After several months of lockdown in various parts of the Philippines, efforts are underway to revive economic activity. This includes the tourism industry which is a top job generator for the country.
For this purpose, a two-hour web forum titled “#TravelSmart: Safe and Sustainable Tourism in the New Normal” will be held on July 16, 2020. DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat will be the keynote speaker in the webinar.
Continue reading “Digital tools to help revive PH tourism in new normal”Technology not only helps in the preservation of heritage, it can also do wonders in reinventing how we experience it.
The Cebu Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church (CACCHC) in partnership with start-up tech company InnoPub Media, and Smart Communications Inc. (Smart), have started working on a mobile application that would facilitate an interactive digital exhibit featuring heritage churches in Cebu.
“The digital exhibit and the mobile app will help ignite the interest from a wider audience. This is another way to pass on and communicate the meaning and significance of our rich heritage especially to the younger generation,” said Rev. Fr. Brian Brigoli, CACCHC chairman.
Continue reading “Tech bridges heritage conservation to the ‘new normal’”Upon its turnover to secular priests at the dawn of the 17th century and for 400 years, the Bantayan parish was under the patronage of St. Peter and only under him. When the parish celebrated its 400th founding anniversary, it did so under the patronage of the fisherman held by Catholic traditions as the first Pope.
In the 1980s, however, a priest assigned to the parish added St. Paul motu proprio. The two pillars of the church share June 29 as liturgical feast anyway, he justified the change with the resistant townsfolk.
The addition of St. Paul, however, was done without consultation, approval, or even undergoing a canonical process, MyCebu.ph learned.
Continue reading “Bantayan is under the patronage of St. Peter; how did St. Paul get into the picture?”The Sinulog grand parade is a spectacle for tourists and locals and devotees should just stay home and let visitors enjoy it, a historian said in a forum tracing the roots of Sinulog yesterday.
It is not authentic but a commercial celebration designed for outsiders, said Dr. Jose Eleazar Bersales, an anthropologist at the University of San Carlos, during the forum “Retracing Sinulog: A forum on the precolonial roots of the Sinulog dance” at the Palm Grass Hotel in Cebu City.
Continue reading “Sinulog a spectacle for tourists, ‘not authentic’ representation of indigenous roots: historian”The baptism of Cebuanos led by Rajah Humabon will be the focus of the Archdiocese of Cebu and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in their celebration of the 500th year of the Christianization of the Philippines
On December 1, 2019, the church will start a 500-day countdown to April 14, 2021, the 500th anniversary of the first baptism in the Philippines. On that day in 1521, 800 Cebuanos under Humabon were baptized by members of the Spanish armada led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan.
On April 14, 2021, 500 children with special needs will be baptized as part of the reenactment of that first baptism.
Also on December 1, church officials will send off the Jubilee Cross, a replica of Magellan’s cross made of tindalo wood that will have in it a relic of the True Cross. The Jubilee Cross will visit the different parishes in Cebu and the rest of the Philippines.
The activities were announced earlier today by church officials led by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma and CBCP President and Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles during a press conference in the Executive Lounge of Oakridge Business Park in Mandaue City.
Fr. Mhar Vincent Balili said the 2021 celebration has three pillars around which events are organized – celebration, formation, and legacy. He said the 2021 celebration has many highlights – including the arrival of the Sto. Nino, for which the Augustinian community started a countdown today. He said the archdiocese chose to focus on the baptism because “it is when our faith was planted in our hearts.”
Fr. Balili said they requested Pope Francis for permission to open the Holy Door for plenary indulgence and extend this to the 9 oldest churches in Cebu. Archbishop Palma will also celebrate the Misa de Gallo in 2020 in these 9 oldest churches, which include Bantayan, Argao, Barili, Boljoon, Carcar, San Nicolas, among others.
Key events leading to 2021 including the holding of monthly jubilees involving church organizations, ministries, and sectors of society. The jubilees are pegged on feast days of saints.
Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Midyphil Billones highlighted the importance of the events saying 2021 is unrepeatable, irreplaceable and irrevocable. He said it is a “once in a lifetime event.”
“If Bethlehem is point x of our salvation history, in the Philippines, Cebu – the cradle of Christianity – is the point x where faith spread,” he said.
Part of the preparation for the year-long celebration leading to the quincentennial is the holding of mission congresses in the different parishes from August to October 2020. The Archdiocesan Mission Congress will be held on October 24, 2020. This will culminate with the sendoff of 500 missionaries outside extra during the National Mission Congress on April 12-16, 2021.
On April 11 to 18, 2021, organizers will stage an Amorsolo Painting Exhibit. One of Fernando Amorsolo’s most important paintings is “The First Baptism in the Philippines.”
Triduum celebrations will also be held three days before the baptism anniversary. Preceding it is the arrival of the Jubilee Cross scheduled on April 10, 2021. The first day of Triduum on April 11 will be held at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The second day will be at the National Shrine of St. Joseph while the last day will be at the Sto. Niño Pilgrim Center. The Triduum will end with a procession around Cebu City.
