Jesus Christ carries a cross as he heads to Mount Calvary — a scene in the Buhing Kalbaryo, one of the most anticipated Holy Week activities played in Cebu City on Good Friday.| Delta Dyrecka Letigio (file photo)
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Buhing Kalbaryo, the street play depicting the Passion of Christ that has become a Lenten tradition in Cebu City will be returning this Holy Week 2022.
This is after Mayor Michael Rama has given the verbal go for traditional Lenten activities to return since the city has reached herd immunity and the COVID-19 situation has improved.
Since Holy Week 2020, the street play was done online with replays of previous years due to the restrictions of the pandemic.
This year, Mayor Rama, who founded the play in 1997, is determined to bring the play back on the streets.
“The Buhing Kalbaryo never stopped. But this year, we should expect the Buhing Kalbaryo to be back. In fact, they have been practicing. I just need to know where they are now,” the mayor told CDN Digital.
Elmer “Jojo” Labella will be leading the 25th Buhing Kalbaryo this year that is expected to have a grand return.
“Silver anniversary man ron ato pang panindotan. Unya naa pud bag-o nga konsepto,” said Labella.
(This is the silver anniversary so we will make it better. And we have a new concept.)
Stations of the Cross are already being put up along V. Rama Street going to Guadalupe Church as the path of the procession for the street play.
The 14 stations are placed at regular intervals along the route.
“Dako kaayo ni nga trabaho kay nindoton nato ang Stations of the Cross. Dili ni pareha sa una ang porma kay butangan nato og nindot nga hulagway basi sa bag-o nga stations of the cross nga gihatag sa simbahan,” said Archie Estoconing, who will design the stations.
(It is a big job to make our Stations of the Cross a better show. The way it is done is not like before because we will put nice looks of the new stations of the cross that the church has given us.)
The street play is not only a performance but also a prayer where many Catholic residents of the city join in the procession and pray the Stations of the Cross while witnessing the story relived before their very eyes.
Hundreds to thousands of residents traditionally join the procession.
Rama said that he founded the play as both an offering and sacrifice to God for Lent.
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