The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) Culture and Heritage Unit and its partner organizations will hold the 10th run of the Gabii sa Kabilin (Night of Heritage) on Friday, May 27, from 6 p.m. to midnight.
 
 
Participants will be treated to cultural performances, culinary experience, art fairs, and special exhibits, among others, aside from selected children activities in some venues.
 
 
This year, the heritage event features 30 destinations in Cebu City, especially the downtown area like Casa Gorordo Museum, Jose R. Gullas Halad Museum, Yap Sandiego Ancestral House, Oriente Theatre, and Cebu Palm Grass Hotel.
 
 
The event also covers three venues in Mandaue City, seven in Talisay City, and two in Lapu-Lapu City; namely the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) and the Mactan Shrine.
 
 
The theme of this year’s Gabii sa Kabilin is “Forging Peoples”, which means that the different participating sites will dwell on Cebu being a blend of different cultures of people from different parts of the world, on its being a multicultural society shaped by the numerous events in its past.
 
 
To join the Gabii sa Kabilin, guests must purchase a Gabii sa Kabilin ticket, which serves as an admission ticket for all destinations, one tartanilla (horse-drawn carriage) trip within the city’s old district, and unlimited rides of the Gabii sa Kabilin-designated buses.
 
 
Tickets are priced at PhP150. Admission is free for children aged seven and below. Tickets can be purchased and reserved in advance at any of the participating destinations.
 
 
The bus routes, which connects all the destinations of Gabii sa Kabilin, make individual tours possible. Within the duration of Gabii sa Kabilin, some streets are closed to ensure the safety of guests walking to the sites located at the downtown district.
 
 
In 2012, due to the success of the previous runs, Cebu City’s Sangguniang Panlungsod passed City Ordinance 2327 declaring the last Friday of May of every year as Gabii sa Kabilin or Night of Heritage.
 
The e-form of the Gabii sa Kabilin Guide Booklet, which provides detailed information about the destinations and their program and the maps of the tour routes, can be downloaded at www.rafi.org.ph or www.facebook.com/rafi.org.ph.
 
 
Culture and Heritage is one of the focus areas of RAFI. It aims to help communities to understand, value and share their culture and heritage with others. The foundation’s other focus areas are Integrated Development, Micro-finance and Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Citizenship, and Education.
 
 
For more information about the Gabii sa Kabilin and other programs of the RAFI Culture and Heritage Unit, please call (032) 411-1700/343-1700 local 24537, and look for May Sanchez, or visit www.rafi.org.ph, www.facebook.com/rafi.org.ph, or follow @rafiorgph on Twitter.
 
By RICHARD RAMOS