Pangasinan youth sells ‘palaspas’ online amid quarantine

FILE: A priest blesses palm fronds outside Our Lady of Fatima Parish at the Anabu-Hill in Imus, Cavite on Sunday (April 14, 2019). (PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.)

MANILA – Filipino Catholics would have been busy preparing for this year’s Palm Sunday—the final Sunday of Lent and the beginning of the Holy Week, amid the enhanced community quarantine.

Usually, commemorating the triumphant arrival of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem includes people decorating “palaspas” or palm fronds to the altars of churches and houses.

Palaspas are blessed by the priests—provides an exciting opening act for the passion of ‘Semana Santa’ (Holy Week).

As the country is facing a battle against the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19), ‘palapas’ makers have to find another way to sell their wares as crowding is prohibited as of the moment.

In Pangasinan, a youth organization made it easy for those who are looking for palaspas as they moved to sell it online.

The members of the Recollect Augustinian Youth (RAY) are making the palaspas and sell it through its Facebook page.

The ordinary ‘palapas’ can be bought for PHP20 per eight pieces and PHP25 if it has palmera place in it.

They provide free delivery if the buyers are located within the vicinities of Barangay Pasibi East, Urbiztondo, Pangasinan.

Those living outside the Pasibi East may pick-up their palaspas orders at the same price, in both entrance and exit of the barangay post, as they are strictly following the quarantine regulations in their area.

The proceeds of the palaspas will fund the organization’s future activities and programs for youth amid the Covid-19 pandemic scare, the group told the Philippine News Agency.

At 6 a.m. of April 5, the RAY said a priest from Our Lady of the Visitacion Parish-Recoletos will go house-to-house to bless the palms.

The group reminded the people to wear face masks when the blessing of palms starts to avoid getting infected with Covid-19, adding that “There is no need for them to go outside of their houses or gates.”

As of posting, the youth organization has already made more than 200 pieces of “palapas” and there is an ongoing delivery of the orders.

They harvested young coconut leaves to weave palaspas—a fortnight before Palm Sunday.

Meanwhile, the youth urged everyone that aside from commemorating the Holy week with palaspas decoration, it also important to keep faith to God at all times.