wala
...h of which is governed by a resident nymph, Maria Sinukuan (Arayat), Maria Banahaw, and Maria Makiling.) The Arayat Rizalista cult was started in the late 1940’s by a young female healer, who claimed to be an incarnation of Maria Sinukuan. To this date, they conserve a distinctive devotional culture, which includes colorful songs and prayers to Dr. Jose Rizal (considered to be “The Tagalog Christ”), a living-compound which partially recreates scenes from Rizal’s novels, and an injunction to never marry or engage in sexual relations. (The sect replenishes its numbers by adopting street children and attracting new adherents). We find here many of the same aquatic themes that parallel those of Mount Banahaw. For instance, there is a connection to the archetypal Great Flood theme, which resonates so deeply with the natural history of Southeast Asia. “Mount Arayat” is named after Mount Ararat from the Old Testament, the mountain where Noah landed at the end of the Great Flood. This Arayat is, in fact, surrounded by the largest swamp in the Philippines, which floods every year, a fact which led natives of the colonial era to believe that their mountain was, in fact, the very one on which Noah landed. The neighborhood in which the Rizalista complex is located is named after John the Baptist, and locals believe that the nearby water-springs of the mountain contain the purest water on earth, capable of healing any number of illnesses. The documentary will show the Arayat Rizalistas celebrating the anniversary of the execution of Dr. Jose Rizal (December 30), with various colorful ...