The Minor Basilica of the Holy Infant Child of Cebu or Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu is an iconic worship and heritage symbol of the spiritual resilience of the Cebuanos (people) that dates back since the arrival of the Spanish colonizers in the 1500s. The church is characterized by the building which dates back to the 1500s or perhaps earlier and still showcases the charms and beauty of the iconic Blessed Holy Infant Jesus Statue that is revered to be the original gift to the people of Cebu. As you enter the church, the pews are still the original narrative and acacia furnitures and wooden blocks harvested from this locality and reminds us of Spain's hold to this city and nation as one of its prized colonies in the early 1400s. Cebuanos in general are kind, hospitable and respectful and the city is considered to be one of the earliest and iconic tourist spots in the Philippines. This city has all of the beauty of an old city including the Magellan's Cross and other symbolic icons that tells a story of the past and present... I attended their early mass in the morning and reverently observed that everyone was alert and participatory in the liturgical process and sacraments. The Mass was in Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines and was a beautiful experience for us to witness the beauty of the Catholic Church. read more

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Home of the original and oldest religious relic in the Philippines [CEBU CITY Philippines] We got lost a little but main entrance is on Osmeña Boulevard. We entered through security check and I was given a piece of clothing to wrap around my shorts out of respect. Dress conservatively and cover shoulders and legs above the knees. Commonly known as Santo Niño Basilica the church can be found in the same vicinity as the Magellan's Cross pavilion. Our visit was on a Tuesday and the church had a lot of visitors, weird how there were not many people that were actually inside the church but all around the surrounding area like the chapel and the hallways. Several women vendors in yellow blouse and red skirt were selling candles outside the church and will randomly approach visitors. The candles are placed inside the church, I'm not sure exactly where. Review #3346 read more

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I was told your prayers will be answered and miracles happens here. This is one of the oldest church in Cebu, and Santo Niño (St. Anthony) is the original "Sinulog" Saint that is removed from the altar once a year, for the Sinulog festival and parade. During this annual festivities, the whole Cebu is packed with tourists all over the world. I was told that all the hotels are fully booked. So do plan ahead. The church is amazing. There are candles you can light outside and just make a donation of any amount. You can line up to say your prayers to Santo Niño which locals have said, created many miracles. As many have also mentioned, it does get packed here so visiting weekdays might be the better option. Definitely worthy of a visit and a landmark for Cebu. Cheers! read more

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The Basilica Minore Del Sto. Niño de Cebu is a Pilgrimage site for many Filipino Roman Catholics. It is a historical and beautiful Roman Catholic church. I believe it was founded on April 28, 1565, and is the oldest Catholic church in the Philippines. Everytime we visit Cebu, we attend mass here. Normally, we attend mass at the outdoor area because the church and grounds are very very crowded with people every day. Many folks come to visit the statue of Santo Nino and pray. Always a moving and emotional experience. AMEN!!!! read more

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One of the very few sites worth visiting in Cebu. The first thing that struck me was the very beautiful, and very classic Spanish architecture of the building. My absolute favorite part of the church was just marveling at the building from the outside courtyard. I loved all statues on display right when you enter the main doors. Different saints, as well as different takes on the Virgin Mary. The inside of the church itself, with the pews and the main areas for prayer and service was also magnificent. There was also an inner courtyard with even more statues, plants and trees, and a fountain. Great spot to take photos. And the main attraction; lining up the pray in front of the black Santo Nino. Definitely a life-changing experience for a Catholic Filipino. read more

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My family on my mother's side is a religious minority in the Philippines. Her family is Protestant in a place where 90 percent of the population is Catholic. So even though she had lived in Cebu she had never gone to the Basilica del Santo Niño, a spot revered by Filipino-Catholics for housing the statue of Santo Niño, a religious relic gifted by Magellan in the 1500's. I, on the other hand went to Catholic school growing up and had always heard about the importance of pilgrimages from all the nuns at St. Timothy's. When I heard that I could do one right before checking out the giant mall in Cebu, I was sold! I went on a random weekday and was floored by how crowded it was! As soon as you walk in you are immediately accosted by random people selling candles and will say a prayer for your family if you give them some pesos. I had no idea what they were saying or if they were swindlers or what but I wanted some candles so we went ahead and paid for the experience. Five feet away from is a myriad of balloon sellers. From Dora to Elmo to Frozen, these people have your helium needs met. But I found it to be in bad form at a religious site -- there was even a little Elmo balloon that had gotten away inside the actual basilica! When you go inside the church you are met with several statues of saints that people touched for good luck. All of the paint had even worn away from Mary's hand. It was amazing to see that people had traveled from all over the world to ask for blessings. After you visit the church you can get in line to see the Santo Niño statue which is completely encased in glass. It's a single file line that wraps around the church and once you go in you can kiss the glass and touch a little stone. If you do not want to wait in line you can watch everything from afar from a viewing area. There is also a courtyard with a fountain and a little garden that you can light (even more) candles at. Overall it was a very interesting experience! read more

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Beautiful and historic, the Spanish architecture and artworks lining the wall are alone worth visiting. Adding to it the religious element of faith, mixed with people's quiet devotion and bended heads in prayers, sprinkled with the twinkling fires of lighted candles against the relief mural wall makes this place a favorite both for locals and tourists alike. While we were here, we saw little boy pushing his Mother who was in a wheelchair hooked to IV into the Church, obviously to pray for a miracle. I too, prayed for a miracle for this little boy's faith to be rewarded. read more

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Beautiful cathedral with long history. Statues of saints. Recommended for tourists. Well maintained.

A historical catholic church. After you tour the church and you walk outside there are friendly women in red & yellow ready to greet ya and sell you candles. If you buy some they'll pray for you in Visayan and even take pictures with you. Lol they were the best part of Basilica del Santo Nino for me :-} read more