Description
The Minor Basilica of the Holy Child, commonly known as Basilica del Santo Niño, is a minor basilica in Cebu City in the Philippines that was founded in the 16th century.
It is the oldest Roman Catholic church established in the country, purportedly built on the spot where the image of the Santo Niño de Cebú, a statue depicting the Holy Child Jesus was found in 1565 by Spanish explorers led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.
The image is the same statue given by Ferdinand Magellan to the wife of Rajah Humabon as a gift over forty years after Humabon’s baptism to Christianity on April 14, 1521. It was found by a soldier preserved in a burnt wooden box after Legazpi razed the village of hostile natives.
How to get there
To get to Basilica Santa Niño Cebu is easy, once you are in Cebu Downtown. From Colon Street follow Osmelda Boulevard direction the sea, and you will easily find the Basilica on your right hand.
If you encounter any problems finding the spot – ask around. Everybody knows how to guide you.
