Buhing Kalbaryo: 26 years of devotion, cultivation of homegrown talents

Buhing Kalbaryo last act.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Henry Echavez has been part of the Buhing Kalbaryo, a reenactment of the sufferings and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, for over a decade now.

Echavez said his love for Christ makes him join the play each year.

From playing a role in the annual play, Echavez would now take part as one of the directors of the 26th year of the Buhing Kalbaryo.

Just like Echavez, co-director and actor Clefren Dumaguit said his faith is also the reason why he keeps joining the play.  And this year, he will be sharing the stage for the Last Supper scene with his son.

“Panata na g’yod ni siya namo kay bisan pa og mangawala na mi, naa may mga sumusunod,” Dumaguit said.

For Mark Rosales, an executive director of the play, the annual Buhing Kalbaryo is now part of his life.

“Kada tuig [ni]. Kung way [Buhing] Kalbaryo, dili ma kompleto,” he said.

READ: ‘Buhing Kalbaryo’ expected to draw thousands of devotees, spectators this year

Not just for entertainment

Elmer “Jojo” Labella, creative consultant of the 26th Buhing Kalbaryo, said the Cebuano play that would be staged on Good Friday, April 7, is not just for entertainment.

The annual play that was organized by the Cebu City government was also a way to evangelize, especially since the faithful need ‘spiritual refuelling’ during the Holy Week.

And as they evangelize, Labella said, they also continue to innovate to make the Cebuanos watch the annual play that features homegrown talents.

This year, two actors would play the role of Jesus during the duration of the five-hour play.

John Michael “Angel” Calay, 21, would play the role of Jesus from the start of the play until the Via Crusis.

Another Cebuano actor, Raffy Anor, would appear in the crucifixion scene.

Next year, organizers are planning to venture into a musical production, Labella said.

Birth of Buhing Kalbaryo

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, along with local creatives, conceptualized and produced the first-ever Buhing Kalbaryo play in 1997.  Rama was still a City Councilor then.

They worked closely with Monsignor Esteban Binghay, the former parish priest of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish; Monsignor Jose Montecillo; and Monsignor Rommel Kintanar to make the street play become part of the Cebuano’s Holy Week tradition.

The annual play would start at the grounds of the San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish in Barangay San Nicolas Proper at 10 a.m. on Good Friday.  It starts with the baptism of Jesus and ends with the  symbolic washing of the hands of Pontius Pilate to show that he was not responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus because it was what the people wanted.

A Via Crucis or the “Station of the Cross” would then be held along V. Rama Avenue.  The actor playing the role of Jesus Christ would carry a wooden cross as he traverses the national highway and makes a stop at each of the different stations of the cross.

The crucifixion of Jesus or the play’s Pieta scene, which also serves as its finale, would then be held in an open area in Barangay Guadalupe at exactly 3 p.m.

When the play started, its Pieta scene was held at the compound of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.  In 1994, the Buhing Kalbaryo crucifixion scene was transferred to the Espina Compound, still in Barangay Guadalupe.

Huge crowd 

Labella said members of their team worked very hard for this year’s play.

This year’s executive directors, that include Neal Henry Echavez, Mark Rosales, Clefren Dumaguit, and Marcian Fuentes, were also part of the original casts of the play.  Its art director is Josephus Caballes.

Labela said they expect an even bigger crowd to witness the play on Good Friday, the second that they would stage since the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.

The implementation of pandemic restrictions in 2020 caused a temporary suspension of the annual play together with other Holy Week activities.

Buhing Kalbaryo made a comeback in 2022.

Labella said they hope to draw thousands of spectators in this year’s play.

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/dcb