GABII sa Kabilin (GSK) organizers are expecting 10,000 participants in the heritage tour, which will return on May 10, 2024.
To achieve this target, which is higher than the 9,000 participants in 2023, organizers from the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (Rafi) are planning to give free tickets to residents, workers and students of their partner local government units.
“We wanted more participants to attend. We came up a solution: to give free tickets,” said Marie Sol Gonzalvo, event director of GSK 2024, and executive director of Rafi’s social well-being cluster.
This year’s theme is “Beloved Bisaya,” which comes from 17th century Jesuit missionary Fr. Francisco Ignacio Alcina’s statement, “my beloved Bisaya.”
GSK will visit heritage sites and museums in four cities -- Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Talisay.
Aside from learning local culture and history, participants can also enjoy cultural performances, visit food markets and join contests and children’s activities.
Opening festivities will be held at Plaza Sugbo near Cebu City Hall at 4:30 p.m.
The tour will start at 6 p.m. and end midnight of May 11. GSK will be using 30 buses and 35 tartanillas.
Tickets are available for P300, offering priority entry, unlimited bus rides, a tartanilla ride, access to special activities and a GSK map.
The tickets are sold in selected participating sites. They also have extended GSK kiosks in Ayala Central Bloc and Ayala Central Cebu.
GSK 2024 is supported by the Department of Tourism in Central Visayas, Ayala Central Bloc, Ayala Center Cebu, Cebu IT Park and Islands Souvenir.
According to GSK organizers, the participating sites are the Spanish era Fort San Pedro and the 1730 Jesuit House (Museo Parian sa Sugbo), Cebu City Museum, the Sugbu Chinese Heritage Museum, and the University of San Carlos Museum, Archdiocesan Museum of Cebu, Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño Museum, BPI Museum, Casa Gorordo Museum, Cebu Normal University Museum, Palm Grass the Cebu Heritage Hotel and Fo Guang Shan Chu Un Temple in Cebu City.
The other participating sites in Cebu City are National Museum of the Philippines - Cebu, St. Theresa’s College - Sister Ma. Delia Coronel Folklife Museum, The Kabilin Center, University of San Carlos Museum, University of San Jose - Recoletos Museum, University of the Southern Philippines Foundation - Jose Rizal Museum and University of the Philippines - Cebu.
Participating sites outside the city are Mandaue City Presidencia, Museo de Talisay, and Liberty Shrine in Lapu-Lapu City. / CAV