Paying no mind to the beating sun, groups of men walk single file, their bare feet touching the hot asphalt of Mandaluyong’s streets and alleyways on Maundy Thursday.

Their blood mixing with sweat, the men whipped themselves rhythmically in a show of faith, faces grimacing under red hoods turning their devotion into a spectacle for dozens of onlookers.

Every Holy Week, groups flock to the various makeshift stations found in Barangay Poblacion as penance for their perceived sins or as a vow for wishes yet to be granted or already given.

Despite repeated disapproval from the Catholic Church, self-flagellation continues as a Holy Week ritual in many parts of the Philippines, with the penitents believing the practice allows them to physically and emotionally connect with Jesus Christ’s suffering.

Aside from self-flagellation, some penitents show faith by participating in Passion Plays or the Senakulo. Here, the actors blur performance with asceticism, carrying full-sized wooden crosses for kilometers under the scorching heat. Though not as painful, the practice is physically demanding, with some participants stumbling and collapsing from exhaustion.