Half a day in Cebu City is nowhere near enough, but if it's all that you have, here’s an itinerary that we’ve put together to help you make the most of your remaining few hours in the queen city of the south.
Since Cebu has a rich historical heritage, this itinerary includes:
- Cebu Provincial Capitol
- Fuente Osmeña
- Basilica Minore del Santo Niño
- Magellan’s Cross
- Malacañan sa Sugbo
- Fort San Pedro
Stop #1: Cebu Provincial Capitol
An iconic building in Cebu City, the Capitol is among the most beautiful buildings in all of Cebu. Built in 1937, this neoclassical/art deco building, designed by Juan Arellano, was inspired by the US Capitol Building. It is dramatically positioned at the province’s kilometer zero and at the end of Osmeña Boulevard.
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| The Cebu Provincial Capitol |
The building’s façade is distinctly characterized by a central concave pavilion crowned by a dome. The concave side is inscribed with one of the main principles of our democratic government: The authority of the government emanates from the people. It has been declared as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute.
Stop #2: Fuente Osmeña
Fuente Osmeña or Osmeña Fountain is an important landmark in Cebu City. It stands in the middle of a park and a roundabout also known as Fuente Osmeña Circle.
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| Osmeña Park |
Built in honor of President Sergio Osmeña, the area plays host to important events in the city like the Sinulog, and other cultural shows, social gatherings and political events. During regular days it serves as a perfect place for picnics or for walking and jogging.
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| The fountain |
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| The Crown Regency Towers at the background |
Trivia: The original master plan of Cebu was to have the circle serve as a city center where everything radiated outward from the rotunda similar to Paris' Arc de Triomphe. Unfortunately, the plan has not been fully realized.
Fuente Osmeña is one kilometer away from the Capitol, so we just took a twelve-minute walk to the park.
Stop #3: Basilica Minore del Santo Niño
From the Fuente Osmeña circle, we exited onto the side of B. Rodriguez St. There, we hopped on a 06B jeepney to Basilica Minor del Santo Niño which is located along Osmeña Boulevard. We just asked the driver to drop us off at the church. It was a quick fifteen-minute ride to the place.
Considered as the oldest church in the Philippines in terms of founding date, the Basilica Minor del Santo Niño or the Minor Basilica of the Holy Child was established in 1565 by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Fr. Andres Urdaneta. It was built on the site where supposedly the unscathed Santo Niño was found among the debris of burnt houses in the local village. This was believed to be the original image given by Ferdinand Magellan to Rajah Humabon and Hara Amihan during their baptism in 1521. Since then the Santo Niño has been venerated as miraculous and is used as the centerpiece of the annual Sinulog Festival.
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| Church courtyard |
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| Church fountain |
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| Painting depicting the Christianization of Cebu |
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| Painting depicting the Christianization of Cebu |
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| Painting depicting the Christianization of Cebu |
Stop #4: Magellan’s Cross
After our brief visit to Santo Niño, we made our way to the south side of the basilica complex where Magellan's Cross can be found.
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| The octagonal chapel |
The huge cross, housed inside an octagon-shaped chapel, is Magellan's legacy to the Philippines. However, the one displayed here is a mere replica of the original cross. The sign below the replica states that the original is encased inside it. This was done to protect the original cross from being chipped away for souvenir or in the belief that it possessed miraculous powers.
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| The cross replica |
While in the chapel, we offered candles in varying colors. Each color symbolized a particular intention: pink for happiness and thanksgiving, green for prosperity, blue for career success, yellow for health and peace, and red for love. We bought ten candles for Php10 each which include a Sinug prayer. It's a dance prayer done with two steps forward and one step backward while waving candles and chanting intentions. One half of the candles were piled up before the cross while the other half were lighted outside the church walls.
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| Candle offerings |
Stop #5: Malacañan sa Sugbo
From Magellan's Cross, we walked east along Magallanes St. till we reached Plaza Independencia two blocks away. Then we went to the south side of the plaza where Malacañan sa Sugbo is located.
Malacañan sa Sugbo is the official residence of the President of the Philippines in the Visayas. It was the city's Bureau of Customs Office before it was converted to its current use.
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| A powerful house |
It can be identified with its all-white facade and landscaped grounds. The front side of this century-old building is inscribed with the name
Malacañan sa Sugbo. And just like its counterpart in Manila, the structure is situated next to a body of water for immediate evacuation in cases of emergency.
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| Visayas' own Malacañan |
The building is currently inaccessible to the public after portions of it were damaged during the 2013 Visayas earthquake. But it's in the news that the building has been reopened for inspection and repairs. It is targeted for conversion to a museum and to serve as the office of the Presidential Assistant to the Visayas. For now, only photos of the exterior can be taken.
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| Barbed wire laden barriers |
Stop #6: Fort San Pedro
On the east side of Plaza Independencia is another historical structure known as Fort San Pedro.
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| Fort San Pedro marker |
Fort San Pedro is a military defense structure that was built during the early times of the Spanish era. It dates back to the 17th century and is the oldest triangular bastion fort in the country.
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| Fort San Pedro is a well preserved stone fort |
The fort has served various purposes such as a fortification, a military barracks, an emergency hospital, a school, and even as a zoo. These days, part of the fort is a museum which houses well preserved Spanish artifacts, documents, paintings and sculptures. Statues of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Antonio Pigafetta can also be seen outside the fort walls.
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| Welcome marker |
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| Paintings displayed such as the Blood Compact, portraits of Pigafetta and Rajah Humabon |
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| Various photos exhibited inside the Viviende del Teniente |
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| Landscaped interiors of the fort |
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Walled garden
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| Walled garden |
Since Fort San Pedro is a quiet, walled garden, we purposely chose it as our last stop and spent half an hour inside to rest before we decided return to our hotel. After all, it was a tiring four-hour tour of the city's most important historical landmarks.
So there are our suggestions on how to make the most of your few hours in Cebu City. Below are the expenses (excluding breakfast and bottled water):
Cebu City DIY Tour
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Total in Php
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Jeep (Fuente Osmeña - Santo Niño)
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Magellan's Cross Candle Offering
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Fort San Pedro Entrance Fee
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Jeep (Plaza Independencia - Capitol Site)
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Total Per Person
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