El Corazon de San Lazaro
Home Cebu Location Rooms Facilities Payment Contacts Links
a
Brief History
Before the Spanish conquest, Cebu was already a trading hub between China, Arabia, and the kingdoms of east Asia. The shallow beaches of the island meant visitors had to wade ashore, which is probably why the island was named Sugbo (to wade across water) by its inhabitants.
In 1519, Ferdinand Magellan began his momentous voyage to the west to reach the east. By the 17th of March, 1521, he had reached the island of Samar; and on 31st of March he claimed the Philippine archipelago for Spain, naming it San Lazaro (Saint Lazarus). On the 7th of April he reached Cebu, where he met Datu Humabon, the local ruler. The Datu warmly received Magellan and his men, and on the 14th of April, he and his 800 subjects were converted to Catholicism. He was renamed Rey Carlos (King Charles) and his wife Reyna Juana (Queen Joan). To commemorate this event, Magellan planted a cross and gave Reyna Juana a statue of the Santo Nino (a statue of Jesus as a child).
Not all of the Cebuanos were receptive to the Spaniards. Another Datu, named Lapu Lapu, refused to pay tribute to Magellan. At Mactan island, Magellan's forces met Lapu Lapu's, and there the Spaniard was slain.
Spain sent more expeditions to the Philippines, and of these the most successful was probably the expedition lead by Don Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Fray Andres de Urdaneta. The De Legazpi expedition reached Cebu on the 28th of April, 1565. Legazpi bombarded the palisades of the then ruler of Cebu, Rajah Tupas. He destroyed the Rajah's settlement, and built another on its site which became the first Spanish settlement of the country. Legazpi stayed in Cebu until 1570, when he moved to Manila.
In the mid-19th century, Cebu experienced a surge in growth, helped by the increase in demand of agricultural crops such as hemp, tobacco and, most of all, sugar cane. Cebu's ports were bustling with the flow of trade. This was a time when the suburbs expanded. The economic elite now included Chinese and Chinese-mestizo entrepreneurs who took leading roles in agricultural production, real estate speculation, shipping, and finance. Cebu became the focal point for economic networks that encompassed large sections of the Visayas and Mindanao, linking them to markets in Manila, the United States and Europe.
Then, at the end of the 19th century, Spain enters the Spanish-American war, and is defeated. The American regime in the Philippines begins. In 1901, Cebu officially becomes a municipality. Thirty six years later, on the 24th of February, it achieves city status.
Cebu served as a vital base for the Japanese in World War 2, which began with the landing of the Japanese Imperial Army on April 1942. It was nearly razed to the ground by the Japanese, in reprisal for the guerilla resistance. It was also subjected to heavy bombardment by the liberating American forces. Liberation finally came 3 years later on March 1945, when an American party landed to retake the city from the Japanese.
The Queen of the South
Being the first Spanish settlement of the country, it is not surprising that Cebu also has the country's oldest church (Basilica Minore del Santo Nino). It also has the country's oldest and smallest fort (Fort San Pedro), the oldest school (now the University of San Carlos) and the oldest street (Colon).
Fort San Pedro was built to keep a lookout for pirates. It has served as a stronghold for Filipino revolutionaries, as US army barracks, a prison camp during the Japanese occupation, and the city zoo. It now serves as an historical park.
c
The Basilica Minore del Santo Nino houses the oldest Christian relic in the Philippines. This relic is the same statue of Santo Nino that Magellan gave to Reyna Juana on the occasion of her baptism in 1521. The original church was built in 1565 by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Fray Andres de Urdaneta. The church has been destroyed by fire on three occasions. Its current form dates back to 1740. The church also serves as a convent.
d
Other notable churches can also be seen on the island. Naga Church is a made in coral and limestone. Made over a century ago, its exterior has remained unchanged. Angels and gargoyles guard its doors. Carcar has the church of St. Catherine of Alexandria, completed in 1876. Carcar, which was established as a parish in 1624, lies south of Cebu city, on the eastern coast of the island. As a junction town in olden times, it was prosperous, as can be seen by the Spanish mansions that still flank the town square.
e
Magellan's cross stands within a wayside shrine commemorating the baptism of the first Filipino Christians. The cross contains fragments of the original cross planted by Magellan in 1521. The shrine was built in 1841, and is located just across the city hall.
f
The Chinese came to Cebu long before the Spanish did. Like the Spanish, they also brought religion, and have built equally magnificent places of worship. The Taoist temple perches on the hills in the suburbs of Cebu city. Before you reach it, you must climb 99 steps. At the top lies a panoramic view of the city and the sea. Phu-Sian temple, a Buddhist temple, is also near the Taoist temple. The Heavenly Temple of Charity can be found in Peace Valley in Lahug. It stands on a sacred hill where spring waters are believed to have healing powers.
Cebuano, a form of Visayan, is mostly spoken in Cebu, although Tagalog and English are widely spoken. Chinese is spoken in a few areas (Minnan and Mandarin).
a
Cebu rivals even Manila as a commercial port. In the harbor area stand the remains of 16th century Fort San Pedro. Cebu has its own international airport at Mactan island.
The city is famous for making musical instruments like the piccolo, the banduria and the guitar, clearly another facet of Cebu which has been inherited from Spain.
The Climate
Cebu has a moderate climate having no distinct wet and dry season. The wetter months usually begins around June, and ends in November. A drier spell prevails between December and May.
Average Annual
Rainfall: 1,638.20 mm
Minimum Monthly Rainfall: 50.40 mm
Maximum Monthly Rainfall: 206.50 mm
Mean Temperature Range: 26.49 C - 28.79 C
Minimum Temperature: 22.69
C
Maximum Temperature: 33.19 C
Humidity ~ 78 %
Reference
Encyclopedia Americana 1983 edition, Grolier Inc.
Lonely Planet Philippines 7th edition, Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
Cebu and Bohol: A Traveler's Map, produced by the PCVC for the Phil DofT
The Cebuano as an Entrepreneur By Resil B. Mojares, SunStar Cebu Yearbook 2002
http://www.cebu.gov.ph/abouthistory.htm 31/01/04
http://www.dticebu.net.ph/01_b_01.html 31/01/04
http://www.hoteltravel.com/philippines/cebu/guides.htm 31/01/04
a www.aenet.org 02/02/04
b http://www.malapascua.de/index.html 02/02/04
c http://home.arcor.de/familie-riegel/bilderbuch/ph03/arcor/page-0016.html 02/02/04
d http://mobilemediaph.com/turista/go/cebu_churches.html 02/02/04
e http://durian2.at.infoseek.co.jp/durian2/cebu.htm 04/02/04
f www.cebu-city.ph/about.htm 02/02/04
My high school notes. :P