Plaza Parian
Mabini Street, Parian, Cebu City
CEBU, Philippines – Spearheaded in 1996 by then Mayor Alvin Garcia and National Artist Edgardo Castrillo, the plaza is the site of the "Heritage of Cebu" monument depicting significant events in the city, from the time of Rajah Humabon to the recent canonization of Pedro Calungsod.
University of Southern Philippines Foundation - Rizaliana Museum
Mabini Street, Barangay Sto. Niño, Cebu City
With the largest collection of Jose Rizal memorabilia outside of Luzon, the USPF-Rizaliana Museum houses a myriad of prized artifacts of the national hero, including letters to his colleagues and friends, as well as all 14 postcards with the text of his final obra, "Mi Ultimo Adios." How the collection arrived in Cebu is a vignette of social history. The museum was awarded by the Rizal Centennial Commission as a Rizal National Shrine in 1961.
Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church
El Pardo, Cebu City
Designed by a Spanish engineer-architect, the church of Pardo is probably the only one of its kind in Cebu that is of Byzantine influence. Domingo de Escondrillas was commissioned to design the church by Fray Manuel Ybeas, who was parish priest from 1873 to 1893. He chose a Byzantine style for the structure because he wanted it distinct from other churches; whereas other Cebu churches built during the Spanish period are wider than they are tall, the Santo Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church rises from the ground up, an imposing fortress.
San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Church
Tupas Street, Barangay San Nicolas, Cebu City
The San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Church was established in 1584 and is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. The area is considered the original landing site of Legaspi's force on April 27, 1565. The sculptor Fidel Araneta imported tiles from Italy when the church was rebuilt after the second World War to make the multi-colored tile mosaic, one of the distinguishing features of the Church.
St. Theresa's College Folklife Museum
Ramon Aboitiz Street, Kamputhaw, Cebu City
Sister Ma. Delia Coronel, ICM, laid out the foundation of the Folklife Museum in the 1950s. Today it features the Cebuano lifestyle during and after the Spanish period and artifacts from Asian countries that had trade relations with the Philippines, including a copy of the MaranaoDarangen Epic of Mindano, a UNESCO acknowledged Filipino epic.
Bradford Memorial Chapel
Osmeña Boulevard, Sta. Cruz, Cebu City
Built in 1913 this Presbyterian church marked both the growth of Protestantism in Cebu and the influence of American Presbyterian missionaries during their occupation in the city. It is the only protestant church in the city that was designated by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines as a national historical landmark. Of interest is the chapel's Bradford Bell, hailing all the way from England.
University of the Philippines Cebu
Gorordo Avenue, Cebu City
UP Cebu was established in 1918, ten years after the University of the Philippines' first campus was founded. The current Cebu campus was inaugurated in 1929 after relocating three times and before settling in its present location in Lahug. The campus' architecture is markedly neoclassic, and its halls marked by culture and history.
Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House
Mabini Street, Parian, Cebu City
The house is one of the oldest houses in Cebu and in the entire country. Built during the 17th century by Chinese merchants in the old Parian, the house is a picture of Philippine architecture during the Spanish occupation. Today, the home is under the stewardship of Mr. & Mrs. Val Sandiego.
More than 40 museums and sites are participating in this year's "Gabii sa Kabilin" on May 27. For a complete list, those interested may visit www.rafi.org.ph/culture-heritage/gabii-sa-kabilin. (FREEMAN)