Proudly Filipino 
Cebu Historical Landmarks are the main appeal in the entirety of Gabii Sa Kabilin 2023. An event that sets you back into the past.
From battles the city has gone through, the changes in structure and all the way back to when Christianity was first introduced into the country. To help you know about these wonderful locations, here are the 22 Gabii Sa Kabilin Historical Landmarks!
Archdiocesan Museum of Cebu
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu’s artistic, historical, and cultural heritage are on display at the Archdiocesan Museum of Cebu. It continues to enhance the catechesis and culture of the Catholic Church while displaying its collections of ceremonial objects that are no longer in use.
Address: Mabini Street corner Urdaneta Street, Cebu City
Contact Number: +63 32 341-3173
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/archdiocesanmuseumofcebu
Archdiocesan Shrine of San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish
The 1584 San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish is one of the oldest parishes in the Philippines, even years ahead of the establishment of Cebu Diocese in 1595.
It is considered the original site of the landing of Legazpi’s armada on April 27, 1565 and became the embryo of a settlement, which Legazpi established and named San Miguel.
San Nicolas was a vibrant town during the Spanish period, the spawning ground for the revolution against Spain in 1898, and the birthplace of Cebuano musical legends in the 20th century.
The church used to host a Flores de Mayo that bested the one at the Cathedral. Its parishioners, like the Abellas and Abellanas, among others, claim to close descent from Tupas, the ancient “King of Cebu”.
Address: C. Padilla Street, San Nicolas, Cebu City
Contact Number: +63 32 261-0849
Archdiocesan Shrine of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Even before the Spaniards came to colonize the Philippines, Chinese settlers have already established themselves, particularly in the Pari-an area. The Chinese Catholic Association founded the parish in 1920 and now it is Cebu’s first modern church.
Address: D. Jakosalem Street, Cogon Central, Ramos, Cebu City
Contact Number: +63 32 253-6479 loc. 116
Facebook Page: facebook.com/SacredHeartParishCebu
Basilica Minore del Santo Niño Museum
In celebration of the miraculous image of the Sto. Niño de Cebu, the Santo Nño Church was created. It burned down in 1568 after being built on the image’s site in 1565. Rebuilt in 1602 and renovated in 1740. On April 1, 1965, Pope Paul VI elevated the church into a basilica minore.
The Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño Museum opened to the public in 1965 in time for the fourth centennial celebration of the Christianization of the Philippines. It stores, preserves, and displays religious artifacts of the local Augustinian community.
The museum collection includes various ex-votos, like jewelry and toys given by devotees to the Santo Niño, and the Ecce Homo, one of the three distinct cultural, historical and religious icons of Cebu.
Address: Osmeña Blvd, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu
Contact Number: (032) 255 6697
Facebook Page: Facebook.com/BMSNCebu
Casa Gorordo Museum
Casa Gorordo Museum was built by Alejandro Reynes Y Rosales and housed four generations of the Gorordo family, including Juan Gorordo, the first Filipino Bishop of Cebu. The house-turned-museum, now owned and managed by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc., gives a glimpse into the life of the Filipino family between the 1860s and 1920s, providing us with insights and the fee of a bygone era.
Address: 35 Eduardo Aboitiz Street, Tinago, Cebu City
Contact Number: +63 32 411-1767
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/casagorordomuseum
The Heritage of Faith Museum (Dominos Pascit Foundation, Inc.)
The Heritage of Faith Musem was established in 2020 and run by Dominus Pascit Me Foundation Incorporated. The museum contains the collections of Msgr. Cristobal E. Garcia composed of Catholic imagery; images of popular devotions, sets of Passion images; and other sacred objects.
The Heritage of Faith Museum is located within the Immaculate Heart of Mary Refuge compound. The museum itself is housed in the Totus Tuus Maria (TTM) building. In front of the TTM building is the Hardim de Sao Jose (Halaman ni San Jose, in Cebuano), featuring statuary groupings depicting the Seven Joys and Sorrows of St. Joseph.
Also located inside the compound is the Archdiocesan Shrine of Jesus Nazareno, which houses one of the Nazareno’s hands, a replica, from the Basilica of Jesus Nazareno in Quiapo. A columbary is found in the compound too, with the kiosk of Our Lady of Manaoag with the original veil from the image in Pangasinan behind it.
Cebu City Museum
Housed in the Rizal Memorial Library & Museum, the Cebu City Museum exhibits a collection of antiques, sculptures, furniture, and woodcarvings donated by prominent Cebuano families. Scattered around the museum are portraits of well-known Cebuano figures and paintings and sculptures that depict Cebu’s lifestyle during the 1500s to the Japanese occupation in the 1940s.
