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.