'Buhing Kalbaryo': Sweat, tears, and faith on Cebu City’s streets

'Buhing Kalbaryo': Sweat, tears, and faith on Cebu City’s streets

CEBU CITY, Philippines — It was nearing noon, and the sun hung high over Barangay San Nicolas Proper when the clash of spears, the wails of bystanders, and the scrape of sandals against the sunbaked asphalt signaled the start of Buhing Kalbaryo. Now in its 28th year, the annual Good Friday reenactment drew hundreds to the narrow inner streets of Cebu City, where ordinary people shed their identities to portray extraordinary pain. There was no st…