Cebu Media Excellence Awards 2013 (photo courtesy of Cebu MD)

With it’s inception 2 years ago, Cebu Media Excellence Awards 2013 was aimed to distinguish the excellent media practitioners in the metropolis today.

The awarding of deserving nominees will coincide with the Cebu Press Freedom Week which is celebrated every year, specifically on the 3rd week of September.

Cebu Press Freedom Week is a celebration dedicated for the freedom we earned from the Martial Law days.

Cebu Media Excellence Awards 2013 was brought to life by Globe Telecom to award media men that possess excellence in civic, investigative and explanatory journalism.

By the end of the Martial Law tyranny, Globe Telecom has been keeping the flame of freedom alive!

Globe Telecom’s humble origin can be traced back during the Philippine Commonwealth era, when the US Congress made the Act No. 3495 final and executory in 1928. It gave Robert Dollar Company the right to own a wireless long-distance message service from one of their colonies, the Philippines.

After being renamed as Globe Wireless Limited, they branched out to radio and telegraph services until World War 2 stopped their operations.

The company was revived as Globe-Mackay Cable and Radio Corporation (GMCRC) in 1965 but company operations were being halted once again when Martial Law’s effectivity took over. For 8 years, the company was closed but was brought to life again in 1980 when it received a new grant for refranchise.

Origin of Cebu Media Excellence Awards 2013

Back in 1986, the people brought down Martial Law through EDSA People Power. This event made Globe realize that championing the rights of man and keeping alight the flame of freedom is just as important as staying alive.

Freedom of the Press was a right that was suppressed but was brought back to action in 1986.

Since then, Globe Telecom has been partnering with Cebu Press Freedom Week for quite some time already.

As a private institution, Globe is one of the very few entities that support press freeedom and excellence in promoting it.

“We cannot overemphasize the critical role of the media not only in their daily coverage of events but also in shaping the minds of the society on important issues. The Cebu Media Excellence Award seeks to further enhance active participation of the press in pushing for social and civic concerns as our country moves towards economic development,” shares Yoly Crisanto, Globe Telecom’s Corporate Communications head.

Cebu Media Excellence Awards 2013 is a platform formulated by Globe in the hopes of establishing an area where the media practitioners can advocate their cause and excellence.

Cebu Media Excellence Awards 2013 (photo courtesy of Cebu Events Blog)

Cebu Media Excellence Awards 2013 Presents Their Areas of Concern

Qualified nominees or entries shall exhibit one area of concern or a combination of any of the following:

• Environment and Disaster Response
• Business and Entrepreneurship
• Youth and Education
• Information and Communications Technology
• Governance and Social Progress

Cebu Media Excellence Awards 2013 Presents Their Award Categories

Globe has presented 9 Award Categories for this year’s Cebu Media Excellence Awards 2013.

1. Columnist of the Year
2. Blogger of the Year
3. Social Media Advocate of the Year
4. Photojournalist of the Year
5. Reporter of the Year for Television
6. Feature Story of the Year for Television
7. Reporter of the Year for Radio
8. Reporter of the Year for Print
9. Feature Story of the Year for Print

July 2013 will be the deadline for search of qualified entries while July 26,2013 will mark the end for submission of entries.

Participants need to comply 2 entry forms including their entry and must send them to Globe Media Excellence Awards by way of Jerry Yntig of Globe Telecom in Cebu IT Park, Lahug, Cebu City.

Send an email at globecmea@gmail.com or contact (02)730-4617 or (02)7302630 for Manila residents and (032) 4167159 for Cebu residents for more inquiries on Cebu Media Excellence Awards 2013.

Gabii Sa Kabilin 2013 yet again will be another night of wonder and mystique. This is the one night of the year when museums and tourist spots in Cebu City, Mandaue City, Talisay City and Lapu-Lapu City will be open for all the world to see!

Gabii Sa Kabilin 2013 is the 7th run of the annual heritage celebration. It started back in May 25, 2007 with only 3 museums and 1 heritage site: Casa Gorordo Museum, Cathedral Museum of Cebu, Basilica del Santo Niño Museum and Fort San Pedro. Fast forward to Gabii Sa Kabilin 2013, the participants are now a total of 33!

Gabii Sa Kabilin 2013 is the culmination of International Museum’s Day (May 18) and National Heritage Month celebrations for the whole month of May.

Gabii Sa Kabilin 2013

What Inspired Gabii Sa Kabilin 2013?

Gabii Sa Kabilin 2013 was inspired by the Lange Nacht der Museen (Long Night of Museums) of Germany and various European countries. Through the initiative of Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), the annual celebration in Cebu, the very first of its kind in the Philippines and Asia, was started for the public. Its aim is to encourage the people to learn about their beautiful culture and heritage, with cultural presentations and activities for them to join.

2013 will feature a total of 33 attractions. With a long list of options, it will be very hard for you to choose which attraction you will visit. All of them are fantastic and oozing with history.