Valles said the church will mark the first recorded Easter Mass with a national celebration of masses. The Mojares panel is still looking into the question on where the first mass in the Philippines was held. Two previous panels have ruled in favor of Limasawa against the other claimant Butuan.
During today’s press conference, renowned designer Kenneth Cobonpue, who is head of the Visayas Quincentennial Committee, unveiled the planned downtown heritage walk that would take people to historical buildings and locations, including churches, in Cebu City. (See separate story).
Valles said the CBCP will send an invitation to Vatican for Pope Francis but they said they are aware of how tight his schedule is. He said it is likely that a papal legate will attend the events for the Vatican. He said they will also be sending an invitation to President Rodrigo Duterte.
Just outside the compound of the Inmaculada Concepcion parish church in Oslob, southern Cebu, stands a forlorn statue of a slightly hunched priest holding a cross — as if to offer a blessing — while looking out to the open sea.
The statue is that of Fr. Julian Bermejo, an Augustinian priest who played a pivotal role in protecting Cebu and other parts of the Visayas from devastating Moro raids in the 19th century.
He was called “El Padre Capitan” and served as the commander-in-chief of the defense network, centered in nearby Boljoon, against Moro raiders who staged regular pirate attacks for looting and slave raiding, said Paul Gerschwiler in his book “Bolhoon A Cultural Sketch.”
Behind his statue are the ruins of a watchtower, a defensive structure that he organized into a grid that served as sentinels against the marauding Moros. That network and the defensive system he set up ultimately stopped the pirate raids in the middle of the 19th century.
Continue reading “In Oslob, Fr. Bermejo looks out to sea he protected in his lifetime”(WARNING: this article tackles a mature subject in graphic fashion)
These people go naked, Italian scholar Antonio Pigafetta wrote in his account of the Armada de Molucca’s stay in Zzubu or Cebu, “wearing only a piece of cloth made of palm around their shameful parts.”
“They have as many wives as they wish, but there is always a chief one,” he added.
Then he wrote about a practice that, according to historian Laurence Bergreen, both fascinated and appalled explorers from around the world: palang.
“The males, both large and small, have the head of their member pierced from one side to the other, with a pin of gold or of tin as thick as a goose feather; and at each end of this pin some have a star-shaped decoration like a button, and others, one like the head of a cart nail,” Pigafetta said.
The middle of the pin has a hole through which they urinate, he added. “The pin and the stars always remain firm, holding the member stiff.”
Continue reading “You think you’re kinky? Wait till you read about sexual practices of ancient Cebuanos”Simple and authentic, the Humba Cebuana of Golden Prince Hotel and Suites exemplifies the Filipino dishes that it has made available in its ala carte menu beginning in May to highlight the celebration of National Heritage Month.
The dish is the typical humba that can be found in Cebuano homes: cooked slow to make the meat tender and prepared with boiled egg and saba (a banana variety), said Aaron Que, Vice President for Corporate Communications.
Humba Cebuana and other Filipino dishes like pochero and sinuglaw can now be ordered for lunch or dinner from 12 noon to 10 p.m. at Golden Prince’s Kabilin Heritage Lounge.
Humba Cebuana
Golden Prince’s Pochero Cebuano uses uses beef shank since Cebuanos love to feast on the marrow in the bones. To bring out the flavor of the beef, it’s simmered for no less than an hour. Corn, banana, string beans, and cabbage are added to the mix.
The vegetables in Cebu’s pochero differentiates it from a similar dish in Luzon called bulalo, according to Louella Alix, the hotel’s heritage ambassador.
Other items in the menu include the sinuglaw, a dish originating from Mindanao that combines grilled pork with fish ceviche, shrimp halanghalang, and Pescador, which takes inspiration from escabeche. Golden Prince’s main fish dish is deep fried grouper with sweet and sour sauce on the side.
Sinuglaw combines grilled pork with fish ceviche
Cebuano cooking is based on the freshness of the ingredients and this is one thing that Kabilin can guarantee for its newly launched ala carte dishes.
Alix likened dining at Kabilin as being a dinner guest of a Cebuano home as the food items are family favorites,
With the launch of its ala carte menu, Kabilin also introduced a new line of iced and hot tea drinks by Signature Estate. The tea varieties are of single origin from the Assam Estate in India.
HERITAGE DISHES. Louella Alix, Golden Prince Hotel and Suites heritage ambassador, and Aaron Que, vice president for corporate communications, with two of the hotel’s chefs during the presentation of their Filipino dishes.
The tea selections, blended with such spices as cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and pepper, are said to be good pairing for the heavy Filipino cuisine.
Kabilin, described as the “first heritage home in a hotel,” was awarded early this year with the Best Merienda Buffet in Cebu. The merienda or snack buffet is served daily from 2p.m. to 6 p.m.
The Kabilin Heritage Lounge is located at the ground floor of Golden Prince Hotel in Acacia Street corner Archbishop Reyes Avenue, Cebu City.
