Summer is almost over! What are your plans? Why not end your Summer Season with Gabii Sa Kabilin? On May 27, Friday The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) Culture and Heritage Unit and its partner organizations will hold the 10th run of the Gabii sa Kabilin from 6 p.m. to midnight. This year, the heritage event features 41 destinations in the cities of Cebu, Talisay, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu. The event's official hashtag is #GabiiSaKabilin2016
 

Parian Monument photo by dimetravel.org

Gabii Sa Kabilin 2016 official poster

Cebu City

Fo Guang Shan Chu Un Temple | by Paolo Marco

1.    Anthill Gallery
2.    Archdiocesan Museum of Cebu
3.    Casa Gorordo Museum
4.    Cebu City Museum
5.    Don Sergio Osmena Sr. Memorabila and CAP Art Gallery
6.    Fo Guang Shan Chu Un Temple
7.    Fort San Pedro
8.    Iglesia Filipina Independiente- Cathedral of the Holy Child Jesus
9.    Jose R. Gullas Halad Museum
10.    Magellan’s Cross
11.    Museo Parian – 1730 Jesuit House
12.    Museo Sugbo
13.    Plaza Parian
14.    San Nicholas de Tolentino Parish Church
15.    St. Theresa’s College – Folk life Museum

Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House By Needs and Solutions

16.    The Freeman
17.    United Church of Christ in the Philippines – Bradford Memorial Chapel
18.    University of the Philippines Foundation – Rizaliana Museum
19.    University of the Philippines
20.    University of the Visayas
21.    Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House
22.    Cebu Palm Grass Hotel
23.    Museum of Naïve Art (West Gorordo Hotel)
24.    Golden Prince Hotel
25.    Oriente Theater
26.    Archdiocesan Shrine of the Sacred Heart Parish
27.    Basilica Minore del Santo Nino
28.    Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod
29.    Redemptorist Church

Mandaue City

Bantayan sa Hari by Rafi.org.ph

1.    National Shrine of St. Joseph
2.    Mandaue Central School (Gabaldon Building)
3.    Bantayan sa Hari

Lapu – Lapu City

Mactan Shrine by rondoesthings.com

1.    Mactan Shrine
2.    Mactan Cebu International Airport/ GMR Megawide

Talisay City

Plaza De Talisay by lifeofindai.blogspot.com

1.    Talisay City College
2.    Museo de Talisay
3.    National Historic Shrine Liberation Monument
4.    Archdiocesan Shrine of Sta. Teresa de Avila Parish
5.    New Talisay City Hall
6.    Aliño Brothers Monument
7.    World War II Pillbox

During the Gabii sa Kabilin, participants will be treated to cultural performances, culinary experience, art fairs, and special exhibits, among others, during this one extraordinary night.  Select participating sites also offer children activities.

Where to purchase Gabii Sa Kabilin Ticket?
   
To join the Gabii sa Kabilin, guests must purchase a Gabii sa Kabilin ticket, which serves as an admission ticket for all destinations, one tartanilla (horse-drawn carriage) trip within the city’s old district, and unlimited rides of the Gabii sa Kabilin-designated buses.

Tickets will be available at the Gabii sa Kabilin 2016 participating museums and cultural sites.

The ticket price is Php150. Admission is free for children aged seven and below. The tickets can be purchased and reserved in advance at any of the participating destinations.

Casa Gorordo Museum at Night by Elroy Robin

The e-form of the Gabii sa Kabilin Guide Booklet, which provides detailed information about the destinations and their program and the maps of the tour routes, can be downloaded at www.rafi.org.ph or www.facebook.com/rafi.org.ph.

