Gabii sa Kabilin on May 27

On its fifth consecutive year, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) will once again hold Gabii sa Kabilin (Night of Heritage) on May 27, 2011.

From nine museums last year, 11 museums and seven heritage sites will open its doors to the public from 6 p.m. to midnight for this once-in-a-year unique nighttime heritage tour in Cebu.

Gabii sa Kabilin, the only one of its kind in the Philippines and in Asia, aims to reinforce the belief that local museums are venues for the understanding and appreciation of Cebuano history and culture. But beyond that it also discounts the stereotype of museums as mere repositories of “dead objects”; rather, as venues for live cultural activities.

This award-winning event is also organized in celebration of the National Heritage Month and International Museum Day in May.

This year, the participating museums are Casa Gorordo Museum, Cathedral Museum of Cebu, Fort San Pedro, Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House, Museo Sugbo, University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) – Rizal Museum, Museo Parian sa Sugbo (1730 Jesuit House), Sacred Heart Alternative Gallery, Cebu Normal University (CNU) Museum, Cebu City Museum, and Mandaue City Central Plaza, while the heritage sites include Plaza Independencia, Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, Basilica del Sto. Niño, Sacred Heart Church, Heritage of Cebu Monument (Plaza Parian), Plaza Hamabar, and Plaza Sugbo.

The participating museums will feature different cultural attractions during the Gabii sa Kabilin, such as performances by Izarzuri Vidal and Children’s Orchestra Marigondon Public School at Casa Gorordo Museum; storytelling at Cathedral Museum of Cebu; tribal band at Fort San Pedro; Santacruzan sa Parian procession at Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House; Cebuano dances at Museo Sugbo; nigh market of Colon Street vendors outside USPF Rizal Museum; Cebuano songs and harpist performances at the Museo Parian sa Sugbo; art fair at Sacred Heart Alternative Gallery; World War II memorabilia collections at CNU Museum; paintings at Cebu City Museum; and cooking demonstration of native delicacies of Mandaue at the Mandaue City Central Plaza.

The upcoming Gabii sa Kabilin will also feature a walking tour of the participating plazas in Cebu City to be conducted by Ka Bino Guerrero.

For a Php 150 ticket, a visitor can already enter all the participating museums and heritage sites and avail of bus and tartanilla (horse-drawn carriage) rides. Visitors can choose where to start first.

The routes will be secured by the Cebu City Police Office as well as tanods from the nine barangays in Cebu City—Santo Niño, Tinago, San Roque, Tejero, T. Padilla, Cogon Ramos, Pari-an, Zapatera, and Day-as. The barangays will also provide volunteers to man information desks and drive designated buses back and forth selected venues.

Parking spaces are available at Cathedral Museum of Cebu, Fort San Pedro and Sacred Heart Parish.

For ticket inquiries, please call Casa Gorordo Museum at 418-7234 loc. 703 and look for May, or contact any of the participating museums. Visit also www.rafi.org.ph for more information.