For bookings and inquiries, call (032) 230-1588 or 230-1500. You may also check it out at facebook.com/KabilinHeritageLounge.
Celebrating the Chinese New Year is tradition in Cebu, and no one does it better than Marco Polo Plaza Cebu.
The hotel welcomed CNY 2018, the Year of the Earth Dog, with lion and dragon dances, eye dotting ceremony, Yee Sang Ceremony, firecrackers to ward off evil, coin toss, and a culinary celebration at Cafe Marco.
Cafe Marco serves up Chinese dishes in the food fest Culinary Impressions of China where diners can indulge in delectable creations for the Lunar New Year up until February 18.
Former Philippine Ambassador to China Francisco L. Benedicto, Cathay Pacific Marketing and Communications Supervisor Connie Cimafranca, and Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) president Melanie Ng were among the guests of honor.
They joined Marco Polo Plaza Cebu general manager Brian Connelly in the eye dotting ceremony and the Prosperity Toss. It is said that the higher the toss, the better the luck.
On occasion of the Chinese New Year 2018 celebration, the hotel is giving away freebies for those who book a stay by February 28, 2018. They get to enjoy extra benefits, including breakfast for two plus early check in and late check out subject to availability, 30 percent discount on second room booking, and complimentary room upgrade for those staying for three consecutive nights or more.
A short lesson on the cacao plant that turns into a decadent feast, Raquel Choa’s The Chocolate Journey at the home she calls Casa de Cacao is an experience that is not to be missed.
Imagine an afternoon of sikwate (chocolate drink) in any flavor you can think of: sweet, dark, spicy, flavored with hibiscus, jasmine, or mint.
Mix and match your warm cup with variety of chocolate-based goodies: cookies, crispies, brownies, cakes.
Settle down as the woman behind Ralfe Gourmet and The Chocolate Chamber (TCC) tells you the bittersweet story behind her love affair with chocolate and the need to recreate Maria Cacao’s palace in her Cebu residence.
This particular culinary indulgence, Ralfe Gourmet marketing manager Edu Pantino said, starts fittingly enough with the American evergreen tree that bears the beans from which chocolate is made.
“The Chocolate Journey of a thousand miles begins with one cacao step,” he cited, in reference to the intricate chocolate-making process and Choa’s journey as the woman behind the artisanal cacao-based food and products that are marketed under the Ralfe Gourmet brand.
He shared how the cacao plant grows large fruit pods from tiny flowers, what conditions allow it to flourish, and the process the beans go through – fermentation to roasting – before these are finely pounded and formed into the bitter chocolate rounds we call tablea.
Choa, aided by her kids and long-time staff, shows how they make tablea the old-fashioned way at Casa de Cacao. She then uses the newly-formed chocolate rounds to make Cebu’s famous sikwate using the wooden beater called batirol.
My favorite was the spicy sikwate which she made by grinding pieces of chili on a small platter, adding atsuete as flavor enhancer, and straining the mix into a jug of chocolate concoction simmering over a hot stove.
We tried a variety of flavors: sikwate with hibiscus, with mint, with jasmine.
The hot sikwate pairs perfectly with Choa’s cake creations baked without milk, eggs, and water: the torta de cerveza uses cerveza negra while torta de Francisco (hatched in anticipation of the visit of Pope Francis) is made with olive oil and wine.
When I thought I couldn’t take another bite, out came the choco ryza (chocolate crispies), cookies, and brownies courtesy of Choa’s kids and they were just too scrumptious to pass up.
Choa grew up with her grandmother’s stories about Maria Cacao, with her golden ship and resplendent palace in the balete tree. Although no human can ever see or visit this place, it didn’t ever stop Choa from wishing.
Casa de Cacao, venue of The Chocolate Journey, is Choa’s creative recreation of Maria Cacao’s palace in the mountain.
“Mi casa, su casa (My home is your home),” she would tell guests who go on The Chocolate Journey with her, adding it is the realm where chocolate is the artist’s medium.
Interested in joining The Chocolate Journey? Call +63917 827 2318 or email [email protected] for inquiries or reservations.
Some details:
The Chocolate Journey
Cacao Bean Evolution
Trails and Tales of Maria Cacao
Tablea 101
The rate is P1,500 per person for groups of 11-15, P1,800 for groups of 6-10, P2,100 per person for groups of 4-5, P3,000 per person for groups of 2-3, and P4,800 for one person going on The Chocolate Journey.
Chocolate Stop
Hot choco at The Tsokolate Bar
Chocolate tasting
Rate is P550 per person.
Sikwate Ceremony
Tablea-making
Savoring Tablea
Rate is P1,000 good for five persons.
The bagnet of Ilocos, sisig of Pampanga, bulalo of Batangas, and many more Luzon dishes will serve as the highlight of the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu culinary festival Independencia from June 8-15 at Cafe Marco.
For the whole duration of Independencia: Flavors of Northern Philippines, diners will get to experience the rich and vibrant cuisine up north.
Jessica Avila, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu’s culinary consultant for Independencia, said they decided to focus on the rich flavors of Luzon for this year’s Philippine food festival.
