Casa Gorordo Museum Continues 400-year-old Tradition

The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), through its Culture and Heritage Unit, will celebrate the Pista ni San Juan this Saturday, June 24, 2017.

San Juan Bautista, one of the Philippines’ more popular religious icons, is the patron saint of the old Parian district of Cebu City, where RAFI’s Casa Gorordo Museum is located. Today, the Parian community still celebrate the Feast of San Juan Bautista, as he remains the patron saint of the barangay.

As part of the celebration, there will be a procession of a carroza bearing the century-old image of San Juan Bautista baptizing Jesus Christ. Upholding one of the five traditions of the house, people in the second floor of the Casa Gorordo Museum will be throwing red petals to welcome the carroza as it arrives at the museum.

“The Gorordo family have always had this tradition of celebrating the pista. RAFI has continued this tradition after it had acquired Casa Gorordo and turned it into a museum,” said museum curator Florencio Moreño.

“This is to ensure that the tradition of the Gorordos, which reflects much of old Parian society, lives on,” he said.

The Casa Gorordo Museum is a historic house museum owned and managed by RAFI through its Culture & Heritage Unit. Together with Pepit Revilles, grandniece of the late Bishop Juan Bautista Gorordo, the museum will prepare this Saturday a feast for descendants of the Gorordo family and the partners and friends of the museum.

“Also, I believe it’s important to touch-base with our partners again to strengthen our ties with them,” Moreño said on the celebration.