For more information about Gabii sa Kabilin and other programs of the RAFI Culture and Heritage Unit, please call 411-1700/3431700 local 24537, and look for May Sanchez, or visit www.rafi.org.ph or www.facebook.com/rafi.org.ph

Cebu, an island in central part of the Philippines known to be rich in natural resources, hospitable people and of course, highly industrialized environment and cities. The oldest city of the country, Cebu City, situated in this island which gave birth to Colon Street in the 16th century, the oldest street. Not known by other fellowmen, Cebu is proud to have the oldest defensive structures like Fort San Pedro in Cebu City, Liloan Lighthouse and the Bantayan sa Hari in Mandaue City. Flashing back our memory to our High School years through "Araling Panlipunan" subject, Cebu was hailed as Philippines's Capital City in 1565 by our invaders, the Spaniards. So much for these facts, Cebu owns the oldest remaining original stone Church, Boljoon Church which became the National Historical Landmark and National Cultural Treasure of our country and the oldest religious relic, The Santo Nino de Cebu. Indeed, Cebu is a true cradle of Culture and Heritage.


But do youngsters nowadays know or even aware what are those? where are they located and where are they from? Of course, they do and we do! This knowledge was brought back to our senses during the Gabii Sa Kabilin (GSK) last Friday night. This Cebu Heritage Tour brought to us by Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), is a Walking Tour to selected Museums and cultural sites in Cebu and its neighbor city, Mandaue. Also, participants had a chance in riding Cebu's treasured means of transportation, the Tartanilla Ride - another one of a kind.


THE EXPERIENCE 

It was a night of information overload but I was able to gain them slowly and surely ^_^ . Just like in Casa Gorordo Museum which is actually the residence of the first Filipino Bishop, Juan Gorordo, in Cebu. Various relics were displayed such as the traditional rice mill and other old kitchen stuff. Good thing that organizers had added features like Bugsay-making demonstration, storytelling with stage acts for children and other attractions. Some old Church documents were also shown to the public at Iglesia Filipina Independiente situated in Mabini, Cebu City. Meanwhile in Yap-Sandiego Ancestral house, it seemed everyone travelled to the past with all those Filipiniana and Barong Tagalog costumes worn by standbyers and some personnel in charge of the house. There was a traditional band in the street too, which guided the tourists with their folky yet lovely music.






Walking forward, in Museo Parian sa Sugbo, formerly known as Jesuit House, catered Cebuanos a wide range of exhibit via Sugbu Gallery. It showcased differnt kind of Galleon models, religious materials and around the house, you would notice the preserve tradition and culture that every "Bisaya" had. And for our National Hero, Jose Rizal, different keepsakes were maintained and saved inside the USPF Jose Rizal Museum.







Gabii Sa Kabilin is not only about Spaniards and Americans stories, it also featured Chinese memorabilia just like what Fo Guang Shan Chu Un Temple had offered. The temple gave the visitors an experience on their Master Hsing yun's One-Stroke Calligraphy, see below video for a teaser. In addition, their Zen Buddha Altars were prepared for GSK participants.




To end the tour, I was able to witness the beauty that Cebu Capitol building can offer to the public at night. What romance can it caused to lovers in the street. I love cebu!

SUGGESTION FOR BETTERMENT

Now, even if an event like Gabii Sa Kabilin has always been successfully done, there is always a point to ponder and improve. How about making it "Mga Gabii Sa Kabilin"? Maybe two to three nights of Heritage Tour? At least those 22 main attractions can be visited and experienced by participants without even rushing themselves from one museum to another - if this is the case, then the essence and the beauty of our Culture and Heritage here in Cebu will not be properly observed and appreciated.


Remember this famous saying? "A person, who does not know how to look where he came from, would not be able to reach his destination." This quote always prompts in my mind everytime I take part on GSK affair and when i see educational field trip buses. Why? Simply because we cannot attain our goal if we don't know what or who is the reason why we are aiming such objective in life - why we are alive and why we are here in this era! They are the reason, our ancestors are the reason. Nobody can take care of their important keepsakes from the past than us who live today. So learn from them and go for gold!

