My Autobiography: David Balleza K(C)atague: Marinduque-The Lenten Mecca of the Philippines- Holy Thursday

Thursday, April 2, 2026

Marinduque-The Lenten Mecca of the Philippines- Holy Thursday

Marinduque Moriones Festival during Holy Week. Marinduque is also my second home. It is the location of 💚Chateau Du Mer- my beach house and retirement property in the Philippines.

The Lenten Mecca of the Philippines is Marinduque, a heart-shaped island province located in the Southern Tagalog region. It's known for its unique Moriones Festival, a Holy Week tradition where colorfully dressed and masked soldiers and centurions parade the streets, reenacting the passion of Christ. Marinduque is specifically referred to as the "Lenten Mecca of Southern Tagalog" due to this iconic celebration ¹ ².

Some key locations within Marinduque include ¹:

Municipalities:

Boac: The capital town, home to the Immaculate Conception Cathedral and a popular spot for watching the Senakulo.

Mogpog: Known for its Paadjao Falls and Moryon Mask Makers.

Gasan: Features the Sunflower Farm, Gaspar Island, and Luxor Restaurant.

Santa Cruz: Famous for its Black Friday Processions and Bagumbungan Cave.

Torrijos: Home to Tabag's Place and scenic beaches.

Landmarks:

Luzon Datum: A geodetic stone marker marking the geographical center of the Philippine archipelago.

Mt. Malindig: A popular hiking spot and the highest point in the province.

AI Overview:💚Chateau Du Mer
in the Philippines primarily refers to a quaint beach resort and vacation house located on Marinduque Island. It is often described as a charming, family-run property ideal for those looking to escape urban life for a quiet seaside retreat.

Key Locations & Related Properties

Because similar names exist across the Philippines, here are the most likely matches for your search:

Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort (Marinduque): A two-bedroom beach house with a 180-degree balcony offering panoramic views of the western coast. It is located in Boac, Marinduque, and is known for its hospitable hosts, David and Macrine.
Chateau del Mar Resort & Spa (Davao City): A 3-star Mediterranean-style boutique hotel in Davao City. It features a swimming pool, lounge bar, and rooms with balconies overlooking the Davao Gulf and Samal Island.
Chateau By The Sea (Cebu): A 4-star polished beachfront boutique hotel in Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan Island. It is a popular venue for events and beach parties, featuring an infinity pool and a private beach.
Chateau de Paz (Bohol): A premiere hilltop residential subdivision in Dauis, Panglao Island, offering modern houses with panoramic views.

Quick Comparison of "Chateau" Resorts

Property Name	Location	Type	Notable Feature
Chateau Du Mer	Boac, Marinduque	Vacation House	Quiet, rustic cottage on stilts
Chateau del Mar	Davao City	Boutique Hotel	Near airport; views of Samal Island
Chateau By The Sea	Lapu-Lapu, Cebu	Luxury Resort	Infinity pool and event spaces
Chateau de Paz	Dauis, Bohol	Residential	Hilltop views and modern villas

Tres Reyes Islands: A group of islands with white sand beaches and bountiful waters.

Marinduque is accessible by air and land-sea travel, with options for bus and ferry rides or direct flights from Manila. Chateau Du Mer is located in Barangay Amoingon, Boac .

AI Overview

Marinduque is recognized as the Lenten Mecca of the Philippines

, famous for hosting the annual Moriones Festival during Holy Week. This, known as the "Heart of the Philippines," features participants in vibrant Roman soldier costumes and masks re-enacting the story of Longinus, blending profound religious tradition with community culture.

Key aspects of Marinduque as the Lenten Mecca include:

The Moriones Festival: A week-long celebration where locals, or moriones, wear masks and armor, creating a theatrical reenactment of the Passion of Christ in towns like Boac, Gasan, Santa Cruz, Buenavista, and Mogpog.
The Story of Longinus: The festival focuses on the Roman centurion Longinus, who was healed of blindness by Christ's blood, and concludes with the pugutan (beheading) of Longinus on Easter Sunday.
Deep-Rooted Traditions: Beyond the masks, the island hosts pabasa(recitation of Christ's passion) and the Via Crucis (reenactment of Christ’s suffering).
Cultural Experience: As a major cultural event, it draws numerous tourists looking to witness unique Filipino Lenten traditions alongside the island's scenic spots.

