Feb 9 2007
Number Three: Site See. Cebu is the oldest city in the Philippines and there are a number of historical sites worth at least a brief visit.
- The Lapu-lapu Monument - Chief Lapu-Lapu was a Muslim chieftain on Mactan, a couple of miles from Cebu. He is famous for being the first Filipino to resist Spanish colonization and many Filipinos think of him as a national hero. On April 27, 1521, Lapu-Lapu and his men stopped Portuguese explorer and sea captain Ferdinand Magellan and almost 50 Spanish troops as Magellan tried to come ashore on Mactan. Magellan died in the battle. A bronze statue of Lapu-Lapu is on Mactan. Cebu's international airport is also there.
- Magellan's Marker - Also on Mactan, Magellan's Marker marks the spot where the famous explorer died in knee deep water as he tried to come ashore.
- Magellan's Cross - The cross marks the spot where Filipino Christians were first Baptized on April 14, 1521. It is in a small kiosk on the grounds of the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño on Magallanes Street.
- The Basilica del Santo Niño - Cebu's holiest site and, some say, the soul of the city. The "Santo Niño" is inside the Basilica. The Santo Nino De Jesus is a statue - and now relic. It was a token of friendship between Magellan to a local noble woman, Queen Juana. The Basilica is the country's oldest church. It was built in 1565 and destroyed by fire in 1568, rebuilt in 1602, and again restored in 1740.
- Fort San Pedro - This, the oldest colonial fort in the Philippines, is also among the most well preserved. The fort was built in 1565, though much of the present structure dates to a renovation done in 1738. The fort is now a museum and includes a number of documents, sculpture, and art work along with historical artifacts from the fort.
- University of San Carlos - This Jesuit college is the oldest school in the Philippines, established in 1565. It was formerly called Colegio de San Ildefonso established by the Jesuits. Four galleries, big on anthropology.
- Capitol Building - Built in 1937. Beautiful piece of architecture. Described by one writer as "majestic and imposing," it is a replica of the U.S. White House.
- Casa Gorordo Museum - On Lopez Jaena Street. Restored home of the first Filipino Bishop of Cebu. Gives a glimpse of local life from about 1860 to 1920 and serves as something of a museum.
- Southwestern University Museum - Holds the collection of Lydia Aznar Alfonso, focused on pre-colonial Cebu. The collection includes Ming pottery from China and artifacts from across Southeast Asia.
All the guidebooks say that you should see the Taoist Temple in the suburb of Beverly Hills. The truth is that the temple itself is unremarkable (as such temples go). If you've never in your life seen the inside of a Chinese temple, well, okay take a look. But the real treat at the site is the view of Cebu. The temple sits on a hill above the city and offers a marvelous view...