First of all, I would like to apologize for this very late post. I had to travel to Negros for a very important reason.
Anyway, here is my little coverage of the very successful Gabii Sa Kabilin 2011. I would like to congratulate the organizers of this event. Despite the torrential rain, I think it was still an astounding success. If I am not mistaken, this is their fifth year (and my third time) . And I must commend the organizers for keeping the participants interested by bringing in something new to the table every year. The Gabii Sa Kabilin 2011 was not only very educational, it was also very fun and exciting.
For this year’s Gabii Sa Kabilin, we joined, for the first time, a walking tour facilitated by none other than famous Cebuano tour guide KaBino. KaBino gives guided walking tours of the heritage sites of Cebu City. He is an expert in the rich and colorful history of Cebu.
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Local and foreign tourists enjoying the heritage sites of Cebu City.

The courtyard of Casa Gorordo was expectedly very busy.
As soon as I arrived at the Casa Gorordo Museum, my friend introduced me to one of her heads. She told her that I maintain a blog and that I’ve been blogging about this event for two years now. Her head immediately gave me a Press Kit and told me that I was allowed to enjoy the food prepared for the press. Cool! 🙂

Participants enjoying the good weather.
Dining area for the press. Hehehe.
View of the back yard of the fabulous Casa.
Cute violinists entertaining the participants.

