RAFI holds Heritage Night

By Hazel F. Gloria

Tuesday 15th of May 2012

CEBU CITY, May 15 (PIA) -- The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) Culture and Heritage and its partners is set to hold the sixth run of “Gabii sa Kabilin (Heritage Night)” on May 25 from 6:00 p.m. to 12 midnight.

In a press conference on May 3 at the Casa Gorordo Museum, RAFI Culture and Heritage executive director Jocelyn Gerra said, heritage places and museum sites are the soul and conscience of a society, the essence of who we are, “If we don't get to understand what they are, then it will be very difficult for us to move forward and connect with each other.”

Gerra reminded the audience that the event is not a race and is meant to be enjoyed as a learning experience.

This year, the heritage event will feature 22 main attractions composed of museums and cultural sites in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue.

Gabii sa Kabilin’s new participating sites this year are Ayala Center Cebu Cinema and The Terraces; BPI Museum, CAP Theater, Fo Guang and the Shan Chu Un Temple; JRG Halad Museum, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Temple, and University of San Carlos Museum.

According to Gerra, tourists are treated to cultural performances, exhibits, art fairs, food markets, and interactive demonstrations in the 22 main sites.

There will also be a walking tour along heritage sites that are within walking distance from each other.

With one ticket worth P150, local and foreign tourists may go to as many participating museums and cultural heritage sites within the six hours of the heritage event.

The ticket also allows them to take as many rides as they want in Gabii sa Kabilin-designated buses and one tartanilla (horse-drawn carriage) trip in Cebu City’s old district.

An added attraction to Gabii sa Kabilin 2012 is a set of children’s activities that will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in six participating sites, namely, Ayala Center Cebu, Casa Gorordo Museum, Cathedral Museum, Cebu City Museum, Cebu Normal University, and Fort San Pedro.

RAFI Dolores Aboitiz Children's Fund (DACEF) executive director Amaya Aboitiz said it is important for children to experience local culture and how it is to be a Filipino.

Children’s activities include native agamesa, storytelling of traditional Visayan tales, lukay art, carroza decorating, tartanilla ride, hat making, bugsay (paddle) making demonstration, Chinese calligraphy, and tai chi demonstration.

There will also be a code hunt game, which is organized by major sponsor Smart Communications, wherein participants can download in their phones information on a heritage site.

“Sometimes we take for granted the kabilin. But beyond the kabilin is the story. Also important is not just the memory but also the story behind the heritage object because it's the story that carries you on forward,” Gerra said.

Implementation of Gabii sa Kabilin is made possible through partnerships with the local government units of Cebu City and Mandaue, Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM), Philippine National Police–Cebu City (PNP), Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (CHAC) of Cebu City, Province of Cebu, Department of Tourism–Region VII, and Santo Niño de Cebu Augustinian Social Development Foundation.

RAFI and its partners are also assisted by tanods, officials and residents of 26 barangays in Cebu City, namely, Apas, Calamba, Capitol Site, Carreta, Cogon-Ramos, Day-as, Ermita, Hipodromo, Kalubihan, Kamagayan, Lahug, Lorega-San Miguel, Luz, Mabolo, Pahina-San Nicolas, Parian, Sambag I, Sambag II, San Antonio, San Roque, Santa Cruz, Santo Niño, T. Padilla, Tejero, Tinago, and Zapatera.

Tickets will be sold starting May 10 at the 22 participating museums and cultural sites, including the concierge at Ayala Center Cebu.

Detailed information about the participating sites and their presentations as well as tour routes of Gabii sa Kabilin will be available for download also on May 10 at www.rafi.org.ph or www.facebook.com/rafi.org.ph.

On May 18, RAFI and the local government units of Argao and Sibonga will launch its “Gabii sa Kabilin” in those towns.

For more information about Gabii sa Kabilin and other programs of the RAFI Culture and Heritage, please call 418-7234 local 703 and look for May or Florencio. (RAFI/MBCN/HFG-PIA7)