“Some of the best dishes in Philippines are from the north, such as Pampanga and Bulacan. We also included food from such places as Ilocos and Baguio,” she added.
Brian Connelly, new Marco Polo Plaza Cebu general manager, said the Philippines gained independence from Spain 119 years ago and the hotel has honored this national celebration with a food festival for the past five years.
The culinary journey Independencia has featured food from across the country and this year it puts focus on the rich cuisine of Luzon, he added.
Diners can expect such signature Luzon dishes as pochero, bringhe, Bicol express, tapang Taal, ukoy, bistek Tagalog, and kare-kareng dagat, sisig santol, and tawilis salad to be served during lunch and dinner at Cafe Marco on top of the international spread all throughout Independencia.
Regular buffet rates apply even during Independencia but Cafe Marco currently has a special promo for weekday lunch at P880 net per person.
For more info on the culinary festival, call 253-1111 local 8429 or email [email protected].
Along the modern urbanscape of Osmena Blvd. stands the pre-World War II neo-classical building the Rizal Memorial Library and Museum or commonly known to Cebuanos as the Cebu City Public Library.
The structure grew out of contributions from civic-minded residents way back in 1939 and is named after the country’s national hero and multi-talented scholar, Dr. Jose Rizal, who immortalized the phrase “the youth is the hope of our fatherland.”
Fronting the building is the statue of Jose Rizal with a book spread on his lap as he reads with two little children.
The monument’s plaque reads. “To the memory of the most outstanding Filipino educator, patriot, and martyr who is conscious of the importance of education, the people of Cebu voluntarily contributed to the construction of this memorial.”
The contribution came from the net proceeds of the literary-musical programs and carnival-expositions periodically held since 1919 in celebration of Rizal Days.
A committee composed of Cebu’s prime movers invested the money from the activities in the Cebu Mutual Loan Association, where, forgotten in later years, it was earning dividends.
In 1935, Governor Sotero Cabahug led the construction of the building, which on Dec 30, 1939 was inaugurated and christened as the Rizal Memorial Library.
During the war in the 1940s, the library building was used as Japanese headquarters while the books and all were dumped in a nook at the Capitol building. In 1953, the institution was reopened due to public clamor. The Cebu City Government appropriated a budget for the library collection and other operating expenses.
In 2009, the library was closed for the renovation of a cultural museum which is now located in the second level of the building. It resumed its operation in 2009.
The library is open from Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. In March 2018, however, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña ordered the library to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week upon the request of a student.
(Editor’s note: Today marks the birth anniversary of Pantaleon Villegas, the revolutionary leader known as Leon Kilat. To mark the occassion, we are republishing an earlier post about the day after his killing.)
After his betrayal and assassination in the town of Kabkad (present day Carcar City) in the early hours of April 8, 1898, a Good Friday, Leon Kilat’s disemboweled body was put on display at the town center.
The killing of Leon Kilat, the nom de guerre of Katipunan leader Pantaleon Villegas, was gruesome – because he was rumored to be invulnerable to bullets because of his anting-anting, his killers had to repeatedly stab him to make sure he was dead.
Vicente Alcoseba, in his book “Ang Kamatayon ni Leon Kilat,” recounts the reaction of Kabkad townsfolk upon seeing Heneral Kilat’s body.
Sumala sa makita pinaagi sa lantaw kay dili man paduolan, lugos maila ang dagway ug nawong nga naduhg sa dugo ug tibuok kalawasan…
Bisan antaw da, ang uban nagkulima, ang uban nanap-ong sa ilang baba ug ilong, ug dinhay uban nga molantaw apan molingiw dayong pangilogkilog ambot unsay gibati. May uban motanaw nga magkismud, dagway nagpaila sa kalagot batok niadtong patay na nga nagahigda sa us aka makalolooyng andas, kalagut nga binaghutan sa ilang kinaugalingon ug binurog nga panabot.
“Hesus! Pagkamakalilisang tan-awon niana!” pulong sa usa ka babaye dayong lingiw.
“Tiaw mo nga naggula ang tinai,” mitubag ang usang katupad nga nanalithi.
“Maayo dang nakuha kanang tawhana,” misagbat ang usa aka lalaki nga buntag pa gani nagtika na ang baba sa tilad. “Kon wala pa tingali maagiw ang atong lungsod ug mangamatay kitang tanan.”
“Yati da nga mosulti ka niana,” mitubag ang usa maduhaduhaon sa pagtoo.
“Magduhaduha ka pa? … Kanang tawhana mao gayud ang bugtawon sa tropa bisan asa siya molikay. Nan kon hiabtan nga anhi dinhi sa ato mapagan lang kita sa pilit kay ang mga kastila magpasagad na man ug pamunting bisan kang kinsa.
“Karon hinoong viernesa santo dili hinoon ang atong Ginoo ray ilubong…”
“Kinsa man?”
“Kanang nagbuy-ad diay?”