The festival represents a profound blend of faith, history, and community pride, deeply rooted in the Christian traditions of the island since the Spanish colonial era.

Finally, Here are the traditions of Holy Thursday:

Holy Thursday, also known as Maundy Thursday, is a significant day in the Christian faith, commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his Apostles. Here are some traditions associated with this day:

Main Traditions:

Washing of Feet: Many Christian denominations, including Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, and Methodists, observe the ritual of washing each other's feet to symbolize humility and service, just like Jesus did with his disciples.

Mass of the Lord's Supper: A special Mass is celebrated in the evening, which includes the ritual of washing feet and emphasizes the institution of the Eucharist.

Chrism Mass: In some dioceses, a Chrism Mass is held, usually in the morning, where the bishop blesses holy oils used in sacraments throughout the year.

Altar Stripping: Altars are stripped bare to symbolize the abandonment of Jesus by his disciples and the stripping of Jesus before his crucifixion.

Other Customs:

Distribution of Maundy Money: In some countries, monarchs or churches distribute money to the poor, symbolizing charity and generosity.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: In Catholic and some Anglican traditions, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for adoration after the Mass of the Lord's Supper.

Special Services: Many churches hold special services, including vespers, liturgies, and processions, to mark the occasion.

Symbolism:

White and Red Colors: White symbolizes purity and innocence, while red represents the blood of Christ. Some churches use these colors in their vestments and decorations.

Wine and Oil: Wine represents the blood of Christ, and oil is used for anointing and healing

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Highlights of My Professional Career

In my more than 40 years of professional career, I have experienced both working rank and file, as well as supervising the work of subordinates. I have worked in four private firms and the Federal Government, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where I retired. I enjoyed the challenges and difficulties of both types of job situations. This is the highlights of my work experience story.

My first job after completing my doctorate degree was a Chemist for Chemagro Corporation in Kansas City, Missouri. It was a subsidiary of Bayer Corporation, a German conglomerate. I worked for the analytical chemistry department comprised of about fifty people; half that number was either chemists or biologists. My specific task was to develop analytical methods for the detection of pesticide residues in plant and animal tissues. I worked on my own, similar to six other bench chemists, and we all reported to the same supervisor.

The firm sponsored my visa conversion from a student to a permanent resident, and I was able to legally work and reside in the United States with my family. The company generously took care of its employees. At the end of each successful year, everyone received a 13th month salary bonus. The employees and their families celebrated wonderful annual Christmas parties in a downtown Kansas City hotel, with dancing and free drinks for the whole night.

Inasmuch as I enjoyed and loved working for Chemagro for five years, I found a new job which offered a substantially higher pay. Due to my exemplary work performance, my supervisor preferred and lobbied for me to stay with the company. I had to turn him down because they could not match the package presented by my new employer. It was also a chance for me and my family to move and live in the US west coast, where the mild winter climate is bearable compared to the Midwest.

My next job was at the agricultural research division of Shell Development Company in Modesto, California. I was a Research Chemist, and again I worked individually, same as five other chemists who all reported to a supervisor. My specific duty was similar to my previous job. I worked for them for five years, until the company decided to get out of the pesticide business. They closed their research facility affecting the jobs of more than 200 employees.

My third industrial job was with the agricultural research division of Stauffer chemical company, located in Richmond, California. I was a Senior Research Chemist doing the same project as my two previous jobs. I worked for twelve continuous years for the company, with outstanding annual job performance. I became a Principal Research Chemist, the highest attainable non-supervisory position.

One day in 1986, my supervisor informed me that my job had been eliminated, and I had one day to vacate the facility. It was the most dreadful lay off experience in my life. I felt anger, sadness and humiliation to be dismissed from work with one day notice, after all the years of hard work invested for the company. This was an unforgettable incident and was the gloomiest point in my professional career.
The company terminated sixty research employees, who were upset of the bad news.

One of the chemists was distressed and expressed his outrageous anger by threatening the company and its workers. He told his supervisor of his intention to bomb and burn down the laboratory. He was immediately escorted by the security staff out of the building and into his car. He was informed to leave behind his personal belongings; they will be mailed to his residence. He was warned never to show up again near the company premises or risk getting arrested.

