Passion play still draws more visitors

An actor playing the role of a Roman soldier whips Jesus Christ, played by Raffy Anor, as he carries the wooden cross along the streets of Cebu City during the Buhing Kalbaryo/ (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

It was a cast of 200, a number of them out-of-school youth, who brought to life the passion and death of Jesus Christ in the streets of Cebu City.

The street drama of Christ’s  passion and death, which has become a tradition in Cebu City on Good Friday, was witnessed by thousands of spectators, some of them foreigners like Ilona Vierveijzer, 27, of the Netherlands.

Vierveijzer said she and her friend spent their Holy Week here in the Philippines and, specifically, came here to Cebu to witness the event annually sponsored by Cebu City government.

“We knew this (event) will happen (Buhing Kalbaryo). We checked the FB (facebook) page Semana Santa, and we came here (in Cebu City),” she said.

Vierveijzer, who works in the Statistics Bureau of the City of Amsterdam, is not a Roman Catholic, but she said she was not only impressed but was also moved by the acting of the cast.

The passion play started at the San Nicolas Parish Church at 10:30 a.m. and ended at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church where a mock crucifixion of Christ took place at  3 p.m.

The 19th Buhing Kalbaryo had Raffy Anor, 26, playing the role of Jesus Christ, a role he has played in the past four years.

“Nalipay ko kay dako pud ilang pagsalig (I feel honored that they trust me with the role),” Anor said.

Bea Clarisse Raboy, played the role of Mother Mary this year – a role played by former Cebu City councilor Joy Pesquera during last year’s Buhing Kalbaryo.

Pesquera would have taken on Mother Mary’s role this year, but she was advised by lawyer Marchel Sarno, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Cebu City North District election officer, not to proceed with playing the role.

This is because of the Comelec rule which prohibits a candidate to show, display or exhibit publicly in a theater wherein the candidate himself is an actor. Pesquera is running for city councilor in the coming elections.

Raboy, who was a Ms. Cebu 2016 candidate and a City Hall employee, said, in an earlier interview, that she has been rehearsing since the first week of March as a backup actress for Pesquera.

Jojo Abella, city public information officer and Buhing Kalbaryo overall director, said that the crowd this year was even bigger than last year by at least 1,000 to 2,000.

He based his estimates on the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church grounds which was filled up unlike last year.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, for his part, said that the city has not yet shelled out the budget for the event and was thankful to the private sector who helped make the event a success.

He said that the city government uses its logistics and manpower for the event.

He added he is happy that the annual event keeps growing each year.