The Poblacion we see today is bold, loud, and full of life, but that’s just one layer of its identity. This Makati district is also a place of heritage and faith. Beneath all the nightlife is a cultural district with deep roots and quiet traditions.

Once a year, during Holy Week, the noise gives way to the Kalbaryo, a tradition that began in the early 20th century.

I joined WanderManila’s third edition of the Sampiro Kalbaryo Tour, a special walk that only happens on Maundy Thursday. We visited Kalbaryos, also called kubols or street chapels, located throughout Poblacion. 

Alpha Sports

Pars Club

Mural showing Poblacion’s deep faith

These chapels are built specifically for the pabasa or pasyon, the continuous chanting of Christ’s passion during Holy Week. 

Benjamin Canapi, WanderManila’s lead guide, walked us through about 30 of the 50 Kalbaryos.

Map grabbed from Makati Kultura

The tradition takes its name from Sampiro, a nickname dating back to 1620, when the Jesuits built San Pedro Church as the center of Catholic faith in the area. Over time, residents began using Sampiro not just for the church, but for the entire town.

Kalbaryo comes from Calvary, the hill where Jesus was crucified. In Filipino, the word has also come to mean hardship or great suffering. In Poblacion, it is both symbolic and literal. The neighborhood slopes uphill, and walking from one kubol to another in the summer heat can feel like a small kalbaryo in itself.

The first Kalbaryo, from the Samahang Ilaya, was set up in the early 1900s by a family who placed a simple grotto outside their home for the pabasa. It drew such a following that other households followed, and created their own street chapels. 

Ilaya

Over time, the Kalbaryos grew in number, artistry, and devotion. It is considered an honor to be granted permission to build one. Remarkably, every group that has ever built a Kalbaryo continues to do so. No one has backed out. The tradition has only been paused during World War II and the COVID-19 pandemic.

You will know how important they are when you realize that some Kalbaryos block entire streets, a rare sight in busy Makati. Police are even deployed to help with traffic and ensure safety. Some chapels are built as early as two weeks before Holy Week.

Unlike the traditional 14 Stations of the Cross, the Kalbaryos do not follow a fixed sequence. The saints and images depend on what the families or groups have. You will find depictions like Santisimo Cristo del Mayor Dolor, Jesus Before Annas, and Jesus Before Caiaphas.

Santisimo Cristo del Mayor Dolor

The Kalbaryos also display QR codes where visitors can scan to learn more about the history and the devotion behind each one.

We passed by some of the oldest Kalbaryos still standing, including those by Makati Sporting, Happy XII, Likod Simbahan, Makati V8, and Poultry. 

Makati Sporting

Samahang Likod ng Simbahan

Makati V8 Poultry

This year, Happy XII marks its centennial this year. Makati V8 is believed to have the oldest entiero in Poblacion.

It is almost surreal walking through Poblacion and imagining it as the quiet riverside town it once was.

Back then, a hermana mayor would traditionally lead each Kalbaryo. But as the costs grew, communities formed hermandads, brotherhoods dedicated to continuing the devotion. Today, you will often see the names of donors beside each kubol, a reflection of how tightly knit these communities still are.

Many of the groups behind the Kalbaryos have proudly Filipino names, often playful or tied to local history. There is Samahang Bla-gag, from the sound of someone falling off a chair. D' SAINT stands for Samahang Ilalim ng Tulay. Samahang Hi-lander represents those who live on higher ground. Some names are portmanteaus that reflect Makati’s past, like BoMaRiz (Bonifacio, Makati, Rizal) and SantiMaRiz (Santiago, Makati, Rizal), reminders that Makati was once part of Rizal Province. Poultry got its name from the farm that once stood there. Simba Likod and Likod Simbahan may sound like the same group, but they are actually two different Kalbaryos. Both are found behind the church, although they should not be confused with each other.

Bla-gag

D' SAINT

BOMARIZ

Simba Likod

The BoMaRiz group sets up their Kalbaryo inside one of the few remaining Bahay na Bato from the American era in Poblacion.

Some Kalbaryos have become permanent structures, like those of Happy 12, Makati Sporting, Poultry, Makati V8, Samahang Likod ng Simbahan, and SBS.