By Bryan Manabat
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Variety News Staff
BEFORE dawn on Good Friday, hundreds of residents made the steep climb to the summit of Mt. Tapochao, continuing a decades-long tradition of prayer, reflection, and community as a 30-foot wooden cross was raised on the island’s highest peak.
Deacon Tony Yarobwemal of Mount Carmel Cathedral, who led the annual prayer service and procession, said the trek remains a powerful expression of shared faith.
“Taking part in this annual tradition affirms and deepens the faith of our community as we remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Mount Calvary,” Yarobwemal said. “It’s encouraging to see residents maintain their faith despite global tensions and rising fuel prices.”
Yarobwemal said he hopes the tradition continues for generations. “We must continue the faith that we have as a community. Despite all the challenges we face, God will always provide for us.”
Large turnout
Saipan Mayor Ramon “RB” Camacho said he was impressed by the number of participants, some of whom began arriving as early as 2 a.m.
“I think this is the largest group I’ve seen compared to last year’s event,” Camacho said. “People are doing this because of their belief and faith, regardless of the everyday hardships we are facing. They have strong faith in God.”
Camacho noted the diversity of the crowd — families, youth groups, elders, and visitors — saying it reflects one of his goals as mayor: bringing people together and promoting peace in the community.
Saipan Community School Principal Amanda Dunn, who joined the trek with her children and several students, said the experience held deep meaning for the youth.
“The important part of why we did this today is to remember the sacrifices of Jesus Christ,” Dunn said. “We actually followed the cross in the procession, and this year the students were very excited to be close enough to touch it. Normally we’re way behind, but today we were right with the cross, and that was kind of special.”
She added that the moment the cross was raised left a strong impression. “The magnitude of propping it up is just wowing — so many people worked so hard just to get it up here.”
A personal promise kept for 23 years
House Speaker Edmund Villagomez, who helped carry the wooden cross to the summit, said Good Friday holds deep meaning for him.
“Good Friday is an important day to honor and appreciate the sacrifices of our Lord Jesus Christ,” he said. “It’s a season for redemption, and it really holds a special place for the faithful in our community.”
Villagomez has participated in the trek for 23 consecutive years.
“I do this every year, and this is one of those years I helped with the cross,” he said. “I had forgotten how heavy it is. It’s something like a penance — a promise to myself to do this every year.”
He said the tradition has grown beyond a religious observance. “It’s really good the community follows the tradition. It has probably gone beyond religious practice, and I think it has also become a family tradition for some every Good Friday.”
This year, the cross was erected with the help of a crane provided by USA Fanter, a change Villagomez welcomed.
“The good thing about it is safety,” he said. “Almost every year people are holding their breath, especially when the cross is up and not yet secured. I checked the area the day before — it was really slippery. That day there was a slight drizzle. Imagine if it had rained. For me, it’s good they planned these logistics to ensure people’s safety.”
Improving safety after years of close calls
Rep. John Paul Palacios Sablan, who has long been involved in the event, said the group has been searching for safer ways to raise the cross.
“We’ve been trying to find a boom truck or crane that has enough reach,” Sablan said. “We found out that USA Fanter has such equipment, and we wanted to try it out this year.”
He said the change was overdue. “Over the years we have been doing it manually, and there were a lot of close-call accidents. The terrain where we normally place the cross is very steep. As a group, we thought this year we should consider equipment that could assist us so we could avoid accidents.”
Sablan said the tradition is deeply rooted in his family. “This is my Palacios family tradition. We’ve been creating the cross for over 40 years, assisting the church. This is a family tradition — and friends.”
Road improvements underway
The road to Mt. Tapochao remains under construction and is expected to be completed next year, officials said, which may further improve safety and access for future Good Friday treks.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
