Reliving Cebu City through ‘Pasiyo sa Kabilin: Cebu Heritage Walk’

Photo screenshot from Cebu City Tourism video

CEBU CITY, Philippines — They say the best approach to understand and recognize one’s culture and tradition is through a heritage walk.

Heritage walks prompt reflection and serves as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage of a place and its people-encouraging the present generation to consider the significance of each historical site or structure.

Fortunately, the Cebu City Tourism Commission (CCTC) revived its “Pasiyo sa Kabilin: Cebu Heritage Walk” this month, allowing Cebuanos and tourists to experience it again after a two-year hiatus.

Photo screenshot from Cebu City Tourism video

This year’s Cebu Heritage Walk, launched by the Cebu City government last Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, marked the beginning of the 2022 “Lakbay-Lingaw,” an annual tour package launched every September in time for Cebu Tourism Month.

With just a P1,000 registration fee, local and foreign tourists were able to experience riding Cebu’s famous tartanilla, enjoy light snacks, and received tokens as they followed a carefully curated route for the heritage walk.

According to Councilor CCTC chairperson Jocelyn Pesquera, the story-telling guided walk started at Fort San Pedro.

Afterward, it proceeded to Plaza Sugbo in front of the Cebu City Hall, then to the Magellan’s Cross, and the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño.

The group then proceeded to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral and then to the Plaza Humabar.

Photo screenshot from Cebu City Tourism video

Then the tour featured the Archdiocesan Museum of Cebu, the Museo Parian sa Sugbo 1730 Jesuit House, the Cebu Heritage Monument, and the Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House, which was recently declared by the National Museum of the Philippines as an “important cultural property.”

The Yap-San Diego ancestral house is one of the only two oldest Chinese houses built outside China by Chinese merchants who migrated to other countries in Southeast Asia; the other one is the Syquia Mansion in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

READ: Ancestral house in Cebu now a cultural icon

The three-hour heritage walk then ended at Carbon Market.

“Ang atoa karon g’yod is really to emphasize the importance ngadto sa how rich ang atong cultural heritage,” Pesquera said.

(What we are doing is to really emphasize the importance of how rich our cultural heritage is.)

“Kaning sa atong mga activities nga mga tours di lang kay kini lang karong buwana, but it is already continuous na ni atong events,” she added.

(These activities that are tours are not just for this month, but the events are already continuous.)

Aside from the cultural and historical aspects of the heritage walk, the activity is also seen to boost the local economy and help boost the city’s accredited tourism businesses.

Interested participants for the tour may contact the commission through numbers 494-6512 or message them directly on their Facebook page.

Cebu City month-long tourism activities 

Meanwhile, aside from the Cebu Heritage Walk, the CCTC also launched on Saturday the return of the Colon Night Market, which will run for the next three weekends, from Sept. 17 to 18, from Sept. 23 to 25, and from Sept. 30 until Oct. 2.

READ: Colon Night Market returns

Other upcoming activities include the Highland Blooms Tour and concert for a cause on Sunday, Sept. 18, and the Celebrate Cebu Fashion Week “Arts and Fashion” and Miss Cebu 2023 Launching from Sept. 22 to 25.

Photo screenshot from Cebu City Tourism video

The Food Festival: ‘Mangaon Ta,’ which will feature authentic Cebuano food is also scheduled on Sept. 23 to 25.

The Cebu Tourism month will be capped by a Tourism Gala Night on Sept. 25, Sunday.

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