“Mirisi…” mao pay pagtingog sa us aka dalaga nga nanalit-hi dayong lakaw.
Sa lahing dapit….
“Sa kinaugalingon nakong paghukum, migo, ingog nasayop ang paagi nga gipatay kanang tawhana da,” pulong sa usa nga nag-kiugpos.
“Nganong sayop man?” nangutana ang usa nga napalikod sa iyang olising palasan.
“Sayop, kay inay nagpasakit kana tungod ug alang sa kaayohan natong tanan, gipatay na hinoon, unsaon pa nato pagkakab-ut sa atong gipangandoyng kagawasan?”
“Kanang pagkasultiha nimo, migo, nindot lang paminawon; apans sa pagkakaron malisud kayo pagbutang sa buhat.”
“Dili maglisud kon magkausa lang ang tanan, walay usa nga magsukwahi. Wala k aba mahinumdom, migo, niadtong giingon: “sa panagkausa anaa ang kusog,” nahibalo ka niana, migo?
Six Visayan songs that sing of love, friendship, journeys, and the longing between a wife and her sailor husband have made it as finalists of this year’s Vispop.
Vispop is a nationwide songwriting campaign that encourages Visayan-speaking composers and musicians to write quality Visayan songs that speak of today’s generation. A brainchild of Artist and Musicians Marketing Cooperative or ArtistKo, Vispop puts the Bisaya language and music in the mainstream consciousness of listeners.
ArtistKo is a non-profit, non-stock organization that supports individual creativity, skill and talent. Having artists, musicians and entrepreneurs as members, the cooperative aims to mount self-help mechanisms to provide benefits to all its members and continuously develop the local music and arts. ArtistKo’s biggest project, Vispop, was conceptualized in 2009 and had its first staging in 2013.
The first batches of Vispop finalists and winners captured the hearts of not just Cebuano listeners but non-Cebuano speaking music fans all over the country as well. It produced well-crafted songs such as Duyog, Laylay, and Papictura ko Nimo, Guapo, Bok Love, Dili Pa Panahon, Labyu Langga, Buwag Balik, among others. The songs have been topping charts nationwide.
Now on its 4th year, Vispop is once again set to make waves with its new set of 6 finalists meticulously chosen from among 360 entries from all over the country’s Visayan-speaking regions. The six finalists of this year’s Vispop are Baklay by Jerika Teodorico, Damgo by John Cadelina and Irving Guazon, Imoha Ra Akong Kasingkasing by Sherwin Fugoso and Marajane Monton, Paghunas by Joseph Gara, Pep-Pep by Kenneth Corvera, and Suwat Ni Maria by Maria Salvaleon.
On June 18, Saturday, this year’s ultimate song will rise during VISPOP 4.0 Finals Night. Happening at Centerstage SM Seaside, live performances from the six finalists and other special guests will fill the night with love for the language and music. Criteria for judging includes Music – 30%, Lyrics – 30%, and Over-all Impact including musical treatment, commercial appeal, radio-friendliness, uniqueness and breakthrough qualities – 40%.
You can vote for your favorite Vispop 4.0 song to be this year’s Netizens’ Choice by liking and sharing the video posted on the Vispop page. For votes to be counted, one must like the Vispop page first then like or share the video from there. In partnership with MOR Cebu 97.1, speak out and be heard by voting for the Listener’s Choice Awards.
Vispop is supported by Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Inc. (FILSCAP) and Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. For the latest updates, please like VISPOP on Facebook. (Press Release)
Gabii Sa Kabilin or Night of Heritage is the year’s most-awaited cultural and heritage event in Cebu. On this day, which is always the last Friday of May, museums, churches, temples and heritage houses in Cebu stay open until midnight. To preview and plan ahead your Gabii Sa Kabilin route on May 29, check out the story map we created below. To get a mobile guide to the event, which also serves as portable resource on heritage sites in Cebu, download the Gabii Sa Kabilin app for Android. The iOS version is still coming.
Make your Visita Iglesia this week a journey not just of faith but also of heritage by choosing to visit the centuries-old Spanish period churches that are common across the island of Cebu.
For your list of seven churches to visit this Holy Week, check out these places of worship in Metro Cebu that have played crucial roles in the island’s conversion to Christianity.
This towering structure, known as the church of the miraculous Señor Santo Niño de Cebu, blends Baroque, Muslim, and Romanesque architectural influences.
Cebu’s oldest church, given the honorific title “Basilica Minore” in 1965, retains some of the original stone texture and natural color it had in its 1730 construction.
Located right in the heart of downtown Cebu City, the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño started out as a church of light materials established back in the mid-1500s, probably by Fr. Diego de Herrera, said Balaanong Bahandi, a book on the Sacred Treasures of the Archdiocese of Cebu.
When this early structure was destroyed by fire in 1566, another one was built to replace it in 1571. Ten years after that, the foundation of the first stone building, which took 27 years to finish only to be reduced to ashes on May 8, 1628, was laid.
