the risen Christ talks to his disciples during a performance at the Our Lady of Guadalupe de Cebu Church grounds. (CDN PHOTO/CHRISTIAN MANINGO)
She has always wanted to play an angel so she became one, for four years now.
Clad in a white dress made by her mother, with wings and a halo to boot, 12-year-old Joyce Villacarlos was one of the girls dressed as angels “flying” in the air in body harnesses during the Sugat presentation held at Minglanilla sports complex at Easter Sunday dawn.
“Ganahan man jud ko ma-angel so ni-volunteer jud ko (I really want to be an angel so I volunteered to join the cast),” she told Cebu Daily News.
Known as the “Sugat Capital of the South,” an estimated 100,000 spectators watched the production made by the town’s cast headed by their overall director Marvie Bastida Caño.
Villacarlos, a Grade 6 student of Minglanilla Special Science Elementary School, played one of the angels floating in the background while the risen Christ meets with the Blessed Virgin Mary.
“It hurts when you are hanging at the stage. But this is one of the little sacrifices I know that I can offer to God, knowing that I am doing this for His greater glory,” Villacarlos said.
Her mother Mary Jane said she’s always nervous every time she sees her daughter hanging in a harness during the Sugat performance.
But the elder Villacarlos said she could not deprive her daughter of the chance to perform in the annual religious event.
Despite the pain on her thighs due to the harness, Villacarlos said it’s a small sacrifice to pay for showing her devotion to Jesus Christ.
“Sugat,” a Cebuano word for “meeting”, reenacts the meeting of the risen Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Spectators were able to witness a fight scene between St. Michael the Archangel and Lucifer before the dramatic “meeting” of the risen Christ and Mary.
An “angel” was also lowered from the ceiling to remove the black veil of the Virgin Mary, signaling the start of the joyful celebration of Easter.
A fireworks display ended the “Sugat” in Minglanilla.
A foot procession followed in which the images of the risen Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary were brought from the sports complex to the church, where an Easter Mass was held.
Caño, this year’s overall director, said unlike in recent years, the cast including those involved in backstage production, are locals of the town.
an actor playing the risen Jesus Christ walks outside the tomb in a reenactment of the ‘Sugat’ performance at the Chapel of Holy Relics, Tabor Hills, Talamban. (CDN PHOTO/SAMMY NAVAJA)
“This has been a mandate to us to localize everyone. We will not accept those who are from other towns which had been the situation for years. We want also to utilize our own talents,” he said.
He said they want their out-of-school youths to do something productive rather than engage in vices.
The vibrant tangerine backdrop of the production depicts the dawn or new beginnings and sign of new hope, which they had all put together.
“On being appointed as the director, I was faced with the challenge of doing away with Cebu City-based choreographers and directors. I had doubts but I don’t want to disappoint,” he said.
Caño has been working behind the scenes for the Sugat for 12 years. “This year is different. We highlighted the importance of the spirituality depicted by the Sugat especially the resurrection of Christ,” he said.
Aside from the “Sugat” reenactment for the Easter Sunday, a cultural festival contest closed the annual Easter Sunday observance at 4 p.m. Chief Insp. Franco Oriol, Minglanilla police chief, said no major incident was recorded.
“What we noticed is that the venue is becoming too small for the crowd. There were a lot of people that some could not even get into the complex,” Oriol said.