Acting Cebu City Mayor Wants to Hold ‘Gabii sa Kabilin’ Twice a Year

Acting Cebu City Mayor Margot Osmeña has suggested the holding of the “Gabii sa Kabilin” (Heritage Night) twice a year, after noticing that more people than before joined the event held last Friday.

Osmeña said one day is not enough to visit all the 41 participating museums and heritage sites.

Some 5,000 people participated in the event, compared to about 3,000 last year.

The annual Gabii sa Kabilin gives participants a chance to visit as many museums and heritage sites as they can manage from 6 p.m. until midnight, using only one ticket.

“Between Christmas and New Year, so many balikbayans come to Cebu. Why don’t we also have it at Christmas time, so it will be more festive?” Osmeña suggested.

She said she already pitched the idea to the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), lead organizer of the event, which is on its 10th year.

“We’re open to that but let’s look at the logistics. We’ll see how things turn out,” Dr. Jocelyn Gerra, RAFI’s executive officer for culture and arts, said.

Gerra said another Gabii sa Kabilin within the year is possible but the matter still needs to be discussed with their partners.

“This is a collective decision and we need to come up with a better plan,” she said.

Osmeña, who drafted City Ordinance 2327 for the Gabii sa Kabilin, said she found the event amazing.

The ordinance sets aside every last Friday of May, which is also National Heritage Month, as the Gabii sa Kabilin.

“It’s very exciting because you can go back every year. You go to the same museums but you’re still amazed,” she said. (PNA) SCS/EB/SSC