Cebu (Cebuano: Sugbo) is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands. Cebu is a long narrow island stretching 225 kilometers from north to south, surrounded by 167 neighbouring, smaller islands, which include Mactan, Bantayan, Malapascua, Olango and the Camotes Islands. Cebu has narrow coastlines, limestone plateaus and coastal plains. It also has rolling hills and rugged mountain ranges traversing the northern and southern lengths of the island.
Cebu’s highest mountains are over 1000 meters high. Flat tracts of land can be found in the towns of Bogo, San Remigio, Medellin and Daanbantayan at the northern region of the province. Its capital is Cebu City, the oldest city in the Philippines, which forms part of the Cebu Metropolitan Area together with four neighboring cities which include Danao City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City and Talisay City and eight other municipalities. Mactan-Cebu International Airport, located in Mactan island, is the second busiest airport in the Philippines.
Cebu is one of the most developed provinces in the Philippines, with Cebu City as the main center of commerce, trade, education and industry in the Visayas. Condé Nast Traveler Magazine named Cebu the seventh best island destination in the Indian Ocean-Asia region in 2007,[1]eighth best Asian-Pacific island destination in 2005, seventh in 2004 and in 2009.
Places to go in Cebu :
1. Basilica del santo niño - The Minor Basilica of the Holy Child.
The Basilica Minore Del Santo Nino is the country's oldest Roman Catholic Church , built in 1565 by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi as the San Augustin Church, It was made of hard wood, mud and nipa.
Home of Sinulog One of the biggest and grandest festival in the Philippines that we celebrate every 3rd week of January.
2. Magellan's Cross - Magellan's Cross is a Christian Cross planted by Portuguese and Spanish explorers as ordered by Ferdinand Magellan upon arriving in Cebu in the Philippines on (depending on source) March 15 , 1521.
This cross is housed in a chapel next to the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino on Magallanes Street (Magalhaes is the Portuguese name of Magellan), just in front of the city center of Cebu City. A sign below the cross describes the original cross is encased inside the wooden cross that is found in the center of the chapel. This is to protect the original cross from people who chipped away parts of the cross for souvenir purposes or in the belief that the cross possesses miraculous powers. Some people, however, believe that the original cross had been destroyed or had disappeared after Magellan's death, and the cross is a replica that was planted there by the Spaniards after they successfully Christianized the Philippines.
3. Mactan shrine - The Mactan Shrine located in Mactan Island, Cebu is dedicated in honor of Lapu-Lapu, Ferdinand Magellan, and the Battle of Mactan. Lapu-Lapu was the native chieftain of Mactan Island, and he resisted the efforts of Magellan to subdue his people and to be converted to Christianity and to be subjected to the throne of Spain. The subsequent battle on April 27, 1521 between the Spaniards and Lapu-Lapu and his men resulted to the death of Magellan. The shrine was erected on the supposed spot where the battle took place.
The Magellan monument consists of a plain obelisk on whose apex rests a sphere. The obelisk is mounted on a tall plinth and the plinth rests on a tripartite structure: an octagonal base on which rests a tall quadrilateral structure, divided into two parts. The lower part is decorated with high relieves of vases, and the upper part is pierced by narrow arches. On the monuments are inscribed texts honoring Magellan. A low fence surrounds the monument.
A heroic sculpture of the chief of Mactan who defeated Magellan, Lapu-lapu stands near the Magellan monument. Lapu-lapu, sculpted with great realism, stands tall, with a shield held by his left and while a curved kampilan sword, drawn is held by his right. The sculpture celebrates the readiness of the brave warrior to confront aggressors.
A heroic sculpture of the chief of Mactan who defeated Magellan, Lapu-lapu stands near the Magellan monument. Lapu-lapu, sculpted with great realism, stands tall, with a shield held by his left and while a curved kampilan sword, drawn is held by his right. The sculpture celebrates the readiness of the brave warrior to confront aggressors.
4. The heritage of Cebu Monument - The Heritage of Cebu Monument is a representation and illustration of sculptures depicting significant and symbolic events in the history of Cebu back from the time of Rajah Humabon to the recent beatification of the Cebuano martyr, Pedro Calungsod.
