Supercat at the Supercat Ferry Terminal

Since I was running out of time, I needed to take a cab to the ferry terminal I booked a ticket for earlier in the day. I thought the ferry terminal would just be nearby the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, but I was mistaken. The taxi driver brought me somewhere near SM City Cebu and straight to Pier 4 where my ride was. In fact, I was supposed to get off outside the entrance of the pier, but he drove straight into the pier and right outside the ferry terminal – that is service for you!

Inside the Ferry Terminal

The ferry terminal is a sorry looking building badly needing an upgrade. After passing through the usual security checks I was inside the ferry terminal. The inside of the terminal is just as sorry as it looks outside, it was a bit dark but it was clean. There were security dogs going around the terminal looking for bombs. This gave me a little peace of mind since it shows they are serious about security. At the terminal, there were a lot of seats for the people waiting for their ride. There were also shops selling some snack, good for me, since I was already hungry. So while I was waiting for my ride, I watched a little television.

Inside the Supercat

Not before long, my ferry is ready for boarding. I was pleasantly surprised to see the modern catamaran waiting for us at the dock. The boat looked very new and well maintained. Supercat is the name of the company operating these catamaran services from Cebu and the crew looks very professional. In fact, it brings comparisons to the catamaran service I took from Hong Kong to Macau. The Supercat seems to have more modern seacraft and they are well maintained just as well.

Another Vessel Operated by Weesam

I got a seat right by the window hoping to be able to get photos of the ride, but alas, once the boats started water started splashing and I couldn’t see a thing. Anyway, it was late afternoon so would not be able to see much anyway. So I just took the chance to rest after a very busy day in Cebu.

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Facade of the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral

Following the pedestrian path from the Basilia Minore del Santo Nino, is yet another church, the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. It puzzles me how they can have two big churches so close together, though this won’t be the first time I would see something like this in the Philippines. I have seen two Catholic churches right next to each other elsewhere. I guess there are just too many faithful to fit in one church, and these churches in Cebu are not even ordinary churches, one is a Basilica and the other is a Cathedral.

Inside the Cathedral

Interestingly enough, the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral is actually quite old, it was built in the late 1600s and has been rebuilt several times due to natural and man-made calamities, most frequently, typhoons. The last time the cathedral was destroyed was during World War II when the United States bombed lights out of Philippines. Inside, the walls are extra thick to protect the structure from the elements and it is now the seat of the archdiocese of Cebu, it oversees the dioceses in the neighboring provinces of Bohol, Leyte and Negros.

A Statue of Jesus in the Plaza

Befitting a Cathedral, the interiors are very nice and well maintained. It was as if the church just opened a few days ago. I guess much of the original structure was already lost because of the countless calamities that have befallen this church. It now sports a more modern interior in contrast to the lavish and more classical interiors of the nearby Basilica Minore del Santo Nino.

Bell Tower of the Cathedral

At the time I visited, there was a celebration of Holy Mass so I didn’t get to take as many photos as I wanted lest I be publicly scolded by the officiating priest. Nearby the Cathedral is the Archbishop’s palace, nothing really noteworthy there. I was running out of time and I needed to get to my next destination as soon as possible. Overall, it was a short but very fulfilling trip I had in Cebu. I didn’t realize how different it is from Manila, someday I would like to give this historic province more time to explore.

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Faithful Venerating the Santo Nino

The inside of the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino is busy as a beehive. There were a lot of people milling about. Some were on their way to pray. There were also a handful of tourists, like me just admiring the centuries old church. The Basilica has a small museum which is open to visitors. Immediately upon entering the church you would notice the painting of important figures in the history of this church. I did not recognize any of the names there though.

Painting of Saint Augustine Contemplating the Holy Trinity

Aside from portraits, there were a lot of paintings depicting the history of the church. Among them is a painting of the discovery of the figure of the Santo Nino unscatched from the fire which ravaged the area. There was also another one which depicted the enshrinement of the Santo Nino and also marked the start of this church.

Old Bench in the Courtyard

Further inside, is a small courtyard with seats around the area. This serves as a waiting area for the people visiting the church. One of the important activities here in the church is to be able to pray in front of the Santo Nino and wipe their hankerchief on the statue. When I visited there was a very long queue of faithful waiting for their turn to pray. The Santo Nino is kept behind a glass panel but is visible for all to see. It was amusing to see the people pray in front of the Santo Nino, then snap a photo with their mobile phone.

