Residents begin the day by covering themselves with mud and leaves. Photo by Jiru Rada for InterAksyon.com.
On June 24, residents of Barangay Bibiclat in Aliaga, Nueva Ecija and devotees of St. John the Baptist celebrated the Taong Putik Festival. Widely recognized due to its depiction in the 2006 Filipino horror film Sukob, this uniquely Filipino festival is in honor of the feast day of St. John the Baptist, just like the water festival in San Juan on the same day.
Participants young and old cover themselves in mud and large leaves. Unlike in Sukob, most of the “mud people” or “taong putik” do not leave their homes until sunrise. They slowly make their way through the streets towards the church, asking for alms (money or candles) from neighbors along the way.
They converge in front of the church and at around 6 AM, the first Mass of the day is celebrated, followed by the procession of the image of patron saint John the Baptist.
