Last week, I was at the shrine in Antipolo (Antipolo Simbahan) for church as well as passing the area to get to City Hall for a workshop. After our workshop on a Tuesday morning, as I walked back to where I parked, I spotted these two - one wearing a furry outfit and the other cosplaying as Spiderman. You see these mostly in malls and tourist attractions like amusement parks. Apparently, they're in the area because the shrine in Antipolo attracts a lot of visitors especially pilgrims. They solicit money from people taking photos with them. They are popular with children. People place their money into the boxes each character has at the spot where they're standing and waving to people.
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| I thought maybe it was hot inside these costumes. Even with a fan, the sweltering heat would likely make it uncomfortable. And on a Tuesday, it seems there weren't many people even for Antipolo's shrine. |
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| I actually didn't notice the one dressed as Spiderman so had to take this photo as I walked past them. |
I wonder if these are also at Quiapo or Baclaran? It's probably if not actually a form of mendicancy. But rather than looking kawawa like the typical beggars you find at street corners and intersections, these are dressed up and attract people via the photo ops. Yesterday, there were a number of them dressed as Capybaras inside a shopping mall in San Juan. I guess its a better way of marketing to earn a living?
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