Former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama holds a news conference at the Rama Compound on Wednesday to announce that Buhing Kalbaryo 2017 will push through on Good Friday in spite of several difficulties encountered by the production group. With him are Ian Fuentes (first from left), Rolly Diorico (second from right) and Jojo Labella overall director.
CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON
For 20 years, it has become an annual event in the City of Cebu that has drawn hundreds of spectators from all walks of life.
Every Friday of Holy Week, actors, some of them city officials, bring to the stage the passion and death of Jesus Christ in a play entitled “Buhing Kalbaryo.”
But while the drama has become a staple of sorts each Good Friday in Cebu City, for the first time in its decades-old history, the play will move from its fixed venue at the Guadalupe Church grounds to a private lot, some meters away from the church this year.
And for the first time, organizers are finding Kalbaryo’s successful staging as their own personal calvaries as well.
Overall production and creative director Elmer Labella, younger brother of opposition Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, said funding problems and the sudden change of venue are the major setbacks encountered.
“We don’t have Guadalupe Church grounds anymore. It’s really unfortunate. But we get by,” Labella said in a press conference.
“The budget . . . this is what we call ‘kalbaryo’ pud. But this project madayon gyud,” project director Rolly Diorico added.
(The budget is what we call our calvary too. But this project will push through.)
Private sponsors like construction and development companies, malls and bake shops have stepped in to help fund the play, organizers said.
Buhing Kalbaryo, which starts in the morning of Good Friday at the San Nicolas Parish Church, depicts the days of Jesus Christ prior to his crucifixion until his death in Mt. Calvary.
Usually sponsored by the Cebu City government for 19 years, the play traditionally ended at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church where a mock crucifixion took place at 3 p.m.
This year, while organizers did not have a problem booking San Nicolas Church, where the first scenes will be played out, they could no longer use Guadalupe Church for the finale.
Priests of the parish declined the use of the church grounds this year as they had other activities lined up on Good Friday.
According to Diorico, repeated appeals to the priests to convince them to change their minds were unheeded; which led organizers to scout for a new venue.
A private lot near Guadalupe Church owned by the family of businessman Erik Espina, son of former senator and Cebu governor Rene Espina, will be used as the alternative site for the remaining scenes of the passion play.
Former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama, the over-all chairman of Buhing Kalbaryo, told reporters that he was not losing hope that the needed logistics would come even as cast members, he said, were beginning to shell out their own money for the play.
“The most important thing is money will come if all will be helping,” Rama said.
There are about 160 cast members and production staff involved in the staging of Buhing Kalbaryo.
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