Address: Osmeña Blvd., Capitol Site, Cebu City
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/CebuCityMuseum
Fort San Pedro
Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Antonio Pigafetta erected Fort San Pedro on May 8, 1565, to deter Muslim invasions. Philippines’ oldest tri-bastion fort. The museum displays Spanish papers, antiquities, sculptures, paintings, swords, and other weapons.
Address: Pigafetta Street, Cebu City
Contact Number: +63 32 256-2284
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/fortsanpedrocebu
Fo Guang Shan Chu Un Temple
The first Fo Guang Shan temple in the Philippines – FGS Chu Un Temple – was established in Cebu City in 1989 under the direction of Ven.
Yung Guang, the current Abbess of Fo Guang Shan in the Philippines that continues to hold programs and activities that follows the four pillars of Fo Guang Shan: To propagate Buddhist teachings through cultural activities, to foster talent through education, to benefit society through charitable programs and to purify human hearts and minds through Buddhist practice.
The Chu Un Buddhist Temple is one of the branches of worldwide Sangha of Fo Guang Shan based in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Chu Un in Cebu City provides Dharma services, educational and cultural activities to Filipinos.
Address: 246 V Rama Ave, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu
Contact Number: (032) 253 8144
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/pages/Fo-Guang-Shan-Chu-un-Temple/282806952159217
Museo Parian sa Subgo – 1730 Jesuit House
Museo Parian sa Subgo – 1730 Jesuit House is an 18th-century architectural marvel that fuses Filipino, Chinese, Spanish and American cultural designs, and architectural techniques. It was once used by the Jesuit missionaries an an operation base. It is now a time capsule of 18th-century Cebu, housing relics of the past and showcasing various furniture and memorabilia of the time.
Address: Zulueta Street, Tinago, Cebu City
Contact Number: +63 32 255-5408
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/1730JesuitHouse
Museo Sugbo
A century-and-a-half old structure, this Spanish period carcel turned museum now serves as a repository of Cebu’s rich culture and history. Cebu Provincial Government runs Museo Subgo. The museum is famous for being one of the province’s National Historical structures. The museum has 12 galleries boasting of the remarkable historical timeline of Cebu.
Address: M.J. Cuenco, Tejero, Cebu City
Contact Number: +63 32 239-5626
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/museosugbo
Museo de Talisay
Museo de Talisay was founded from a partnership between the Local Government of Talisay and the Department of Education, Talisay City Division, during the mayoralty of Hon. Eduardo Gullas. The museum exhibits the general history of the city which includes the agricultural past, world war repositories, various old photos of American-period Talisay, old manuscripts and newspapers, etc. The collection of artifacts of the museum was gathered through a series of personal loans from various personalities as well as donations.
Address: 6RWV+7VC, Gabaldon Building, Talisay City Central Elementary School, Jose Rizal St, Talisay, Cebu
Palm Grass The Cebu Heritage Hotel
Palm Grass The Cebu Heritage Hotel offers not just a unique approach to hospitality but also the unique Cebu history, culture and identity. Its halls and floors have names after historic Cebuano figures–icons who made Cebu what it is today.
The Hulatan, or the lobby is an ode to Gobernador Inoncencio Junquera; the Kan-anan ug Kapihan, the restaurant and cafe, offers a vibrant touch of folklore, and every room is a glimpse of what was. Junquera Street near Colon is now a Cebuano monument in every design, concept, and detail.
Address: 68 General Junquera Street, Kalubihin, Cebu City
Contact Number: + 63 32 412-2438
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/PalmGrass
RAFI – The Kabilin Center
The Kabilin Center is a hub for Cebuano culture, a source of credible content and creative experience and a center for connection and collaboration that brings pride to Cebu. A changemaker in Cebu’s cultural scene.
The center will serve as a venue for temporary exhibits, cultural events, conferences, performances and the like, where visitors can learn more about Cebuano history, culture and heritage.
Address: 35 Eduardo Aboitiz Street, Cebu City
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/thekabilincenter
St. Theresa’s College Sr. Ma. Delia Coronel Folklife Museum
St. Theresa’s College – Sr. Ma. Delia Coronel Folklife Museum was established in the 1950s. It brings to life features of the Cebuano lifestyle before, during, and after the Spanish period, and the artifacts of Asian countries that have had trade relationships with the Philippines, including a copy of the Maranao Darangen Epic of Mindanao, a UNESCO acknowledged Filipino epic.
