Sto. Niño and the religiosity of Filipino seafarers

VIVA Señor Sto. Niño!

The Sto. Niño is venerated all over the country with annual  festivals celebrated every last two weekends of January through special masses, dances and processions attracting millions of devotees and tourists.    

The main religious festivals in honor of the Child Jesus are the Ati-Atihan of Kalibo in Aklan province, Sinulog of Cebu, Dinagyang of Iloilo City and Dinagsa of Cadiz City.  

Jesus is depicted as a small, young king in royal regalia – crown, red cloak of intricate embroidery, with the left hand holding a cross-bearing orb (a symbol of Christian authority), while the other hand is in a priestly gesture of giving a blessing.

However, due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Filipinos are downsizing the merrymaking this year.   

In the street dancing event of Ati-Atihan called sadsad,  Sto. Niños are normally  dressed based on the participating groups’ interests.

I usually see some Sto. Niños wearing seafarer’s uniform, presumably they are owned by families whose members are in the maritime profession. This is a reflection of the practice of most Filipino seafarers of bringing with them on board the vessel their religious beliefs, ideas and traditions. They normally maintain a renewed faith practice and religiosity each time they go home.

The Philippines is one of the major suppliers of maritime labor globally. It is estimated that there is one Filipino seafarer for every five crew members on board a vessel at any time.

The sea-based sector’s remittance comprises at least 22 percent of the total dollar remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

The estimated 519,031 deployed Filipino seafarers in 2019 per Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) data remitted $6.539 billion or around P326.95 billion.

Religion offers for the ordinary Filipino seafarers strength, hope and peace in relation to their daily work and social relationships on board the vessel.

A study by the Seafarers International Research Center (SIRC) revealed how religious practice may serve to mitigate negative aspects of work such as loneliness, isolation, and institutional living, as well as fear of the dangers encountered at sea.

Religion helps seafarers cope with the dangerous and emotionally challenging workplaces.

Despite its glorification due to handsome economic returns, the job of a seafarer is not exactly a walk in the park.

The maritime profession has always been identified as high-risk, replete with health and safety hazards, accidents, illnesses and mortality.

The seafarer is often mentally, physically and emotionally stressed, aside from being constantly exposed to a variable environment while working on board vessels that cross ocean boundaries.

Some seafarers described faith as helpful in overcoming difficult emotional shipboard conditions and in making life at sea bearable in many ways.

SIRC noted that seafarers find strength in their God as they commonly experience fear for their lives during emergencies at sea often associated with storms, mechanical failure, collisions, and groundings.

SIRC stressed that God is being drawn upon by seafarers to increase their resilience in dealing with stressful and dangerous workplace situations. 

Seafarers are more likely to draw on their belief in God to help them in times when they are powerless to help themselves, SIRC added.

It is relatively common for seafarers to engage in faith-based routines which they hoped would offer them some protection from ill-fate.

During the interviews of the Ten Outstanding Maritime Students of the Philippines (TOMSP), I asked some of them what personal item will they bring with them if the boat is in danger of sinking and most of them answered the rosary.

Their answer is a reflection of what SIRC noted as the practice of carrying something with totemic significance, religious artifacts that comfort them like rosary, bible as well as religious pamphlets and written materials. They find great solace in their belief in God.

Archbishop of Manila Luis Antonio Tagle said in one of the National Seafarers’ Day celebration that Filipino seafarers are “saint potentials”.

Referring to Saint Lorenzo Ruiz and San Pedro Calungsod, Tagle noted that they were seafarers and missionaries at the same time. They sailed to other countries and died for a mission: “to teach the Good News.”
Tagle underscored that the pain brought by separation is a sign of the seafarer’s love, strength and faith for the good of his family and country.

“Even if you feel pain when you leave your family and your country, that suffering is not a reason for you to be ‘paralyzed’. It should inspire you to strive for more,” said Tagle, adding  that their hardships will not weaken them but make them even stronger.

Viva! Pit Senyor!

***

 Atty. Dennis Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, email info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786)./PN

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