In ‘Gabii sa Kabilin’: Tourists learn to cook Mandaue’s bingka

CEBU, Philippines - Hundred of visitors, some of them foreign and domestic tourists, yesterday visited Mandaue City's historic landmarks tonight as part of the celebration of the "Gabii sa Kabilin."

Visitors were also treated to a cultural dance numbers from the students of  Mandaue City School for the Arts on the makeshift stage constructed in front of City Hall.

The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation in 2007 organized this annual event dubbed as "Rise of the Queen" to promote the rich socio-cultural heritage of Metro Cebu.

As part of the activity, museums and historic sites of the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Talisay opened to the local and foreign tourists.

The activity was part of the celebration of the National Heritage Month and International Museum Day which falls on May 8.

The Mandaue City government joined the event three years ago.

This year, it featured Justice Sotero Cabahug as the city's icon for his contribution to the country having been a responsible for the construction of Capitol Building, the Mandaue Presidencia and heritage stage.

The historic sites included in the itinerary are Mandaue Presidencia or the City Hall, heritage plaza, city library, National Shrine of St. Joseph and the Bantayan sa Hari.

An actual demonstration was also held on how to prepare and cook the "bibingka" or rice cake, the city's delicacy.

The Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue said they closed the vicinity of City Hall and the route to "Bantayan sa Hari" and declared it as no parking zones from 6 p.m. to 12 midnight in view of  the "Gabii sa Kabilin."

Glenn Antigua of  TEAM said Catalino Ouano Street was declared as no parking zone during the duration of the event to give way to City Hall's electric-jeepneys and some ten "trisikad" units which carries the tourists from the heritage plaza to the historic "Bantayan sa Hari" in the coastal barangay of Looc. (FREEMAN)