By Angie de Silva
This unique ritual, known as “Pagsa-San Juan” or “Taong Putik” (Mud People), draws both locals and tourists.
Participants rise before dawn, coating their bodies with mud from nearby rice fields and adorning their faces with dried leaves.
The origins of this tradition date back to the Spanish colonial era but gained prominence during World War II.
During the Japanese occupation, villagers would conceal themselves in the fields, praying to Saint John the Baptist for rain to evade capture.
When showers forced the soldiers to seek shelter, the villagers emerged, reveling in the rain by rolling in the mud.
They would then proceed to the town, still covered in mud and leaves, to collect candles and money to offer at the saint’s image in the church.