Very Relaxing in the Courtyard

The Santo Nino here in the church is considered the oldest religous relic in the Philippines. It was supposedly the actual image of the Santo Nino which was given as a gift by Ferdinand Magellan to the wife of King Humabon, Queen Juana, upon their baptism into Christianity way back in 1521. If this is true, this would be an amazing piece of history. The Santo Nino here commands that wonder and respect from everyone in the church and every one just stands in awe.

Impressive Church Interiors

As for the church interiors, it was an impressive interior with some painted panels. There was a lot of faux-3-D painting which was reminiscent of the San Agustin Church in Manila. Incidentally, this church is also a San Agustin Church since it is managed by the Augustinian fathers. The stained glass windows on both sides of the church give ample light to the church despite the lights not being turned on.

Getting Close to the Santo Nino

I also took some time admiring the wonderful church before saying a little prayer to the Santo Nino. The Santo Nino is a major religious figure in the Philippines and is highly venerated throughout the country. In fact the Sinulog Festival, one of the biggest festivals in Cebu and in the country, is dedicated to the Santo Nino. The Ati-atihan festival in Kalibo, Aklan province is also dedicated to the Santo Nino. Such is the love and devotion of the Filipinos to the Santo Nino.

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Basilica Minore del Santo Nino

Just beside Magellan’s Cross is a huge church which is decidated to the child Jesus called Santo Nino or Holy Child. The church is right along a very busy pedestrian path passing by. This pedestrian path incidentally leads to other important sights. But for now, we stop here. The Church has an interesting history to it date back to 1565. It is said that in that year, Spanish conquistadors found a burnt box with a statue of the child Jesus left behind by Ferdinand Magellan’s 1521 expedition which miraculously survived all those years. In honor of the statue’s miraculous survival, the Spanish built a church dedicated to the child Jesus, supposedly on the very spot where it was discovered.

A Faithful Woman Prays for Intercession

The church is now declared a Basilica Minore, it still is managed by the Augustinian and is now in the center of modern cebu. Basilica Minore del Santo Nino is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines and has stood the test of time and is still going strong. Outside the church worshippers pray for the intercession of the saints and of course, the Santo Nino. Just across the church was a large plaza which was closed at the time I visited. The plaza I presume is for use in special activities of the church.

People Praying at the Entrance

Just standing outside the church already gave me at good idea on how deep the Cebuanos love for Santo Nino. Whenever they pass by the main door of the church, the people would wave. Yes, they wave at Santo Nino, this is something like a quick greeting much like how we wave to each other. In this case the Santo Nino is a child and they also treat him like a child. Of course standing outside the church won’t get me anything more interesting, it was time to go in the church itself.

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CnT Lechon's Lechon

Cebu is known as a great culinary center in the Philippines. In fact, a lot of the Philippines most beloved dishes orginate from Cebu. When I was preparing for my trip to Cebu. I have heard of the culinary expertise of the Cebuanos and being the foodie that I am, I needed to be able to try them, even if it is only for one meal.

Inside CnT Lechon's Restaurant

One of the most famous dishes in all of the Philippines is the pit roasted pig or lechon. The lechon however is not unique to Cebu as a lot of different provinces of the Philippines have their own variations of this very sinful delight. If you happen to have lechon in Manila, it would disappoint you to know that Cebu Lechon is much better than that. I have a friend who has a friend working in Cebu and I wanted to know where the best Lechon Cebu is. Her answer was simple: “There can be only one – CnT Lechon”.

Crab for Sides

So now that I am armed with this most useful knowledge, I needed to find where this place is. She said CnT Lechon is somewhere near SM City Cebu. Actually, it turns out there is a CnT Lechon in SM City Cebu itself. But their main restaurant is just across the street. It was a pretty long street since SM City is after all one of the biggest malls in the world. After a few questions later, I found the place.

Ordering Food at CnT Lechon

The main restaurant is a very native style house made of straw and bamboo. Inside the restaurant is no different. There was no air conditioning but the straw construction of the hut made it quite cool inside. There were several tables along the way right in front was the place you order. Actually, CnT Lechon works much like a cafeteria. There, food is all prepared in front of you and you just pick the ones you want and the move along the queue.

Interesting Sink

The lechon on the other hand is already pre-roasted and there is a huge piece of pig just lying on the side of the table. A lady would be chopping up the pig right in front of everyone. I can also be a spectacle to see them chopping up the pig.

Exterior of CnT Lechon

So what did I do? Of course I ordered the lechon! I ordered the 1/4 kg lechon, but I thought that it was a little too small, so I order some crab to go with it. Not exactly the healthiest meal I ever had but I can tell you that the lechon was the best lechon I’ve ever had. The meat was overflowing with flavor. Normally, lechon comes with some liver sauce, but in this case, the meat was so tasty that you do no need any sauce at all. The skin was a little letdown since the lady didn’t really give me a nice piece of pig skin. Normally the skin will be roasted just right that it will be very crunchy and lechon afficionados will always ask for crunchy skin.

