Buhing Kalbaryo’ on even without City Hall funds

The “Buhing Kalbaryo” play sponsored by the Cebu City government will push through as planned on Good Friday even if the City Council will not approve  its P0.47 million budget, said Mayor Michael Rama.

Rama is confident that he and members of the Buhing Pasko Organization which oversees the annual Buhing Kalbaryo will be able to find a way to fund the activity.

“As far as I am concerned, we just have to work hard, expect the worst, hope for the best and let God take care of the rest,” he said.

Councilor Roberto Cabarrubias introduced a resolution to the City Council during their March 6 session for the charging of P475, 000 for this year’s “Buhing Kalbaryo”, to be charged to the city’s share of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.  funds.

The city government gets at least P3 million per month from Pagcor for the operation of their casinos here.

But Councilor Margot Osmeña, the council’s budget committee, said after a review of Cabarrubias proposal that spending on religious activities like the Buhing Kalbaryo is not among the activities mentioned in the Pagcor guidelines.

In her committee report, Osmeña asked City Accountant Diwa Cuevas to first comment on Cabarrubias request before the council should act on it.

“Sometimes, they (council) do not know what they are doing. They are gettting stricter but getting dumber,” said Rama when sought for comment.

Rama said he could not understand why the Bando Osmena Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) dominated council is making a fuss of the matter which the city has been doing the past years.

He insisted that while religious activities are not mentioned in the Pagcor guideline as among those that may be funded from the casino money, there exist an addendum to the Pagcor guideline which authorizes the charging.

The “Buhing Kalbaryo”, which is now on its 16th year, dramatizes the Way of The Cross.  About 200 performers then walk the five-kilometer route from the San Nicolas Church grounds to Guadalupe Church for the re-enactment of the stations of the cross. /Doris C. Bongcac, Chief of Reporters