It’s an opportunity to familiarize oneself with the towns, people and heritage treasures that abound.

Cebu is one of the provinces blessed with beautiful Spanish colonial era churches in the country. Most of these structures were built by the Augustinians as the island was under the Order’s care but those built by the seculars, though few, are notable too. This post lists seven of the most noteworthy that I have seen.

Faith is very much alive in Cebu and during the Semana Santa (Holy Week), a trip down south to the towns of Carcar, Sibonga and Talisay City provides a glimpse of this religious fervor. You won’t see any flagellants or esoteric rites of the dead, nonetheless, it’s still an experience.

I was in a hurry. It was almost 1600H and I still have to reach Sta. Lucia Parish in Asturias to take a shot of the church façade while the sun is still at a good angle infront of it. Time is running out for me and here, just a few few kilometers from Tuburan, the bus is crawling.

The Sinulog Mardi Gras in Cebu is considered one of the biggest and grandest of festivals in the month of January. It is one of three that is marked with street dancing coinciding with the feast of the Holy Child that occurs in the Visayas.

If you’re looking for religious significance, you can’t find it here. But enjoy the colors and the festive atmosphere.

One God, two different ways of honoring the Christ. The devotion to the Sto. Niño is done in honor of the child Jesus while the Black Nazarene is of the suffering adult. Both is said to be two of the three biggest religious devotions in the Philippines, the third is the Virgin of Antipolo.

It was a Friday and for devout pilgrims of the Sto. Niño, the Basilica is the place to be, just like in the Black Nazarene Basilica in Manila. I had to squeeze through the throng and gaze at the sea of people just outside the church participating at one of the hourly masses. After the masses are done, the number of devotees dimish and one could see some interesting rituals and practices come alive.

Cebu is the center of the Sto. Niño de Cebu devotion in the Philippines. It is perhaps the most beloved of all Catholic religious icon in the country. A 15th century image representing the baby Jesus, it was probably carved in Flanders and brought during the historic Magellan expedition in 1521, it has a long history of devotion that has a wide following both domestic and abroad.

I hate it when commuting on both sides of Cebu and Mactan and stuck in the rush hour traffic on both sides of the bridges. The slow tedium of the flow is infuriating. Couple that with the long travel time and the frequent stops of boarding and alighting passengers just adds up to the frustration. Well, I haven’t paid much attention about the ferry plying the Mactan Channel thinking that it’s old and dilapated until I was forced by necessity when I visited Cordova doing research. And oh boy, I was in for a surprise. Why didn’t I try this before?!

Cordova in Mactan Island is not only a good vantage point for scenic views of Cebu City but, foremost of all, it is the acknowledged pabuto or firecracker center of the province. The firecracker industry here has been running for around three decades already and every December, small scale makers start this seasonal endeavor.

The tongue of road jutting out into the sea in Cordova is a must visit place for a stunning view of Cebu City.

To any visitor either of the two bridges connecting the small and flat Mactan Is. with the main island of Cebu, provides a breathtaking look of the metropolis from an elevated position and thus a bird’s eye view of this booming and beautiful city in the south. The structures might not be as extensive and as tall as in Metro Manila, but this province can well hold its own.

All Soul’s Day is anticipated on 1 November. While many already visit their dead during the day, it is during the night that this traditional event gets spectacular as the light of a thousand candles and bulbs make cemeteries luminous and dazzling. Add the multitude of people and it becomes a truly memorable event.

While some are making last minute travel back to their home province (or probably vacationing at the beach), the first day of November sees cemeteries across the country already abuzz with visitors. In Cebu City, the Calamba Cemetery is one of the biggest in the province and also an opportunity to soak in this time honored tradition.

Honoring one’s dead is an age old tradition among Asians. In the Philippines, it is the deep reverence and respect for ancestors that define one of Catholicism’s celebrations, All Souls’ Day marked every 2 November. Like Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) sans the pageantry, it’s a very festive occassion. Flower markets are also very active as people descend to buy bundles of blooms to be offered to their departed.