Magellan Cities Network meets in Cebu

Sandiego dancers re-enact the arrival of Magellan in Cebu at the Magellan’s Cross in Plaza Sugbo. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

About 25 foreign guests from cities visited by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan during his circumnavigation visited Cebu for their 5th global meeting.

Members of the Global Network of Magellan Cities (GNMC) conducted a series of workshops here in preparation for the 500th year celebration of Magellan’s expedition which is scheduled on 2019 to 2021.

The guests included mayors and representatives of 25 European, South American and Asian cities.

“It’s very important for us because Cebu City is a very important milestone in the history of the first (expedition) around the world. It is the most important voice in history. Cebu City can take the opportunity of the fifth centenary to increase culture, tourism and to interchange a lot of things with other cities in the world,” said GNMC Secretary General Juan Manuel Nuñez dela Fuente.

The group arrived last Monday and stayed here until yesterday to conduct workshops and meetings as well as cultural and heritage tours.

On Tuesday morning, the guests witnessed a reenactment of Magellan’s arrival in Cebu in front of the Magellan’s Cross near City Hall wherein they were joined by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama.

They also toured some of the city’s cultural and heritage sites including Fort San Pedro, the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño, Sto. Niño Museum, Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, the Jesuit House and the Yap-Sandiego Museum.

“Bringing all of them in one place, the world is in Cebu because Magellan circumnavigated the world. This matter is putting the whole globe in Cebu,” said Rama who is also the GNMC’s Vice President for Asia and the Pacific.
Rama said the global meeting was supposed to be timed together with the Sinulog or the International Eucharistic
Congress (IEC) since they were expecting Pope Francis to attend the activities.

But since the Pope’s visit didn’t push through, he said they decided to reschedule the visit this month.

In 2014, when Rama visited Sabrosa, Portugal for the signing of their sister city agreement, it was decided that the 5th global meeting of the network will be held in Cebu City. Sabrosa is the birthplace of Magellan.

According to Cebu City Protocol officer Leslie Ann Reyes, the guests were scheduled to visit yesterday a site in Lapu-Lapu City where a Galleon and a statue of Magellan will be constructed.

A reenactment of the Battle of Mactan was also staged, followed by a floral offering at the site where Magellan died. They continued with their workshops in the afternoon.

A welcome dinner was hosted by the Cebu City government last Monday at the Fort San Pedro.

“One of the highlights of the evening was the Magellan Awards where an award was conferred to Kenneth Cobonpue, a Cebuano furniture designer and manufacturer, for his remarkable and unprecedented contribution to the world through industrial design and manufacturing which is a testament to world-class Filipino ingenuity,” Reyes said.