The legacy of Budoy as Cebu’s reggae pillar and artistic trailblazer

CEBU Philippines —  December 4, 2025 wasn’t just the day a beloved Bisdak musician died; it was also the day an equally loved band was about to close its curtains for good.

“This is it. It’s not Junior Kilat without Budoy,” his bandmate Tiano Evangelista told The FREEMAN, as the band prepares to hold a tribute concert in his memory.

Errol “Budoy” Marabiles passed away Thursday from cardiac arrest, nearly two months after he turned 54 years old. He was pronounced dead at 3:10 p.m. at a hospital in Oslob. He will be laid to rest in his hometown of Calbayog, Samar.

“The loss we feel is immeasurable. Budoy was more than just the voice of Junior Kilat; he was a creative genius whose unique spirit, perspective, and artistry shaped our sound and defined our band,” Junior Kilat said in a statement the following day.

“Beyond the music, he was a dear friend and a brother to all of us. His energy, laughter, and relentless pursuit of musical truth will forever echo in our lives and in our songs. Nior, you will be missed beyond words.”

Marabiles, a native of Samar, formed the band in 2004. They became known for their distinct Cebuano reggae sound, which spawned local hits such as “Original Sigbin,” “Kawatan,” and “Ako si M16.”

While “sigbin” is known as a Visayan mythological creature (aswang), “original sigbin” later became a term of endearment addressed to Marabiles, as the song had grown beloved every time it was played.

The band, led by Marabiles as vocalist, consisted of Evangelista on bass, Archie Ybañez on guitar, Diana Freese on drums, Cleofas Quijano on trombone, Gina Pestaño on keyboard, Bangin Atienza on the turntable, and Jad Dapat on guitar.

Before Marabiles passed away, the band was able to perform as a group (except for Freese) in January this year during a reunion gig at a rock festival in Cebu City during the Sinulog season. It is a memory Evangelista now holds close to his heart, as it was the first, and perhaps the last time the original lineup shared a stage after more than a decade.

“Budoy and I and other original members haven’t seen each other since the pandemic. That was special,” he said.

Even though Marabiles was the face of the band, Evangelista said he never had an ego as its frontman.

“Budoy is the most humble person I have met in my life. He never assumed that he led the band. He had the ‘all for one, one for all’ attitude. He doesn’t command but rather suggests what’s good for the band,” he said.

Marabiles remained grounded even when he became a household name during his stint in the first season of “Pinoy Big Brother (PBB): Celebrity Edition” in 2006, where he finished fifth.

“He’s that type of guy that can literally light up the mood in a whole room. He was funny and was also a gentleman. I’ve known him to be one of the friendliest celebrities in Cebu. Down-to-earth. Always grounded, even when he had tasted fame in PBB,” Akit of PowerSpoonz said.

“Nyor went inside that house to make Junior Kilat known nationally. It wasn’t about himself. For him, his success was always the band’s success,” added Evangelista.

 ‘Refused to be boxed in’

Marabiles was a man of many hats. He was one of the pillars of the Cebu reggae scene, alongside G.K. Gonzales — a title both artists carried with deep responsibility.

“We had big shoes to fill, but we have to represent right for our people, especially for the oppressed and for God,” Gonzales said. “We have to keep inspiring, especially the youth.”

Gonzales flew from the United States to spend his Christmas vacation in Cebu, supposedly to reunite with his good friend, as they had been planning a benefit show for victims of Typhoon Tino.

What was meant to be a joyful reunion became their final meeting when Marabiles suddenly fell ill and required immediate medical attention before he passed away. Gonzales was in Santander, south of Cebu, awaiting Marabiles’ death certificate, when The FREEMAN spoke to him on Messenger.

“Every story we have is now meaningful to me,” he said, calling their bond timeless despite the distance. “We’ve been together for so long. I had to go to the US, but my heart remains in our islands with him.”

Another person who was with Marabiles in his final moments was his Swedish business partner, Dennis Pettersson, who co-founded Sigbin Haus at Eden Resort in Santander.

“I moved here in 2003 and started building Eden Resort when I met Budoy,” Pettersson said. “This place has always been a gateway for musicians to hang out and play.”

They converted the resort’s unused tennis court into their venture. “It’s not just a music bar, but a bar for musicians. It also has a recording studio where bands can come to record and play their music in a soft environment.”

They had plans to grow Sigbin Haus into a sanctuary for aspiring and veteran musicians before Marabiles died. “We were ready to take off, but destiny had other plans,” he said. “But I want people to remember his warm heart, who made sure to take care of others before himself.”

Before Chai Fonacier became one of Cebu’s most recognizable actresses, she was a Junior Kilat fan who eventually became a friend and collaborator.

“I got to collab with them once, on a song in their ‘Enrique de Malacca’ album,” Fonacier said. “Buds asked if I could sing vocals on the song ‘Lumay.’ Of course, I didn’t have to think long and hard on that one.”

She last saw him in 2023 at their alma mater, the University of the Philippines Cebu, at a gig where she had hoped to see him again. “Tsai, musta na man ka,” she recalled him saying. “I think we shared a drink or two in the faculty room with the rest of the professors after his gig.”

Like many who knew him, Fonacier attests to his humility. “If you told him he is one of the pillars of the Cebu music scene, he’d just shake his head and laugh a bit. He’d probably say something along the lines of ‘Basta kay mugna lang gyud. Just make art,” she said.

Marabiles wasn’t just a performer onstage, but also on the streets, where he was known as an activist who used his music to rally people.

He performed “Original Sigbin” at Fuente Osmeña Circle during the September 21 nationwide anti-corruption rally, energizing the crowd. Days earlier, on Sept. 15, he performed “Kawatan” at the Day of Indignation protest at UP Cebu — one of his final public appearances captured by The FREEMAN photojournalist Aldo Banaynal.

“What I really admire about him is how passionate he was to help support and encourage our local music talents through the years,” said Banaynal, a fan who recalled how often Marabiles organized benefit gigs. “He’s helping out people in the best way possible through his music and charismatic influence.”

Fonacier added, “He was just always more than willing to lend his skills and talent for free in moments where it mattered, where our collective voices mattered.”

Marabiles’ activism can be traced back to his days as a fine arts student at UP Cebu, which helped shape the Original Sigbin people came to know: an artist, a musician, a pillar of Cebu’s reggae scene, a charismatic reality TV star, and a passionate advocate for Cebuano arts.

“Even in his student years, he showed the curiosity, courage, and cultural grounding that CCAD encourages in every young artist and communicator,” the university’s College of Communication, Art, and Design said in a statement.

“Despite his national visibility, Budoy never abandoned his roots in the visual arts. His 2019 exhibition ‘Tantric Sigbin’ showcased a bold fusion of folklore, psychedelic imagery, and East-Asian–inspired forms — proof of an artistic mind that refused confines and embraced constant evolution. He often described his art as ‘shape-shifting,’ a reflection of his lifelong refusal to be boxed in,” they added.

“Marabiles was a trailblazer who lived his art fully and fearlessly. His music elevated Cebuano culture; his visual work expanded Philippine imagination; his mentorship uplifted future generations. In honoring Budoy, we honor the power of art to move communities and create worlds.”