Installation of a Manila-based artist. This work is entitled Balete.
He also created this meaningful and kinda creepy installation.
The flashing neon lights say HISTORY.
Creepy.
Tour guide Mr. KaBino poses for the camera.
Checking his camera. Hehehe.
The Aboitiz Building right in front of Casa Gorordo. Nice.
The walking tour started at the Yap-Sandiego House. Then, we proceeded to the Heritage of Cebu Monument.
Then, we went to the house where the ‘Abat sa Parian’ lived. According to local stories, this was where the Anay Gabakya (swine on clogs) was frequently seen.
We also checked out the Rajah Humabon Park right in front of the USPF Campus.
Statue of Cebu’s Chieftain during Lapu-Lapu’s time.
The USPF Campus
The tour ended in front of the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. Here’s my friend Milay with KaBino.
After the tour, we went to the Cathedral Museum.
There, we saw one of Cebu’s most influential men – His Eminence Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal.
After a quick tour, we got on a kalesa and went to Fort San Pedro.
We spent a lot of time taking photos of the paintings of Cebuano Historian and Artist Manuel Pañares. Here is the artist’s rendition of Mainland Cebu’s chieftain Rajah Humabon.
A native Cebuana during the pre-colonial period.
Painting of a sleeping female musician.
Painting of a native and the Image of Cebu’s Holy Child.
Artist’s depiction of Mactan Island’s Chieftain Datu Lapu-Lapu.
The discovery of the Holy Image by Legaspi’s men 44 years after Magellan’s death.
The epic battle of Mactan which resulted to the death of Magalhaes/Magellan.
An artist’s depiction of Magalhaes/Magellan. Despite his death in Cebu, he is known as the first circumnavigator of the world.
All written records of the expedition were recorded by this man – Antonio Pigafetta.
Queen Juana and the Image of the Holy Child.
Blood Compact between Magellan and Rajah Humabon. This marked the beginning of the end of Magellan’s long journey. After deciding to dip his hands into local politics, Magellan ended up dead in the shallow waters of Mactan Island.
Painting of a church in Parian. This church can no longer be seen today.
If you observe the painting closely, you will see how diverse the population of old Cebu was.
The Chinese were important trade partners during the Spanish Period.
On our way out of the Fort, we saw this ethnic band playing. Very cool.
And then I noticed that one of them was my teacher in High School!
Photo op with new friends. (That’s Cathy with the black bag. She’s an MCPB reader. Hehe.)
Don’t miss next year’s Gabii Sa Kabilin!
Wala ka lagi shots sa the Jesuit House of 1730 at Binakayan St. Naa ang entrance along Zulueta St. duol ra sa gidungog nga balay sa ‘Ungo sa Parian’. It was built in 1730 and is now the only existing bahay na bato that is concreted even up to the second floor segun sa SSC. May pictures unta ko pero dili sama kanindot sa imong mga kuha.
The one in your picture is not the actual site of this “balay sa ungo”. Naa to sa luyo aning building pero giguba na. Sayang, old house pud unta to. ‘Anay gabakya’ denotes an old thin mother swine wearing wooden clogs (bakya, which is very common then).
we went there last year sir pero this year wala na mi kahapit kay tungod sa tour. dritso ra man sa cathedral. hehe. thanks sa info, sir! 🙂
i definitely learned some history here. i like the women’s colourful fashion then. thanks for sharing this one, ley. i hope you enjoyed the press kit had to offer, celebrity na gyud ka. 🙂 am very proud of you! God bless.
hehehe. thanks a lot mam ianne! 🙂
c E B U !!!!! <3
Ka sayang jud, na miss na sad nako this event!
WOW! This one is very great. I love the painting collections and the artist’s own version of some important people in the history of Cebu. Thanks for sharing Ley!
Hmm. Ngano kaya naa’y boot? Hmm.
Nice pix @ i love the painting.
Thnx Ley
thanks mam inday!
More inputs on the Gabii sa Kabilin: an initiative brought to you by the Visayan Association of Museums in Central Visayas in cooperation with RAFI Foundation on its 5th year with funding from NCCA in support f the Celebration of the International Museums Day Celebration held on the 26th of May. 2011.
Eighteen member museums participated this year, its 5th year; to name a few, composed of : Privately owned museums as Church–Cebu Cathedral Museum, Santo Nino Basilica Museum,
as Lifestyle Heritage Houses — Casa Gorordo holding the memorabilia of Bishop Gorordo first bishop of Cebu, late 18th C. vintage Yap-Sandiego Ancestral Home of a typical Mestizo Sangley family, Chinese Trader married to a wife– a native Cebuano,
Museo Parian Sa Sugbo (also known as the 1730 Jesuit House) holds and projects the history of the Parian Enclave– a community of Chinese, Spanish mestizo married a native Cebuano. It connects with the the evolution of Cebu Society and its port city trading heritage cruising the inland river route. Jimmy Sy, a Chinese businessman owner of Hotong Hardware used the house as his stock warehouse.
Publicly owned museums are the Cebu City Museum housing the Cebu’s Culture and the Arts while Museo Sugbo of the Province houses the Memorabilia Collection of Don Vicente Rama, Father of the Cebu city Charter,
The NHI Collection( Natioanl Historical Institute, The National Museum Region VII, Maritime Archeological Collection of the Galleon made in consolation Cebu, found in Fortune Island and the recent escavations in the Province, the Boljoon Collection and some of the material artifacts escavated in Cebu City and Boljoon areas archeologist-curator Jojo Bersales in collaboration with the the National Museum experts.
Fort San Pedro, the smallest and the oldest was Miguel Lopez de Legaspi in 1565 when he formally claimed the Philippines for Spain, named after King Philip II. Its significance marked the Philippines, its discovery stated the History and the end of prehistory– we became part of the global History of the world because of Magellan, while Engrique de Mallaca, Magellan’s interpreter, believed to be a Cebuano, and a Filipino was the 1st to circumnavigate the world.
For this reason, the Celebration of the International Museums Day, and in support of the Gabii Sa Kabilin, Don Vicente Rama Roadshow of Historical Paintings Masterpieces by artist painter Manuel Panares is a collection depicting local history, highlighting leaders and events in Sugbo’s History. This is aimed to open the awareness of the rich culture and history of Sugbo. Each painting details the lifestyle of the people, customs and traditions based of the artifacts excavated in the region housed in the museum together with the written documents and historical data researched by historians, ethnologists through the years. Personalities of our local history based on Pigafetta’s account in the Voyages of Magellan provide the artist Manuel Panares the basis of putting flesh and blood likeness of these people, through his paintings the viewer is given the feel and the touch of how pre-historic peoples lived. His attempt to provide us with the face and the body, the recreation of events is to relive the period so that all an discover the essence of our history, provide the pride of place, and the dignity of our being filipinos and Cevbuanos first and foremost.
Still on the Gabii Sa Kabilin May 236 2011
Congratulations to All Participants, Museum Curaators, historians, tour guides, artists, Cebuanos all: Based on my observation as I explored Gabii Sa Kabilin a move to make it a week long celebration, not just a one night event can provide more access for the new clientele who wants to visit these hub of culture and heritage. It is important that if funding comes from NCCA, the activities in the parks, visit to streets and lanmarks, makers 32 in all will be visited too. As guest cannot visit all museums in one night, the week long event can be designed so that all 18 museums can have its hare of tourists and guests. University Museums, University of Southern Phil. fgoundation and the Cebu Normal University Museum had its part, and the Sacred Hear CCCChurch Fine Arts Gallery of Fr. Jason Dy, Painter has a lot to share in terms of Contemporary collection. The partnership of both the Private and the Public Sector is noteworthy, yet much more collaboration can happen. This is the only way to realize our vision of claiming our culture and herige, More power to Sugbo, more power to Gabii Sa Kabilin,
haha mdm visaya (ms rabago). she was always proud to do these things. too bad i missed it this year, promised myself i would have attended. maybe next year (hopefully). we made our own “udto sa kabilin” with my friends last saturday: walking from cathedral to the yap-sandiego house, to casa gorordo and then on jeepney to museo sugbo. the yap-sandiego house was closed. museo sugbo is enormous! i hope we make it known to all people, tourists and locals, that we have these kinds of places that show our heritage as cebuanos. and we should be proud of it. I’m waiting for the dr. lydia aznar-alfonso museum to be done, they had great collections showcased before.
omg, a total regret of deciding not to go in the last minute… i had it in my sched for like a week.. my only problem is just getting the ticket.. i would’ve preferred in getting the ticket right on spot tsk tsk.. i had really some problems with claiming items.. unclaimed packages,unclaimed money,unclaimed last pay blah blah hehe.. so like getting a ticket is related to my issues..
sayang hindi na naman ako nakapunta dito . I miss cebu. Sobra !!!
Another good article, Ley! Bitaw apil gyud ka sa Press Corps Ley, kay you have done alot to bring Cebu to the world. Glad they recognized that!
Chieftain of Madaue, Upon entery to Island Cebu, high noon of April 7, 1521 is the sighting of a cove called Mandaue, its leader in Lambuzzan, known as Aponoan– great leader full of strength– found in Blair and Robertson, Pigaffeta a footnote reference
Battle of Mactan, its Chieftain Datu Lapu-lapu lead his men and defeated Magellan on the shores of Mactan, Cebu in 1521, now known as the first freedom fighter against a foreighn explorer navigator Magellan in 1521–
hope someday i will be in cebu to witness this meaningful event… puhon, thanks Ley
kanus-a mahitabo ang gabii sa kabilin. mean unsang bulan sa tuig salamat