explorers to plant this Christian cross upon successfully setting foot and therefore colonising the Philippines, introducing Catholicism to the Philippines on April 8, 1521. At present, the cross is sheltered in a chapel next to the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino on Magallanes (Spanish for Magellan) Street just across the city hall in Cebu City. A sign indicates that the original cross is encased inside the wooden cross in the centre of the castle. Other people believe that the cross possesses miraculous powers while others say it had been destroyed or disappeared after Magellan’s death.
Cebu is one of the most developed provinces in the Philippines, being the main centre of commerce, trade, education and industry in Visayas. There is less rainfall in this city compared to Manila and the lowest temperature during this time of year is 18 degrees Celsius.
After, we went to the Lapu- Lapu shrine. This is where a memorial bronze statue in Punta Engano, Mactan Island in honour of Datu Lapu-Lapu is situated. Datu Lapu-Lapu was a native leader who defeated the Spanish soldiers and killed Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in the Battle of Mactan on 1521.
For lunch, we ate at Cary’s Lechon (suckling pig) where I devoured the most mouth-watering lechon I have ever eaten in my life. The meat is so tender and tasty that you wouldn’t even need to dip it in sauce! In addition to that, the skin is so crispy that you will certainly ask for more. The price is right, and they also serve roast beef with no preservatives and stuffed lechon or even spicy lechon. We then ate sweet pulvoron for dessert.
Other places I would have gone to if I had more time were the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, Fort San Pedro, Magellan shrine and the Cebu Taoist Temple.
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