RAFI or Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc., Gabii Sa Kabilin (GSK) main organizer, in celebration of National Heritage Month, invited media and bloggers in a day that was full of adventure, knowledge and most of all, heritage and culture flashback at southern part of Cebu on May 18, 2012. FaceCebu.net, which covers GSK from its full blast years back until now, was one of the participants for the Media heritage tour held in Sibonga and Argao, respectively.

Friends from Media and blogosphere met at Casa Gorordo Museum (Lopez Jaena Street, Cebu City) for the Assembly. I wore shorts up to knee, with my comfy light yellow polo fit shirt for TOP and Signor black/white light shoes which made me comfortable during the walking tour and I advise not to wear accessories every heritage tour especially during Gabii Sa Kabilin 2012 and don't forget to bring water, pick-a-pick snacks and face towel. Too bad, i wasn't able to wear my cap for I wasn't predicting that Mr. Sun was so bright that day but luckily, the weather embraced us very well.

We arrived at Nuestra Señora Del Pilar de Zaragosa, Sibonga Cebu past 10 AM and we were all excited for sightseeing and information overload! What amazed us was the very big wooden door of the Church and upon entering it, the eye-catching mural on the ceiling which was creatively done by Raymundo Francia, a famous Cebuano artist, captured everyone inside! Very interesting art was the one above the altar which shows the seven days of creation (Genesis).











Trivia: Sibonga's Church was built by male inhabitants who were required to bring two big stones to the Church every Monday. They help in construction without asking payment or returns.

Next stop was the colorful and beautiful municipality of Argao. This maybe a "hey, what happen to you?" type of action but when we arrived at Cabecera de Argao - giant Torta, I immediately went off the Van and headed straight to that giant Torta and took a picture, simply amazing! We then headed to "Balay Lungsod of Argao" for a Courtesy call by Municipal Mayor Edsel Galeos and discussed their replica of Cebu City's Gabii Sa Kabilin activity the night of that day.











We had a chance of hanging around the ever famous, Argao Plaza which is aside from being traditionally conserved, the Plaza gives a free WIFI service to all - first free internet outside Mandaue and Cebu City. I even had a chance in uploading my instagram photo during the meeting with the Mayor.




Trivia: Argao was named after a tree Sali-argaw which dominantly spotted near the Shorelines.

With my camera ready for every scene, we visited the much preserved St. Michael, The Archangel Church and took some lovely shots of its Facade and interiors which as expected designed by our very own Raymundo Francia. This Church bears one of the oldest Bell in cebu located in its Tower. The Altar was amazingly preserved with Gold and silver color combinations.



Next on the itinerary was to visit Argao Nature Park and what did i expect? It's a Parkwide free wi-fi! Dang! I did love and enjoyed it very much! Just in the right side of the Park, you'll see the big statue of Mary with in the Pond of big fishes. There is also a bridge used to cross going to the other side/part of the Park.


So much for those inherited gifts from our Ancestors, we then visited the very famous makers of Torta and Tabliya, Jessie's Homemade Torta and Argao's Guilang Tableya respectively. The sweetness of Torta made our tired faces smile! And with those real and i said real Sikwati from Gulang's tableya, hot refreshment it was!


Past 12 in the afternoon, we managed to take our late lunch at Bienmar SU-TU-KIL, sea culture and seafood restaurant located at the center area of the sea! Fresh seafoods are served. You can actually request what to cook and find them fresh from Fish Cages located beside the resto.






For reservations and information, please check below contact details:


Jessie's Homemade Torta
Brgy. Canbanua, Argao, cebu
Tel. Num: (032) 367-7455


Bienmar SU-TU-KIL
Bienvenido C. Mamalias
Taloot Warf, Argao, Cebu
Cell Num: 0922-8555271 / 0917-7100037
Tel. Num: (032) 406-7138

When our tummy went full, we then spent our last hours at Taloot, Argao Marine Sanctuary and Liki Spring which truly gave a relaxing way of chilling. Indeed, Argao gives the real meaning of Culture from past which is connected today.