Jhon Dave Cusipag

In Morong, Rizal, faith takes shape in ‘Cordero’ tradition

The procession of "Cordero" on the street of Morong on Maundy Thursday, April 2, 2026. Daniel Jacob, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

<div><br/><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775212406145DNL_5580.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">An ornate and edible lamb called &quot;Cordero,&quot; made with mashed potatoes mixed with milk and sugar. <em>Daniel Jacob, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span>MORONG, Rizal — It is a common tradition during Maundy Thursday for Filipino Catholics to participate in a solemn pilgrimage by visiting seven churches to pray and reflect.</div><p>But in the town of Morong, a different Holy Week practice continues to draw the community together.</p><p>A few kilometers from Antipolo City — home to the Antipolo Cathedral and the destination of pilgrims who take part in Alay Lakad — the Cordero tradition remains a defining part of Maundy Thursday in Morong.</p><p>The Cordero, Spanish for “lamb,” is an ornate, edible delicacy shaped to resemble the Lamb of God. Made from mashed potatoes mixed with milk and sugar, it is placed on a decorated wooden platform and carried in a procession through the streets of Morong before being brought to the Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Saint Jerome for a blessing.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775213840546DNL_5621.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The Cordero is made from potatoes mixed with milk and sugar. <em>Daniel Jacob, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775213627862DNL_5567.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The &quot;Cordero&quot; is placed on a wooden platform and paraded in front of the St. Jerome Parish Church. <em>Daniel Jacob, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span>For locals, the tradition is both a religious expression and a shared community experience.</div><p>John Raven Manansala, a Morongueño and member of the Knights of St. Jerome and the Knights of Columbus, said the tradition reflects the enduring devotion and faith of local Catholics in Morong during the Lenten season.</p><p>“Ang Haing Kordero ay isang tradisyon na maraming siglo na ang nakaraan sa aming bayan… Natatangi lamang sa bayan ng Morong,” Manansala said.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1304757254893529%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>According to a <a href="https://www.asj.upd.edu.ph/mediabox/archive/ASJ-45-1and2-2009/calma.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">study</a> by Edric Calma, preparation for the Cordero begins within the community, where residents help shape the lamb, decorate the platform, and organize the procession. This shared effort is called “panunulungan.”</p><p>One of the residents who participated in this year’s Cordero is Gloria Serrano, who has lived in Morong since 1940. For her, the meaning of the tradition is rooted in service.</p><p>“Para pagsilbihan namin ‘yung mga kapwa tao namin,” Serrano said. “[Pati na] unang-una si Jesus.”</p><p>Sponsors, known as the hermano and hermana, host the ritual and open their homes as the starting point of the procession.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775213951628DNL_5701.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Washing of feet during the Mass of the Lord&#x27;s Supper at the Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Saint Jerome in Morong, Rizal. <em>Daniel Jacob, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1775214047017IMG_0093.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" data-gramm="false" data-qb-tmp-id="lt-357963" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">Pieces of the &quot;Cordero&quot; are sliced and shared with the community. <em>Daniel Jacob, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span>As the Cordero reaches the parish, it becomes part of the Maundy Thursday liturgy.</div><p>“Pagdating sa parokya ay sisimulan na ang Banal na Misa, [kung saan] ginaganap na din natin ang paghuhugas ng paa,” Manansala added, referring to the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.</p><p>After the blessing, the lamb is sliced and shared among participants, while its head is passed on to the next set of hermano and hermana, symbolizing the continuity of the tradition.</p><p>For the people of Morong, the Cordero is more than a Holy Week ritual; it is a living reflection of faith expressed through community, service, and devotion.</p>

<p>A few kilometers from Antipolo City—home to the Antipolo Cathedral and the destination of pilgrims who take part in Alay Lakad—the Cordero tradition remains a defining part of Maundy Thursday in Morong, Rizal.</p>

A few kilometers from Antipolo City—home to the Antipolo Cathedral and the destination of pilgrims who take part in Alay Lakad—the Cordero tradition remains a defining part of Maundy Thursday in Morong, Rizal.

In Morong, Rizal, faith takes shape in ‘Cordero’ tradition

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In Morong, Rizal, faith takes shape in ‘Cordero’ tradition

Jhon Dave Cusipag and Daniel Jacob,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 03, 2026 08:04 PM PHT

Read More:

Cordero

Morong

Rizal

Holy Week

Maundy Thursday

Semana Santa

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