CEBU CITY’S HERITAGE
&
CULTURAL SITES IN
“Pasiyo sa Kabilin”
A project of the Cebu City Tourism Commission
The Cebu City Tourism Commission is embarking on a developmental program to enhance a tourism product that will drive entrepreneurial initiatives. At the same time, this is intended to raise awareness in the community on responsible change that must be taken in ensuring that priceless and irreplaceable remnants of our historic past continue to inspire future generations.
It is in our dream to ensure that our unique heritage will remain visible through our historical landmarks. This will only happen if we don’t allow their deterioration and eventual disappearance due to the community’s disregard and the corrosive effects of pollution, vandalism and intrusion of structures in the name of progress.
This may seem gargantuan but as Mayor Tomas Osmeña puts it in a video on building dreams, one step a day is all one needs if everyone else takes the same step
Merchants, businesses, corporate entities and schools in the heritage area of the city especially the port area, Colon, Parian and Plaza Sugbo can join hands with the city in claiming a stake in this project. Heritage sites around the world have done it.
The commissioners have agreed to launch this long term project on June 25, 2009, the fourth Thursday of June, in time with the Cebu City Chamber’s celebration of Cebu Business Month.
Our objective is to strengthen and add value to Cebu’s competitiveness as a tourist destination and build on the recent improvements of Plaza Sugbo, City Hall, Fort San Pedro as well as the planned expansion of the concept of the Cebu Village that Vice-Mayor Michael Rama is espousing.
To make this happen, we are initiating a move to link up with various agencies that are in one way or another, responsible for a component of Pasiyo sa Kabilin. These are CHAC (Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission), Parks and Playgrounds Commission, Visayan Association of Museums and Galleries (VAMG), Hapsay Sugbo of Women International League (WIL), Fort San Pedro Management, and the Tourism Committee of the City Council, Tourism Police, various Vendors Associations, and others.
Initially revolving around a tour of the city’s heritage sites and landmarks, the heritage walk will be known as “Pasiyo sa Kabilin” and shall be standardized and packaged in three variations for individuals as well as groups with optional night tours by special arrangement. This is designed to be available on a regular basis through the CCTC Office care of its executive Director, Cinbeth Orellano.
This means that travel and tour operators no longer have to make arrangements individually with different entities to conduct a tour. All they have to do is choose from the different packages, book and pay through CCTC. All the components of the tour shall be arranged by the commission.
This will be a welcome move in the tourism industry. Every new offering for tourists will strengthen our position as the major destination of foreign and domestic tourists, conventions, and special interest groups that will benefit hotels, resorts, restaurants, entertainment outlets, malls, retailers, spas and others.
Understandably, to support the players involved in providing the services and attractions, fees shall be charged for the tours. For the CBM, the commission has agreed to offer a promotional fee of P300 for the basic guided tour consisting of tartanilla rides from and to Fort San Pedro and a walk from Plaza Sugbo all the way to Casa Gorordo.
The full package costs P1,500 but will be subsidized at P750 for the CBM and it ends at Fort San Pedro with a buffet dinner and a show on the history and evolution of the Filipino Flag in keeping with the celebration of Phil. Independence day on June 12. In fact, the show is envisioned to be seasonal – Sinulog in January, prominent festivals in Cebu for each month, Santacruzan in May, Independence day in June, Visayan Christmas Carols in December and so on.
We hope to link up with the Cebu City Chamber for support of this project in terms of involving businesses within the heritage areas, Aside from entrepreneurial initiatives that will benefit vendors, suppliers, caterers, dance groups, and even Cebu’s tartanillas, we hope all the agencies involved will be able to galvanize our community towards responsible change for the sake of our city
Cebu has recognized that Tourism and ICT are the twin engines of growth driving our local economy. Tourism earned P4 billion in tourism related receipts in 2008. As the single most visited destination in the country, Cebu can offer both beach and heritage that no one else can.
What is our historic and global significance?
First: The world’s first circumnavigation through Ferdinand Magellan’s westerly journey from Europe with Enrique de Malacca who is believed by notable historians to be Cebuano, captured as a slave and sold in the Portuguese colony of Malacca and, therefore, the first around the world.
Second: Christianization and colonization by Spain before the archipelago became a nation. We remain to be a bastion of the faith inspired by the gift of Magellan to Queen Humamay, the Sto. Niño de Cebu, still with us today.
These happened here in our beloved city of Cebu.
We ask for your long term support in this small step we are going to take starting June 25.
