A PHILLIPPINE FAIRYTALE - Exploring Old Cebu - 12 December 2022

Last evening I had settled with Jay R, the taxi driver, that he would take me around Cebu, for which I combined two days of my original itinerary. Later in the night he called to say that he would depute his cousin to do the duty as he had an errand with his son, to which I agreed. This morning Danny, Jay R's cousin, called and checked on the places I wished to visit. He went through the list and said that the Tops area is out of bounds due to rains and landslide. I cancelled the taxi tour because the rest of the tour was just a short ride away for which I needn't spend 4000 PHP on.

After breakfast of Muesli and milk I asked the Marco Polo Residences reception to fetch me a taxi, which promptly arrived in 5 minutes. Jonathan was at the wheel, a jolly, good and kind hearted man. We had a long conversation all the way up to the Yap Sandiego Ancestral Home, which was the first attraction of the day. The Ancestral Home which dates back to the Spanish colonial era of the 1600s is a museum that sheds light on the Chinese settlements of the city. It is said to be among the first Chinese houses to be built outside of China.

The structure is built from a mixture of wood and coral stones, with red tiles making up the curved roof. The green ambiance generated by the potted plants, orchids and trees adds to the lustre of the building. The amazing collection of religious artefacts, furniture, crockery, articles of daily use, paintings and statues took my breath away. The two storied building is maintained in such a way that it gives the feeling of a still functioning home. The entrance fee of 100 PHP is flea bite for the treasures that one gets to experience in the Home.

To the right of the Ancestral Home is the Pari-an fire substation, which is the oldest fire station in Cebu, established in 1954. It stands at a site where the convent of the San Juan Bautista church once was, which was demolished in 1878-79 due to rivalry between the Chinese and the Spaniards. The region was, at the time, divided into three settlements, Chinese, Spaniards and Filipinos. The demolished convent was in the Chinese settlement.

Almost diagonally opposite the Yap Sandiego Home is the Heritage of Cebu Monument. The spot where the monument stands now, the Pari-an, is very historical. It used to be home to the residences of the most prominent families in Cebu during the Spanish Period. It also used to be the center of trade between the locals, the Chinese and Spanish mestizos. The word “parian” was derived from the word “pari-pari” meaning to barter or trade.

 Conceptualized by Eduardo Castrillo, the monument depicts Cebu’s History beginning with the conversion of Rajan Humabon and the fateful fight in April 27, 1521 in the Island of Mactan where native chieftain Lapu-Lapu killed Ferdinand Magellan. The tableaux of sculptures in brass, bronze, concrete and stone is majestic and is worth more than a peremptory visit.

Just round the corner from the Yap Sandiego Home is another ornate Spanish residence, which is now a museum. The Casa Gorordo is a stone house built in the mid-19th century. Four generations of the family lived here and it now features antique furnishings, altar pieces, relics and paintings that takes one back to the colonial Spanish period.

The 1730 Jesuit Museum, which is literally a stone's throw away from the Yap Sandiego Home. The old home of Jesuits in Cebu remained totally lost between 1780 and 1960. The Sy family had bought the premise for use as a warehouse and the present owner of the facility accidentally discovered the antiquity if his possession.

Extensive restoration and painstaking reconstruction later the Museum is an awesome journey into the ancient settlement of Cebu, the life and times of Chinese traders, arrival of Spaniards and the spread of Christianity, the life and times of St. Ignatius of Loyola, furniture and equipment as they evolved. The bygone era of the Jesuits has been marvellously recreated which was all the more enjoyable and educative with the eager guide, Juanna. The entrance fee of 100 PHP includes the service of the guide too.

The Colon Street is considered to be the oldest and shortest national road in the whole of Philippines. Once the site of fashionable shopping, cafes, hotels and the like, the street has lost much of its glitter as upscale markets developed elsewhere. Even now the street is known for a lively night market and cheap shopping. The Dalan Colon, or the Colon Street, begins from the obelisk that marks the mouth of the street. On the way from there to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral I came across a small square that has a statue of Rajah Humabon and a statue that recalls the historic event of his baptism and that of his household on 7 April 1521.

A short walk from the Colon Street column is the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, which is dedicated to Our Lady of Immaculate Conception. The Spanish era church has an imposing facade, which was almost completely destroyed during WWII.

The interior of the church is rich and ornate with a magnificent altar adorned by a superb statue of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception. As luck would have it, as I entered the church, it was time for communion and blessings. One of the features I noted of the church is the gentle slope from the entrance of the church to the steps of the altar, possibly to ensure unhindered view of the altar wherever one is.

Less than 200 meters away, through a side exit of the Metropolitan Cathedral, is the Minor Basilica of Santo Nino, the oldest Roman Catholic church in the Philippines. It was established in 1565 at the spot where the image of Santo Nino de Cebu was found during the expedition of the Spanish colonising explorer Miguel Legazpi, who established the Spanish East Indies capital in Cebu.

The altar is elaborate and so are apses. Of particular interest to devotees is the display of relics of saints, including that of St. Peter, in one of the side entrances. It is a place of ardent worship and to accommodate the growing number of devotees a pilgrim center was built within the church compound opposite the Basilica.

Walk out of the Basilica and you are at the Magellan's Cross Pavilion, which is an octagonal coral stone kiosk. It houses the cross that was planted by Spanish explorers who were part of Magellan's expedition that first circumnavigated the earth. The planting of the cross signified the landing of the explorers in Cebu on April 21, 1521. The mural on the roof of the pavilion depicts the baptism of Rajah Humabon and his household as well as the planting of the cross by Ferdinand Magellan.

Before making further progress to my next station of visit, the Independence Plaza, I dived into a McDonald's outlet. The heat was intense and the humidity was almost intolerable. I wanted some respite from that as well as a small bite. The hot apple pie and a chocolate fudge was my choice to spend time within the cafe, which was overflowing with people mostly having burgers and fried chicken.

The Plaza Independencia or the Independence Plaza is a colonial era plaza in Cebu. The Plaza Independencia has a monument built to honour the Spanish navigator, Miguel Legazpi, who also was the first Governor General of the Philippines. A fine statue of the statesman also adorns the grounds, as also those of Ramon Magsaysay and Pigafetta, the chronicler.

In the Plaza grounds were many groups of young girls and boys practicing their dance moves for the ensuing Christmas celebrations. At the farthest side of the Plaza is the triangular fortification, the Fort San Pedro, established by Legazpi. It played an important part in repelling Muslim raiders and served as the core of the Spanish settlement till the Philippine Revolution. The fort now houses a small museum.

The Cebu Port is about 500 metres away from the Fort San Pedro. The view of the new bridge connecting Mactan Island to Mainland Cebu is amazing. The bridge is nearly 9 km long and was inaugurated early this year.

By now the heat had nearly overwhelmed me and I was on the verge of melting! That called for a chilled beer. At hand was the KKD restaurant with fabulous views of the Port and Sea. I had a San Miguel Light while waiting for the Lechon Kawali, crispy fried pork ribs. The dish was awesome.

Despite being a province with gorgeous beaches, Cebu is called as the Queen City of the South as it is on par with the cities of Metro Manila. Cebu has what an urban city has; modern malls, condominiums, hotels, restaurants, big universities, bridges and highways. Having thoroughly enjoyed the first day in Cebu I hailed a taxi to get back to the cosy confines of the lovely condo in the Marco Polo Residences with the threat of heavy rains looming large.