The Moriones Festival is Marinduque’s Holy Week tradition. Masked men and women dress as Roman soldiers and act out the story of Longinus, the centurion who pierced Christ’s side. In 2027, Holy Week runs from Palm Sunday, March 21, to Easter Sunday, March 28. The towns have not yet published official hour-by-hour schedules for those days, so treat all 2027 town timetables as pending.

Locals often call the observance Moryonan or the Moriones Lenten Rites. It is a religious rite spread across several towns and many days, not a single parade.

Quick facts: Moriones Festival and Holy Week 2027

Item	Details
Where	Island province of Marinduque
When	Holy Week, which moves with Easter each year
Holy Week 2027 frame	Palm Sunday, March 21, to Easter Sunday, March 28, 2027
Maundy Thursday 2027	March 25
Good Friday 2027	March 26
Black Saturday 2027	March 27
Town schedules for 2027	Pending official release. Confirm with the provincial tourism office, town halls and parishes
Main story	Longinus, the Roman centurion whose sight was restored at the crucifixion
Cost to watch	Street rites and plaza reenactments are public. Confirm any ticketed or reserved seating locally

The Holy Week dates for 2027 come from church and holiday calendars. Maundy Thursday is March 25, Black Saturday March 27 and Easter Sunday March 28, 2027. Good Friday falls on March 26, 2027. The week frame is settled. What town hall, parish and tourism office will program inside that frame is not.

What is the Moriones Festival?

The Moriones Festival is a Lenten and religious festival held every Holy Week on the island of Marinduque. The “Moriones” are men and women in costumes and masks that replicate biblical Roman soldiers, as locals interpret them.

The Tourism Promotions Board describes it as a centuries-old Holy Week tradition with Roman centurion costumes and penitential reenactments, ending in the healing and conversion of Longinus.

Two points matter for visitors:

It is devotion first. Many participants wear the mask as a vow.
It is not one event. Each town runs its own rites, and the same costume can appear in a parade one afternoon and a solemn procession the next day.

The story of Longinus

Longinus was a Roman centurion. He is said to have been blind in one eye. In the legend, blood from Christ’s side touched his blind eye and restored his sight. That miracle led to his conversion and angered his fellow soldiers.

The week then follows the hunt for him. The reenactment reaches its climax on Easter Sunday, or in some cases Monday, when Longinus is caught and beheaded. That scene is called the pugutan.

In the Globe 2026 festival guide, the pugutan is performed by several morions who take turns portraying Longinus and his execution. This explains why the same story can be staged in more than one town.

History: how the Moryonan began

The word “Moriones” was coined by the media in the 1960s, while locals kept the original term Moryonan. Many practitioners are farmers and fishermen who take part as a vow of penance or thanksgiving.

The usual origin story points to Mogpog. The origin is traced to Mogpog in 1887, when parish priest Dionisio Santiago organized it for the first time. The Globe guide also credits that priest during the Spanish period. Some local guides give an earlier date, so the exact year is best treated as traditionally reported, not settled.

The name itself comes from Spanish. The term comes from morrion, a Spanish word for a type of helmet worn in the 16th and 17th centuries, which the festival’s helmets imitate. Wikipedia also notes the similarity to the Moors and Christians festival in Valencia, Spain, and treats a link to the word moros as almost certain.

Morions, masks and panata

The morion is the masked and costumed participant. The masks are hand-made. Skilled artisans carve wood, then layer lacquer and detail to bring the fierce faces to life. The Globe guide also says that in some cases more elaborate decoration can reflect how often the wearer has taken part.

The panata is a personal vow. Many participants join to fulfill a panata, wearing the mask as a sign of devotion and an appeal for blessings. Some wear the costume in the heat for days.

This changes how you should watch. A morion hiding a face is not a mascot at a fair. Read the rules in the etiquette section below before you raise a camera.

Is it a seven-day or an eight-day festival?

Sources differ, and this affects your planning.

Wikipedia describes morions roaming town streets from Holy Monday to Easter Sunday.
Tourism listings and travel guides often frame the observance as running from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.

The practical answer is to plan for Holy Week as a whole. Palm Sunday Masses open the week. Street presence of morions is most visible from Holy Monday and builds toward the weekend. A tourism-calendar listing shows the festival as March 21 to 28, 2027, but that is a date frame, not a rites timetable. Another travel site lists March 22 to 28. Use the frame that matches your own plans, and check the municipal calendar before you commit to a day.

