Buhing Kalbaryo to proceed sans support from City Hall

CEBU, Philippines - Despite time, funding, and logistics constraints, the organizers of “Buhing Kalbaryo” in Cebu City will push through with the annual stage play on Good Friday.

Former mayor Michael Rama, founder of Buhing Kalbaryo, said the play will be presented to the public as long as Team Rama is around.

“Skeptics and doubters have always been in the thinking that there will be no Buhing Kalbaryo. However, I’ve always been telling them in the same manner that Team Rama…team Rama will be there for as long as the team will be around,” he told reporters during a press conference yesterday.

Rama said the stage play will still thrive even without the support of the city government, saying that there were several years that it did not also get funding from the city.

“I know that they will not give. They will never give. I do not have to ask because I know they will reject,” he said, adding that he is willing to accept assistance from City Hall should the current administration will assist the success of the project which started when Rama was still a councilor in 1997.

Rolly Diorico, project director, said one of the major challenges that they are facing is the venue for the location of the reenactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ which is supposedly at the Our Lady of Guadalupe de Cebu Parish Church ground.

“We were told to seek for an endorsement from Archbishop Jose Palma. We secured it. We tried several times to schedule the activity at the Guadalupe Church but we were asked for several endorsements from the archbishop and we don’t want to hassle the archbishop that’s why we changed the venue,” he said.

Diorico said the play will still start at 10:30 a.m. at San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish on C. Padilla Street.

Elmer “Jojo” Labella, logistics director, said the organizers would have wanted to have the Guadalupe Church ground but the church also has its own activity.

For this year, he said the reenactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ will be held two blocks away from the Guadalupe Church which is at the residence of Eric Espina.

“We just want to prevent controversies with the church. Wala lang pod mi ga think og any controversies lang pod that’s why we just followed,” Labella said.

As of now, he said there are 160 casts and organizers working for the stage play. He said they started for two weeks now, short of the ideal two-month practice.

For the funding, Diorico said the organizers are grateful to accept donations and sponsorships to raise the P500,000 cost of the production. He said the group will be using their old and previous costumes to save funds.

Raffy Anor will again play the role of Jesus Christ. It will be his sixth consecutive years.

“Bisan og daghang problema among nasugatan pareha sa budget ug mga casting, ug kaning venue namo, padayon gihapon mi kay nahog ni nga panata nako ba nga pasalamat pod sa Ginoo sa tanang gihatag nga blessings niya diri namo,” he said.

Anor said the casts started practicing last March 21, adding that some of the previous casts were unavailable.

 He said they started looking for interested people since they are not being paid for the stage play. He said he just want to portray as good as possible especially the scene of the crucifixion so that viewers can internalize the story.

Organizers and performers assured that the setbacks will not affect the quality of the stage play. (FREEMAN)