Siete Palabras, showcase of Filipino culture and faith, on April 6

A Filipino Dominican leading the faithful in prayer during Siete Palabras

The annual Siete Palabras at the historic Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City, which has become a key Lenten broadcast on Philippine TV, will be on Good Friday, April 6.


This program, produced by the Dominican Province of the Philippines through its Provincial Media Board, will have its live telecast on GMA-7, starting 12 noon. Radio Veritas 846 will simultaneously be airing the broadcast. The event will bear the same theme as last year: “Ang Pasyong Mahal sa Buhay ni Juan.”

Dominican Media Board head Fr. Christopher Jeffrey Aytona, OP, explains that the theme emphasizes the relation of the Passion of the Christ to Filipinos. It is to stress that the Christian faith is embedded in Filipino culture.

“Siete Palabras also reminds us of what we should appreciate and continue, like how we express our beliefs,” Aytona said.

“Ang Mahal na Pasyon,” one of the most popular Catholic devotions during Lent, will be a part of Siete Palabras 2012. The Pasyon is the traditional communal recitation of the passion, death and resurrection of the Christ. The Pasyon text is in Filipino prosody, in five-line stanzas, with eight syllables per line.

Of course, the main highlights of the event are the reflections by the Dominican preachers on the Seven Last Words of the Christ: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34); “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43); “Woman, behold your Son: Behold your mother” (John 19:26-27); “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34); “I thirst” (John 19:28); “It is finished” (John 19:30); and “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46).

This year’s preachers are Fr. Napoleon Encarnacion, OP; Fr. Nilo Lardizabal, OP; Fr. Enrico Gonzales, OP; Fr. Winston Cabading, OP; Fr. Eugenio Cabillon, OP; Fr. Filemon de la Cruz Jr., OP; and Fr. Florentino Bolo Jr., OP.

Meanwhile, testimonials of faith will be shared by former ambassador to the Vatican Henrietta de Villa; Letty Syquia (mother of Fr. Jocis Syquia, director of the Archdiocese of Manila’s Office of Exorcism); veteran comedienne-singer Elizabeth Ramcey, TV producer Tak Barrios; and renowned director Laurice Guillen.

To participate through liturgical presentations are Letran Filipiniana Dance Company, UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe, Mandaluyong Children’s Choir, Sto. Domingo Male Chorale and Tiples de Santo Domingo.

Siete Palabras, which has been a major yearly project of the Dominicans, is organized in cooperation with the Santo Domingo Convent, Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag, Pangasinan, the University of Santo Tomas, and the Rhythm Sound & Light Trading Corp.

The 18th edition of this Lenten show will be hosted by Br. Jayson Gonzales, OP; actress Ritz Azul and Carlo Lorenzo.

Sponsors include Angelicum College-QC, Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Manila, Security and Credit Investigation, Lorenzo C. Reyes Laboratory and Cross Over 105.1.

First posted in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Monday, March 26, 2012.