Cebu’s ‘old’ and new hotspots

By Em P. Guevara, Contributor

11/29/2008

Veering away from the usual destinations making up the regular city tour of Cebu (think Basilica del Sto. Niño, Fort San Pedro, Toaist Temple, Magellan’s Cross, Casa Gorordo Museum, etc.), one can try these cool new ways to appreciate Cebu instead.

There’s what is called the heritage tour, which for our group consisted of three museums that have been opened most recently to the public, namely, Museo Sugbo, the Cathedral Museum of Cebu and the Yap-San Diego Ancestral House.

And for the sea- and adventure-loving ones, there are two new must-trys which you might have heard of by now: Islands Banca Cruises and Jetscape Adventures.

Here’s a description of each so you know what’s in store the next time you luckily find yourself touring the Queen City of the South.

Museo Sugbo

The newly renovated Museo Sugbo, or Cebu Provincial Museum, was inaugurated only last August. It used to be Carcel de Cebu, the old provincial jail, and is located along M.J. Cuenco Avenue.

This facility was built as a prison in 1871. Among those incarcerated here were Katipuneros during the revolution against Spain and some guerillas during the Japanese occupation in World War II. This prison continued to serve its purpose well into the 21st century until the provincial government built a bigger and more modern prison complex at the barangay of Kalunasan, Cebu City. The facility was then occupied by the Department of Education for a short period until the governor decided to convert it into a repository of Cebuano heritage and history.

Museo Sugbo has four galleries, covering the pre-Spanish period, the Spanish Occupation, the Revolution against Spain, the Japanese Occupation, and the Liberation by the Americans. It is open from Tuesday to Saturday, and the entrance fee is P10 for adults and P5 for children.

It’s a bit eerie to walk through the galleries, knowing that it used to hold prisoners, some of whom were tortured or executed. We even saw one isolation room at the back, where prisoners were imprisoned and punished further (How’s that for a double whammy). Go visit Museo Sugbo and learn oodles about, not just Cebu’s, but our country’s past as a whole.

The Cathedral Museum of Cebu

The Cathedral Museum of Cebu is located in Manalili corner P. Gomez Streets in downtown Cebu City. It is situated next to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. It was (re)opened in November 2006 and is the ecclesiastical museum of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu.

The museum specializes in regional church architecture and artifacts. Many of the items on display are from the Spanish colonial times. There is a chapel in the museum, which has become an exhibition area for the Carmen collection (from the parish of Carmen, Cebu). The collection consists of a tabernacle, gradas and altar panels made of wood encased in etched silver. The memorial chapel is also frequently used for special exhibitions. At the time of our visit, on exhibit was Tony Alcoseba’s “Simbahan — the Heritage Churches of Cebu.”

A wide staircase leads to the upper floor that holds several galleries. The first is a gallery of photographs and illustrations showing the growth of the Catholic faith in the island. The second gallery contains memorabilia of Ricardo Cardinal Vidal. Gallery three shows how churches were constructed in the Spanish era through photographs and actual building materials used. The fourth gallery exhibits a collection of statues of saints from various parishes, including one of St. Joseph at his deathbed. The fifth gallery is a display of chalices and ciboriums, priestly vestments and other accoutrements of the liturgy of the Mass and the sacraments of the Roman Catholic church. The sixth gallery is a sample bedroom of a priest.

The museum is under the direction of the Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, headed by Carlito Pono. The head curator is Brian Brigoli, assisted by Louella Eslao-Alix — who served as our amiable museum guide — and Mary Frances Villacastin-Despi.

The Yap-San Diego Ancestral Home

The historic section of old Cebu has been improving and accommodating tourist visits, thanks to the efforts of Val San Diego, and the administrators of Casa Gorordo, the Cathedral Museum, and the Sto. Nino Basilica and Museum. These citizens have been using their own resources to improve their establishments, creating festivals and promoting the historic area to local citizens and tourists.

Val San Diego has completed the renovation of the Yap-San Diego Ancestral House along Parian District. This antique collector and former antique shop owner has furnished his family’s 300-year-old house, the oldest house in Colon, with items purely Visayan and Cebuano. It has been decorated to reflect the typical Cebuano household.

