lubitel 166B

Fort San Pedro

Posted on October 21, 2008

I remember, during my elementary school years, a popular field trip destination was Fort San Pedro, the oldest, smallest and one of the best preserved Spanish fortresses in the Philippines. Located in Plaza Independencia within Cebu City’s pier area, this triangular military outpost was originally built in 1565– the beginning of Spanish colonization in the archipelago–with logs and muddy earth to protect conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and his men from violent attacks by native Cebuanos and Muslim pirates. The fort was named after Legaspi’sRead More→

Sinulog Festival

Posted on March 27, 2008

Ever since I was a kid, an occasion I look forward to every year, even more than I do Christmas or New Year, is the Sinulog Festival in Cebu City. The nine-day celebration, in honor of the Holy Child Jesus, culminates every third Sunday of January with a Grand Parade that meanders through the festooned city streets, with elaborately dressed dancers, magnificent floats and colorful ‘higantes’ (papiér-mache giants), all moving to the infectious rhythms of tribal dance and heralding “VivaRead More→

Pawikan Festival (Morong, Bataan)

Posted on March 9, 2008

Let’s go to turtle town! Along the western coast of the historic peninsula of Bataan sits the sleepy town of Morong, where every late November local townsfolk celebrate marine turtle conservation with their annual Pawikan Festival. Its sandy shores are vital nesting grounds for the endangered Olive Ridley species, the smallest of the world’s eight sea turtle species. Interestingly, what was once a site of rampant poaching and illegal egg collecting has become a successful community of environmental advocates for theRead More→

Argao Capilla: Forsaken and Found

Posted on March 6, 2008

Argao, my mother’s hometown, is one of the most charming towns in southern Cebu. Known for its baroque-rococo Church of St. Michael the Archangel that boasts of detailed ceiling frescoes and a grand retablo, all within the well-preserved colonial town plaza, we’ve frequented this place for years for quick vacations and to visit relatives, both living and dead. The town, established in 1608, is one of the oldest in Cebu. Along the eastern coast of the island, it is approximatelyRead More→