July 12, 2009

  • A night of heritage

    Culture

    CEBU, Philippines – Late May, six museums in the city bonded to treat Cebuanos to a trip back to Cebu’s glorious past. The event, which they dubbed Gabii sa Kabilin (Night of Heritage), is to be the grand finale to culminate the observance of the National Heritage Month.

    So, there we were – my friend Jerome Lim of the Albert Schweitzer Foundation and Ryan Lee of iNeed.ph – with expectations soaring, we rushed to Museo Sugbo trying to catch the opening show directed by none other than Cebu’s pride, Junjet Primor. Unlucky for us, the show came to a close when we arrived, but then again, more than the show was the collection of the museum which showcased archeological finds that date back to pre-Spanish Cebu. There were also paraphernalia from the Second World War including a spy camera and, of course, loads of Mickey Mouse money, the currency used during the Japanese occupation. Mementos from Cebu’s historical figures were also on display.

    What would be worth contemplating is the display of the series run by The FREEMAN in the 1920’s about the assassination of Leon Kilat written in Cebuano by a certain Detektib PUG, and with it are some of Leon Kilat’s personal effects, including a handkerchief with symbols written all over it and apparently served as an anting-anting (amulet). Reading this in depth analysis on one of the country’s most prominent heroes evokes a feeling of being transported back in time. A chilling experience, sadly, the publication was not given its due recognition, unlike the other papers on display whose publishers and the publication per se were highlighted.

    After that, we were royally transported on board an elaborately dressed tartanilya to Casa Gorordo whose festivity encompassed the local fiesta. World class fares for dinner were sold at a steal by Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa. Local performers, pure and untainted, took center stage rendering songs, dances and poetries reminiscent of the island’s glorious cultural past. The gaiety was part of the museum’s celebration of the anniversary of Bishop Juan Gorordo, Cebu’s first Filipino Bishop whose family owned the property. The ruckus in the well-manicured lawn, however, did not overshadow the primary reason of the event, which was to appreciate the collection of the museum.

      At Casa Gorordo, patrons were transported back to an era that merged two colliding cultures – the reserved Spanish customs and the more outrageous American culture. The collections were composed basically of the properties of the Gorordos: portraits, furnishings, cookware, religious icons, and basically anything and everything that you would expect to see in a house. All the necessities, so to speak.

    We then took a leisurely walk to the Yap-San Diego ancestral house to once again marvel at the antiquities that the present caretaker of the property, Mr. Val San Diego, accumulated over the years.

    Another tartanilya ride to Fort San Pedro proved to be inutile as there was nothing for us to gawk at, except for a brief night tour around the bastion. The museum was closed, to my disappointment, because apparently they did not participate in the laudable event. The museum is managed by the National Museum, while the fort, per se, is being run by the City Government of Cebu. Earlier that evening, the fort held a Santa Cruzan that paraded Miss Cebu beauties including The FREEMAN’s Marigold Lebumfacil. The Fort San Pedro leg of the tour was intended to give patrons time to lounge and rest while being serenaded by rondalla performers.

    With the performers already exhausted, we decided to try our luck at the Cathedral Museum. It was already thirty minutes to midnight, and the event is said to end at 1 a.m., but with the already diminished crowd, I expected that most museums would have already decided to call it a night. My fingers were crossed hoping that we would still be able to see their displays, and the gods were to our favor, with us being the last guests.

    Jerome, a true-blue Catholic, was adept with the Cathedral’s collections, knowing its background and sharing tidbits of interesting information to both Ryan and me. The museum houses expensive antique collections from other churches around the province, as well as religious icons and personal effects of past bishops of the province. A part of the museum’s floor was left uncovered to show the original flooring, from the dirt bottom up to the present tiled one. It was deep, and I took it as a testament to the church’s flourishing history.

    As it was already past midnight when we left the Cathedral Museum, we thought that the Sto. Niño Museum would already be closed by the time we would reach its doors, so we decided to forego that leg of the tour. The Sto. Niño Museum, by the way, features the history of devotion to the miraculous Sto. Niño de Cebu, with personal effects of devotees on display as well as past adornments of the image.

    What makes the experience memorable is the opportunity given to the Cebuanos to role play and enjoy their culture, heritage and history in an authentic way. Radio personality and heritage guide Balbino “Ka Bino” Guerero also facilitated a walking tour to the different museums stopping by heritage sites and places where historical establishments used to stand, or where famous historical figures used to stay. I wasn’t able to catch the tour, but hopefully on the next Gabii sa Kabilin, this would be the first on in my agenda.

    The Gabii sa Kabilin, already on its third year, is a praiseworthy project of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation’s Cultural Heritage Program and the Visayas Association of Museums and Galleries, Inc.


    This article was published in The FREEMAN, July 12, 2009. Photo credit:     Reynan Villena

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