ICONIC FORT | In this undated photo, Fort San Pedro, a military defense structure in Cebu City built during Spanish rule, is among the historic sites that the Cebu City government wants to preserve as it declares the city’s downtown area, as a heritage district. (PHOTO COURTESY OF CEBU DAILY NEWS)
CEBU CITY, Cebu, Philippines — This oldest city in the Philippines has declared its downtown area a “heritage district” in a bid to preserve its centuries-old buildings and structures.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama on May 25 signed City Ordinance No. 2690 to ensure the conservation of its historic sites, several of which date back prior to the discovery of Cebu Island by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and the Spanish soldiers in 1521.
According to the city’s Cultural and Historical Affairs Office, the ordinance serves as a guide in the development of the area to promote tourism activities and boost the local economy in this city dubbed as the “Queen City of the South.”
A Cebu City Heritage District Council was also formed with representatives from multisectoral groups, business entities and the government, among others, as “part of my thrust to preserve heritage and culture as well as promote tourism for Cebu City,” Rama said.
Historic sites
Among the major historic sites located within the city’s heritage district are the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, which houses the country’s oldest religious icon given as baptismal gift by Magellan to Cebu’s Queen Juana in 1521; the Magellan’s Cross, a stone kiosk that marks the spot where the first Christian Filipinos, Rajah Humabon and Queen Juana, were baptized by Fr. Pedro Valderrama; Fort San Pedro, a military defense structure built during the Spanish rule; the Spanish-built Plaza Independencia; the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, a Spanish colonial-designed church completed in 1909; and Colon Street, the oldest national road in the Philippines built in 1565.
Also included are the city’s Parian District, which once was an enclave of Chinese traders; the Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House and Casa Gorordo, both Spanish-era houses-turned-museums; and the Heritage of Cebu Monument, a tableau showcasing the important events in Cebu City’s history.
Vice Mayor Raymond Garcia, who authored City Ordinance No. 2690 and is the chair of the Cebu City Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission, said the city would bank on its historical landmarks to optimize its status as a heritage district to bring in more tourists into the city.