Kabag-uhan was a fitting title of the AboitizLand Walk Through Photo Exhibit and the Heritage Photo Show during the Gabii sa Kabilin held last May 27 at the Plaza Parian. It was also something novel in the Gabii sa Kabilin where the destinations were all the 11 museums that participated. The idea was to come up with a Cebu Heritage Photo Show built on the concept of growing up in Cebu. Memories from places, landmarks, the typical Cebuano home, and how these have changed over the years as seen through the eyes of a new generation.
To actualize the concept, the AboitizLand group headed by Chloe Lopez and Arianne Manzo held a photography contest wherein participants were to choose any of the pictures from Lucy Urgello Miller’s Glimpses of Old Cebu. Participants had to submit three entries—first was a photo of the same place or landmark taken from the same perspective as the original, the second photo showed the changes that have occurred with the evidence of research on the changes in the description of the landmark, and the third was an artistic shot of the same landmark. The winning entries were exhibited in enlarged tarpaulins at the Plaza Parian. The photo show was a discussion-presentation about the changes in Cebu’s homes, streetscapes and landscapes with an adult curator and a child curator. Because of the heavy drizzle, there were only three heritage shows instead of four.
Mr. Andoni Aboitiz curated the first heritage show and I curated the second and third. The child curators joined me in the third show and I would like to thank 8-year-old Casey Cruz and 9-year-old Anton Lopez for their wonderful participation even during rehearsals. For the Heritage Photo Show, 33 pictures were picked from Lucy Urgello Miller’s Glimpses of Old Cebu arranged in geographic order. It started with the Cebu Rail Station showing the Grand Central Station (now fronting E-Mall) and the Danao Rail Track and the Argao Rail Bridge. Then there was Plaza San Nicolas, Tres de Abril, the Cebu Provincial Capitol Building in the 1930s and 1960s, U.P. Junior College in the 1930s, Club Filipino (now Ayala Center), Mango Avenue (Gen. Maxilom Avenue), St. Theresa’s College before WWII, Fuente Osmeña, Calle Norte America (now D. Jakosalem St.), Calle Juan Luna (then Jones Avenue, now Osmeña Boulevard), Cebu High School (now Abellana National School), Calle Commercio (now M.C. Briones), Calle Zamora, the Liberation of Cebu, Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral before renovation, Carbon Market, San Carlos Seminary (the old and new campuses), Port of Cebu, Southern Islands Hospital in the early 1920s, Calle Colon (19th century), Calle Magallanes, Calle Martires, Plaza Indepdencia, Cebu City Hall, Plaza Rizal (now Plaza Sugbo), culminating with Plaza Parian, the Parian Church and the Parian Fire Station.
It was a walk to the past and I gladly shared my knowledge and memories of the streetscapes and landscapes and landmarks that were featured. It was very heartening to get the audience’s reactions to the backstories and changes of each landmark. In the interaction with the child curators, the the following questions were asked: How can my generation make sure that Cebu still becomes a more beautiful and progressive city? Where do we go from here? This was answered: Cebu is only as good as its citizens if we decide to clean it up, do well with what we have and keep working on our good ideas. The show ended with the parting words, You may or may not have changed the way you look at Cebu, but it will be transformed according to how YOU act—either as a resident or as a visiting friend. If you have good memories of our Queen City, please share them.
The Walk Through Photo Exhibit and the Heritage Photo Show of AboitizLand was very informative and an effective way of making the new generation interested in Cebuano history and culture.
As one of the judges of the photo contest and curator of the Heritage Show, I learned so much about other means of promoting heritage and culture. The use of an adult and a child curator only shows that there is no generation gap in appreciating our own history and culture. I commend AboitizLand for its practical way of making people remember, appreciate and help preserve our heritage. This is an example of business with a cultural sense. I do hope more business entities follow its path.