Santacruzan

Santakrusan: Where We Wear Our History
By Renato Gandia

Bukas ang ilaw—

Pag Mayo, the streets start talking again.
Arko sa kalsada—kawayan, wire, at bulaklak na mukhang galing Divisoria.
Mga batang nakasaya, mabigat ang gown pero lakad pa rin—mabagal, puno ng panata.
Ito ang Santakrusan.
Hindi lang parada.
This is prayer in motion, our story in sequins.

Hindi tayo tahimik.
Music blasts—"Ave Mariaaa" sa karaoke na may static, tambol, gitara, minsan lasing.
Reyna Elena, shining in gold, crown na mas mahal pa sa tuition.
Pawis sa likod ng ngiti niya—faith beneath the glamour.

We’re not Rome.
Hindi tayo Vatican.
We’re Filipinx—tropical, faithful, fabulous.
Empire rewritten with eyeliner.

Our lola tells it:
Elena found the cross—after pain, after wrong turns.
(Parang tayo rin, ‘no?)
We find ourselves slowly—after heartbreak, after shame, after calling our truth holy.

Ilang nanay ang naglakad nang walang tsinelas?
Pero tuloy pa rin—because faith walks on.

This is Santakrusan.
Divas meet devotion.
Kuya as Reyna Sentensyada—heels, beads, pilikmata—while titas whisper, “Ay, bakla nga…”
Pero proud tayo.

Because this is us:
Queer. Brown. Glowing.

Faith isn’t stiff.
We carry rosary in one hand, resistance in the other.
Lakad. Pose. Dasal. Repeat.

Hindi ito costume party.
Hindi ito pa-cute.
This is reclaiming holiness in glitter.

Let it rain.
We’ll still slay the streets.
Let judgment come—we’ve survived worse.

Let our names echo—our mother’s names, our chosen names.
Dahil sa prusisyong ito, lahat tayo pwedeng maging Reyna.
And the cross we carry?
We lift it—with grace, joy, pride.

—ilaw off. mic drop.

Day Pajarillo

I started drawing at age 3 in the Philippines, got my degree in Fine Arts painting major and I worked as a fashion designer in Qatar. I came to Calgary in 2008 under a work permit. My art career has been put on hold for a decade to work and provide for my family back home. After acquiring my permanent status and collecting my daughter to join me here in Canada, I continued my passion in painting with people as my main subject. As a Filipino, I have painted numerous pieces about my culture and folk dances with colorful costumes and body movements. Now, being a Canadian citizen, in a diverse cultural population, and to express my respect and appreciation living in Mokhinstsis territory, I would like to show that everyone is a part of me and my art. I practice modern art in cubism and impressionism.

Renato Gandia

Renato Gandia is a Filipino-Canadian writer whose work explores identity, belonging, and queer experiences. A former journalist, he now crafts fiction and essays rooted in Filipino and Canadian life.