Heavy rains poured, Friday, but it did not stop the family of eight-year-old Mariska Rose Pormento and an estimated five thousand others from enjoying a tour of Metro Cebu’s heritage cites across the cities of Cebu, Talisay, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.
Dubbed as Gabii sa Kabilin or a ‘night of heritage’, the festivities, organized by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) which are held every last Friday of May, was on its 12th year.
Accompanied by her older brother and their mother, Mariska strolled the streets of downtown Cebu to visit participating sites such as the museums inside the Basilica Minore del Sto Niño and the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.
“Nindot kaayo ilang museums. Nalingaw ra ko sige og tan-aw. Ugnakasakay na ko og kalesa (Their museums are nice. I enjoyed just looking around and I was finally able to ride a horse carriage),” said Mariska.
Mariska told Cebu Daily News that she most enjoyed learning about old things and looking at antiques displayed at the Cebu Journalism and Journalists Museum located in Museo Sugbo along M.J. Cuenco Avenue.
It was their second time to join the annual fest but they still enjoyed the night of discovering more of Cebu
(L-R) Xavieur Jamar, Daniel Arquiola, Harry James Bayron, and Icyrie Sevilla patiently waiting for their turn for the free sketch done by the members of Portrait Artist Society of the Philippines (PASP) as one of the activities in Rizal Public Libray during the Gabii sa Kabilin. The teenagers said that they did not expect that they will enjoy the activities such as the free-sketch during the event as they thpught it was just a museum or heritage site hopping. /Nestle Semilla
’s history, said her mother Mary Ann.
“At least kita sila ug nakahibaw sila unsay history. Pareha aning mga karaang cameras kahibaw sila ing-ani sa una and ni-evolve na siya because of the technology (At least they were able to see and they are able to know history. Like these old cameras they now know that these were the cameras before that have evolved because of technology), “ said Mary Ann.
Like the Pormentos, 19-year-old Daniel Arquiola and his friends Xavieur Jamar, Icyrie Sevilla and Harry James Bayron from the Abellana National High School, also enjoyed the night knowing more about Cebu.
Arquiola said that it was his first-time to join the event and was very happy that he did.
“I was just dragged by my friends to join. They told me that I needed to attend this to have a deeper knowledge of Cebu,” said Arquiola, a senior high school student who was born and raised in Iloilo City.
He said attending the night of heritage was the best way for him to know Cebu where he has lived in for the past six years and which now occupies a special place in his heart.
Gabii sa Kabilin (GSK) is an annual event where museums and heritage sites are kept open to the public for one night to hold activities like cultural shows, food fairs and contests.
For the grand tour of the museums and heritage sites which begun at 6 p.m. till midnight, a ticket cost P150.
This year’s theme, “Balangay,” was done in preparation for the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in the Philippines slated in 2021.
Mariska Rose Promento said that she most enjoyed learning the old things especially those antiques displayed in Cebu Journalism and Journalists (CJJ) museum located in Museo Sugbo./Nestle Semilla
The term “balangay” is derived from the sailing vessel used in the Visayan seas before the Spaniards and Europeans arrived.
It also refers to a group of people bound together by kinship or communal ties.
The theme was the organizers way of paying tribute to the Philippines pre-colonial roots with selected museums and heritage sites presenting the different aspects of pre-colonial Bisaya culture.
There were at least 30 participating sites in this year’s event with majority of the places located in Cebu City.
Except for the heavy traffic in roads leading to the heritage sites, the event remained orderly and peaceful until it ended, according to the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).
The month of May is the Philippines’ National Heritage Month pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 439, series of 2003.