Boholanos welcome Easter Sunday with colorful ‘hugos’ tradition
LOAY, Bohol — Many Boholanos joined one of the most cherished Filipino Easter Sunday traditions, the “hugos” or “sugat” (Salubong), which symbolizes the meeting of the Risen Christ and His mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary.
At the Holy Trinity Parish Church in Loay, the celebration began with the ringing of church bells and bright lights illuminating the scene.
Male devotees accompanied the image of the Risen Christ, while women joined the veiled image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The “hugos” is a traditional Catholic Easter Sunday dawn celebration, particularly prominent in Bohol, where a child dressed as an angel descends from a structure called the “hugosan” in front of the church to lift the black veil from the Virgin Mary.
Loay’s version of the “hugos” stood out for its unique feature—a giant pelican with a large belly carrying two angels.
Accompanied by recorded bird sounds, the pelican slowly bends forward, pecks open its belly, and releases the two angels amid falling confetti.
A children’s choir filled the air with joyful songs as the two angels descended one by one from about 20 feet above toward the sorrowful Mary.
The first angel, Aemmy Aiesha Ampoloquio, 11, sang “Una sa Batorom” and gently removed Mary’s black veil, symbolizing the end of her mourning.
The second angel, Heracleo Amba, 8, sang “Regina Caeli” and placed a crown on Mary’s head, signifying her title as Queen of Heaven.
Other angels then joined in singing as the Risen Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary were brought together, marking the joyful celebration of the Resurrection.
According to church tradition, the pelican symbolizes Christ’s sacrifice, drawn from legends of a mother pelican wounding herself to feed her young—an image likened to Christ giving His life for humanity.
In Baclayon, crowds gathered beside the Immaculate Conception Parish Church to witness the “sugat,” which concluded with the symbolic burning of a Judas effigy.
Similar Easter dawn rites were also held at the St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral Shrine in Tagbilaran City, as well as in other parts of Bohol, including Barangay Baang in Catigbian and St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Loboc, where devotees continued to observe the centuries-old traditions./gsg
