Considered as the Philippines’ oldest Spanish permanent
settlement, Cebu might just as well be called Santo Niño country. Nowhere in
the entire archipelago can you find a place as devoted to the Child Jesus than
the city. Central to this devotion is the original image of the Holy Child
which is enshrined at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño.
If I’m in town, I make it a point to pay homage to the
miraculous icon inside the church, which is located just a few steps away from
the kiosk housing the cross that Portuguese maritime explorer Ferdinand
Magellan planted on the island in 1521.
Whenever I go there to attend a mass,
say a little prayer, light a candle, or contemplate on life, I have this
awesome feeling of peace and serenity engulfing me. Truly, it must be the Santo
Niño who’s at work on such occasions.
In the many times I’ve been to the Basilica, I always
encountered a steady stream of devotees praying before the image that has
shaped Cebu and the rest of the country’s history since Magellan came to Sugbu
(Cebu's old name) almost 500 years ago. History has it that he gave the Santo
Niño’s icon to the Sugbu king’s wife after her and her people’s baptism.
When Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi landed
in the island more than 40 years later, he and his men found an image of the
Santo Niño which is believed to be the one that Magellan gave to the
chieftain’s wife. A church—the first one in the Philippines—was then ordered
built on the very spot where the icon was discovered.
On a recent visit, I came across an interesting back story
about this centuries-old shrine whose rank was elevated to a Minor Basilica by
Pope Paul VI. Still being run by the Augustinians, its original structure,
which housed the image that the conquistador found, was gutted by fire. The
same thing happened to the second one that was also burned down in 1628. It
took a little over a century for the third structure to be completed, but this
one stood the test of time and the elements, eventually becoming the renowned
seat of widespread devotion to the Santo Niño.
Every third Sunday of January, thousands of devotees, not
only from Cebu but from other parts of the country and the world, flock to the
basilica to pay homage to the miraculous image of the Holy Child through
Sinulog, Cebu’s biggest, grandest and world-renowned celebration. I haven’t
been to the city during the festival day itself but I'm still hopeful I'll make
it there one of these days.
Just across the basilica, there's this sprawling,
open-air theater type structure—the Pilgrim's Center—where Friday masses and
other religious activities are held. As Santo Niño's devotees kept growing over
the years and easily filled up the basilica beyond its capacity, the
Augustinian authorities deemed it wise to put up the center to accommodate the
growing number of worshippers.
Also, you’ll find hawker stalls outside the basilica
selling all sorts of religious items—rosaries, icons, prayer books, candles,
etc. Years ago, I bought a replica of the Santo Niño’s image in one of the
stores there which now count among the many souvenirs that came from Cebu.
Whenever I’m down and out, I just take a look at the statuette and say a little
prayer that somehow eases whatever pain I have.
There’s another religious shrine in the city which I also
had the chance to see on two separate occasions: the Cebu Metropolitan
Cathedral. Located a block away from the Basilica, the church is the
ecclesiastical seat of the metropolitan archdiocese of Cebu.
It took almost a century for this church to be completed
due to numerous problems. Construction, which reportedly began in 1719, was
suspended when funds were diverted to finance military campaigns against Moro
raiders. Done in typical Baroque style just like many Spanish churches in the
country, the church was finally completed in 1811 after so many delays.
Much of it, however, was destroyed by Allied bombings
during World War II, with only its belfry, facade, and thick walls surviving
the bombardment. In the 1950s, a massive reconstruction was relentlessly
pursued to restore the cathedral into its former state. One time, I was tempted
to take some snaps of its dazzling interior but a wedding ceremony was in
progress, deterring me from doing so.
Like the many centuries-old shrines all over the
Philippines, the churches in Cebu stand as tenacious and timeless landmarks of
what can be considered as Spain’s greatest legacy to us: Christianity.
Unfortunately, there are some people who argue that these
religious edifices are nothing but symbols of the tyranny, oppression and
injustice we experienced during the Spanish regime. I’d like to think though
that without them we’d never get to know and understand Christ and his teachings,
much less become the shining beacon of Christianity in this part of the world. :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.
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.
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
