Looking up, I noticed the
colorful mural on the pavilion’s ceiling that depicted the various events
during the arrival of the conquistadors in the island — the conversion of the
natives, the image of the Holy Child, and of course, the planting of the cross,
among others.
In one sortie to the city, I
stumbled upon another famous historical landmark: Fort San Pedro. Located at
the city’s port area near Plaza Independencia, it was originally built in 1565
under the orders of conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi to protect the
settlement from the persistent attacks of Moro raiders. Rebuilt in 1738, the
triangular-shaped fort was once called San Miguel but it was renamed to Fuerza
de San Pedro later.
Through the years, the
former Spanish fortress stood as mute witness to the unfolding of historical
events in the city. It became a barracks and a school during the American
regime; a refuge and hospital during the Japanese occupation; and an army camp
during the early postwar years. Starting in the 1950s, the crumbling bastion,
or some parts of it, was turned into a mini-garden, a clinic, a public works
office and—guess what—a zoo!
By the 1960s, it was so
dilapidated that a major rehabilitation effort became very imperative if only
to save this important historical landmark. It took the collaboration of the
city government, a civic club and the tourism board (now the Department of
Tourism) to mount the massive undertaking. The restoration work was said to
have progressed slowly but the facade, the main building, the walkway and the
observatory roof garden were faithfully restored after one and a half years.
At present, the fort houses
the DOT office, an open-air theater and a park. Part of it has also been turned
into a museum where I came across some well-preserved legacies of Spanish rule
in the country such as documents, paintings and sculptures.
Cebu also holds the
distinction of having the country's oldest street—Colon, which has been in
existence since the time of Legazpi. Located in the downtown area, it was named
after Christopher Columbus, the Italian navigator credited for bringing the
Americas into the forefront of European attention following his explorations in
1492.
In its heyday, Colon used to
be the hive of the city’s business and commercial activities. Following the
rise of shopping malls and the exodus of entrepreneurs and merchants into the
city’s booming uptown area in the 1990s, it lost quite a significant portion of
its customer base.
The economic crunch in
recent years, however, has brought back many shoppers to Colon which has always
remained a haven for bargain hunters. Most of its old shops and even the newer
ones offer quality merchandise at prices way below those sold by their
counterparts at the malls.
At the rate things are
going, there’s no stopping to Cebu’s march to progress. With the passage of
time, its landscape will continue to change but its historical must-sees will
be there to provide fixedness to a city that’s forever in a state of flux. :D
Despite its changing
landscape, there are a number of things in Cebu that have remained virtually
untouched by the relentless wave of urbanization that continues to bash its
shores. Take for instance the ancient landmarks that speak so much about its
colorful history. One of the city’s more
prominent historical shrines I've visited on several occasions is Magellan's
Cross. 
Located just a stone’s throw away from city hall, it was put up in honor
of the Portuguese navigator who landed on Sugbu (Cebu’s old name) in April 1521.
Following a mass held in the island, Ferdinand Magellan planted a wooden cross
on the very spot where the shrine now stands and then gave the Sugbu
chieftain’s wife an image of the Santo Niño.
Housed inside a roofed
chapel-like concrete kiosk, the cross or, more accurately, a replica of the
original that was planted almost 500 years ago, never fails to attract the
crowds. Every time I go there, the place is often packed with curious tourists,
beggars and itinerant peddlers selling a variety of items — guitars, rosary
beads, sweets, to name some.
On one occasion, I found
myself accosted by women devotees on my way to the covered pavilion, selling candles and offering to say
a prayer for me, for a fee, of course. I politely declined and asked them to leave
me in peace. Along with other tourists, I turned my attention to the kiosk’s
center of attraction, the wooden cross standing on top of a pedestal. Below the
cross is a sign claiming that the real one is encased inside the replica made
of tindalo to protect it from people who have been chipping it away for its
alleged miraculous healing powers.
In one sortie to the city, I
stumbled upon another famous historical landmark: Fort San Pedro. Located at
the city’s port area near Plaza Independencia, it was originally built in 1565
under the orders of conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi to protect the
settlement from the persistent attacks of Moro raiders. Rebuilt in 1738, the
triangular-shaped fort was once called San Miguel but it was renamed to Fuerza
de San Pedro later. 
By the 1960s, it was so
dilapidated that a major rehabilitation effort became very imperative if only
to save this important historical landmark. It took the collaboration of the
city government, a civic club and the tourism board (now the Department of
Tourism) to mount the massive undertaking. The restoration work was said to
have progressed slowly but the facade, the main building, the walkway and the
observatory roof garden were faithfully restored after one and a half years.
The economic crunch in
recent years, however, has brought back many shoppers to Colon which has always
remained a haven for bargain hunters. Most of its old shops and even the newer
ones offer quality merchandise at prices way below those sold by their
counterparts at the malls.
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