. Always note: be careful of those Quiapo resident pickpockets
wandering around praying to have a victim each day for their own
medications.
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