The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1950-03-23

HAZEL
EYES
by Huzel Brannon Smith
Cebu, Philippine Islands
(Delayed)

The next port of call for the
S. S. President Monroe on its
round the world cruise after
Hong Kong was Manila-about
which / have already written
including a report of my inter
view with the Honorable Elipidio
Quirino, President of the Philip
pines.
When the Monroe sailed from
Manila on Tuesday afternoon at
ter our arrival on Sunday / re-
manned over for my appointment
with the President that afternoon
and was a house guest of the
Honorable Primitive Lovina, Sec
rotary of Labor in Quirino's cabi-
net, and Mrs. Lovina, one of the
most beautiful women in the
Philippines, in their palatial home
on the outskirts of the city.
Leaving Manila by plane the
next day l rejoined the Monroe
at Cebu-only / arrived several
hours ahead Of the ship as it ran
into a little rough weather.
In the meantime l had been
thoroughly entertained by some
friends of the Lovina's, Mi. Jesus
(Chung) Cui and his family who
live in Cebu city. Chung got on
my plane at Manila and he gave
me a liberal education on the
Philippines in the two hours and
fifteen minutes it took to get to
Cebu. He was met by Mrs. Cui,
their son and his sister-and
with true Filipino hospitality
they insisted that l come to their
home for tea. They called in
other members of the family in
Guiding lovely Pan Rodriguez, a
niece, who writes for the Cebu
paper. The whole family adopted
me for the stay in Cebu and we
had a grand time together.
Among the things we did was
attend en- masse the Cebu Ro-
tary Club luncheon the following
day to which both Chung and
Pans husbands belong. The Cebu
Rotarians were just like Rotar-
ians the rest of the world over,
/ believe, the finest and most
hcspitable people in the world.
Cebu City is the capital of the
island province of Cebu. It's about
81 miles in area and has a popu-
lation of about ITO, 900. The pro-
vince of Cebu has over one mil
lion persons in its 1857 square
smilM and II the most deusely
populated section OF the Philip
pines.
This capital city suffered tre-
mendously during the War. A
large toll of human lives and
property was exacted and most
of the city one ees today is a
reconstructed version Of what
was once one of the most color
full and romantic spots in the
Philippines.
Among the landmarks still
standing are the Fort of San
Pedro, the famous cross of Ma
gellan, the discoverer of the
Philippines and San Agustin
Church.
Fort San Pedro was the first
military stronghold erected by
the Spaniards and marked the
beginning of their colonization.
1t was built in 1868 by order of
Miguel Lopez de Legaspi.
The most interesting spot in
Cebu City to me was the cross of
Magellan which stands at the
Plaza Rial. The wooden cross
was placed there by Magellan
himself to commemorate the
spot where Christianity was first
introduced into the Philippines.
1t was in Cebu On Sunday, April
IA, 1921. the first mass in the
country was celebrated followed
by the first conversion of the
natives when the King of Cebu,
Rajah Huma bon, his wife and
Queen, and their children were
baptized by a Catholic priest in
the presence of Magellan. Today
fully eighty per cent or more of
the Filipinos still adhere to the
Catholic faith, A building resemb-
ling a summer house with windows
to peek through has been built a.
round the cross to protect II from
souvenir friends. Always present
is an old man or woman selling
candles to be lighted. Tradition
has it that a candle lighted and
a wish made here with sincerity
an faith is bound to be granted.
Modern Cebu is a city where
like elsewhere in the
Philippines. are ridicuLously
cheap, and life is taken easy. It's
too warm to work, anyway, and
the numerous private clubs, ex-
cellent golf and swimming are
too inviting.
H- II