SPECIAL REPORT – Palm Sunday economics ‘Palaspas’ prices increase

By EJ Dominic Fernandez
Liwayway Panal, a candle vendor of the Saint Jude Thaddeus Parish Church, was folding strands of coconut leaves she gathered to sell in today’s Palm Sunday, the official start of the observance of the Holy Week by the Roman Catholic faithful worldwide.
Panal is one of the many vendors around Davao City taking advantage of the high demand for palm leaves made into traditional Palm Sunday ornaments.
Business is expected to be brisk even if they will have to sell their craft at a higher price.
“Mas mahal na ang lukay karon mao nang magmahal sad among baligya ani (prices for palm leaves are higher so we will also be selling them for a higher price),” Panal, a regular vendor of candles at St. Jude of Thaddeus Parish along Malvar street, said.
The price for a basic cross-folded palm is now P10 for three pieces, double the cost from last year’s P5 for every two pieces.
A bundle of coconut leaves has increased three-folds to P300 a bundle this year, from 100 last year.
“The value of peso is decreasing and there are a lot of competitions who will be selling folded coconut leaves coming from far flung areas, such as Calinan, who does not need to invest in coconut leaves as they can simply harvest it from the abundant coconut trees that they have,” she explained in vernacular.
“Palaspas” or the waiving of palm leaves folded as cross is a common tradition among the Catholics in the Philippines to symbolize the palm branches that people used to welcome Jesus as he entered Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover which is commemorated as the Palm Sunday in today’s Catholics. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the Holy Week.
While business is increasing for Holy Week items, Panal observed fewer Dabawenyos observe Palm Sunday and the Holy Week’s traditional rites.
She said, “during blessing of the leaves, there are people who push themselves to the front just to get their coconut leaves wet from the holy water that the priest use to bless the leaves, some even get mad if their leaves don’t get wet.”
“I have also noticed that Catholic Dabawenyos only visit the church seldom, they only visit on Sunday’s and they come in droves only on special occasions, such as Christmas and Holy Week,” she said.
“Catholics should deepen their faith and not just follow traditions which they are used to,” Panal said.
She quoted what she learned from Fr. Erwin Torres, a visiting priest from Surigao, who told her, “the Holy Week is a time of penitence and it is as important as Christmas because it is to commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus which is the fulfillment of the everlasting life that God has promised us.”