TAONG PUTIK FESTIVAL – devotess of the patron saint John the Baptist converts themselves as mud people

TAONG PUTIK FESTIVAL
The Festival

June 24 marks the calendar for the Feast of Saint John the Baptist. The Catholic community engage in a revelry of dousing each other with water. In Barangay Biblicat in Aliaga, Nueva Ecija, hundreds of devotess of the patron saint John the Baptist converts themselves as mud people, hence taong putik.  This act is an imitation of John the Baptist, hiding his identity when baptizing Jesus Christ as he wore animal skin to decieve the people who were after his head. The taong putik daub with mud from face to feet, together with dried banana leaves and vegetable vines and twigs, completing the whole costume.

Early morning of the 24th of June, the devotees, already garbed with dry banana leaves venture into the streets of Biblicat. They would go to one house after another for alms such as candles or money to buy candles they would offer to Saint John. Men, women, and children, all smeared with mud, and by tradition, they would wipe the face people who would refuse to give alms with the mud stains particularly on their hands, expressing fun revelry, as the streets of Biblicat transforms into a huge stage for the devotees’ performance.

Later, the mud people would converge at the church plaza, lighting up the candles they offer to Saint John as a form of expressing gratitude for the blessings the saint has brought to them, and later even, participate in the outdoor Holy Mass.

Tourists and visitors of foreign and local, and some government officials are the usual spectators of the festival. After the mass, the procession begins with the tune played by well-attired musicians. The image of the patron saint, being carried on shoulders of devotees are followed with the mud people. From the Biblicat main streets they would walk until they get back to the church.

Taong Putik Festival mirrors the culture and history of Nueva Ecija, as said by an official, as they try to personify the appearance of Saint John the Baptist when he baptized Jesus Christ wearing leather girdle and clothing made of camel’s hair, particularly his slippers are soaked in mud.

Locals consider celebrating the Taong Putik Festival their opportunity to gratify God for good harvest, good health, and same goes for the coming years.

Origin

Legend speaks about the image of Saint John the Baptist which was brought to Biblicat by early Ilocanos in aiding them and protecting them to drive away poisonous snakes from the village. Biblicat is believed to have derived its name from the Ilocano word biclat which means snake.

Another tale is about the Japanese soldiers during the World War II, when they were about to sentence death to the retaliating forces of the villagers after 13 fellow Japanese soldiers were killed. As soon as they were about to be executed, heavy rain fell that the villagers had to be taken to the church for shelter. When the rain stopped, Japanese soldiers had a sudden change of mind and set the villagers free. This miracle is attributed to the work of Saint John the Baptist, thus villagers vowed they would commemorate the patron saint on his feast day, and came up wearing costumes patterned after his appearance.

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