Balaanong Bahandi credits the present coral stone church to the efforts of Fray Jose Bosqued in 1730, although its construction had to be stopped for lack of materials and was completed only in 1739 during the term of Fray Juan de Albarran.
On January 16, 1740, the Sto. Niño image was enthroned in the newly completed Augustinian church which is built on the same spot where it was found by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and his men in 1565.
It is widely believed that the Santo Niño image is the same one given by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan to Queen Juana of Cebu in 1521, that same year when she, her husband Datu Humabon, and several of their followers were baptized into the Roman Catholic faith.
The Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral stands strong and regal, with its thick white walls and trefoil-shaped pediment decorated with carvings of phoenixes, leaves and flowers, clamshell medallion, and images of two saints
It is a fitting ecclesiastical seat of the Archdiocese of Cebu. It didn’t always look this way, though.
For years, it was in various states of disrepair, historian Resil B. Mojares wrote in his book “Casa Gorordo in Cebu, Urban Residence in a Philippine Province.”
The church was established as the seat of the Bishop when Cebu became one of the suffragan dioceses of or dioceses overseen by the Archdiocese of Manila on August 14, 1595 and, like others built during the period, started out as a structure of wood and nipa, according to the “Balaanong Bahandi, a book on the Sacred Treasures of the Archdiocese of Cebu.”
In 1665, when Fray Juan Lopez took over, and up to 1741, there was still no decent church, only a tabique barn covered with palm leaves, said Mojares, adding that one was substantially finished in 1786 but by 1829 it was in ruins.
According to the Balaanong Bahandi, a stone church was successfully completed during the latter part of first Cebuano Bishop Juan Bautista Gorordo’s term from 1862 to 1934.
This structure was renovated by Gorordo’s successor, Archbishop Gabriel Reyes, and consecrated in 1940 but it was destroyed by American bombings during World War II and all that remained of it was the facade.
When Cebu Archbishop emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal was appointed parish priest of the Cathedral in 1981, it was already the current structure minus the two side extensions. He had both added in the 1990s as Cebu was preparing to celebrate its 400th anniversary as a diocese in 1995.
Location: Mabolo, Cebu City
Built sometime in the 1920s during the time of Fr. Valeriano Cabantan, the Mabolo church’s original design was neo-Gothic.
Even today, after some remodeling and expansion works on the structure, one can still see neo-Gothic influences in the pointed arches of the bell tower, the only untouched part of this 20th century architectural jewel, according to the Cebu Archdiocese book Balaanong Bahandi.
Citing works by Fr. Pedro Galende and Felipe Redondo, Balaanong Bahandi said that Mabolo was first founded as Talamban in 1600, by workers of an Augustinian friar estate called Banilad who built there a chapel dedicated to St. Joseph.
Though not yet a parish, it kept burial and baptismal records and by 1792 had its own priest to minister to the needs of the townsfolk.
This town of Talamban, as Mabolo used to be called, became a parish on April 3, 1850, through Royal Approval of December 9, 1847, wrote Redondo in his book Breve Reseña.
According to Galende, it was also between 1847 and 1850 that the town center of old Talamban was relocated to its current site and a new church of stone and wood built on an area that we now know as Mabolo.
Fr. Manuel Ybeas had a parish house of cut coral stones at the first level and wood at the second level built just a few meters from the church. While the first church had been destroyed by natural calamities, the rectory still stands today.
Location: Pardo, Cebu City
Designed by a Spanish engineer-architect, the church of Pardo is probably the only one of its kind in Cebu that is of Byzantine influence.
Domingo de Escondrillas was commissioned to design the church by Fray Manuel Ybeas, who was parish priest from 1873 to 1893.
He chose a Byzantine style for the structure because he wanted it distinct from other churches, explained Fr. Pedro Galende in his book Philippine Church Facades, as cited in Balaanong Bahandi.
The church is located on the national highway in Pardo.
Whereas other Cebu churches built during the Spanish period are wider than they are tall, the Santo Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church rises from the ground up, an imposing fortress.
The structure’s belfry is located in the middle of its facade, unlike many other churches in Cebu, and is flanked by two cylindrical towers that are not as high.
Pardo or El Pardo started out as a visita of San Nicolas that was separated into an independent parish on April 10, 1866, Felipe Redondo wrote in a book published in 1886.
Galende, another church writer, said Pardo was once a town formed by the merger of Bulacao, Inayawan, and Basak through a decree of the Governor General on March 10, 1863. It is now a barangay of Cebu City officially known as Poblacion Pardo.
Location: Mandaue City
The National Shrine of San Jose is a fairly new structure but the religious formation of the area that is now Mandaue City can be traced to as far back as the late 1500s.
Augustinian missionaries, according to the book Balaanong Bahandi, were the first to minister to the people of Mandaue but handed this task over to the Jesuits in 1599.
A report in 1789 described the Mandaue City church, a construction attributed to the Jesuits, as sufficiently deteriorated, and the Augustinian writers Manuel Buzeta and Felipe Bravo wrote that the structure was of mediana fabrica or mixed fabric and served by a regular priest.
