Argao to hold heritage tour

The Argawanons will celebrate their rich local history through their own version of the Gabii sa Kabilin on Friday, May 18.

The Gabii sa Kabilin (Night of the Heritage) is an annual heritage event in Cebu City and Mandaue City created by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) where guests will visit museums and heritage sites in these cities.

In the Argao event, guests and visitors will be treated to the Cabecera tour — a walk at the Cabecera de Argao, a Spanish-era pueblo or town center which is home to the city’s historical municipal hall known as the Casa Real, the Puerta Marina, St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church, Hall of Justice also called Cuartel.

There will also be La Torta festival dancers who will perform for the visitors.

This is already their second run, but still the first in cooperation with RAFI.

Vip Semilla, Argao municipal tourism officer, told CEBU DAILY NEWS the first year was an “experimental” run.

This year will be bigger and more organized as they expect at least 400 participants both from their own town and from the outside, he said.

They have printed 1,000 tickets and are preparing for the same number of visitors at the maximum, added Semilla.

Locals are also supportive of the event as there are already 200 individuals from Argao who have reserved tickets priced at P100 exclusive of food, he said.

Chief Insp. Alejandro Batobalonos, Argao police chief, said that security preparations for the event are in place.

The entire Argao police force, 25 Poblacion barangay tanods and local traffic enforcers wil secure the activity, said Batobalonos during the dry-run last Saturday.

Two policemen will be assigned at the bus stop to secure arriving visitors together with two members of barangay tanods, and two other traffic officers, he said.

Argao tourism-accredited tricycles will take the visitors from the bus stop to the Cabecera, Semilla said. Jessa Marie J. Agua, Correspondent