Cebú Heritage Watch

[sista]

oh okay....Mr. Atienza is impractical and quite stupid...

[sista]

oh okay....Mr. Atienza is impractical and quite stupid...

[Hawayano]

arnoldsa: daghang salamat for posting the historic Cebu pics! they really make me proud of my lolo's hometown (Pari-an) and how the Cebuanos have been making greater efforts to preserve their architectural heritage throughout Sugbu!

[Hawayano]

arnoldsa: daghang salamat for posting the historic Cebu pics! they really make me proud of my lolo's hometown (Pari-an) and how the Cebuanos have been making greater efforts to preserve their architectural heritage throughout Sugbu!

[Askal82]

Originally Posted by sista

oh okay....Mr. Atienza is impractical and quite stupid...

Atienza doesn't have the right $hit to do it as long as he 'beautifies' Manila by murdering old structures to give way for the new ones that doesn't fit to historical and cultural character of the city.

[Askal82]

Originally Posted by sista

oh okay....Mr. Atienza is impractical and quite stupid...

Atienza doesn't have the right $hit to do it as long as he 'beautifies' Manila by murdering old structures to give way for the new ones that doesn't fit to historical and cultural character of the city.

[LordCarnal]

@Askal82

Bro what's the status of the Metropolitan Theater?

Originally Posted by Hawayano

arnoldsa: daghang salamat for posting the historic Cebu pics! they really make me proud of my lolo's hometown (Pari-an) and how the Cebuanos have been making greater efforts to preserve their architectural heritage throughout Sugbu!

Thanks, I still have a lot of "Heritage Walks" here but I'll just post it later. You see, the grandest ambitions of the Cebu Heritage Walk project was the reconstruction of the structures that once stood in the places where the markers now stand. It will cost millions (if not a Billion I guess) since the city gov't. in partnership with a NGO will have to buy back the lots that are no longer owned by the original owners. It will also involve the demolition of existing buildings in order to rebuild the original ones that stood there.. I guess it's like the reconstruction of Intramuros after it was destroyed by war.. It's not quite feasible right now but with such a zest and spirit, there will always be possibilities..

[LordCarnal]

@Askal82

Bro what's the status of the Metropolitan Theater?

Originally Posted by Hawayano

arnoldsa: daghang salamat for posting the historic Cebu pics! they really make me proud of my lolo's hometown (Pari-an) and how the Cebuanos have been making greater efforts to preserve their architectural heritage throughout Sugbu!

Thanks, I still have a lot of "Heritage Walks" here but I'll just post it later. You see, the grandest ambitions of the Cebu Heritage Walk project was the reconstruction of the structures that once stood in the places where the markers now stand. It will cost millions (if not a Billion I guess) since the city gov't. in partnership with a NGO will have to buy back the lots that are no longer owned by the original owners. It will also involve the demolition of existing buildings in order to rebuild the original ones that stood there.. I guess it's like the reconstruction of Intramuros after it was destroyed by war.. It's not quite feasible right now but with such a zest and spirit, there will always be possibilities..

[LordCarnal]

WALK THREE: Stopover at Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral and Plaza

From Pari-an, we head south along Mabini Street towards the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, the seat of the Archbishopric City of Cebu.

The Cathedral is home to Cebu’s biggest pipe organ made of 1,200 tin alloy and wood pipes encased in narra, calantas, and tanguile wood from the Philippines and almaciga wood from Brazil. It was presented to the Cebuanos in 1996 by the Diego Cera Organ Builders, the first Filipino pipe organ building company which designs, constructs, and maintains pipe organs in the tradition of Fray Diego Cera of the 1800s who built the famous Bamboo Organ of Las Piñas. This pipe organ is only played on masses celebrated by the Archbishop himself.

PLAZA HAMABAR
Once an eyesore and now a tourist attraction, the Plaza Hamabar is a renovated historical park initiated by former First Lady of Cebu City Mrs. Ninette Neri Garcia. Located in the vicinity of the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, Plaza Hamabar was a strollers's paradise of churchgoers during the Hispanic era.






OF CLOWNS, MAGICIANS, AND ACTORS
Palace Jests were not an uncommon sight in Medieval Europe. They seem to have existed for a purpose which is to provide humor to an otherwise boring day. Forward back to the modern times and we can still see them today but in a different way. The photos below were of an act performed outside the cathedral gates. He claimed to have magical powers to turn a frog into a rat; and paper into currency. His audience however were beginning to grow impatient with his tactics and they left him without notice, which forced him to stop his show.