My supervisor was kind and allowed me to take my time to pack up my belongings. It took me two days to clear up my workplace, after toiling for a long period in the same jobsite. We were provided clerical help and office space, in preparation to look for another job, such as updating our resumes, and using the computer and copy machine. We were given six weeks of separation pay plus benefits.

Fortunately, with the help of a friend who is a Church parishioner, I found another job thirty days after leaving Stauffer chemical company. He hired me as a senior research chemist and as a group leader with two technicians to supervise. It was in the same field as my expertise in my previous three jobs spanning the last twenty one years. My new employer was Chevron Chemical Company, and which was located in the same area as my former employer.

This job gave me the introduction and basic knowledge of managing the work of subordinates. I worked for Chevron Company for four and a half years. The company decided to consolidate their research facilities in Texas, and lay off all its research employees. This time I had enough distress and agony from working, and eventually getting laid off from several private companies. To avoid going through any more miserable layoffs, I made a vow that I would never again work for a private company.

In my work experiences, there were noticeable and unavoidable jobsite occurrences. One can never miss the office romantic relationships between co-workers, both illicit and permitted. Though it was frowned upon, there was a boss and staff relationship, which was used as a ploy to get ahead in the company. Some relationships had chemistry, no pun intended, but some never worked out. Oftentimes, there was a sense of distrust among bench chemists for some workers who unjustly obtained preferred work assignments.

Some employees resorted to bribing superiors to get special privileges, such as being able to attend choice conferences and meetings in exciting venues or locations. Likewise, politics was always present at the worksites. It was during an era when various forms of harassment, equal opportunity and discrimination laws were not yet enforced in the workplace. Occasionally, an unexpected chemical explosion happens in a laboratory setting, where luckily no one got seriously hurt.

In the three private companies I worked for, I was able to publish scientific journals for some of the research studies and analytical methods which I developed for the respective companies of Chemagro, Shell Development and Stauffer.

After deciding and making a vow to avoid working in the private sector, I made my new goal which was either to work for the state of California, or the Federal government in Washington, D.C. Four months after I lost my job in Chevron, I was lucky and joyful to be hired by the Food and Drug Administration as a review chemist in the fall of 1990.

In 1994 I was promoted as an Expert Research Chemist with a GS-14 rating. My expertise was on Anti-malarial and Anti-parasitic drug products. In 1997, I was again deservingly promoted to Chemistry team leader, supervising the work of six Chemistry reviewers including five with doctorate degrees.

As team leader, I was responsible for prioritizing, assigning, and assuring the technical accuracy of all chemistry, manufacturing and control issues for all new drug applications submitted to the Division of Anti-Infective Drug Products, Center of New Drugs.

It was part of my responsibility to give advice, instruct and promote high morale and teamwork in my group. My work in the FDA is confidential, until the drug patent on the products I worked on has expired. There are manufacturing supplements that I have approved that are now open for the public in the Internet.

In 1998, I won the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Award. The citation reads, “For outstanding accomplishments in fostering the objectives of the EEO Program by hiring minorities and encouraging their professional growth while providing excellent leadership.” I have received numerous certificates of appreciation, awards in leadership and communications, commendation for teamwork and excellence in the accomplishment of the FDA mission. I have also received several letters of appreciation from private industry for my review work.

There are many good things working as rank and file while enjoying doing one’s job individually. It is a humbling, satisfying and productive experience, if one can work in harmony with one’s immediate supervisor. Working individually develops one’s skills in goal setting and scheduling. But in general, the financial rewards are less than a person who has supervisory responsibilities.

Managing the work of others has its challenges. Moreover, it develops one’s skill in handling and developing people, and the compensation rewards and benefits are better. Due to additional duties, responsibilities and leadership, supervisory work can be more stressful than working as a subordinate. However, supervisory jobs give one more personal growth and satisfaction, based on my personal experience. My work in FDA as a team leader managing the work of six scientists had been the happiest and rewarding work experience in my career in Chemistry. You might also like:

Thursday, April 2, 2026

Marinduque-The Lenten Mecca of the Philippines- Holy Thursday

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