Cebu Is Famous For...

Magellan’s Cross
Planted in April 21, 1521 by Ferdinand Magellan, it is the spot where the first Christian Filipinos, Rajah Humabon and Queen Juana and about 400 of their followers, were baptized by Fr. Pedro Valderema.

Image of Santo Niño
Considered as the oldest religious relic in the Philippines, the image of the Santo Niño, or Holy Child, was given by Ferdinand Magellan to Queen Juana, among the first Filipinos to be Christianized, as a baptismal gift in 1521. The image survived a great fire in 1565 unscratched. It has since been deemed miraculous and venerated by the Cebuanos as their patron saint.

Basilica Minor del Santo Niño
The church was built by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Father Andres Urdaneta on the site where the image of Santo Niño was found in 1565. The first structure of the church was, however, destroyed by fire on November 1, 1568. It was rebuilt in 1602 under the administration of Juan Albaran and was rehabilitated in 1740. On May 1965, the church was conferred the title of Basilica Minor del Santo Niño by Cardinal Antonuitte, Papal Legate during the Fourth Centennial Celebration of the Christianization of Cebu.

Sinulog Festival
Cebu’s biggest and most popular festival, the Sinulog Festival is a feast in honor of the Holy Image of Senyor Santo Niño de Cebu. People converge along the routes of a grand solemn procession and partake in the gaiety amidst a mardi gras parade immersed in wild colors and the constant beating of drums. Fiesta Senyor, as it is widely known, is celebrated every third Sunday of January.

Courtesy of:
Philippine Tourism [http://www.tourism.gov.ph]