Best Pig Ever

CnT Lechon also allows for take-home lechon. They have this sealed packaging that will keep the flavor in while travelling. This is perfect for people from other places like Manila to bring home to their folks. Now that I have tasted Cebu’s Lechon, I can say that it is the best roast pig in the Philippines. In fact, just recently, Anthony Bourdain went to Cebu to sample Cebu echon and was delighted by it, naming it the “Best Pig Ever”.

Lechon in its Oily, Greasy, Sinful Glory

Now that I know what kind of food Cebu can offer, I am also sad since I was travelling alone and thus could not order as much food as I want. The Cebu Lechon is just scratching the surface of what Cebuano cuisine is all about. I would probably want to spend a little more time here in Cebu next time.

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Inside the Fancy New Annex

It was time for lunch, an early one since I still needed to see some more places in Cebu City before I leave for a different island. I first needed to buy my ferry ticket to the next island. Fortunately, SM City in Cebu has a very convenient travel center where visitors can purchase ferry tickets. I took a cab to SM City and headed straight for the travel center.

Travel Center at SM City Cebu

Strangely enough, the travel center is not in a very convenient location in the mall, in fact, I had to go around the carpark just to be able to get to it. There didn’t seem to be any way to go to the travel center from the mall itself. You’d think that the mall would make it easier for visitors to get to the travel center itself from the mall but no.

Central Atrium in SM City Cebu

The travel center itself was very simple, there were a few people at the counter waiting to assist travellers. They know the schedules quite well and seem to have good connections with the ferry services. Quite convenient for travellers who do not know anything about this place, like me. I noticed that there is a place for visitors to store their luggage. The security guard does a token check of the bags and lets people through. Within a short while, I got my tickets so I was ready for lunch and then more exploration of Cebu City.

SM City Cebu From the Outside

Heading back to the mall, I was doing a little exploring. SM City Cebu is the world’s 11th largest shopping mall. Actually, SM malls have a tendency to grow, much like how the original SM City in Quezon City grew to be the second largest in the world. Anyway, the new extension of the mall seems to be a classier version of the SM malls. It does tend to be not very SM-like since most of their malls try to pack in as much as they can. However, moving through the huge mall you can see where the new changes to the old. I hope they find the resources to harmonize the look of the mall especially the interiors.

Skylight in the Atrium

The SM City Cebu has all the shops you would expect in an SM mall. SM already has a fixed set of anchor tenants which are primarily owned by the SM group so their malls will definitely be filled with tenants. The rest are filled by the other smaller companies. Outside, the Mall reveals much of it’s SM heritage with the boxy design so typical of SM malls. I always didn’t like how unimaginative they are when they design their malls. I guess they design more for practicality and not aesthetics. Incidentally, SM City Cebu has a lot more adjacent lots for expansion, I would not be surprised to see this mall climb up the ranks of the largest malls in the world.

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Waterfront Hotel Cebu Amidst Some Greenery

While on top of the Taoist Temple in Cebu, one of the buildings that caught my eye was the imposing Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, so I decided to pay it a visit. I took a multi-cab going that direction of the hotel but then it turns out that it wasn’t. So I ditched the multi-cab and asked around – something which I should have done in the first place. The people on the street instructed me to take a certain multi-cab which passes by the hotel.

Imposing Facade of the Hotel

Actually no public transport passed by the hotel. The hotel is not along a main road but there is a small access road which you can take to visit the place. The hotel facade is an impressive piece of work. Probably the most impressive on I have seen in Cebu so far. As the name implied not only is this a hotel but it also house a casino which is operated by the Philippines Amusement and Gaming Corporation or PAGCOR. I’m not into gambling so I didn’t really bother with the casino. I didn’t enter the hotel either since I wasn’t a guest. I just spent some time wandering outside the premises.

Okay, they Forgot About the Lamp Post

One of the things that bugged me is why they called Waterfront. I was walking around the hotel but I couldn’t find a body of water. I was expecting that the hotel would actually be beside the sea where I can take a photo. I asked a security guard on duty and he told me that there is no body of water here. I must have confused it with the one in Davao. Anyway, I didn’t really linger much there since it was already almost lunch time. I still need to do some shopping.

