The Gabii Sa Kabilin (Heritage Night; GSK) is an annual event in Cebu held every last Friday of May. It is also in connection with the celebration of the Heritage Month. From 6 PM to midnight, people visit museums and heritage site where they can enjoy cultural shows, exhibits, children’s activities, contests, food fairs and other activities. This year, twenty-nine museums and heritage sites have been identified to participate.
Gabii Sa Kabilin 2018 is set on May 25, now on its 12th year
The 2018 Gabii Sa Kabilin falls on May 25, with the theme “Balangay.” It gives tribute to the pre-colonial roots of the Philippines whereby balangays were used to transport entire clans from one island to another in the Visayan seas. A Bisaya variant of the Tagalog “barangay,” the term also describes communities bound together by kinship and communal ties.
On the said annual festivity, selected museums and heritage sites will present different aspects of pre-colonial Bisaya culture. It is important to note that this year’s theme heralds the quincentennial anniversary celebration of the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan’s galleon in Philippine shores.
In the next three years, the themes of Gabii Sa Kabilin will build up people’s interest and prepare them for this commemorative celebration in 2021.
The Heritage Night last year
Aside from showcasing Cebu’s museums and heritage sites, Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc., the organizer of the Gabii Sa Kabilin held its Heritage Hunt, a contest that is open to 20 teams of five each who will have to complete five challenges, located in five out of 10 heritage sites tagged for the hunt, in four hours. The Heritage Hunt took place from 6 PM to 10 PM during the 2017 edition. Blogging and Vlogging Contests were also set for interested participants.
On its 11th year, the Gabii sa Kabilin featured 27 museums and heritage sites in the cities of Cebu, Talisay, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu. In Cebu City, the participating sites are Archdiocesan Museum of Cebu, Archdiocesan Shrine of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Basilica del Sto. Niño Museum, Casa Gorordo Museum, Cebu City Museum, and many others.
Participating sites outside Cebu City were the Mactan Shrine in Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue Presidencia in Mandaue City, Talisay City Museum, Talisay Beach Landing, and Collegium Societa Tis Angeli Pacis Museum in Talisay City.
Several roads in downtown Cebu City were temporarily closed to traffic. Participants and guests experienced the tartanilla (horse-drawn carriage) ride. Unlimited passes were given to participants Gabii sa Kabilin-designated buses that went around all the museums and heritage sites in Cebu City, including those in the cities of Mandaue, Talisay, and Lapu-Lapu.
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The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. and the City Provincial Government held a press conference today, April 17, 2018, at the Governor’s Gallery of the Cebu Provincial Capitol to announce the details about this year’s Gabii Sa Kabilin.
