Vestiges of a Cebu's Colonial Past

FORT SAN PEDRO. The oldest and smallest Spanish fort built on Philippine soil, the Fort San Pedro now houses the Philippine National Museum Regional Office. On exhibit is a miniature replica of the San Diego, a 16th century 300-ton Spanish galleon built in Cebu, which sunk 20 miles south of Manila de Bay on December 14, 1600. The sunken galleon yielded one of the richest finds in history with vast amount of gold and silverware, ivories, stoneware, earthenware, porcelains and many other artifacts.

CAP MUSEUM. Once known as the Cebu "White House", the CAP Arts Center is the former residence of the late President Don Sergio Osmena, Sr. The mansion, built in 1947 by Engineer G. Segura, was acquired and restored by the College Assurance Plan in 1984. The ground floor now houses the CAP Offices while the second floor has the Osmena Memorabilia. The memorabilia is a collection of an estimated 500 personal belongings and documents in remembrance of the "Grand Old Man of Cebu", made possible by various donations of some generous friends and relatives of the former president.

CAPITOL BUILDING. A magnificent edifice of the pre-war era, the Capitol Building was constructed in 1937 under the administration of Gov. Sotero Cabahug as a replica of the United States' White House. The seat of the provincial government, it holds the offices of various government agencies as well as the region's courthouses. The building is regarded as one of the many beautiful capitol buildings in the country with its dome visible against the backdrop of mountains in the distance.

COLON STREET. The oldest street in the Philippines, Calle Colon was built by the Spaniards during the time of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and was named after Christopher Columbus. It is the heart of the downtown district, which used to be line up with movie houses, restaurants, department stores and other business establishments. Jeepneys, taxis and buses have replaced the horse-drawn calesas of long ago as the means of public transportation that move in and out of this street.