Cebu City

1. Museo Sugbo
2. Cathedral Museum of Cebu
3. University of the Philippines Cebu College
4. Cebu Cultural Center
5. Colegio del Santo Niño
6. Don Sergio Osmeña and CAP Art Gallery
7. United Church of Christ in the Philippines – Bradford Memorial Chapel
8. Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House
9. Iglesia Filipina Independiente Cathedral of the Holy Child
10. San Pedro Calungsod Chapel
11. University of Southern Philippines – Rizaliana Museum
12. Plaza Independencia
13. Cebu City Museum
14. Plaza Parian – Aboitizland Heritage Pocket
15. Sacred Heart Parish Church – Alternative Contemporary Art Studio
16. San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Church
17. Jose R. Gullas Halad Museum
18. Sugbo Chinese Heritage Museum
19. Fo Guang Shan Chu Un Temple
20. Museo Parian sa Sugbo
21. Casa Gorordo Museum
22. Fort San Pedro

Lapu-Lapu City

1. Plaza Poblacion
2. Nuestra Señora Virgen de la Regla Parish Church
3. Muelle Osmena
4. Mactan Shrine

Mandaue City

1. Bantayan sa Hari
2. Mandaue City Presidencia
3. National Shrine of St. Joseph Parish Church
4. Plaza Complex

Talisay City

1. Sta. Teresa de Aila Parish Church
2. National Historic Shrine Liberation Monument
3. Museo de Talisay

Gabii Sa Kabilin 2013 Press Conference

What can we expect on Gabii Sa Kabilin 2013?

Various activities await all.  There will be cultural shows, culinary wonders, art galleries, and amazing exhibits!

The Gabii Sa Kabilin 2013 ticket will give you an all-in-one pass for entrance to all 33 main attractions, all-you-can ride trips by the Gabii Sa Kabilin 2013 buses, as well as 1 tartanilla ride for you to enjoy in the old district of Cebu.

The Gabii Sa Kabilin 2013 ticket is only Php 150 while children 7 years old and below are free of charge!

Local thoroughfares will be closed to allow you safe and enjoyable  passage in all the attractions.

Gabii Sa Kabilin 2013 Guide

Gabii Sa Kabilin 2013 Guide

Gabii Sa Kabilin 2013 Guide is available for you to download. It will show you tour routes, maps, colorful photos and so much more! Visit the following sites to start downloading the final version of the e-form.

• Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) Facebook page
• Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) Website 

Gabii Sa Kabilin 2013 Ticket Reservations HERE!

To get more info about Gabii Sa Kabilin 2013 and RAFI, you can dial 418-7234 local 703  and look for Karl Damayo or Florencio Moreño II or you can visit the Facebook page of RAFI and click LIKE, drop by RAFI official website,  or you can be a follower on Twitter @rafiorgph.

Familia Buffet Restaurant can surely help you if you’re the one who wants to put the world on a plate. To tell you honestly, it is very much possible. This possibility of which I speak of refers to the matters of the tongue and tummy. I am referring to the marriage of international cuisine. Every dish imaginable from every corner in the world can be already be placed in your buffet plate, all to your heart’s content, or shall I say to your tummy’s extent of satiety. The flavors of the world is now indeed within your reach.

Image courtesy of Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa

Familia Buffet Restaurant of Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa is proud to present their sumptuous array of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If an array is not even enough for you, wait until you can see that you have 4 stations to choose from; Oriental, Western, Japanese, and dessert section.

Image courtesy of Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa

Image courtesy of Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa

Image courtesy of Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa

You can dine on their outdoor terrace which gives you a spectacular view of their waterpark. Now that’s what you call filling up the senses with all the good stuff! The waterpark will let your eyes enjoy. The sound of leisure will fill your ears. Your olfactory and gustatory senses will be delighted with the banquet of food prepare just for you.

Image courtesy of Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa

Image courtesy of Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa

Image courtesy of Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa

What’s amazing about their buffet is the variety! You have endless possibilities of choices for your breakfast plate in the morning, lunchtime, and dinnertime.

Image courtesy of Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa

Image courtesy of Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa

With a seating capacity of 390, Familia Buffet Restaurant can surely accommodate a crowd of foodies and bellies wanting to be filled. No wonder they are considered to be one of Cebu’s well-loved buffet! Familia Buffet Restaurant is indeed a family treat!

Gabii sa Kabilin or Night of Heritage, which is inspired by the long night of the museums in Germany and other European countries, aims to encourage the public to visit museums and understand their position as a venue for cultural understanding. During the Gabii sa Kabilin, participating museums and heritage sites are open until midnight for public viewing. Each of these establishments prepares programs and activities that highlight their unique heritage agenda.

The event is slated every last Friday of May to culminate with the International Museums Day and National Heritage Month celebrations.

This year 21 museums and heritage sites will serve as main attractions, from last year’s 18. New participating sites are Ayala Center Cebu; Fo Guang Shan Chu Un Temple; BPI Museum; CAP Theater; JRG Halad Museum and University of San Carlos Museum. The BPI Museum will be available for viewing to Gabii sa Kabilin guests from 8:00 am t0 4:00 p.m. only.

