The Gabii Sa Kabilin 2018 theme
This year’s Gabii Sa Kabilin is themed “Balangay”, a pre-colonial boat that used for transporting of trades and families before the Spaniards colonized and discovered the Philippines.
The representation of balangay on this year’s Gabii Sa Kabilin theme is actually the celebration of our roots and our pre-colonial culture and history. In this generation, few of us are familiar about the pre-colonial history and it is a perfect day that Gabii Sa Kabilin highlighted the pre-colonial Filipino culture and it is a must to experience a one of a kind cultural night event in Cebu for all Cebuanos and Local and Foreign visitors.
The Gabii Sa Kabilin is supported by the Provincial government of Cebu and participated by the local government of Cebu City, Mandaue City, Lapu-lapu City, and Talisay City.
The Activities
You can purchase a ticket for only Php 150.00 plus a Gabii Sa Kabilin map to guide you in different participating sites. Walking is the alternative way to visit the nearby museums, but you can ride the Tartanilla for free from Sugbo Chinese Museum to Fort San Pedro and a free ride of Route Buses to access the other museums in Cebu City, Lapu-lapu City, Mandaue City, and Talisay City. The Gabii Sa Kabilin is more fun if you bring your family and the whole squad.
The highlight of this event is actually the rediscovery of Cebu’s rich history from pre-colonial culture to the Spanish colonization era and beyond. The colorful past history of Cebu is something to rediscover and we need to look back the past, so we can appreciate and develop our vision about our ancestor’s roots, the old style of living, and the history of old Cebu.
The Gabii sa Kabilin Sites that I visited
Casa Gorordo
The Casa Gorodo Museum is the center of Gabii Sa Kabilin where the opening ceremony and cultural activities happened.
Museo Sugbo
Museo Sugbo is also a museum of old Cebu history where you can find old artifacts from the pre-colonial era, Spanish colonial era, and during the World War II era.
Museo Parian sa Sugbo – 1730 Jesuit House
Museo Parian sa Sugbo is a two-story ancestral house made of stone walls where you can find the different history of the Jesuits in Cebu way back 1730 and today became one of the most popular historical sites of Cebu. The area is composed of historical signages, glassed and preserved artifacts, and old memorabilia.
Fort San Pedro
One of the highlighted activities in Fort San Pedro is the live demonstration of Arnis, a Filipino national martial art. This martial art uses a wooden sword for mock battles.
Mandaue Presidencia
I finally visited the Mandaue Presidencia.
The Experience
Through this activity, you can figure out how the Cebu was developed. Through the museum collections, old images, and told stories, you can imagine how Cebu was great and rich in its culture and history. This is a one of a kind experience that every Cebuano should know because it can be our source of pride for being a Cebuano and we have something to offer for the world, and that is our history. Spending the Friday night for Gabii Sa Kabilin was so worthy and I learned new stories, even if I participated last year’s Gabii Sa Kabilin.
The Gabii Sa Kabilin is organized by Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. and it was a very successful event for almost 11 years of providing an ultimate Cebu Heritage night for everyone. Congratulations!
See you on the next Gabii Sa Kabilin on 2019.
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