Religious operator Regina Tours will hold a pilgrimage in the Philippines during Holy Week that will include a re-enactment of the crucifixion of Christ. Starting on March 15, the day before Palm Sunday, and culminating on Easter Sunday, March 23, the program highlights the Lenten Rites, a controversial annual event where devotees re-enact Christ's ordeal in the Way of the Cross through a real-life crucifixion, and the three-hour "Vigil of the Resurrection," a theatrical presentation in marking Jesus' resurrection.
Participants will begin the journey with Palm Sunday Mass at the Chapel of the Last Supper in Cebu and visit a variety of religious sites. As the tour heads to Pampanga, stops will be made at popular destinations such as the Shrine of the Nuestra Senora de Manaoag. On the return trip to Manila, the tour stops at the Angono Petroglyphs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating back 5,000 years. Easter Sunday Mass is celebrated at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, now the Manila Cathedral.
Rates start at $2,825 per person double from Los Angeles or San Francisco. A limited number of single rooms are available for a single supplement charge of $495. Agents can contact Regina Tours at 800-465-9276. (MR)