Cebu,
known as The Queen City of the South, is a holiday destination
and the oldest city in the Philippines. With its centuries
old trading and entrepreneurial heritage, thriving deep
water harbor, international airport and palm-fringed beaches
dotted with up-market resorts and hotels, Cebu is the
most important business and leisure destination outside
of Manila.
Cebu
is rich in history. Ferdinand Magellan first came ashore
in the Philippines in 1521 while attempting to circumnavigate
the world; but, was killed on nearby Mactan Island only
three (3) weeks later. In 1565 Miguel Lopez de Legazpi
arrived in Cebu to herald the beginning of Spain's colonial
presence.
Fort
San Pedro is a historical park which houses the National
Museum and provides sanctuary for quiet reflection. Built
in 1738 as a defense against pirates, the fort was a stronghold
for Filipino freedom fighters in 1898, a U.S. Army barracks,
and a prison camp during the Japanese occupation. San
Pedro was the name of the ship which brought Legazpi to
the Philippines in 1565.
The
Casa Gorordo Museum is the residence of the first Filipino
Bishop of Cebu, a scion of the wealthy Gorordo family.
Fully restored and refurbished in period-style, the museum
houses a rich collection of 18th Century historical works,
procelains, liturgical items and vestments, old prints,
photographs and contemporary art works.
Magellan's
Cross commemorates the site where Filipino's were first
baptized into Christianity in 1521. The ceiling of the
shrine housing the Cross is a graphic mural of the inaugural
mass conducted in the Philippines.
The country's oldest religious relic is on display at
the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño. The statue
of Santo Niño, (Boy Jesus), was given to Juana
the Queen of Rajah Humabon by Magellan on the day of her
baptismal in 1521. Santo Niño is now the patron
saint of Cebu.
The
Lapu-Lapu Monument at Punta Engano on Mactan Island
is a testament to this proud chieftain who killed Magellan
and is revered as the country's first leader to resist
Spanish colonization.
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