The main television networks have made coverage of the celebration for the fourth consecutive year. This year more than 15,000 people came to witness the presentation. The entire grounds of the House of prayer called "Talavera" of the Augustinian Recollects were transformed into Jewish village of the times of Jesus.
700 torches were placed all around the area, the entrance was adorned with an imposing Roman Gate with the Drum and Bugle Corps playing to welcome the guests. The biblical scenes were portrayed accompanied with dialogues like that of the annunciation of the Angel to Mary, John baptizing in the Jordan, the inns where Mary and Joseph were refused entry, the shepherds, Jacob’s well, the castle of Herod, wedding at Cana, the nativity and a hundred Roman soldiers with a Roman chariot.
The transformed place tried to faithfully reflect the atmosphere of the epoch with the different stores of varied crafts, a carpentry, a foundry, weaving shop, a shoe-making shop and shoe store, a ceramics shop and a bakery. And of course for the children, Santa Claus has his corner replete with gifts for the young ones and young once. For the lovers of Filipino culture, cultural dances were performed depicting the ethnic treasures from the north to the southernmost tip of the archipelago.
How did the People respond to it?
During the four years that the Live Belen was organized, the local press has reported on it, with the national press taking notice of it too. The two most important television channels -GMA 7 and ABS-CBN- have been covering the event. In this last edition 2009 the shows were done during the first two weekends of the month of December.
On the first night, Dec. 4, about three thousand visitors came, and on the last day, December 12, over five thousand came to see. From the parents you hear such comments as “This is what I like most of San Jose, so creative and so united!” From the participants and other students, “I am proud to be a Josenian!”
What does Jesus World mean?
For the University of San Jose, Cebu (Philippines) the project has had a communitarian value since it strengthened the relationship among the different colleges, departments and offices, in all the levels. It really promoted unity among them. As one well known columnist of a local newspaper said, "This one is a work of love of the Josenians”. It also has a high formative value. The students have learned to work together, learned new things, discovered their talents and showed them.
Its family and social value cannot be ignored. The families came and spent time together in an environment so unique and significant. Its theological value rests on the fact that it helps people understand that God truly became man, that the Jesus event is truly historical. There he is and his world. For the Recollects, it is a gift we give to the people. In fact our theme attests to this – "Celebrating the life and the love of Christ the Recoletos way".
How was it organized?
This was the easy thing. Each office and college was assigned to a specific task, either to portray a biblical scene or do the marketing. The project was really the fruits of everyone’s effort. A group prepared themselves for the cultural presentation, others were assigned to construct the Roman arch, some to prepare the torches, etc. The high school students of secondary had more of a challenge as they had to research how Jewish weddings were conducted and find the appropriate music to every action. More than 450 students formed the nightly cast.
How did this all start?
The project was initiated in 2004 with the same original purpose of portraying the world of Jesus, so remote in time and in geography. Father Raúl Buhay gave birth to this project. He recalls that while studying in Rome some years ago he had the occasion to see a live Belen in Ruffano, a town of Lecce (Italy). He thought that a similar thing could be done in Cebu, much more enlarged and enriched.
After some years of preparing the surrounding of the Retreat House, finally he engaged the deans of the University into several meetings to bring home his point. It was not easy, nor fast. But then when it was carried they finally understood how it was and they themselves contributed to enrich further what they began. In order not to become a burden to the University, sponsors were sought. The publicity in the press, the radio and local television, made the project known and with the contribution from the public through the meager entrance fees, the whole endeavor ended up worth doing… even economically.