Holy Week 2027 in the Philippines: day-by-day frame

Use this table as a calendar frame only. The “typical pattern” column describes what Moriones towns have done in the past, based on the 2026 calendar and general descriptions. It does not promise 2027 hours.

Date (2027)	Day	Typical pattern in Marinduque	2027 town schedule
March 21	Palm Sunday	Palm blessing at parish Masses	Pending
March 22	Holy Monday	Morion parades begin in some towns	Pending
March 23	Holy Tuesday	Parades and street activity continue	Pending
March 24	Holy Wednesday	Parades in some towns	Pending
March 25	Maundy Thursday	Mass of the Lord’s Supper; Bisita Iglesia church visits	Pending
March 26	Good Friday	Via Crucis; solemn observance	Pending
March 27	Black Saturday	Quiet day; some pugutan plays have been staged in some towns	Pending
March 28	Easter Sunday	Pugutan reenactments in several towns	Pending

For context on how a published schedule looks, the 2026 calendar was announced by the Marinduque tourism office with a note that schedules may change. The Globe guide listed 2026 town events, including a Good Friday Via Crucis in Boac and Mogpog and Easter Sunday pugutan scenes in Boac, Torrijos and Mogpog. Those were 2026 dates. They are completed events and should not be reused as 2027 timings.

Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are national holidays in the Philippines. Timeanddate notes that government offices, schools and most major establishments close on Good Friday, and that public transport is reduced, so travelers should plan ahead.

Where is Moriones held? Town guide

Sources differ on which towns host which rites, and the lineup can change by year. Wikipedia names Boac, Gasan, Santa Cruz, Buenavista and Mogpog as the main stages. The 2026 calendar published by Globe also showed parades or reenactments in Torrijos. Check which towns announce programs for 2027.

Town	What it is known for	2027 hours
Boac	Provincial capital, cathedral, largest crowds. Morion parades and the Good Friday Via Crucis were held here in 2026	Pending
Mogpog	Traditionally credited as the birthplace of the Moryonan. Pugutan and Via Crucis scenes were listed here in 2026	Pending
Gasan	Daily morion parades in 2026 and a pugutan play over Good Friday and Black Saturday	Pending
Santa Cruz	Named in several guides as a pugutan and Moriones stage. Confirm current-year participation	Pending
Torrijos	Morion parade and pugutan listed in the 2026 calendar	Pending
Buenavista	Morion parade listed in 2026	Pending

If you can only base yourself in one place, choose by the schedule you can confirm, not by a blog’s favorite town. The island is small enough to travel between towns, but processions close roads.

What else happens during Marinduque Holy Week

The Moriones are only part of the week. Other observances you may meet:

Pabasa ng Pasyon: the sung reading of the Passion in verse, often held in homes and chapels. Wikipedia mentions the pabasa, or recitation of Christ’s passion in verse in the towns.
Santo Sepulcro: per Wikipedia, at three o’clock on Good Friday afternoon, old women exchange Bible verses in a wake for the dead Christ.
Via Crucis: a street reenactment of Christ’s walk to Calvary.
Bisita Iglesia: the Catholic custom of visiting seven churches, usually on Maundy Thursday.
Pasyong Dula: the Globe guide lists this passion play among the festival highlights.

Some Via Crucis rites include acts of penance, which Wikipedia describes as self-inflicted suffering such as whipping or carrying a wooden cross. These can be distressing. Children and sensitive viewers may want to skip them.

How to get to Marinduque for Holy Week 2027

Marinduque is an island province, so most trips mix a land leg in Luzon with a ferry. A Marinduque travel guide lists three common ferry routes from Lucena: Balanacan in Mogpog, Cawit in Boac and Buyabod in Santa Cruz. The same guide says ferries are at or near capacity on Wednesday and Thursday outbound and again on Easter Monday on the return. That is a private guide, not an operator timetable, so confirm sailings with the shipping line.

Practical planning:

Book your crossing before you fix a photo plan. Holy Week demand is the main bottleneck.
Arrive at least one day before the rite you most want to see.
Confirm your return crossing. The week after Easter Sunday is busy.
Check airline schedules if you plan to fly. Marinduque flight schedules change, so verify live inventory.

This article does not give ferry fares or flight prices because they are not confirmed for 2027.

Where to stay

A private Marinduque guide published in June 2026 says accommodation is tight in Holy Week. It reports that central Boac books out about a month ahead and that established beachfront resorts fill with repeat visitors. Treat that as an advisory from a third-party site, not an official availability report.

A simple approach:

Pick the town whose schedule you have confirmed.
Message the property directly and ask about Holy Week dates and deposits.
Choose a base within walking or short tricycle distance of the parish or plaza.
Allow extra time for road closures during processions.

