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PHILIPPINES -My Country and its People 1999 / 2000 by Alfred N. "Joe" Bruckner A B N C - NEWS & COMMENTARIES 
A WALK THROUGH "MY" CEBU ....... on the trace of the first Europaean: From Fort San Pedro to Santo Nino M A B U H A Y - WELCOME ! Be my guest ! ======================================================================================== Best meeting point for our tour will be near the place where once the first European landed in Cebu: The gate to the port at Pier 1 - Legaspi. This place is well known by every taxi driver and he will ask you on which vessel you are booked - to bring you to the right pier. So, specify tour destination: Legaspi Extension -- Pier 1 -- "WATERFRONT" Police Station ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The PNP - Philippine National Police - Precinct 3 is, together with the other one in the Carbon Market, out of the twelve stations, one of those precincts in Cebu City which are not runing out of work. In "Downtown" is not only the Office of the City Mayor and his administration. It is an area which is in some corners awake, 24 hours a day. There, one will never feel bored and it is an area which change several times durine one day its face. In case you came over from one of the Hotels or Resorts along Mactan's east coast, I hope you did not pay for the "metered" taxi ride more than 150 - 170 Pesos. Otherwise, tell this to my friends in the precinct. They will call the driver's attention on his obligation. " W A T E R F R O N T " ======================================================================== We are at the entrance to the so-called "WATERFRONT". Heavy traffic to and from "Gate 1", entrance and exit for the port area between Pier 2 and Aduana. As usual, unloading and loading of inter-island vessels is done during day-time. Nigthly, the ferry-boats are on tour to the Visayan islands and down to Northern Mindanao. Cargo is in the lower compartments, passengers on several decks - more or less comfortable, depending on the booked "class". One of many "visons" in the Government is the reneval of "WATERFRONT": Near Carbon Market is proposed a new "Fastcraft Terminal" - for the high speed ferries, plying during day-time neighbouring islands: CAMOTES, LEYTE, BOHOL, SIQUIJOR, MINDANAO and NEGROS. The port area between Carbon via Aduana to Pier 1 will be transformed into a "Pedestrian Paradise" - with a Maritime Museum, Hotels, Restaurants, Shopping Arcades, Street Cafes, Park ..... and it will be connected with the area around our first destination on our short tour. So, let's go ! Tempering smell is approaching our noses. It comes from the kiosks along the sidewalk outside of the fence of the park surrounding Fort San Pedro. Here is grilled fish, there chicken, in an other booth are BBQ-sticks, bananas done in cooking oil and then rolled in sugar. Sometimes is it difficult for me withstand and not to eat at every eatery. F O R T - S A N - P E D R O ========================================================================================== We enter the park and walk first over grass, trampeled down by walkers. At the northern corner of the Fort, we are in front of the monument of the errector of Fort San Pedro, MIGUEL LOPEZ DE LAGAZPI ------------------------------------------------------------------------ He arrived at this place on 27th of April, 1565, exactly 44 years later on the same day, as Ferdinand Magellan - a Portuguese sailer in service for the King of Spain - made an attempt to occupy the neighbouring island Mactan. He underestimated the local people and was killed in the fight with Datu Lapu Lapu. Legazpi was leader of the "second" wave of Spaniards - no more "guests", but now conquerors. Fort San Pedro got its name after Legazpi's flagship "San Pedro". Start of work and ground breaking by Legazpi himself was on May 8, 1565. It is the oldest and with its circumference of 1,248 feet (410 meters) the smallest triangular bastion in the country. The stony walls are 8 feet thick and 20 feet high. The two remaining towers are 30 feet from the ground level. Two sides were facing the sea, with 18 cannons of artillery; most of them are sill there. Today are betwen the Fort and the sea parts of the port, the Central Post Office and the Telecommunication Center. The third side, today facing the Plaza, had before a strong palisade of wood. Fort San Pedro served as nucleus of the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines. 1898, Fort San Pedro was surrendered by the Spaniards to Cebuano rebels; then it became American Warwick Barraks. From 1937 to 1942, the Fort was converted to school rooms. Japanese Invasion Army took over. The Japanese constructed tunnels leading to the sea and - during the battle of liberisation, the Fort was emergency hospital for wounded. From 1946 to 1950, Fort San Pedro was an army camp. The Cebuano Garden Club took over Fort San Pedro in 1950 and changed the inner court into a miniature garden. After the Fort was from 1957 to 1968 home to a religious sect, was in 1968 a restoration. For a couple of years it housed the Cebu City Zoo. Till 1973, in Fort San Pedro were offices of D o T -- Department of Tourism - and P T A -- Philippine Tourism Authority. At present time, Fort San Pedro is under care and administration of the N A T I O N A L - M U S E U M , -------------------------------------------------------------------------- which opened on April 23, 1964, a historical exhibition. An artifacts taken from the old Spanish Galleon known as "San Diego" within the deep sea of Fortune Island off the coast of Nasugbo, Batangas, are on display in several rooms of the Fort. The museum is closed for public on Mondays and Tuesdays. To attract more "visitors", FORT SAN PEDRO can be used for - just click - "Parties and Fiestas"! P L A Z A - I N D I P E N D E N Z I A ========================================================================================= Opposite to the exit of Fort San Pedro is one of the entrances to the Plaza. Particularly on Sundays, it is a popular meeting place for walkers and for the young people of Cebu City. In the southwest corner, trumpet loudspeakers drown out loud music to the Plaza and its environ. After sunset, sometimes the arena is used by roller-skaters. Once, the Plaza was a beautiful designed area - with small (now dry) fountains, (trampeled down) flower arrangements, "brown" (because bare) Green ..... toay the example for neglecting. Except some dead or dying trees, dilapidated monuments and - unexpected - well maintained "CR's", there are no other attractions. So, we leave the Plaza Indipendenzia via the southern exit where former President RAMON MAGSAYSAY look from his pedestral down to Magallanes Street. Maybe, he is looking for "visions", coming from the place which will be our next destination. Since I am familiar with the "beauty culture" of public facilities, I adopted the expression of opinion of some people who take care for "funds" to maintain such Plazas ..... " Don't look ----> so, you don't see ! " On the other hand, the Plaza is one of my favorite sources for "news" and - unlike in some European cities with similar Parks like our Plaza - here are not used condoms or drug user's needles thrown into the bush. In only few minutes walking distance, we pass the CITY HALL with the OFFICE OF THE CITY MAYOR, ====================================================================================== one of the places where "visions' are born and dreamed ..... and it is the heart of an administration for a City with round 400,000 voters or aproximately a population of three quarters of a million in 80 barangays. By the way, here is also the starting point of a so-called "HERITAGE WALK" On the west side of the City Hall, we cross R I Z A L - P A R K , ------------------------------------------------------ named after one of the greates heroes in the revolution of 1898 against the Spaniards. He is looking to our next object of interest: M A G E L L A N 's - C R O S S ========================================================================================= The cross was planted on April 21, 1565. The oldest - but today dilapidated (neglected) - landmark in Cebu City is on the place where Ferdinand Magellan celebrated the Easter Mass. The cross marks also the spot where the first Chrisian Filipinos - RAJAH HUMABON and QUEEN JUANA with 400 followers - were baptized by FRATER PEDRO VALDERAMA. The natives believed the cross had miraculous power and began to take chips. So, a hollow of tindalo wood was made to encase the original which the public may see now. The marker was 1967 donated by the CEBU TOURIST GUIDE ASSOCIATION under its President Mrs. REMIDIOS A. CENIZARES. Opposite of Magellan's Cross ist the entrance to COLLEGIO DEL SANTO NINO, and we approach the area of the basilica. " S A N T O - N I N O " ========================================================================================= The image of "Santo Nino" is the oldest religious relic in the Philippines. Magellan gave the image to Queen Juana as a baptismal gift on April 14, 1565. 44 years later, FRATER ANDRES DE URDANETA who formally Christianized the Cebuanos, found the natives very hostile. So, when Legazpi arrived in Cebu on April 27, 1565, he besieged the settlement and set the village on fire. In the burnt house of JUAN CAMOS, the image of "Santo Nino" ws found unscratched. Since then, the miraculous image has been venerated by the Cebuanos as its Patron Saint. The original is kept in the Parish Convent; a replica is enshrined in glass and adorned with gold and precious stones. The image is housed in a small chapel inside the BASILICA MINORE DEL SANTO NINO. ============================================== This church was built by Legazpi and Frater Urdaneta on the side where the image of "Santo Nino" was found, but the first structure was destroyed by a fire on First of Novmeber, 1568. It was rebuilt in 1602 under the administration of JUAN ALBARAN and was rehabilitated in 1740. During the fourth centenial celebration of the Christinaization of Cebu, in May 1965, the curhch was conferred the title "BASILICA MINORE DEL SANTO NINO". On Sundays and Fridays, particularly on the first Friday every month, come the most believers and visitors, to light candles, to pray and to attend masses in English or Cebuano language. Long waiging lanes are in front of "Santo Nino's" chappel. At the exit to - in this portion sometimes renamed - Osmena Boulevard, also known as "Juana Luna", are located along the sidewalk many kiosks whre one can buy religious objects - particularly images of "Santo Nino" in all sizes. Opposite of the exit, is the begin of a connecting road to the Cathedrale of Cebu City, with the office of our Cardinal. At the corner are flower stands. Sometimes, I'm lucky and I can buy small wreaths of the National flower - Sampaguite. During few days, I have in my home this, since my time in Bataan many times missed - fragrance of this beautiful small white flower. The small road is full with fruit stands. Did you ever try "Green Mango" ?? Try it here, it tastes a little bit sour, but good. Mangoes come from Guadalupe, a western barangay of Cebu City on the foot of the mountains. And an other smell is in the air - from BBQ and fried bananas. At the end of our walking tour through "my" Cebu, on the traces of the Spaniards, we take a rest with a refreshment: For less than a half US-Dollar or a half "Euro", we buy a fresh coconut, cut the top and sip the delicious "BUKO JUICE" - the water in the nut. And then, we spoon out the nut's white meet. For this purpose, straw and spoon is always in my pocket. C O L O N - S t r e e t the oldest street in the Philippines is just a block away - Be my Guest! I know some more places which are not mentioned in so-called "Travel Guides" or not listed in brochures and flyers produced by the (local) Tourism Industry. By the way, for a small glass of "fresh Buko juice" - without the "white" - you pay in some Resorts three to five times more. And Mangoes you buy for the official market price. Top of reference to "Santo Nino" is every year in the third week of January, when Cebuanos celebrate in veneration of the Patron Saint ther " S I N U L O G " It is a fiesta with parades, stret dancing, fun ..... in a frolicsome and happy atmosphere. Sinulog is one of the hightlights in the tourism calandar and magnet for many tourists and balikbayans. So, the popular festival is endangered to be commercialized - "perfect" organized in a big "show" and a "revue" for sponsors who want to be present in the TV coverage. Of course, spectators who pay a lot for tickets in arenas or for seats along the way of the parade, expect in exchange an excellent performance. Nevertheless, a rest of spontanity is still alive ..... So, I invite you to visit me again! |
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 Alfred N. "Joe" Bruckner Correspondent Travel Writer - Photographer Tourist Guide A B N C - NEWS & COMMENTARIES |
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