By Jobers Bersales
Cebu Daily News

CEBU CITY (Dec. 31, 2009) — ’Tis the season for reunions and family gatherings and so it came to pass that the writers and photographers of the hugely successful (my bias is showing!) 308-page coffee table book “Balaanong Bahandi” reunited at our residence in Sto. Nino Village the other day to plan the next step now that the book is out.

To recall, “Balaanong Bahandi: Sacred Treasures of the Archdiocese of Cebu” was launched last Nov. 26 at the Cathedral Museum of Cebu by both the museum and its co-publisher the University of San Carlos Press. As its editor and project manager, I repeated what was promised during the pre-selling blitz for the book that was held in July this year: a smaller volume would soon follow. Well, the meeting-cum-swim party was finally held the other day in order to fulfill this promise. And the end result will hopefully come out when the Archdiocese of Cebu closes its Diamond Jubilee Celebrations on April 28, 2010. Continue Reading »

Above: Bishop Juan Gorordo’s baptismal record at the parish of St. Anne in Barili, Cebu (Photo posted by vip1852 in Flickr.com).

CEBU CITY (Dec. 20, 2009) — The Archdiocese of Cebu commemorates today the 75th death anniversary of Bishop Juan Gorordo, the first Filipino Bishop of Cebu. A Holy Mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral will be officiated by Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal at 4 PM and will be followed by the opening of the Bishop Juan Gorordo Exhibit at the Cathedral Museum of Cebu. Continue Reading »

CEBU CITY (Nov. 29, 2009) — Starting December 1, 2009 the coffeetable book entitled Balaanong Bahandi, Sacred Treasures of the Archdiocese of Cebu will now be available to the public. Out of the thousands that were printed, there are only less than 800 copies of the book that have remained unsold. To purchase a copy of it, visit the Cathedral Museum of Cebu or email me at knightcarl [at] cebuheritage [dot] com.

CEBU CITY (Nov. 26, 2009) — The coffeetable book on parish churches in Cebu entitled “Balaanong Bahandi, Sacred Treasures of the Archdiocese of Cebu” was successfully launched a while ago at the Cathedral Museum of Cebu with Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal signing the first ten copies which were distributed to the top sponsors and to the archives of the Cathedral Museum of Cebu, the Archdiocese of Cebu and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. Continue Reading »

CEBU CITY (Nov. 15, 2009) — The coffeetable book that will feature parish churches in Cebu will be launched in the afternoon of November 26, 2009 at the Cathedral Museum of Cebu. After this occasion, those who have made reservations and have paid in advance will be able to claim their books. Continue Reading »

Four heritage houses in Carcar have been given historical markers from the National Historical Institute (NHI). The houses are the Balay-na-Tisa and the Noel, Silva, and Lucero houses. No date has been set yet for the unveiling of the markers.

Carcar, a progressive municipality south of Cebu City, is a gem of a town that boasts some of the most well-preserved houses and edifices in Cebu that date back to the Spanish and American colonial periods.

The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation-Cultural Heritage Program along with the Cebu City Government, the Parks and Playgrounds Foundation, and the Carolinian Sociological-Anthropological Society will be organizing a month-long event dubbed as “Kids at the Museum.”

The event comes in connection with the National Children’s Month of October and aims to establish with children that museums are more than just repositories of heritage objects, but also venues for actively learning Cebuano culture and heritage. Continue Reading »