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Taoist Temple in Cebu

One of the more famous sights to see here in Cebu is the Taoist Temple. From St. Joseph’s Church in Mabolo, I took another multi-cab to somethere near the Taoist Temple. The key word is somewhere near, since there was no direct public transportation to the temple. It is in the exclusive Beverly Hills subdivision, which is on top of a hill overlooking Cebu. I needed to take a motorcycle taxi or habal-habal to enter the subdivision as it is quite a long way up by walking.

Great Wall Looking Bridge

The Beverly Hills subdivision is the home of the more well to do people in Cebu, mostly with Chinese lineage. The Chinese of Cebu have a long history here and are well entrenched economically. Because of the high concentration of Chinese in this subdivision, they have decided to built a Taoist Temple of their own right inside the subdivision. What resulted is an impressive piece of temple proudly overlooking the rest of Cebu.

Close Up of the Central Pavillion

Fortunately, they residents of Beverly Hills subdivision have opened their exclusive village to tourists to explore the temple. The entrance of the temple is typical of what you might expect from the Chinese temple. Since the temple is set on top of a hill, the orientation of the complex is vertical, which means there is a lot of climbing. It wasn’t really very tiring since the hill wasn’t very high to begin with. The must visit place here is the temple housing the statues of the Taoist deities. Unfortunately, it was forbidden to take photos of them.

Tourists Admiring the Place

For a short while, while going around the complex, it would feel as if this wasn’t in the Philippines at all. There were people worshipping, and even foreign tourists who come here to pay their respects. I did notice a few locals taking care of the place. They even hire people to tail people around just to make sure they behave. I had a guy tail me all the way round the main temple. I sometime intentionally retrace my footsteps and they follow me nonetheless. I guess they we serious when they said that it is not allowed to take photos here.

A Pavillion for the Guanyin

From the top of the temple complex you can see a great view of the rest of Cebu city. They really got a good spot here on top of the hill and air is very nice. From here you can also see the houses of the rich here in Cebu that make me greed with envy. Some of the houses just leave their gates open and you can see how many cars they have. I guess Cebu is such a safe place, that you do not need to worry about crime here.

Dragon Mountain

I wouldn’t kid myself, the Taoist Temple is a nice place to visit here in Cebu, but it is nothing compared to the other temples I have visited other countries. This Taoist Temple can be considered simple when compared to them. However, in a hugely Catholic country like the Philippines, seeing a temple like this is still a welcome sight. This would be the first Chinese temple I’ve ever been to in the Philippiines. It also shows the how the Chinese also form part of the culture of Cebu.

Small Pagoda Just Outside the Central Pavillion

I also wonder what the future of this temple would be. The children of the people who built the temple all study in the Catholic schools and universities in Cebu. Most of them would probably have nothing to do with Taoism as a religion. They probably would consider the temple just a part of their culture as someone with Chinese blood. In the end the temple would probably just end up as a tourist attraction.

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St. Joseph's Church in Mabolo

From Mactan, I took another multi-cab to the main island of Cebu. The multi-cab passed through one of two massive bridges connecting Mactan Island to Cebu. There is an amazing view of the city of Cebu to be seen from the bridge, but I couldn’t get off the multi-cab at that point. It did notice that there were a lot of people crossing the bridge on foot, so it is possible to walk across the channel.

Massive Bell Outside the Church

I wanted to visit a viewpoint in Cebu known as the Tops, but had no idea how to get there. I asked a policeman how to get there. Happily enough, he was extremely helpful and he immediately shared his knowledge on how to get there. He told me that I could take multi-cabs to somewhere near the place and then a motorcycle taxi called a habal-habal to the top. However, he wasn’t recommending to visit the place since I was all alone. Not that it was unsafe there, but rather I might get conned and be left at the viewpoint without a way to get back down.

Bell is Also Old

The policeman instead recommended that I visit the Taoist Temple which is more accessible. I needed to take a multi-cab to the town of Mabolo which is still nearby then another one to the temple itself. The thing is the public transport system of Cebu is a little bit more organized than Manila. In Manila, jeepneys have their destinations on displayed in front. If you do not know where to go, you are still not sure if it is okay to take that jeepney. However, jeepneys in Cebu actually have codes to distinguish their routes. So the policeman just told me to just look out for the code and take that multi-cab. He even brought out a old lottery ticket and wrote down the code I should watch out for.

Inside the Church

When my multi-cab came, the policeman even talked to the driver and told him to let me off at my destination. It is amazing how friendly these people are. Despite being the country’s second largest city, Cebu still has that feeling of safety and friendliness that is not present in Manila. Not before long, the multi-cab driver told me that I have arrived. This is the town of Mabolo, and like any other self-respecting town in the Philippines, there is always a centuries old church somewhere.

