FOR its 25th anniversary celebration, the Buhing Kalbaryo presentation for Lent this year will be celebrated on a grander scale.
Elmer “Jojo” Labella, the head organizer of this year’s Buhing Kalbaryo, said the Cebu City Government will improve some aspects of the play about the Passion of Christ, including the 14 Stations of the Cross.
“It’s the 25th year this year so we will improve the Buhing Kalbaryo, and we will introduce a new concept,” Labella said.
The 14 stations will be on the entire stretch of V. Rama St., from the corner of N. Bacalso Avenue to the Archdiocesan Shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe in Barangay Guadalupe.
The 14 Stations of the Cross or Via Crusis refers to a series of images depicting the death of Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion.
Archie Estoconing, who was tasked by Labella to design the 14 stations, said while they want to introduce changes to make this year’s Buhing Kalbaryo unique, they also want to stay true to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
“This will involve a lot of work because we will improve the Stations of the Cross. Each station will have a new look and will have images based on the new look of the Stations of the Cross provided by the church,” Estoconing said in Bisaya.
Labella said they want to make this year’s Buhing Kalbaryo more memorable considering that the City Government has already loosened some of their Covid-19 restrictions after Mayor Michael Rama issued Executive Order 163 or Oplan Kagawasan.
Even with fewer restrictions, Labella said the City will deploy security and medical personnel along the Buhing Kalbaryo route to ensure that the minimum health protocols such as mask wearing are still implemented during the activity.
Personnel from the Cebu City Police Office, Cebu City Transportation Office, Department of Public Services, Parks and Playgrounds Commission, Department of General Services, the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and the Emergency Operation Center will be present during the activity.
The Cebu City Government has not organized the Buhing Kalbaryo with a live audience since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020.
For the past two years, the City opted for a virtual Buhing Kalbaryo and live streamed the Stations of the Cross through its official Facebook page.