Historical schools

CEBU, Philippines - Rich history exudes from the walls of several institutions of higher education participating or being featured come Gabii sa Kabilin (Night of Heritage) on May 31.

More than the timeless stories they offer, these schools will feature exhibits and activities related to their individual histories.

At the Colegio del Santo Niño, children will try their hands on toy-making using recycled materials to honor the Holy Child Jesus. The site will also feature an exhibit on the history of the devotion of the Santo Niño, as well as the environmental advocacies of the Santo Niño de Cebu Augustinian Social Development Foundation (SNAF). 

The Colegio del Santo Niño was founded in 1903. Its founder, the Order of Saint Augustine, is the same order that takes care of the two oldest Christian images in the Philippines: the Santo Niño de Cebu and the Ecce Homo. The present building of the colegio, which exemplifies Filipinized elements of the Art Deco movement, was built between 1947 and 1948.

Gabii sa Kabilin guests will be treated to traditional dances and songs at the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF)-Rizaliana Museum. They will also have an opportunity to taste Jose Rizal’s favorite dishes.

The USPF-Rizaliana museum houses the largest collection of Jose Rizal memorabilia outside of Luzon. It is located in USPF’s oldest campus on Mabini Street, right beside the Cathedral Museum. How did precious Rizal memorabilia find their way to USPF? It’s a piece of trivia guests can find out during Gabii sa Kabilin.

At the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu, guests can re-discover the colorful, at times tumultuous, history of the esteemed academic institution. Its Lahug campus, with its 1929 administration building, was used by the Japanese as a stockade. Many condemned patriots lost their lives in this building.

The founding of the Cebu branch of UP happened a decade earlier in 1918 but the campuses were moved a few times before then settled in Lahug. It was formally opened in Warwick Barracks (now Freedom Park), which fronted the beautiful Recoletos Church, now the site of another prominent school, the University of San Jose Recoletos. Later, the school’s campus had to be moved to Jakosalem and then to Fort San Pedro for various reasons. In 1951, UP Cebu had to be closed due to financial difficulties. After serving as the campus for the Jesuit Berchmans College, it was reopened a decade later.

UP’s and USPF’s histories are directly intertwined. Agustin Jereza, the founder of USPF, was the engineer who constructed the historic administration building of UP through his company, Jereza Construction Co.

The University of the Visayas (UV) is one of the featured sites of the Gabii sa Kabilin. It was founded by the late Don Vicente Gullas as the Visayas Institute in 1919 and one of the country’s pioneering and leading educational institutions. It is the first university in Cebu and is managed by Filipino educators. UV was established at the time when Cebu was emerging as the Queen City of the South, manifesting a movement that involved the significant establishment for institutions of higher education.

The Cebu Normal University is another featured site. Established as a provincial normal school, a branch of the Philippine Normal School, the campus was used as headquarters of the Japanese Kempetai or Military Police of the Japanese Imperial Army during WWII.

The inclusion of these educational institutions during Gabii sa Kabilin shows that the opportunity to learn about one’s history and culture is found in places other than museums. Truly then, one can say it is a night of heritage. 

Gabii sa Kabilin on May 31 will open the doors of 34 destinations in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Talisay from 6 p.m. to midnight to encourage visitors to understand and appreciate these destinations as venues for cultural understanding, fun and dynamic learning.

For more information about Gabii sa Kabilin, please contact (032) 418-7234 loc. 703, or visit www.facebook.com/rafi.org.ph  or follow @rafiorgph on Twitter. To reserve your tickets, you may also visit www.rafi.org.ph/event/2013-gsk-reserve. (FREEMAN)