Halloween parties last until dawn on Boracay. (Photo by Jun Aguirre)
Halloween parties on the resort island of Boracay in the central Philippines have angered a priest who described the costumes worn by party goers as "awful" and sexually suggestive.
Halloween should be a "sacred event" not a time for "trick or treat," said Father Tudd Belandres, parish priest of the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish.
"We are celebrating the day of all saints," said the priest. "It is awful that many are wearing scary costumes while remembering our departed loved ones," he said.
Boracay is a major tourist destination famous for its white sands and beautiful sunsets that attract thousands of visitors every year, especially during holidays.
Resorts across the island promised visitors "wickedly fun deals" this year that include transforming used cans into "Frankenstein Bowling Pins" to teach children the value of recycling.
But Father Belandres said he was disappointed that the parties were designed only to lure tourists instead on focusing on prayers during the observance of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day this week.
The priest has organized a "living rosary" to mark the end of the observance of the "Holy Rosary Month" of October.
People in Boracay, however, seem to just want to have fun on an island considered to have one of the best beaches in the world.