Gabii sa Kabilin to focus on pre-colonial Cebu

CEBU, Philippines — The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), in partnership with the local government units (LGUs), will hold the 13th run of the Gabii sa Kabilin on May 24 from 6 p.m. until midnight.

The heritage event will feature 18 cultural destinations in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Talisay.

Participants will be treated to cultural performances, culinary experience, art fairs, and more, as well as offer children activities.

“Setting Sail”, which is the theme for this year’s Kabilin, will celebrate the historic event when five ships from Spain sailed and began a journey that eventually circumnavigated the world, as well as the undocumented “advances” of our ancestors as they explored a land that was about to be “found.”

Selected museums and heritage sites will also present different aspects of pre-colonial Visayan culture.

Florencio Moreno II, curator of Casa Gorordo Museum, said that the Gabii sa Kabilin is drumming up for the 500th anniversary of Magellan’s arrival in the Philippines which will be celebrated in 2021.

“Starting this year, our themes will have reference to that expedition that had critical impact not only on Filipino, but world history, which we are experiencing even to this day,” Moreno added.

Additional highlights for this year’s Gabii sa Kabilin are the Gabii sa Kabilin Heritage Hunt, which is in partnership with RAFI - Kool Adventure Camp, blogging/vlogging contest and phoneography contest, wherein participants will use their phones to capture images related to the “Setting Sail” theme, and a new participating site, Aduana House, a joint venture between Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine Navy, will also be featured this year.

Guests and participants who wish to join the event, must purchase a ticket worth P195, which comes with a Gabii sa Kabilin tour map, a tartanilla (horse-drawn carriage) trip in the city’s old district, and unlimited rides in Gabii sa Kabilin’s designated buses.

Last year, about 30 cultural destinations and attractions in the cities of  Cebu, Talisay, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu accommodated local and foreign tourists during the Gabii sa Kabilin, which featured, among others, new exhibits like manuscripts in the Rizal Memorial Library and Museum that were donated by the Portrait Artists Society of the Philippines Inc.

The theme for last year was "Balangay," which highlights the pre-colonial roots of Filipino culture.

Ballesteros added that 2018's GSK was a build-up for the 500th year celebration of the discovery of the Philippines in 2021. — Moira Beatrice A. Zamora, USC Intern GAN (FREEMAN)