ARCHDIOCESAN MUSEUM
The Episcopal Palace of Cebu stands outside the enclosed plaza in front of the cathedral. One of two Spanish colonial episcopal palaces still remaining, the residence is an oversized bahay na bato, Its construction is typical of 19th century domestic architecture: a lower story of stone and an upper story of wood. The palace is being restored to house an ecclesiastical museum. The old altar from the cathedral will be displayed in the museum.




CEBU METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL
The Cebu Cathedral took about a century to complete because of frequent interruptions. One of three dioceses created in 1595 (the other two being Nueva Segovia and Nueva Caceres), Cebu was raised to the status of archdiocese in 1934 with the dioceses of Calbayog, Jaro, Zamboanga, Bacolod, and Cagayan de Oro as suffragans. During the Spanish period, Cebu had the most extensive territory because Guam and the Marianas fell under its jurisdiction. Only in 1898, because of the Treaty of Paris, did Cebu lose these territories.

Despite it age and status, Cebu did not have a cathedral worthy of it for many decades. The first church was built in 1595 of wood, bamboo and thatch. Although stonewalls were added it was in a sorry state according to a 1667 report of Bp. Juan Lopez to the King of Spain. To remedy this, Bp. Diego de Aguilar began a new church but was unable to finish; his successor Bp. Miguel Bayot instead of completing what had been started began a new structure. Again he was not able to accomplish much. Bp. Sebastian de Foronda found the building too small and inappropriate, calling it a "barn." Again work was discontinued.

In 1719, the military engineer Juan de Ciscara was commissioned to design the cathedral. He opted for a cruciform design with short transepts. He placed the altar mayor at the crossing, reserved the apse for the altar de pardon, and placed the choir stalls for the cathedral canon in the nave. Work on the construction was suspended when funds were diverted to military campaigns against slave raiders. Construction began in 1734, was interrupted four years later, and resumed in 1741 under Bp. Protasio Cabezas. The facade was completed in 1786 and in 1811 the cathedral was blessed. The completed cathedral departed from Ciscara’s plans. It was renovated in 1829, 1836 when Bp. Santos Marañon, who designed other churches in Cebu, designed and built the bell tower. The cathedral was improved in 1886, during the incumbency of Bp. Gorordo, and in 1939. Damaged during World War II, architect Jose Zaragosa rebuilt the cathedral in 1959. The cathedral's interior was renovated recently.

Heritage Features: Because of damage caused by World War II and the recent renovation, nothing of the historical interior remains, however, the exterior remains 18th century. The 21-meter high facade is capped by a pediment shaped like a trefoil. The monogram IHS decorates the upper register pediment while small circular openings decorate the lower part. A pair of griffins and bas-relief floral designs fills the pediment. Paired columns on a tall plinth divide the two-story facade vertically and the cornice over the main door is broken and emblazoned with a coat of arms in low relief.
(Source: Ateneo de Manila University Website)









OTHER PICTURES

The Spanish-style lamppost adorn almost all of the heritage worthy districts of downtown Cebu City.

[LordCarnal]

WALK THREE: Stopover at Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral and Plaza

From Pari-an, we head south along Mabini Street towards the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, the seat of the Archbishopric City of Cebu.

The Cathedral is home to Cebu’s biggest pipe organ made of 1,200 tin alloy and wood pipes encased in narra, calantas, and tanguile wood from the Philippines and almaciga wood from Brazil. It was presented to the Cebuanos in 1996 by the Diego Cera Organ Builders, the first Filipino pipe organ building company which designs, constructs, and maintains pipe organs in the tradition of Fray Diego Cera of the 1800s who built the famous Bamboo Organ of Las Piñas. This pipe organ is only played on masses celebrated by the Archbishop himself.

PLAZA HAMABAR
Once an eyesore and now a tourist attraction, the Plaza Hamabar is a renovated historical park initiated by former First Lady of Cebu City Mrs. Ninette Neri Garcia. Located in the vicinity of the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, Plaza Hamabar was a strollers's paradise of churchgoers during the Hispanic era.






OF CLOWNS, MAGICIANS, AND ACTORS
Palace Jests were not an uncommon sight in Medieval Europe. They seem to have existed for a purpose which is to provide humor to an otherwise boring day. Forward back to the modern times and we can still see them today but in a different way. The photos below were of an act performed outside the cathedral gates. He claimed to have magical powers to turn a frog into a rat; and paper into currency. His audience however were beginning to grow impatient with his tactics and they left him without notice, which forced him to stop his show.





