Hello, wonderful people in this beautiful community. How is your weekend? Do you spend much time with your family, friends, or loved ones? Whoever you spent it with, I hope your weekend is well-spent.
Because the sun is shining brightly today, I look for a place to stay for a while right after attending a mass. My feet brought me to a shady place, The Plaza Independencia, the largest public park in Cebu City, where you can freely tour around, sit and relax.
Before I tour this beautiful place, let's look back at its history.
Short History of Plaza Independencia
According to guidetothephilippines.ph Plaza Independencia plays a significant role in the history of Cebu. The site symbolizes the independence and freedom of the province against its conquerors. Today, it was reflected in the people visiting the place for sightseeing, picture-taking, and leisure time.
Going into the place, you can see a lot of old-age acacia trees. A lot of vendors also are selling different snacks for the people who are visiting the place. There are peanuts, mangoes, tempura, and other street foods right at the entrance gate of the place. No problem if you are hungry, you can just grab some snacks at the entrance.
At the entrance, you will see its signage "Plaza Independencia" and short information about the place written at the entrance.
In the middle, you can also see the signage "Plaza Independencia" which is surrounded by bougainvillea flowers.
Walking around their wide hallway is spectacular. You can see a lot of flowers planted near the hallways which make the place even more beautiful. You can see flowers like santan, kalachuchi, and bougainvillea.
A lot of people are also having their daily jogs in the place because aside from the hallways being clean, it's also wide and spacious. You can have your jogs or talk with friends, some are taking their pictures in the arc, and others are also having their dance practices in the area.
This is also a go-to place for some families after attending mass. The place has a wide space for you to make some picnics with your families. Kids will surely love the place because they can roam around and play. The Bermuda grasses around add to the beauty of the place.
The wide quadrangle of the area will accommodate a large group of people who will use the place for some events and other functional meetings.
You can also bring your towels and sit on their green grass. Some are also making themselves feel relaxed and taking rest for a while in the shades of the trees.
Going to the place is a worry-free space. Aside from the spacious ground, you can also see a lot of benches in the place. You can just freely sit on the chairs.
Bringing some food with you is also fine. You can take your meals either on the benches or on the side just bring your towels and you can sit on your lap.
Other Important Features Inside Plaza Independencia and Nearby Structures
It is the first dignified monument at Plaza Independencia which pay tribute to Miguel Lopez de Legazpi the Spanish navigator and governor and founder of the first Spanish settlement in Cebu in April 1565.
Seems like you are in another country taking pictures of the monument. The monument is situated in the inner portion of the plaza. It is surrounded by a lot of bougainvillea flowers.
A lot of local and foreign tourist loves to take pictures of the monument because of its history and view.
On the right side of the plaza, you can see the bronze monument of the former seventh President of the Philippines, Ramon Magsaysay.
Cebuano pays tribute to the late President because history tells us that the president died in one of the mountains in Cebu because of an Aircraft crash.
Because of the good service of the late president, many people praised him for his leadership style.
On the end portion of the Plaza Independencia, you can see the Veteran's Memorial Monument which honors the heroism of the Filipino people who fought during World War II.
On the left side of the plaza, you can see the Filipino-Japanese Memorial.
The memorial says as follows: “This memorial is dedicated to the Filipino and Japanese war dead during the last war. Time has taught us a lesson that no gains have been achieved by victories in war. On the other hand, Peace has brought about love and brotherhood amongst the peoples on this earth. It is therefore our hope that there shall be no more wars in the future to come upon us and that everlasting peace shall ever reign on this earth.”
Hopefully, this memorial will serve as a reminder to all the people that no one will win during wars and let love and peace prevail with one another.
You can also see a large fountain at the center. The fountain is surrounded by yellow tops plants which made the fountain more appealing to everybody who visits the place.
To keep the visitors safe especially young kids, the large fountain is surrounded by a circular metal in order not to go near the area.
People visiting the place love to take pictures because of the best view it provides.
A triangle military fort structure that was built during the Spanish Era by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.
Adjacent to the Plaza Independencia, you will see the ongoing renovation of the building of the national museum of the Philippines. Seeing the color of the structure is quite appealing. It's good to see structures like this somehow preserving our Filipino treasures.
How to get there?
Plaza Independencia, is located in M.J. Cuenco Avenue and Legaspi Extension, Barangay San Roque, Cebu City.
It is specifically located in front of Fort San Pedro, and a walking distance from Magellan's Cross and Basilica Del Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu.
From there, you can ask the locals you meet to guide you to the exact location.
Indeed, a short walk and access to nature and parks for a while will surely bring your inner peace. It will make your mind and body healthy.
With the busy days we had, walking and relaxing are a must to do for everyone.
Resting and enjoying the shades of the trees ended my day beautifully. It was a wonderful experience under those trees.
That's all for today. Thank you for reading this far! I'm so glad that you've been with me on my quick tour around Plaza Independencia. Thank you for supporting my blog. God bless everyone!