This guide does not list room rates, because 2027 prices are not published.

Visitor etiquette: how to watch respectfully

Moriones is a religious rite. These rules are consistent across the tourism and travel sources used here.

Do not ask a morion to remove a mask or pose on request.
Never touch, lift or try on a mask during a procession.
Stay out of the procession lane. Let bearers and walkers pass.
Dress modestly for church: covered shoulders and knees.
Keep quiet during Mass, pabasa and services.
Keep flash off near faces and inside churches.
Do not copy a morion costume to join the line. The Globe guide notes that the mask carries cultural and religious significance.
On Good Friday, avoid loud music, drinking and eating meat in public. Timeanddate notes that many Filipinos refrain from loud music and alcohol, and most Catholics abstain from meat on this day.

What to bring

Sunscreen, a hat and a refillable water bottle. March is hot.
Comfortable walking shoes.
Small bills in cash for tricycles and market stalls.
A power bank for long days outdoors.
A light layer for late-night pabasa or sea crossings.

Where Moriones fits in the Philippine festival calendar

Moriones is a Lenten rite, so it differs from the street-dance festivals many travelers have in mind. For the January Santo Niño celebrations, see our January festivals in the Philippines guide. For the wider picture, start with the complete guide to festivals in the Philippines. If you are new to the idea of a town fiesta, read what fiestas are. For another Catholic folk tradition, see the Obando fertility dance.

How to check the official 2027 schedule

Do this in order, and book refundable options until a town publishes its hours:

Check the Province of Marinduque website and the Marinduque tourism office social pages for the 2027 calendar. For 2026, the tourism office shared its Moryonan calendar on its Facebook page in March.
Contact the municipal tourism office of the town you plan to visit.
Ask the parish about Mass, Via Crucis and procession times.
Re-check a few days before travel. Published schedules may change.

As of November 10, 2026, no official 2027 town-level schedule was found for this update. Any timetable you see for 2027 that is not from a town, parish or the provincial government should be treated as unconfirmed.

FAQ

When is the Moriones Festival in 2027?

It takes place during Holy Week. Holy Week 2027 runs from Palm Sunday on March 21 to Easter Sunday on March 28. Official town schedules for 2027 are pending, so confirm hours with the Marinduque tourism office, town halls and parishes.

Where is the Moriones Festival held?

It is held in the towns of Marinduque. Wikipedia names Boac, Gasan, Santa Cruz, Buenavista and Mogpog, and 2026 calendars also listed Torrijos. Which towns host which rites can change each year.

What is the Moriones Festival about?

It reenacts the story of Longinus, a Roman centurion whose sight was restored at the crucifixion. Participants wear masks and Roman-style costumes. Many do so as a panata, a personal vow of penance or thanksgiving.

Is the Moriones Festival free to watch?

Public street rites and plaza reenactments are generally open to onlookers, though no official 2027 ticketing information was found. Confirm with the town if a venue uses reserved seating. Ferry, lodging and food costs are separate and unconfirmed for 2027.

Can tourists wear a morion mask or join the procession?

No. The mask is part of a religious vow for many wearers, so visitors should watch from the side. Do not touch masks, ask for removal, or step into the procession.

How is Moriones different from Ati-Atihan or Sinulog?

Those are January street-dance festivals honoring the Santo Niño. Moriones is a Marinduque Holy Week rite built around Christ’s Passion and the Longinus story. Treat it as a devotional observance, not a street party.

Sources

Reviewed on November 10, 2026. Time-sensitive details, especially town schedules, ferry times and lodging, must be confirmed locally.

“Moriones Festival.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moriones_Festival
“Moriones.” Tourism Promotions Board, Department of Tourism. https://tpb.gov.ph/events/moriones-festival/
“Beyond the Mask: Exploring the Moriones Festival’s History and Significance.” Globe, Globe Telecom, April 23, 2026. https://www.globe.com.ph/blog/moriones-festival-history-significance (2026 schedules cited as past events only)
“Good Friday 2027 in Philippines.” timeanddate.com. https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/philippines/good-friday
Marinduque Tourism Office. “MORYONAN 2026” calendar post, Facebook, March 11, 2026. https://www.facebook.com/MarinduqueTourismOffice/
Province of Marinduque official website. https://marinduque.gov.ph/
Department of Tourism, Marinduque destination page. https://www.tourism.gov.ph/destination/mimaropa/marinduque/

Moriones Festival Marinduque: Holy Week Rites and Visitor Guide