The house museum has been dubbed “House for All Seasons,” because it is a center for tradition and cultural activities. Val and friends painstakingly decorate its facade and interiors according to different festivals and occasions throughout the year, and involve the people of the town in related festivities. So far, they celebrate the Sto. Nino festival in January, Chinese New Year in February, the Passion during Lent, the Flores de Mayo in May, Philippine Independence Day and the feast of St. John the Baptist in June, the Founding of the Parian Parish in October, and Christmas in December.

Cebu Islands Banca Cruises

Cebu Islands Banca Cruises offers banca trips and myriad activities that can be enjoyed on Cebu’s breathtaking islands and beaches.

An Islands Banca is a more streamlined, elegant and efficient version of the traditional motorized banca or pumpboat. It makes the following memorable activities possible: island hopping, scuba diving, dive safaris, fish feeding, bird watching, dolphin watching, kayaking, lechon/barbecue picnics, sunset dinners, chill-out cruises and chartered trips.

For our group, the itinerary started off with a 30-minute ride from Scubaworld to the Talima Marine Sanctuary. Some of us went snorkeling, while those who could not or would not for some reason, enjoyed themselves feeding fish and taking in the gorgeous view.

From there, we sailed an hour to Cao-oy, a popular restaurant on stilts off Olango Island. We had fresh seafood consisting of crabs, fish, prawns and several varieties of shellfish. There was also pork barbecue in case someone missed his meat. All these went very well with “puso,” rice cooked the Cebuano way wrapped diamond-shaped in woven banana leaves. A roving pair of seranaders — a young lady and her male guitarist — completed the experience. And as if to make me feel just a wee bit more blessed, one of the kids floating around the restaurant on styrofoam-filled sacks and selling shell necklaces offered me one as a gift, for no apparent reason. I accepted of course, but I gave him some money anyway for the sweet gesture.

Full and happy, we sailed for another hour to Pandanon Island, with its nice long white sandbar, perfect for all kinds of beach activities. Although noone ended up swimming, we totally enjoyed chatting under the shade of our chosen hut, then rejuvenated ourselves with fresh buko juice and coconut meat until it was time to head back home.

Not surprisingly, most of us were sleepy on the way back to Scubaworld. Two positioned themselves straightaway on the cushy beanbags with obvious intent to nap. The rest drowsed on and off, enjoying the view and serenity in between shut-eyes. It was over before long, and we all went home convinced that an Islands Banca Cruise is indeed one special trip.

Jetscape Adventures

Jetscape Adventures promises a unique island hopping adventure — on board Jet skis with an accompanying chaseboat that keeps your companions close at hand, with whom you can even exchange rides as you please. Now that’s the perfect mix of sun, sea and a shot of adrenalin for sure.

Jet ski touring is a service that allows customers to see different islands around Cebu on board a Jet ski or speed boat. Jetscape general manager Alex Roa shares that in Asia, only Thailand and Indonesia offer a similar service, geared mostly towards tourists.

Jetscapes’ standard tour involves a half-day ride on Yamaha Waverunner Jet skis, of which the company currently has four for renting. The Jetscape route for the standard tour is approximately 35 miles covering the Mactan-Olango circuit. The jump-off point is Cebu Yacht Club in Lapu-Lapu City. After cruising through the Magellan Bay, guests will cross the Hilutungan Channel to Olango Island. They will then stop by the Cao-oy floating restaurant for a meal before heading to Gilutongan Island (off Cordova) for snorkeling or sunbathing in Sulpa Islet. Customers can view Mactan’s eastern coastline before circling the northern tip of Mactan and heading back to the Cebu Yacht Club.

A standard tour costs P12,800 for a single customer, or P6,800 per person for a group of two. The rate for speed boat passengers is P2,800 per person. The package includes a light meal, onboard refreshments, island fees, use of snorkeling gear and US Coast Guard approved personal flotation device. The 24-foot chaseboat serves as a floating lounge and back-up transport. So go party the sporty, unique and totally cool way — give Jetscape Adventures a try.

Many thanks to our lively tour guide, public historian Bal Guerrero, to Department of Tourism Sec. Ace Durano, who suggested himself the media tour itinerary that we so enjoyed, and Maite Alverez of Corporate Image for the PR care.

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