Alive and amazing is the Belenismo spirit in Tarlac

The Nativity celebrates God’s promise of Redemption. It is the epitome of God’s plan of salvation. He gave us His only son to save us from our sins. The coming of Christ is the word made flesh, dwelling among us, full of grace and truth.

Catholics around the world celebrate 2016 as the year of mercy. The Pope sets an example for living a life of compassion, mercy and love. Nowhere in the Philippines is this felt more than in Tarlac where the Tarlaqueños ingeniously create belens or the crèche of Baby Jesus with Joseph and Mary and all the angels and even saints. Every Christmas for the past nine years, Tarlaqueños from all walks of life have come together for the Belenismo, transcending social barriers and bridging political divides to put on a grand spectacle that they truly can call their own. The people of the province of Tarlac have gravitated towards each other to prove that the Filipino bayanihan spirit is alive in Tarlac, as they create unique interpretations of the Nativity scene for the annual Belenismo.

From a simple vision in 2007, the indefatigable mother-and-daughter tandem of Doña Isabel Cojuangco-Suntay and Dr. Isa Cojuangco-Suntay, of the Tarlac Heritage Foundation, has been spearheading the Belenismo. They have inspired Tarlaqueños to make Belenismo an institution in the province of Tarlac.

This year, the theme was “Love and Mercy” and 46 belens made it to the pre-judging. What immediately captures one’s attention amid all the mind-boggling presentations of crèches in varying sizes and themes is that simple prayer that is part and parcel of each display written in Kapampangan, Ilocano, Tagalog and English. Here lies the heart of Belenismo’s mission throughout the years, to be able to entice each and every viewer visiting Tarlac to say a prayer or two before the belens that they view.

This year’s most attractive and meaningful belens proved to be truly heartfelt as they were made with inspiration and much prayer.

Last Nov. 12, my sisters Yvonne, Michelle and myself together with Ding Mercado, Boysie Villavicencio, Johnny Co, Carlo Rojas, Mike Mina, Jiji Sanares, Reina P. Tan, Gerry Lirio, Barry Yumul, Bing Jabadan, Rudy Santos, Mario Dumaual, Laika Chikadora, Jaypee Bugayon, Ariel Fernandez and Nelson Canlas were honored and blessed once again to be part of this exciting annual tradition. The judges, coming from different backgrounds and artistic inclinations, were one and in unison with the Tarlaqueños — that of the Belenismo officially welcoming the start of their Christmases.

I pondered and appreciated all the belens I saw and listed down my top five favorites. My favorite ones inspired me and impressed upon me how the Baby Jesus has had such a tremendous effect on the lives of the people of Tarlac.

One of the favorites was the AFP Belen, a uniquely designed belen that drew inspiration from our country’s history, one that has catapulted a former Mayor of Mindanao to presidency. AFP’s belen offered an image of hope, unity and love in a form of a legendary bird of the Mindanaons, the colorful sarimanok. This belen brings to the forefront the plight of our brothers and sisters in Mindanao who are brought front and center in this administration’s quest to better their lives.

Other favorite belens were the designs of the municipality of Capas, Anao, San Clemente, Gerona, Paniqui, Municipality and San Manuel. Others that caught the attention of many included Alice De Vera’s Belen in Victoria Tarlac, the belen of former Rep. Jeci Lapus in Concepcion, St. Joseph Husband of Mary Parish in Capas, SM Primeholdings, L Square Hotel, Nay’s House, City Government of Tarlac, Samahan sa Pura and many more.

All these belens depict the love and mercy that Jesus Christ brought to the world. Behind the colorful lights and grand creations, every belen has its own jewel of a story to tell. The people’s visions, values, traditions, culture, way of life, what they hold dear, their experiences, their hopes, their beliefs and aspirations are what makes the Belenismo very special. It is this very part that Isa treasures the most and elicits utmost dedication from the board of judges through the years. Each year is equally challenging, with the daunting task of deciding which masterpiece among the numerous entries from different categories should bag the plum prize.

One of my favorite highlights of the Belenismo experience is dining at Nay’s House, one of my go-to comfort food experiences here in Tarlac. Named after Ima Ninay Baron, this cozy and relaxing 20th-century post-colonial designed restaurant has a satisfying menu we simply never tire of. Josefina Baron-Sawit, Ima Ninay’s daughter and the operations manager, always prepares a glorious feast consisting of our favorite DIY pancit palabok — it’s garnish-your-own palabok with rich shrimp sauce and a variety of toppings to choose from such as fresh shrimp sautéed in atsuete, minced pork, tinapa flakes, crushed crispy pork cracklings, fried tofu, squid rings, toasted garlic and hard-boiled eggs. Other favorites include bringhe, bistek Tagalog, daing na bangus paired with buro, sweet plantain with sago in sugar syrup, and authentic kakanins.

Each year, before driving back to Manila, I always pause to reflect and appreciate the belens even more as I recall how the Baby Jesus has had such a tremendous effect on the Tarlaqueños and myself; to emulate love and mercy the way the Lord has shown us.

Strong family ties, bonds of friendship, compassion, humility, and a strong faith in God are the real essence and message of the Belenismo that will never fade.

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The Belenismo sa Tarlac is ongoing until Jan. 6, 2016.

Email me at miladay.star@gmail.com.