We all know that Cebu has many tourist attractions flocked by millions of local and foreign tourists each year, but beyond the centuries-old landmarks and its pristine beaches, Cebu also has a rich history, culture and heritage to take pride of, especially as we mark the 500th anniversary of Magellan’s arrival, birth of Christianity in the Philippines and victory at Mactan.
With all the information jam-packed in the web, it can be overwhelming and hard to go through all of them. It is even harder to know which is fact and fiction. With the help of technology, RAFI’s Gabii sa Kabilin (GSK) and Casa Gorordo Museum (CGM) have organized a wide range of online activities from webinars to virtual tours to help share local culture and heritage to those living in and out of Cebu.
Here are six ways to learn more about Cebu’s rich culture and heritage from the comfort of home with Gabii sa Kabilin (GSK) and Casa Gorordo Museum (CGM):
1. Watch Gabii sa Kabilin webinars
Schedule: Every 4th Friday of the month on GSK’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
GSK has always been an experience of a lifetime before the pandemic– visiting museums, touring the city, riding the tartanilla and at the same time learning about Cebuano culture and heritage. GSK is bringing the magical experience online with free webinars on the fourth Friday of the month on GSK’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Previous webinars include The Impact of 500 Years of Christianity to Filipino Life and Culture, Fujian Ceramics Traded in Precolonial Philippines, Visayan Tattooing and Tattoo Designs, and The Journey of the Sto Niño: Origins up to the Kaplag. All of which can be replayed on Facebook and YouTube.
The success of GSK 2020 gave way to a wider reach and it is now teaming up with local museums, historians and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines’ (NHCP) National Quincentennial Committee (NQC) for another year of free online activities.
Watch the next GSK webinar on March 26, 2021, which will focus on the 1521 Easter Sunday Mass at Limasawa. It will feature historian, author and professor, Dr. Rolando O. Borrinaga who will discuss the evidences considered by the 2019 Mojares Panel in concluding that Limasawa was the site of the historic Mass. Register here: https://forms.gle/RgWdLnBs1szDEPp16.
2. Take part in GSK One Night Only on April 16
Aside from its monthly online activities, Gabii sa Kabilin will be holding a special heritage night on April 16, 6 p.m. to 12 midnight. For just P80, participants can enjoy special documentaries and presentations from 16 museums and heritage sites in Cebu, and watch it with friends and family at home.
The theme of the virtual event is “The Arrival” and it will highlight the 500-year anniversary of the arrival of Magellan, the birth of Christianity and the victory at Mactan, and its impact on Cebuano culture, heritage and way of life.
Tickets can be purchased via GCash, credit or debit card and PayPal. For more information, visit #GSKONO’s Facebook event page or Eventbrite page.
To date, Gabii sa Kabilin One Night Only is sponsored by Pilipino Cable Corp. (SkyCable), Visayan Electric Company, Inc. (VECO), and supported by Junior Chamber International (JCI) Cebu Sinulog and Philippine Junior Jaycees (JJC Philippines).
3. Listen to Visayan stories through Handurawan: Cebuano Folklore for Children
Schedule: Every 2nd Friday of the month on GSK’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Listen to folktales and legends from Cebuano or Visayan folklore through monthly Handurawan storytelling episodes. The show is initially intended for kids aged 4-7 years old but let’s face it, everyone loves a good and fascinating story, especially if the tales have been told and handed down through many generations. Handurawan is streamed on the GSK Facebook page in English and Cebuano.
The first three episodes are now available online:
- Stories of the Santo Nino
- The Lost Epic of Central Visayas
- The Legend of Maria Cacao
This is organized in partnership with St. Theresa’s College and RAFI Dolores Aboitiz Children’s Fund.
4. Get to know the unique and colorful towns and provinces of Cebu with Sugbu-tiful: Cebu Town Features
Schedule: Monthly on CGM’s Facebook Page.
Learn all about every town in Cebu town from Daanbantayan in the North to Santander in the South, and catch your hometown being featured as well. The online series, which began last year, showcases the unique and colorful aspects of local towns and aims to activate Cebuanos’ pride of place. Videos will be posted on the town’s annual fiesta and can be viewed on the Casa Gorordo Museum’s official Facebook page.
Catch the latest town feature here https://fb.watch/4iKA53qso7/.
5. Learn more about Cebuano culture with Casa Gorordo Museum (CGM) Talks
Schedule: Monthly on CGM’s Facebook Page.
Get a chance to hear experts share their insights on various topics like Cebuano arts, language and history with Casa Gorordo Museum’s monthly informative webinars on Cebuano culture.
Don’t miss CGM’s third talk of the year on March 29, which will focus on “Life in a Caravel” or the living conditions during the Magellanic expedition. Historian Dr. Danilo Gerona will talk about what it was like to be a crewmember in the 1,082-day voyage around the world. Register here: https://forms.office.com/r/UBGz1bnNh3.
6. Go on a virtual tour of Casa Gorordo Museum (CGM)
Missing museum visits? Casa Gorordo Museum is opening its doors to visitors for free virtual walkthroughs. Stroll around, explore and learn more about the historic house all from the comfort of home aided by dramatizations of various house traditions and practices, along with audio and video narration of the house’s history, rooms, artifacts, and exhibits.
The virtual tour can be accessed at http://casagorordomuseum.org/virtual-tour using a smartphone or computer.
Got questions? Contact GSK at:
- Contact number: (032) 411-1700 local 24535 (Look for Judy Dinopol, Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.)
- Email address: [email protected]
- Facebook:
- Casa Gorordo Museum: www.facebook.com/casagorordomuseum
- Gabii sa Kabilin: www.facebook.com/gabiisakabilincebu
- YouTube: Gabii sa Kabilin: www.youtube.com/c/GabiisaKabilin