The monument was built by the local artist, Eduardo Castrillo. Its construction started in July 1997. He and the late Senator Marcelo Fernan funded the construction together with other donations from private individuals and organizations. The construction was finished and inaugurated on December 8, 2000.
The scenes illustrated in the monument are the conversion of Rajah Humabon and his followers to Christianity, the local revolution against the Spanish rule, a Roman Catholic Mass, and the fateful fight on April 21, 1521 in the island of Mactan where native chieftain Lapu-Lapu killed Ferdinand Magellan. The structures carved in the monument includes the Basilica Del Sto. Nino, Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, The Saint John the Baptist Church, Magellan’s Cross, a Spanish Galleon, Statues of Sergio Osmena Sr. and Blessed Pedro Calungsod.
5. Fort San Pedro - Fuerte de San Pedro is a military defence structure in Cebu (Philippines), built by the Spanish under the command of Migeul Lopez de Legazpi first governor of the Captaincy General of the Philippines. It is located in the area now called Plaza Indepedencia, in the pier area of the city. The original fort was made of wood and built after the arrival of Legazpi and his expedition. In the early 17th century a stone fort was built to repel Muslim Raiders. Today's structure dates from 1738 and is the oldest triangular bastion fort in the country. It served as the nucleus of the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines. During the Philippine Revolution at the end of the 19th century, it was attacked and taken by Filipino revolutionaries, who used it as a stronghold.
The fort is triangular in shape, with two sides facing the sea and the third side fronting the land. The two sides facing the sea were defended with artillery and the front with a strong palisade made of wood. The three bastions are named La Concepción (SW);Ignacio de Loyola, (SE), and San Migeul (NE). It has a total inside area of 2,025 square metres (21,800 sq ft). The walls are 6.1 metres high by 2.4 metres thick (20 feet high by 8 feet thick), and the towers are 9.1 metres (30 ft) high from the ground level. The circumference is 380 metres (1,248 ft). The sides are of unequal lengths and the one fronting the city is where one may find entry into the fort. Fourteen cannons were mounted in their emplacements most of which are still there today. Work first started in 1565 with Miguel Lopéz de Legazpi breaking ground.
Little was known about the activity of the fort from the time it was built until two centuries later in 1739 when the King of Spain, Philip V, desired information regarding the island of Cebu. Governor-general Tamón, who was the Spanish ruler of the islands at the time made the following report:
Entrance Fee:
Regular – P30
Senior – P 24
Students & Children – P20
Senior – P 24
Students & Children – P20
6. Tops Lookout Cebu City - “Tops” is one of the most overrated tourist spots in Cebu. It can be found in Barangay Malubog, Busay, Cebu City in the Philippines. The entrance of Tops along the main road of Busay is fronting the entrance of Doce Pares Zip-line adventure. Other attractions which can be found in the mountainous areas of Cebu are Hidden Paradise Mountain Resort, Q Park, The Family Park,Cebu Taoist Temple and a lot more.
Tops is owned by Emro Holdings Inc. and has an entrance fee of 100.00-Pesos Per head for all visitors which you’re going to pay before entering the place. Locals and Foreigners have the same rate and there is no special rate for children.
To get to Tops you can hire a taxi for around 1000 Peso including waiting time. You can also hire motorbike at JY Mall for about 150 -200 P (depending on your negotiation skills) including waiting time. Most will want to wait around an hour, which is plenty of time. There are jeepneys as well, but they stop around half a km away from the top and it’s a steep climb from there.
7. Colon Street - Colon Street is a historical street in downtown Cebu City that is often called the oldest and the shortest national road in the Philippines. It is named after Cristobal Colon (Christopher Columbos). It traces its origins to the town plan by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the Spanishconquistador who arrived in the Philippines to establish a colony in 1565.
Colon, crowded and a bit run-down now, was the site of fashionable shops, offices, and movie houses. It was once the heart of Cebu City's shopping and business activity, but in recent years (specifically during the early 1990s), much of this activity has shifted inland to the more modern, bigger and diverse commercial and business districts now spread in almost all of the urban areas of the city in what was considered residential and leisure settlements.
OLD PICTURE OF COLON STREET
HAVE A SAFE TRIP, HAVE FUN HERE IN CEBU
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