With the theme “Philippine Epics,” the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) Cultural Heritage Program together with the Visayan Association of Museums and Galleries Inc. (VAMGI) will commemorate the National Heritage Month today with the repeat of last year’s Gabii sa Kabilin (Night of Heritage).
The Casa Gorordo Museum, the Cathedral Museum of Cebu and the Basilica Museum, the Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House and Fort San Pedro will open its doors to visitors from 6 p.m. to 12 midnight tonight.
This year’s commemoration, however, will feature Parada or Tartanilla rides and the Walking Tour. Like the stop-over buses in Singapore, the tartanillas transport visitors to each and every museum. As for the Walking Tour, tourist guides will explain about the history and culture of Cebu while accompanying visitors to each destination.
Jocelyn Gerra, Executive Director of the RAFI Cultural Heritage Program, said the Paradas and the Walking Tour will give visitors an idea of what Cebu used to be in the 19th century. Just like last year, the garden in Casa Gorordo will house cultural performances such as poetry reading and native dances whereas the Fort San Pedro grounds will have Bayle performances.
Gabii sa Kabilin is the only event in Asia and the Philippines where visitors get to visit museums at night. This event was organized in order to renew the Cebuanos’ waning interest in museums. Gabii sa Kabilin was patterned after Germany’s Langen Nacht der Museen or Long Night of the Museum.