Oslob, Cebu - Aside From The Whale Sharks
Where & What Else, Oslob?
After whale shark watching and lunch plus tambay at a beach-side eatery, I said "let's go"! My friend asked "where to?" I said "uli na oy, kay mission accomplished na kita!"Note that early on, we cancelled Tumalog Falls (just 5kms away) from this 'itinerary', since the friends we're bringing here soon, have done Samar - The Waterfall Capital!
Besides, nawawalan daw ng tubig yan pag summer. So "fall" lang, walang "water"!
Not that we don't find Tumalog worth a visit. It's just that "the friends" we're bringing soon might find it too basic, even anti-climatic, after they've seen Samar's waterfalls.
We have also dropped the idea of Sumilon, since the said group don't like the price!
Friend asked if there is anything about "culture" around here, since whale sharks are already "nature related". And I exclaimed "ako pa an imo! okay, let us go to eternity"!
So we flagged a passing bus and rode just 9kms to Oslob town center!
In only 15 minutes, we were already getting off the bus in front of the public market, at the corner of the highway and Eternidad St., I said "Welcome to Eternity, let's walk"!
The friend laughed at the realization of what I meant by "eternity". I silently thanked "Suroy-suroy Sugbo 2009". Ah, that program showed me so many things about Cebu.
As we walked eastward, I started telling her about Eternidad St. That this started as Calle Aeternidad; it turns left; bisecting their heritage area; and ends at the cemetery!
Yes, it is not just a straight line like many streets. Lumiliko sya! And it is actually the only 'main street' in this town's poblacion, that's not in the name of a person or saint!
The Town Center is a Heritage Park!
Yes it is! And we all better start re-thinking and reflecting about what we have in our respective towns, right? Aren't town centers part of heritage? Aw, Oslob's IS unique!Let me tell you of our walk anyway (hango sa experience ko sa Suroy-suroy Sugbo)!
Municipal Plaza/Garden
A block away from N. Bacalso Ave. (that's the coastal highway, in case you forgot), we reached the municipal plaza (it's a park with grass and greens, not a basketball court).Sorry no picture, busy sa daldalan an mga turaban eh. But it is this one!
Municipal Hall
And I pointed this edifice to her, already expecting what she'd say, which, in fact she exclaimed, "munisipyo yan?" I said "yes, and that's precisely why I'm showing it to you"!
So it's 'House of the Town of Oslob' or Town's House or Town Hall of Oslob.
From the shape and size alone, it is obviously old. Maybe even outdated in terms of functional needs of a 'present-day munisipyo'. Which means, it'll soon be "changed".
Dapat piktyuran habang andyan pa, as it will inevitably be renovated to be useful, or even outright replaced by something at a different location.Then nostalgia. O di ba?
My friend said municipal or city halls being relocated is 'a trend'. Because LGUs are running out of space. Here, some departments are obviously at other structures na.
We enjoyed analyzing the form/style of that munisipyo. Probably American era 'no?
Cuartel Ruins
The big church was already nearby (to our left, on Aragones St.) as we stood looking at that Balay Lungsod, but I suggested we continue our stroll along Calle Eternidad.Asked why, I said so that we'll be walking from one end of the heritage area to the next. Ang tinuod, diri man mi nagsugod (gipakanaog sa bus) kaniadtong Suroy-suroy gud!
It was an experience I tried cloning plus something I'll show you later! So, tsadaaan!
Happy si friend ko, pictorial to da max na agad ang lola nyo! But I said mag-basa ka!
Ay aba, me "prenup shoot" nang pinaplano, since two of our friends coming pala, are tying the knot soon, and scouting for scenic sites where they could do such a shoot!
Church
While they were talking on the phone, I nudged the friend a little back to show this:
I say "established" because it started May 4, 1830 but only finished in 1847.
Only the outside looks old with its ancient remnants, because it got burned twice na!
Naglipana ang mga kawatan! Years ago, this church was robbed 'on broad daylight'. An antique 150-year-old image of St. John the Baptist, was stolen from its baptistry.
Inside, my friend roamed around. I briefly stood by the altar and/but waited outside.
I can tell you though, as I told my friend, all paint, fixtures and furnishings you see in that photo is 5 years old or younger - as when I was here in 2009, there was nothing.
Yep, everything was burned in 2008 "except for the statue of the patron saint"!
Old-Church Compound
Outside the church, I saw these historical markers, and they befuddled my brain.
I was about to say 'aba me bagong bilog na logo ang NHC'! But a closer look revealed to me, they are the Municipality of Oslob's logos, not of the historical commission's!
But does that matter? I guess for us 'mere' tourists, not really that much. There may be "issues here and there" that they are still trying to resolve. Hmm, parang alam ko!
Meanwhile what? Okay na muna siguro yan, that we visitors have something to read and learn from, kesa naman blank. Unless patented by NHCP yang black na cuadro!
Hahaha, ambot lang!
Anyway and by the way, when I keep sayin' NHC or NHCP or NHI, it means the same national authority - National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Yes, sila nga.
Now curious, if these edifices (there are more below) are not worth the NHCP's logo (a.k.a. endorsement), for their historical value or narrative, then I would wonder why.
Alamin pa. Siyasatin. Intriguing!
Out on the front yard, it is easy to discern the church's realm. This is to the right...
It even ceremoniously excludes the beachfront (left side of photo).
To the left, the fence even excludes that old watchtower and the cemetery beyond.
Which, I think, gave reason to the local government to develop this beachfront (even reclaimed some land) into a seaside promenade now named Cuartel Heritage Park.
That view above is your left flank if you were facing the sea. The right has this:
Anyway, on that promenade, if you stand with the sea behind you, this is the view:
Oh, that shot was at 3:17PM. I think it would even be better on an early morning.
But let's go. Late na. We still had somewhere to pass-by!
Old houses
We walked beside the church on Aragones St., going to the hiway to catch a bus. My friend said 18th century town? there should be a lot of old houses here. I said like this:
She laughed. I knew she would (as I did in 2009)! But I explained (as my tourguide did in 2009) that the house is very old, in fact declared by the town as a heritage house.
I just re-told what I have learned, perchance to help broaden the reach of education, that a house does not need to be big and grand to be declared as a heritage house.
And we had fun discussing what I seem to already know about heritage houses.
Note: "seem" lang ha, hindi sure yan hahaha!
For an LGU to declare a heritage house, it must at least be 1] older than 50 years; 2] generally intact to about 70% of the original; 3] architecturally distinctive/prominent and/or 4] related to an important person, family, or event - culturally vital to the LGU.
We tried comparing that 'criteria' to that house na nananahimik sa harap namin. We agreed it's still an original version, even if they changed the sawali with a newer sawali.
Sawali pa rin yon, then as now, diba? Bamboo. But I sad, I think the real 'clincher' are the posts - me sanga ang mga poste. Significant architectural & environmental value!
When she asked why, I said that's only according to the decree of my royal highness hehehe, kasi NHCP is more stringent na in its requirements, according to RA 10066.
We went on talking about it as we walked, until we reached the hi-way and saw this:
See the 1st picture at the very top of this story. Natulala kami, because yes it does!
And then a Ceres bus came. So we hopped on!
To Boljoon only. That's my next story!
#oslob #TravelPhilippines #CentralVisayas
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