A strong earthquake damaged the church in 1922 and repairs were only completed in 1936.
Another round of destruction, according to the Cebu Archdiocese’s book, happened during World War II and the life-sized statues that memorialized the Ultima Cena (Our Lord’s Supper) were also destroyed.
Post war-repairs of the structure were undertaken through the efforts of Fr. Manuel Yap, who also blessed the new tableau of the Ultima Cena that Fr. Cesar Alcoseba commissioned to replace the ancient statues. The statues are among the church’s attractions.
Mandaue City’s current church underwent a major renovation in 1998, which involved removing the huge pillars at the crossing that used to support the roof to provide more space.
Location: Lapu-Lapu City
Since the devotion to her started in Africa, this church’s patron – the Patroness of the Rule of St. Augustine – has been depicted as dark-skinned.
Lucy Urgello Miller, in “Glimpses of Old Cebu: Images of the Colonial Era,” wrote that this church’s first parish priest way back in 1735 brought with him an original painting of the Nuestra Señora Virgen de la Regla from Africa.
The priest – Augustinian friar Francis Avalle – used this painting to teach people about her and as basis for the religious icon of the Patroness of the Rule that he commissioned also in 1735. She was named Virgen de la Regla, which means Lady of the Rule, because St. Augustine dedicated to her the reglas or rules he created for members of his order to follow.
Both objects are housed at a special room at the back of the church where devotees line up to kiss or touch the Virgen as part of a “panaad” or devotion. Devotees usually come in throngs during the Lapu-Lapu City fiesta on November 21 or days leading up to or after this date.
Miller described this church, built between 1735 and 1744, as having a pathway of coral blocks that led to the sea during the early days.
Originally built from coral blocks, this church was damaged but not badly during World War II and repairs brought it back to its original condition. It would have been among the oldest churches in the country if Dutch priests assigned there in 1960 had not decided to tear it down and build a new one in its place. Opon started out as a visita of San Nicolas and was elevated to parish status in the 1730’s.
Location: Liloan
Two differences set the San Ferando Rey Church in Liloan from other houses of worship built in Cebu during the Spanish period. It faces the mountains instead of the sea and was built bigger than similar structures of its kind.
The Liloan Church was named after St. Ferdinand, who was king of Spain from 1217 to 1252.
From being a barrio of Mandaue, Liloan was turned into a new parish on June 27, 1845, according to the Archdiocese of Cebu book Balaanong Bahandi, citing church historian Felipe Redondo.
Liloan, already a town by then, was prepared for the development as residents had already built a temporary church and rectory. The town already had close to a thousand houses and was ruled by a gobernadorcillo around this time, the book added.
The first parish priest was Augustinian Recollect Fray Vicente Dolores.
Are you planning to visit seven churches this Holy Week in observance of the religious tradition Visita Iglesia?
Cebu-based journalism startup InnoPub Media, in partnership with Smart Communications, Inc. and the Archdiocese of Cebu, provides you a handy guide to the heritage churches in Cebu with the release of an updated version of its Visita Iglesia mobile phone app.
The app is available for download on iOS, Android, and Windows devices.
If you’re planning to observe the traditional Visita Iglesia or simply after visiting Cebu’s Spanish period stone churches, let the Visita Iglesia app guide you to where the structures are located in the province.
The app also provides historical and current information on centuries-old churches scattered across the whole span of the island, from its southern to northern tip.
Learn more about Cebu City’s Basilica del Sto. Nino, Boljoon’s Nuestra Patrocinio de Maria Church, or Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Bantayan as you visit these structures during Lent or any other time through the information provided in the app.
The VisitaIglesia app’s first version was released last year in time for Holy Week, when devotees visit seven churches, a tradition known as Visita Iglesia, typically during Maundy Thursday.
More churches are featured in the app’s latest version.
The Visita Iglesia app is released as part of the nationwide Digital Tourism program of telecommunications leader Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and Cebu-based new media startup InnoPub Media. Digital Tourism harnesses mobile technology to deliver tourism, cultural and historical information.
The program includes the production of mobile phone apps and ebooks that are offered for free download to serve as guides to tourists. The program also includes the installation of interactive tourism markers that contain a QR or quick response code and NFC or near-field communications sticker to trigger the download of historical, cultural and tourism information into mobile devices.
Digital Tourism was pioneered in Cebu but is now also in Iloilo and Baguio City and is set for launch in Albay and Intramuros. The program was commended on mass motion by the Cebu City Council in January 2012 as an “ingenious way” to deliver tourism and historical information. It was also a recipient of an Anvil Award of Merit during the 49th Anvil Awards held last February 26, 2014.
Before the Cebu Provincial Government transferred to the current location of the Capitol, the provincial governor held office at the Casa de Gobierno or the Casa Provincial across the Plaza Independencia.
Lucy Urgello Miller said in her book “Glimpses of Old Cebu: Images of the Colonial Era” that the location of the Casa de Gobierno is, at the time of the publication of her book in 2010, now an empty space near the Trans Asia building.
