by Renelaine Bontol Pfister
I visited my hometown of Cebu in November, which unfortunately has suffered from one natural disaster after another recently, starting with a 6.9 magnitude earthquake on September 30, 2025, followed by Typhoon Tino (internationally known as Typhoon Kalmaegi) in early November. The death toll resulted mainly from flooding and inadequate infrastructure.
The Filipino people’s frustration, weariness and anger is palpable. But amidst these adversities I wanted to focus on some positives instead: particularly the sights in Cebu worth visiting, both for locals and tourists.
My brother had told me the Rizal Memorial Library’s hours were recently changed to being open 24/7, providing students a free, air-conditioned, comfortable place to study at any time.
It was full of students when I visited on a Friday, and free classes/activities for kids on Fridays in their own room. The museum above the library was unfortunately closed on the day of my visit.
Museo Sugbo is another attraction worth seeing.
Formerly Carcel de Cebu (“carcel” is Spanish for jail), designed in 1869 by architect Domingo de Escondrillas, it was called Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center before it was converted into a provincial museum in 2004.
When you first enter the museum, you’ll see a fountain in between the first two galleries, opening up to a large courtyard, and more galleries in the back. It houses artifacts including those from the Neolithic Period (10,000-500 B.C.) excavated in Cebu, Thai and Vietnamese ceramics in burials dating around 1,400 A.D., jewelry worn by the urban elite of the Spanish period, and Spanish officers’ sabers from the late 19th century. Philippine History, focusing on Cebu, is printed in the Visayan dialect, with an English translation below it.
What is most interesting too is the exhibit on pre-colonial times, including a 709,000-year-old bones of a Rhinoceros philippinensis. I also learned about the alphasyllabary ancient writing system, or writing in symbols, called “Badlit” in the Visayas. The Spanish colonizers called Cebuanos and Waray “Pintados” for the tattoos on their bodies, which signified one’s success in battle.
I was surprised to find a head bust of Russian author Leo Tolstoy in the middle of the grounds, which was a gift from the International Academy of Kindness from Russia to Cebu.
Finally, the National Museum of the Philippines-Cebu, located in the port and heritage district near Fort San Pedro and Plaza Independencia, is formerly the Cebu Customs House.
In 2004, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo converted the building into Malacañan sa Sugbo but was closed in 2013 after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake. In 2023, it opened as the National Museum of the Philippines-Cebu.
Locals like my brother and his family hadn’t visited the museum yet, so we were all excited to be there. Admission is free! There are three galleries on the ground floor and two galleries on the second. It focuses on the culture and history of the Visayas.
The museum features a painting by National Artist Fernando Amorsolo, “The Death of Magallanes” which depicts the defeat of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in the hands of Lapu-Lapu and his men in Mactan island, Cebu.
Exhibits feature the geology and history of Cebu province, its natural resources including copper and plants and animals in Cebu and across the country.
In the first gallery, one is greeted by representations of the extinct Cebu Tamaraw—they look like carabaos, but are surprisingly small. They also showcase the Philippine pygmy fruit bat, the Cebu hawk owl or Cebu boobook, the whale shark or “butanding” (a popular attraction in Oslob, south of Cebu, where you can swim with the magnificent creatures).
The Ancient Cebu exhibit features burial practices, maritime trade, and social classes from 2,500 years up to the 18th century. Our ancestors buried their loved ones with gold “death masks” and other precious objects to send them off to the afterlife.
The work of artist Martino Abellana, or Maestro “Tinong”, from Carcar, Cebu, is featured on the second floor. He studied at the University of the Philippines under Fabian de la Rosa and Fernando Amorsolo.
Tinong is known for his generosity and humility and four decades of teaching and encouraging Cebuanos in the arts.
Cebu has suffered much lately but it’s heartening to see the positives in this beautiful city.
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