ARCHDIOCESAN MUSEUM
The Episcopal Palace of Cebu stands outside the enclosed plaza in front of the cathedral. One of two Spanish colonial episcopal palaces still remaining, the residence is an oversized bahay na bato, Its construction is typical of 19th century domestic architecture: a lower story of stone and an upper story of wood. The palace is being restored to house an ecclesiastical museum. The old altar from the cathedral will be displayed in the museum.




CEBU METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL
The Cebu Cathedral took about a century to complete because of frequent interruptions. One of three dioceses created in 1595 (the other two being Nueva Segovia and Nueva Caceres), Cebu was raised to the status of archdiocese in 1934 with the dioceses of Calbayog, Jaro, Zamboanga, Bacolod, and Cagayan de Oro as suffragans. During the Spanish period, Cebu had the most extensive territory because Guam and the Marianas fell under its jurisdiction. Only in 1898, because of the Treaty of Paris, did Cebu lose these territories.

Despite it age and status, Cebu did not have a cathedral worthy of it for many decades. The first church was built in 1595 of wood, bamboo and thatch. Although stonewalls were added it was in a sorry state according to a 1667 report of Bp. Juan Lopez to the King of Spain. To remedy this, Bp. Diego de Aguilar began a new church but was unable to finish; his successor Bp. Miguel Bayot instead of completing what had been started began a new structure. Again he was not able to accomplish much. Bp. Sebastian de Foronda found the building too small and inappropriate, calling it a "barn." Again work was discontinued.

In 1719, the military engineer Juan de Ciscara was commissioned to design the cathedral. He opted for a cruciform design with short transepts. He placed the altar mayor at the crossing, reserved the apse for the altar de pardon, and placed the choir stalls for the cathedral canon in the nave. Work on the construction was suspended when funds were diverted to military campaigns against slave raiders. Construction began in 1734, was interrupted four years later, and resumed in 1741 under Bp. Protasio Cabezas. The facade was completed in 1786 and in 1811 the cathedral was blessed. The completed cathedral departed from Ciscara’s plans. It was renovated in 1829, 1836 when Bp. Santos Marañon, who designed other churches in Cebu, designed and built the bell tower. The cathedral was improved in 1886, during the incumbency of Bp. Gorordo, and in 1939. Damaged during World War II, architect Jose Zaragosa rebuilt the cathedral in 1959. The cathedral's interior was renovated recently.

Heritage Features: Because of damage caused by World War II and the recent renovation, nothing of the historical interior remains, however, the exterior remains 18th century. The 21-meter high facade is capped by a pediment shaped like a trefoil. The monogram IHS decorates the upper register pediment while small circular openings decorate the lower part. A pair of griffins and bas-relief floral designs fills the pediment. Paired columns on a tall plinth divide the two-story facade vertically and the cornice over the main door is broken and emblazoned with a coat of arms in low relief.
(Source: Ateneo de Manila University Website)









OTHER PICTURES

The Spanish-style lamppost adorn almost all of the heritage worthy districts of downtown Cebu City.

[Animo]

Wow, amazing photos you have here.

[Animo]

Wow, amazing photos you have here.

[rustyboi]

wow! great shots u got in there arnold! I didn't know such century old stuff still exist in Downtown Cebu

you're right, the gov't has been preserving these structures but they should do something more the soonest possible. they are indeed treasures in Cebu, after all being the first and oldest city in the Philippines

in fairness to Manila Mayor Atienza, he has made a lot of efforts in reviving Manila's charm. like the Avenida Rizal sumthin' which had major face-lifts and being made into a shopping lane. u know, they closed the road and made it strictly for pedestrians, restricting vehicles and all. u know what i mean? i dunno the right words to describe the place, forgive me. hehe

i did a lil' research, here goes:

PEDESTRIANIZATION as another approach to urban renewal is now being seen in the "walks" and "streetscapes" of Roxas Boulevard, Eastwood, Makati, Morato, and Avenida Rizal. This trend began in the West in the 1960s and was picked up decades later by Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing and Shanghai. Now it is allowing Metro Manilans, having been without real sidewalks for over half a century, to rediscover the joys of walking. But wider availment of this pleasure isn't possible because of street vending and the usurpation of sidewalks for myriad other uses like parking, barangay halls, religious grottos, and even karaoke parlors. The problem then is not the lack of sidewalks but a lack of space for all these other functions the city needs-more markets, parking structures, community centers, leisure facilities-and yes, even public toilets.