OLD CAPITOL. This photo shows the Casa Provincial where Cebu’s governors and other provincial officers held office. It was located on what was then known as Calle de los Trece Martires, now M. J. Cuenco Avenue. According to the photo file, you can see at the far end the Colegio Parvulos del Santo Niño Jesus. (Photo from the Medalle Collection and used with permission of the Cebuano Studies Center of the University of San Carlos.)
Another view of the Casa Provincial. (Photo from the Medalle Collection and used with permission of the Cebuano Studies Center of the University of San Carlos.)
The current Cebu Capitol was completed in 1938. According to Miller, her aunt told her about the strong opposition to its location, which was considered remote then. Her aunt told her radio commentators made fun of the location, saying that only monkeys from the hills near the building would attend the sessions held at the new capitol.
“REMOTE LOCATION.” A photo of the Capitol taken in 1940. When it was being built, people criticized the location of the new Capitol building. Radio commentators made fun of it saying that it was so remote only monkeys from the hills behind it would attend the sessions in the building. (Photo from the Medalle Collection and used with permission of the Cebuano Studies Center of the University of San Carlos.)
Cebu’s Sinulog Festival is a celebration both solemn and festive, a festival of festivals held every January in Cebu City with much pomp and pageantry.
Although the Sinulog Festival has grown to become a month-long festivity, its highlights happen every third week of January.
The important Sinulog 2015 dates are January 17 and 18. Sinulog 2015 activities will culminate in the first baptism reenactment as well fluvial and solemn processions on January 17 and Sinulog Grand Parade on January 18.
Below is the official list of Sinulog 2015 program of activities from the Sinulog Foundation, Inc.
Continue reading “Sinulog Festival 2015 schedule of activities”
As one of the few towns located at the southernmost tip of Cebu, Samboan is an unspoiled gem of natural wonders and ancient stone monuments.
It is home to rivers, springs, waterfalls, caves and clean coastlines as well as structures that are hundreds of years old and bear silent witness to Samboan’s early years. Here are Samboan town attractions you can visit and instructions on how to get there.
The town center is perched atop hill and forms a landscape that offers a panoramic view of the Tañon Strait and neighboring islands like Negros.
Town officials explain the name Samboan as coming from “sinamboang,” a method of fishing once commonly used by local fishers.
The story goes that during the early Spanish period years, the Spaniards who were the first to reach the town asked a fisherman for the name of the place. The fisherman, who didn’t understand a word of Spanish, thought they wanted to know what he was doing and so he answered “sinamboang.”
For reasons of simplicity and brevity, the name was shortened to Samboang which later on became Samboan.
Located shorly before the very tip of the island, Samboan is one of the oldest towns in Cebu.
Historical accounts state the town was spotted by combatants of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi while they were doing reconnaissance of the island from March 15 to April 22, 1565, during the first few months of their arrival in Cebu.
The tranquil place started out as the Encomienda Canamucan and became one of the visitas of the Parroquia de Barili de Santa Ana (parish of Barili) in the 1600s. As a visita, it was under the jurisdiction of the parish priest of Barili who made scheduled visits to hold masses and other religious activities.
Samboan was made an independent parish on November 3, 1784 under the patronage of San Miguel Arcangel (St. Michael Archangel), with Ginatilan, Malabuyoc and Alegria under its territorial jurisdiction. Its first parish priest was Romualdo Avila, a Franciscano Decalzo.
One of the priests that came after him was the great Fray Melchor de Vera, a Jesuit priest that was credited with having built the Spanish fortifications that served as protection against pirate raids.
Life in Samboan, which is 140 kilometers or four hours of travel by bus from the central city of Cebu, is rustic and simple. For visitors who want to stay for a few days to truly enjoy what the town has to offer, there are a few facilities offering accommodations in Samboan.
The town has progressed with the times while preserving the old ways, evidenced by the extant centuries-old structures and collection of rare items that offer glimpses into Samboan’s distant past. The ubiquitous tricycle and motorcycles for hire (what locals call habal-habal) are still the best way of getting around Samboan.
People still live on the bounties of the water and the soil.
They seek to preserve the seas that provide them with an abundant catch by creating marine sanctuaries and the land that yield a plentiful harvest by keeping the forests untouched and the waterways clean.
As a result, they’ve created a people’s paradise for everyone to enjoy, in the form of unspoiled waterfalls, rivers, and seas.
Interested in traveling to or learning more about Samboan? Get InnoPub Media‘s free mobile guide to Samboan.
Classification: 5th class municipality
Population: 18,140 (2010 census)
Land Area: 4,500 hectares
No. of barangay: 15 barangays Basak Bonbon, Bulangsuran, Calatagan, Cambigong, Camburoy, Cañorong, Colase, Dalahikan, Jumangpas, Monteverde, Poblacion, San Sebastian, Suba and Tangbo
Distance from Cebu City: 140 km, southwest of Cebu City
Estimated time of arrival from Cebu: 4 hours via public transport
Means of transportation from Cebu: Bus
Livelihood: Farming and fishing
