Traveloka PH
28 Aug 2016 - 6 min read
There’s plenty of history to be seen in Cebu City, and Fort San Pedro is one such historic location. First built as a wooden fort around 1565, the current structure is a triangular bastion fort that has been around since 1738.Nowadays, Fort San Pedro no longer houses soldiers but a museum, an open-air theater, and the Cebu office of the Department of Tourism. If you’re looking to be transported back to colonial times, Fort San Pedro is the place to go.
Nothing beats the view from the top, and in Cebu’s case, it’s hard to find something that matches the view from the Tops Lookout in Cebu City. Tops Lookout offers a great panoramic view of Cebu City, the surrounding sea, and the islands just across the Queen City.
Colon Street holds the distinction of being the oldest street in the Philippines. Named after Christopher Columbus, Colon Street was developed by Spanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. While it may be the oldest street in the country, it’s got a lot of modern offerings for the Cebu visitor. The Metro Gaisano Mall and other shopping establishments are here, as well as the University of the Visayas. Further up the road is the Colon Obelisk, which details the street’s history.
Cebu has always played an important part in the country’s history. The baptism of Rajah Humabon and Hara Amihan by Magellan was the start of Catholicism in the country, and Cebu also claims to be the birthplace of Pedro Calungsod, the country’s second Catholic saint. All of this history is celebrated in “The Heritage of Cebu”, a monument by renowned sculptor Eduardo Castillo.
Cebu City hosting one of the biggest celebrations of the Santo Niño in the country should come as no surprise. Cebu City is the home of the Minor Basilica of the Holy Child, popularly known as the Santo Niño Church. It was founded in 1565 and is the oldest Roman Catholic church in the country.
Magellan’s Cross is one of the most recognizable symbols of Cebu City, so your trip to Cebu wouldn’t be complete without seeing it. Planted by Ferdinand Magellan when he arrived in 1521, the cross is housed in a chapel next to the Basilica del Santo Niño. However, you aren’t actually looking at the original cross. The real cross is inside the wooden cross on display in the chapel. This was done to preserve the cross, as people had been chipping at it believing it to be miraculous.
Not every attraction in Cebu City calls back to the Spanish times. Plaza Hamabar, for instance, pays tribute to Cebu’s pre-colonial past. Plaza Hamabar pays tribute to Rajah Humabon, also known as Sri Hamabar. Humabon was the first Filipino ruler to embrace Christianity and enter into a blood compact with Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. The monument honoring him shows him covered with tattoos, as was the practice with Visayans before they were colonized by Spain.
Housed in a bahay na bato built during the 1800s, the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral Museum houses a collection of religious relics like a tabernacle and altar panels made of wood encased in etched silver. The upper floor shows photographs that trace the growth of the Catholic faith on the island, memorabilia, as well as statues of saints from various parishes.