Basilica Del Santo Niño

BASILICA DEL SANTO NIÑO

"Basilica Minore del Santo Nino Cebu" is the oldest Roman Catholic Church of 16th century in Cebu city. Located in the center of the city and is a perfect example of combination of three different architecture styles. The church was built at the exact location where the image of Santo Nino that means the Black Holy Child Jesus was found.

Inside of the Basilica del Santo Nino is the most famous religious icon in the Philippines, a statue of the Santo Nino. The statue was given to Queen Juana of Cebu by "Magellan".

Santo Nino is at the end of the Osmena Boulvard and very close to Fort San Pedro, mostly any jeepney will take you there for 8p or u can even walk to Basilica from Colon Street byurself .. 

This one of the oldest church of Philippines is devoted to Santo Nino that is the most popular symbol of Cebu city. According to the legends, it was a powerful deity of the colonial period and was generally known by the name of Captain General. Basilica Minore del Santo Nino is among one of the famous symbols of the city. This religious place is extremely popular and teems with devotees each desperately trying to catch a glimpse of Santa Nino statue. 

Sunday masses in Filipino are a crowded affair, I suggest u to try to visit the Basilica on another day.

This holiest of churches is a real survivor. Established in 1565 (the oldest church in the Philippines) and burnt down three times, it was rebuilt in its present form in 1737. Perhaps it owes its incendiary past to the perennial bonfire of candles in its courtyard, stoked by an endless procession of pilgrims and other worshippers. The object of their veneration is a Flemish image of the infant Jesus, sequestered in a chapel to the left of the altar. It dates back to Magellan’s time and is said to be miraculous (which it probably had to be to survive all those fires). Every year, the image is the centrepiece of Cebu’s largest annual event, the Sinulog festival.

On Sundays the basilica turns into a spectacle of pilgrims, water sellers and replica Santo Niño salespeople.