Avenida Rizal is on the right path. It used to smell of piss and harbor hundreds of kariton people. Today, it has become a pedestrian paradise. The old movie facades have been cleaned, heritage buildings spruced up, and stores are doing brisker business.

But downtown Manila needs a lot more than just a street makeover. The University Belt, which occupies much of downtown and its periphery, present a peculiar situation: 300,000 students in over 60 tertiary institutions within shouting distance of each other. This part of Manila is a city unto itself. The U-Belt has engendered a single-use district with a monoculture of college students. Many live in rat-hole dorms regulated only marginally by the city. Almost all establishments cater to this single demographic, leading to a proliferation of fast-food joints, cell-phone shops, Internet cafes, and instant-thesis centers. Students spend years in this district with little interaction with the world outside and come out ill-equipped to relate to the larger community.

[rustyboi]

wow! great shots u got in there arnold! I didn't know such century old stuff still exist in Downtown Cebu

you're right, the gov't has been preserving these structures but they should do something more the soonest possible. they are indeed treasures in Cebu, after all being the first and oldest city in the Philippines

in fairness to Manila Mayor Atienza, he has made a lot of efforts in reviving Manila's charm. like the Avenida Rizal sumthin' which had major face-lifts and being made into a shopping lane. u know, they closed the road and made it strictly for pedestrians, restricting vehicles and all. u know what i mean? i dunno the right words to describe the place, forgive me. hehe

i did a lil' research, here goes:

PEDESTRIANIZATION as another approach to urban renewal is now being seen in the "walks" and "streetscapes" of Roxas Boulevard, Eastwood, Makati, Morato, and Avenida Rizal. This trend began in the West in the 1960s and was picked up decades later by Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing and Shanghai. Now it is allowing Metro Manilans, having been without real sidewalks for over half a century, to rediscover the joys of walking. But wider availment of this pleasure isn't possible because of street vending and the usurpation of sidewalks for myriad other uses like parking, barangay halls, religious grottos, and even karaoke parlors. The problem then is not the lack of sidewalks but a lack of space for all these other functions the city needs-more markets, parking structures, community centers, leisure facilities-and yes, even public toilets.



Avenida Rizal is on the right path. It used to smell of piss and harbor hundreds of kariton people. Today, it has become a pedestrian paradise. The old movie facades have been cleaned, heritage buildings spruced up, and stores are doing brisker business.

But downtown Manila needs a lot more than just a street makeover. The University Belt, which occupies much of downtown and its periphery, present a peculiar situation: 300,000 students in over 60 tertiary institutions within shouting distance of each other. This part of Manila is a city unto itself. The U-Belt has engendered a single-use district with a monoculture of college students. Many live in rat-hole dorms regulated only marginally by the city. Almost all establishments cater to this single demographic, leading to a proliferation of fast-food joints, cell-phone shops, Internet cafes, and instant-thesis centers. Students spend years in this district with little interaction with the world outside and come out ill-equipped to relate to the larger community.

[slerz]

One of my favorite Mayor is Mayor Lito Atienza... He's pro progress... | not like that dark dwarf mayor of Makati...
Kung lahat lang ng Mayor natin katulad ni Mayor Atienza, talagang uunlad tayo ng mabilis...
pero isa lang ang hindi ko gusto sa kanya, he's too modern by not preserving those memorable and historical structures of the city.
Boardwalks, parks etc. can be duplicated easily by different cities in the world (infact Cebu is duplicating it ) but History cannot, it's one of the unique charm and treasure (hundred times important and charming than those huge scrapers) that a city can have...
New York City is Fancy and London is real... just my opinion..

[slerz]

One of my favorite Mayor is Mayor Lito Atienza... He's pro progress... | not like that dark dwarf mayor of Makati...
Kung lahat lang ng Mayor natin katulad ni Mayor Atienza, talagang uunlad tayo ng mabilis...
pero isa lang ang hindi ko gusto sa kanya, he's too modern by not preserving those memorable and historical structures of the city.
Boardwalks, parks etc. can be duplicated easily by different cities in the world (infact Cebu is duplicating it ) but History cannot, it's one of the unique charm and treasure (hundred times important and charming than those huge scrapers) that a city can have...
New York City is Fancy and London is real... just my opinion..

[LordCarnal]

thanks animo, rusty18, and slerz..

[LordCarnal]

thanks animo, rusty18, and slerz..

[JustHorace]

Not actually. It was Lito Atienza who beautified Manila. It's just the Jai Alai building he demolished.

[JustHorace]

Not actually. It was Lito Atienza who beautified Manila. It's just the Jai Alai building he demolished.