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Devotees cover themselves in mud and dried banana leaves to celebrate the Taong Putik (“mud people”) Festival on June 24, 2021 in the village of Bibiclat in Aliaga town, Nueva Ecija province, Philippines. Each year, the residents of Bibiclat village in Aliaga town celebrate the Feast of Saint John by covering themselves in mud, dried banana leaves, vines, and twigs as part of a little-known Catholic festival which traces its history from the Pacific War and reenacts how rain stopped the execution of 14 villagers by Japanese soldiers in 1944. The townsfolk considered this as a miracle from Saint John, and every year since then the villagers roll in mud to show their gratitude to the saint. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, limits remain imposed on religious gatherings as part of government lockdown measures, and devotees have been advised to celebrate in their homes. With more than 1,372,000 cases and more than 23,000 deaths, the Philippines is one of the worst coronavirus-hit countries in Southeast Asia, despite imposing the longest lockdown in the world. (Photo by Ezra Acayan/Getty Images)
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