As the cradle of Christianity, Cebu has been a tourist destination and a center of Spanish Culture here in the Philippines. On this Holy Week, everybody is gearing up to join the yearly activity called Visita Iglesia or Seven Churches Visitation . Visita Iglesia is a pious Roman Catholic Lenten tradition by attempting to visit seven churches or religious sites. Traditionally observed on Maundy Thursday, it is commonly practised during any day of the Holy Week.(wikipedia)

Visita Iglesia in Basilica Sto Niño, Credit: HabagatCentral.com

Now, here is the list of amazing and top Churches in Cebu (Cities Only, Provinces are not included) which are recommended to be included for your Visita Iglesia for Holy Week 2014.

7. National Shrine of Saint Joseph in Mandaue City .


The church is greatly renovated. Removed were four large pillars that supported the cupola. These pillars appear in old photographs of the church interior. A statue of St. Joseph and the Child Jesus beside him is in the style of 18th century ivories and may be from Jesuit times. [wikipedia]

photo credit: pinoychurches.wordpress.com


6. The National Shrine of Nuestra Sra. Virgen dela Regla Parish in Lapu-Lapu City (Birhen Sa Regla)


The original church was built during the Spanish times between the years 1735-1744 and was made of Mactan (coral) stone cut in square blocks and was only slightly damaged during the WW II. Unfortunately, the Dutch priests later assigned to the parish bypassed 200 years of history. Instead of repairing the damages, they had the church bulldozed in 1960 and built a totally new one made of plaster and concrete. The walls of the old (Mactan) coral stone church were so solid that, during the architectural massacre, the Dutch priest who ordered to have it demolished was said to have regretted the cultural carnage.

However, there is still a remainder of the old church, as proof of its solidity - the still existing convent built in 1855. It is a beautiful example of the Spanish colonial mission complex and is spacious and solid.

photo and captions credit: colloidfarl.blogspot.com

5. Our Lady of Mt Carmel Chapel/ Carmelite Monastery Chapel (Cebu City)


photo credit: pinoychurches.wordpress.com

4. Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Church in Guadalupe,Cebu City


photo credit: pinoychurches.wordpress.com

3. The Redemptorist - Our Mother of Perpetual Help Church


photo credit: cssrredemptoristi.com

2. Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral in Cebu City



The Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral is the ecclesiastical seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cebu in Cebu, Philippines. Cebu was established as a diocese on August 14, 1595. It was elevated as a metropolitan archdiocese on April 28, 1934 with the dioceses of Dumaguete, Maasin, Tagbilaran, and Talibon as suffragans. [wikipedia]

photo credit: wanhengkei.blogspot.com

1. Minor Basilica of Sto. Niño de Cebu



The Minor Basilica of the Holy Child, commonly known as Basilica del Santo Niño, is a minor basilica in Cebu City in the Philippines that was founded in the 16th century. It is the oldest Roman Catholic church established in the country, purportedly built on the spot where the image of the Santo Niño de Cebú, a statue depicting the Holy Child Jesus was found in 1565 by Spanish explorers led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. The image is the same statue given by Ferdinand Magellan to the wife of Rajah Humabon as a gift over forty years after Humabon's baptism to Christianity on April 14, 1521 [Wikipedia]

photo credit: Allan Jay Quesada

Cebu, an island in central part of the Philippines known to be rich in natural resources, hospitable people and of course, highly industrialized environment and cities. The oldest city of the country, Cebu City, situated in this island which gave birth to Colon Street in the 16th century, the oldest street. Not known by other fellowmen, Cebu is proud to have the oldest defensive structures like Fort San Pedro in Cebu City, Liloan Lighthouse and the Bantayan sa Hari in Mandaue City. Flashing back our memory to our High School years through "Araling Panlipunan" subject, Cebu was hailed as Philippines's Capital City in 1565 by our invaders, the Spaniards. So much for these facts, Cebu owns the oldest remaining original stone Church, Boljoon Church which became the National Historical Landmark and National Cultural Treasure of our country and the oldest religious relic, The Santo Nino de Cebu. Indeed, Cebu is a true cradle of Culture and Heritage.


But do youngsters nowadays know or even aware what are those? where are they located and where are they from? Of course, they do and we do! This knowledge was brought back to our senses during the Gabii Sa Kabilin (GSK) last Friday night. This Cebu Heritage Tour brought to us by Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), is a Walking Tour to selected Museums and cultural sites in Cebu and its neighbor city, Mandaue. Also, participants had a chance in riding Cebu's treasured means of transportation, the Tartanilla Ride - another one of a kind.


THE EXPERIENCE 

It was a night of information overload but I was able to gain them slowly and surely ^_^ . Just like in Casa Gorordo Museum which is actually the residence of the first Filipino Bishop, Juan Gorordo, in Cebu. Various relics were displayed such as the traditional rice mill and other old kitchen stuff. Good thing that organizers had added features like Bugsay-making demonstration, storytelling with stage acts for children and other attractions. Some old Church documents were also shown to the public at Iglesia Filipina Independiente situated in Mabini, Cebu City. Meanwhile in Yap-Sandiego Ancestral house, it seemed everyone travelled to the past with all those Filipiniana and Barong Tagalog costumes worn by standbyers and some personnel in charge of the house. There was a traditional band in the street too, which guided the tourists with their folky yet lovely music.






Walking forward, in Museo Parian sa Sugbo, formerly known as Jesuit House, catered Cebuanos a wide range of exhibit via Sugbu Gallery. It showcased differnt kind of Galleon models, religious materials and around the house, you would notice the preserve tradition and culture that every "Bisaya" had. And for our National Hero, Jose Rizal, different keepsakes were maintained and saved inside the USPF Jose Rizal Museum.







Gabii Sa Kabilin is not only about Spaniards and Americans stories, it also featured Chinese memorabilia just like what Fo Guang Shan Chu Un Temple had offered. The temple gave the visitors an experience on their Master Hsing yun's One-Stroke Calligraphy, see below video for a teaser. In addition, their Zen Buddha Altars were prepared for GSK participants.




To end the tour, I was able to witness the beauty that Cebu Capitol building can offer to the public at night. What romance can it caused to lovers in the street. I love cebu!

SUGGESTION FOR BETTERMENT

Now, even if an event like Gabii Sa Kabilin has always been successfully done, there is always a point to ponder and improve. How about making it "Mga Gabii Sa Kabilin"? Maybe two to three nights of Heritage Tour? At least those 22 main attractions can be visited and experienced by participants without even rushing themselves from one museum to another - if this is the case, then the essence and the beauty of our Culture and Heritage here in Cebu will not be properly observed and appreciated.


Remember this famous saying? "A person, who does not know how to look where he came from, would not be able to reach his destination." This quote always prompts in my mind everytime I take part on GSK affair and when i see educational field trip buses. Why? Simply because we cannot attain our goal if we don't know what or who is the reason why we are aiming such objective in life - why we are alive and why we are here in this era! They are the reason, our ancestors are the reason. Nobody can take care of their important keepsakes from the past than us who live today. So learn from them and go for gold!