View of the Interiors from Another Angle

This church is dedicated to St. Joseph. It was founded as a convent in 1866 and is now a full-fledged church. The outside of the church is not particularly impressive. In fact this part of the chruch may not even be that old, since it was ravaged by typhoons and earthquakes several times in the past. Just outside the church is a massive bell which was cast in 1892 and it still in good condition. Although the church seems to be well maintained, they seem to have forgotten some stuff. One glaring thing I noticed is the presence of Jubilee 2000 near the bell tower.

St. Joseph's Church and the Bell

Inside the St. Joseph’s Church is surprisingly bright. It doesn’t have the inspiring paintings like the San Agustine Church in Manila. The altar area is not even that fancy. But there does seem to be a peace that pervades this entire building. Along the church’s cruciform layout, they put translucent roofing to provide the church with some natural light. A lot of the church was being renovated when I visited. I’m sure it would look even better when they are done. The church of Mabolo was an interesting start in my exploration of Cebu, and as it will turn out reflect the type of trip I will be having in the coming days.

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Obelisk in the Lapu-lapu Shrine

From the airport, I wanted to visit one of the more significant historical shrines in the country – the Lapu-lapu shrine. The shrine is on the island of Mactan just beside the Cebu Mainland. Fortunately, it would be easier to get to the shrine from the airport. I asked around how to get to the shrine – I didn’t really plan much for my transportation, I figured it would be easier to do it anyway. The airport people told me that there is a special tour I could join to see the shrine, but it would cost a bit. I didn’t really like the idea of a tour so I asked what would the cheapest way to the shrine be.

What Would a Lapu-Lapu Shrine Be Without a Statue of the Man?

It turns out I can get a ride to the main road outside the airport complex, then I can get another one near a shopping center which passes by the shrine itself. Great! It was easy enough to find the place as it was described by the people quite well. The shopping center was still closed but the area was already teeming with people going to work. Along the way to the shrine, we passed by the massive Mactan Export Processing Zone which is host to a lot of multinational firms. This place is incidentally the biggest job provider in the whole of Cebu province. A lot of these firms would be famliar to anyone.

Balay Ni Gloria

The shrine itself was still further away. Just when I was getting anxious, the driver of the multi-cab told me to get off. I was here. The shrine was basically a park beside the sea. There was no entrance fee and I just walked right in. It could tell that it was still early in the morning because there was still someone jogging around the shrine itself. He greeted me and smiled when he noticed me and continued jogging. The most prominent structure here would be the obelisk with the names of several historical figures involved in the story of Lapu-lapu such as Ferdinand Megellan and Queen Isabel of Spain.

Site of the Reenactment of the Battle of Mactan

Lapu-lapu is revered as the first Filipino hero who stood up again the colonizing powers, in this case, Spain. While the rest of the island in the area were already serving Spain. Lapu-lapu refused to bow down to this new power. Irked by the arrogance of this lowly chieftan, Ferdinand Magellan, led a group of troops to show Lapu-lapu (and his new subjects) who’s boss. Unfortunately, Magellan’s arrogance had a very steep price in the form of Magellan’s death. Stories say that the Battle of Mactan happened on these very shores.

A Caretaker Showing Me Around

Just off the obelisk, is a huge statue of Lapu-lapu. It looks more like a superhero than a historical figure. Anyway, no one really know how he looked like. He has this massive sword and a wooden shield standing proudly. The rest of the park has a small house which was named Balay ni Gloria, which means “The House of Gloria” in the Cebuano dialect. This is where the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo supposedly stays whenever she passes by this place.

Small Hut in the Park

Just outside the Balay ni Gloria, is a marshy swampland with boats on stranded on the wet shore. Every April 27, there is a reenactment of the Battle of Mactan here in these very shores. The battle happened in the year 1521 and it serves as a defining moment of the courage of the Filipinos against the invaders. A caretaker was around when I was taking photos and he was excitedly telling me of the story of this place. When I noted the there doesn’t seem to be water and the boats are all stranded, he told me that the reenactment always has to happen when it is high tide. Right now, the water is so low that I wouldn’t even think that there would be water if I didn’t see the sea in the distance.

Waiting Shed Outside the Park

The Lapu-lapu Shrine wasn’t the majestic awe-inspiring shrine I thought it would be. In fact, it was a merely a humble marker. All things considered, the park was very clean and at that hour I visited I was practically the only one there. I guess getting a bit of history with me with well worth it. Outside the park is a small waiting shed for passengers going back to town. This place is quite out of the way and there isn’t really much to see other than the shrine. I hailed a passing multi-cab which will bring me back to the airport area.

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