Gabii sa Kabilin to feature 22 heritage sites in 3 LGUs

CEBU, Philippines — Cebuanos and heritage-lovers alike have a lot to look forward to, as the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) Culture and Heritage Unit, local museums, cultural organizations, and three local government units (LGU) bring back the Gabii sa Kabilin (GSK) on May 12.

This year’s GSK theme “Pagpanag-iya: Owning Our Story” commemorates the 125th anniversary of Philippine Independence to showcase how our ancestors asserted their independence, their identity and sense of community, while bearing the weight of Spanish colonization.

Guests can access all 22 participating museum heritage sites located in the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, and Talisay, and enjoy fun and interactive performances, and children’s activities, according to RAFI in a statement.

Guests will be treated to new experiences this year as the GSK brings food bazaars, allowing hungry GSK goers to experience culture and heritage through local delicacies and food.

Guests can likewise look forward to enjoying the event earlier as select museums and heritage sites are set to open earlier in the day.

Tickets to the GSK are priced at P300 (inclusive of free shuttle service across sites and a complimentary tartanilla ride), and P200 which will be without a shuttle service and tartanilla ride.

Senior citizens, persons with disabilities and students can avail of a P20 discount upon presentation of a valid ID at any ticketing site. Children who are seven years old and younger, accompanied by adults, get free admission and rides.

Those interested in joining this year’s GSK can purchase their tickets in various museums in the said LGUs.

GSK ticket holders can also join the Heritage Hunt where teams will complete a series of challenges in select museums and sites.

Vlogging, phone photography, and photo story contests are also open to all ticket holders.  Details of the contests are found on the GSK Facebook page.

The GSK, which was initiated by RAFI in 2017, aims to celebrate Cebu’s rich heritage, cultivate a sense of identity and pride of place among Cebuanos, and help preserve local culture and heritage by encouraging the people to visit museums.

Last year, the GSK officially returned as a face-to-face event last October 21 with over 9,000 participating guests.

The GSK also launched its monthly online activities during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to continue educating Cebuanos about various topics related to local culture and heritage and make cultural education more accessible to the public. (FREEMAN)