Philippine E-Journals

Space and Communicative Practices: The Lived Experiences of Quiapo Devotees

Maria Gwenetha Ybanez Pusta

 

Abstract:

The research investigated on Quiapo Church as a space and as a place shaping the communicative and spatial practices of devotee mothers. Henri Lefebre;s Teory on the Production of Space was utilized in identifying and understanding the factors affecting one’s perception on space with devotee mothers as the subjects in this study. The spaces in Quiapo has greatly influenced the communicative and spatial practices of the devotee mothers. The spaces inside the church form the intrapersonal communication of mothers while the spaces outside the church produce interpersonal communication. Intrapersonal communication commences when mothers starts to communicate with God, this can be seen through the spatial practices such as doing the sign of the cross, murmurings, genufleeting, chanting and praying. On the other hand, interpersonal communication occurs outside the church when mothers start to communicate with vendors and traders. Quiapo as a place and space shapes peoples’ communicative practices. Thus, it can now be perceived as the ‘microcosm of the society.