The museum collection also consists of items donated by Sr. Delia and her students, including rare centuries-old-religious icons, works of native artisans saved from the ravages of war and natural calamities from devotees of the Sto. Niño, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Passion of Christ.
Address: Don Ramon Aboitiz Street, Kamputhaw, Cebu City
Contact Number: +63 32 253-6337 loc.
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/stccebu@85
Sugbu Chinese Heritage Museum
The Sugbu Chinese Heritage Museum, housed in the newly-restored Gotiaoco Building, is the first Chinese museum of its kind in Visayas and Mindanao.
It was established to build the first Chinese-Cebuano museum to display centuries of Chinese-Filipino partnership. It displays relics, historical pieces, and heirloom collections to preserve and promote Cebuano-Chinese culture, traditions, and legacy.
Address: M.C. Briones, corner P. Burgos Street, Cebu City
Contact Number: +63 32 384-0806
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/SugbuChinese
University of the Philippines Cebu
A museum with cabinets of curiosity opened in 1908 at the ancient Seminario-Colegio de San Carlos on the original site beside Plaza Independencia. During the 1945 American liberation bombardment, that museum and its valuable collection were destroyed. The campus’ architecture is markedly neoclassic, and its halls marked by culture and history. Today, UP Cebu continues to encourage and advocate purely Filipino culture, even as it educates, with honor and excellence, the cultures of the world.
Address: Gorordo Avenue, Lahug, Cebu City
Contact Number: +63 32 232-2642
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/upcebuofficial
University of San Carlos Museum
The University of San Carlos Museum was formally inaugurated by Fr. Pres Rudolf Rahmann, SVD, on April 23, 1967. It began as a repository of the fieldwork materials conducted by the anthropology and biology departments of the university in the 1950s. A museum with cabinets of curiosity opened in 1908 at the ancient Seminario-Colegio de San Carlos on the original site beside Plaza Independencia. During the 1945 American liberation bombardment, that museum and its valuable collection were destroyed. Located at the university’s downtown campus, the USC Museum collection includes excavated ceramics, rare and exotic flora and fauna, as well as ecclesiastical, historical and ethnographic objects. It occupies both the north and south wings of the ground floor of the Arthur Dingman Building, named after the first rector of USC.
Address: University of San Carlos Main Campus, P. Del Rosario Street, Cebu City
Contact Number: +63 32 2300-100 loc. 571
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/uscmuseum
University of Southern Philippines Foundation Rizaliana Museum
University of Southern Philippines Foundation-Jose Rizal Museum houses the largest collection of memorabilia outside of Luzon. The collection occupies special significance in Rizal’s writings, which fired the flames of nationalism that led to the Philippine revolution in 1898.
The Rizaliana collection has pieces of the hero’s wardrobe, including undershirts, winter coats and breeches, a personal sketchbook, letters to his colleagues and friends, old Noli Me Tangere (1899) and El Filibusterismo (1900) books, and 14 postcards from the 1909 with the text of his poem. “Mi Ultimo Adios”.
Address: Mabini Street, Cebu City
Contact Number: +63 32 412-1600
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/uspofficialpage
Liberty Shrine
The Battle of Mactan, where Ferdinand Magellan’s Spaniards were defeated by Lapulapu, the datu of Mactan, and his warriors, may have occurred here. The law includes the Magellan Monument, completed in 1866 during Spanish colonial administration. The NHCP also launched a bidding in relation to the restoration of the Magellan Shrine. Starting January 17, 2021, the mast at the shrine will permanently hoist the Philippine flag.
Address: Mactan Shrine, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu
Contact Number: 0966 911 1472
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/mactanshrine
Freedom Park
Freedom Park is a public park located in Carbon, Cebu City. The park is near Cebu City Hall and accessible by public transit. It honors Cebuanos who fought Spanish rule. The park hosted rallies during Philippine Martial Law.
Address: Carbon, Cebu City, Cebu
University of San Jose Recoletos
USJR was founded in 1947 by the Order of Augustinian Recollects, then Colegio de San Jose-Recoletos, which developed from a small institution of learning to one of the excellent schools in the country.
From classes held in an old building and a portion of the convent, the school built modern retaining classic features.
Address: Magallanes St, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/usjr.official
Gabii sa Kabilin 2023 promises to be an exceptional event that celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Cebu. With its focus on showcasing historical landmarks, cultural performances, and interactive activities, this annual event offers a unique opportunity for locals and tourists alike to immerse themselves in the vibrant history and traditions of the region.
ALSO READ: 30 Cebu Religious Historical Landmarks That You Should Visit
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