Das bedeutendste historische Denkmal der Philippinen ist das hölzerne Kreuz, das Magellan um die halbe Welt bis hierher gebracht hat. Es gilt als Symbol der Christianisierung auf den Philippinen.  Das heutige Kreuz wurde ca.1565 errichtet, in seinem Innern sind die Reste des Originales (um 1521 zerstört)..

MAGELLAN’S CROSS. The cross that we see at the kiosk is but a replica of the wooden cross Ferdinand Magellan and his men planted in Cebu on 14 April 1521 to mark the beginning of the Christianization of the island. The original was destroyed when Cebuanos turned against the Spaniards 17 days later. There is no record as to when the present cross was erected though there are allusions that this was done around 1565.

To the cross was attributed such miraculous powers that the faithful chipped away silvers to take as medicine or to use as an amulet. To protect the cross, it was encased in another hollow wooden cross. An octagonal brick pavilion was built in 1834 to house it. It is an old practice for devotees to throw coins or light candles at the foot of the cross. An American visitor, Frank G. Carpenter, wrote in 1926: “The superstitious say that it is growing, but to my eyes it is only pieces of wood painted black, set in a concrete foundation, and as dead as Magellan himself.” For generations of Cebuanos, however, it is both the symbol of a faith and the mark of a hallowed place.

Links:
The story about Ferdiand Magellan