This year’s Gabii sa Kabilin will highlight heritage routes by “themes” and will feature additional sites along the routes. Cultural performances, exhibits, art fairs, food markets, interactive demonstrations, as well as activities for children in selected sites are activities set, aside from the popular tartanilla (horse-drawn rig) rides.

Gabii sa Kabilin began on May 25, 2007 with four Cebu City museums. Every year the number of participating museums has been growing, as with the participants. In recent years, the Gabii sa Kabilin has drawn a growing number of tourists and locals alike, with the youth making up the bulk of visitors.

“Cuevas: A Retrospective (Iconography and Style)” Painting Exhibit opens tomorrow, April 27, at 4 p.m. at the Casa Gorordo Museum, Lopez Jaena Street, Cebu City.

Tito Cuevas, who started painting late in his life, invigorated the Cebuano art scene by putting out works in the abstract expressionist style. He is considered the Father of Abstract Expressionism in Cebu. He died last month. For those who attended the Contemporary Cebu exhibit in Cebu City Museum, you would have met him. Please click on this link to see a photo of Tito Cuevas.

The retrospective exhibit in Casa Gorordo Museum is the first of a series that deals with various aspects of the late master’s life and works. The succeeding exhibits will showcase Cuevas’ personal memoirs and influences at the Alternative Contemporary Art Exhibit, and masterpieces and rare works at the Cebu City Museum. The concluding exhibit of the series will be housed in SM Cebu in June.

The exhibition in Casa Gorordo Museum traces the development of Cuevas’ art career. It focuses attention on different styles that the master employed all throughout his art career from the late 1970s to 2012.

For inquiries, please contact Nancy Cudis at (032) 418-7234 local 520, or through mobile number 0917-3959423, or email at Nancy.Cudis@rafi.org.ph.

It was on April 7,1521 when the three remaining galleons under the command of Fernando de Magallanes dropped anchor in Sawang (now Suburban San Nicolas, Cebu) to stay in port for 20 historic days, the longest stop over in the navigator’s epic voyage that started in Spain 1519.

With a characteristic display of supremacy, Magellan did not only subjugate the native chieftain of Sugbu, Rajah Humabon, but befriended the entire community leading to their conversion to Christianity by having the royal couple baptized and gifted with a small icon of the Holy Child or the Sto. Niño.

At that time, there was bad blood between Humabon and Lapu-Lapu hence, the former saw the opportunity to conquer his hated rival with the aid of superior arms.

Hearing about the stubbornness of Lapu-Lapu, Magellan lost no time to send a messenger bearing threats and boastful taunts, declaring that defiance would mean death.

The conditions imposed among others were to swear allegiance to Spain, payment of tribute to the King, abandonment of pagan beliefs and acceptance of a new faith. Failure to comply will be answered by sword and fire.

It was said that in defying the treats of Magellan and in being made to choose between servitude and extinction, Lapu-Lapu return the message with extreme pride saying: “I bow to no King, I only owe allegiance to my people”. Thus was triggered the Battle of Mactan on April 27, 1521.

Magellan was vanquished but the faith of Lapu-Lapu afterwards was not exactly known while the remaining crew of the expedition returned to Spain with Juan Sebastian Elcano receiving a hero’s welcome and earning the title as the first circumnavigator of the world.

KADAUGAN SA MACTAN Celebration

It was not until 1979, when Lapu-Lapu’s victory was resurrected from buried memory with the first re-enactment of the battle which was conceptualized and implemented by the Customs Collector and concurrent Regional Director of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, David “Boy” Odilao dubbed as Bahug-Bahug sa Mactan. It took less than a day to finish the entire event and there was nothing to expect before and after.

After six years the commemorative celebration took another name and since then it became Kadaugan Sa Mactan. Except for the name, however, it remained the same celebration year after year.

With the assumption of Mayor Arturo O. Radaza and the passage of an ordinance creating the Lapu-Lapu City Tourism Cultural, Historical and Affairs Commission, a new concept of celebration was introduced through the relentless efforts of the then newly appointed Commissioners headed by Co-Chairmen Paz C. Radaza and Damian T. Gomez, Jr.

The celebration was stretched through a weeklong observance that runs form April 20 and culminates on the 27th with actual re-enactment of the battle preceeded by a religious, civic and military program at the Liberty Shrine.

The weeklong activities include among others the much sought daily foodstreet festival, street dancing parade, drum and bugle corps , nightly live bands shows, , cross channel swimming competition, wood carving contest, baroto (small sail boats) race, painting exhibits, beauty pageants, oratorical contest, fireworks display, mini agri-fair, jobs fair, mobile passporting (DFA, NBI, NSO), medical & dental mission, blood letting, operation tuli, search for southern stars, photo contest, fun run, variety & cultural shows, golf tournament, ballroom dancing & exhibition, bartending competitions, beach clean up, inter hotel/resort basketball tournament, boxing, airsoft competition, nine ball tournament and the pre-battle ritual.

Pre- battle Ritual will happen on the evening of the 26th of April, complete with lights and sounds and the pagan practices that could have happened during Lapu-Lapu’s time in Mactan.