Museo Sugbo

Why Museo Sugbo is special ?

Museo Sugbo is Cebu's provincial meseum located along M.J. Cuenco Avenue, a part of an old Spanish-era district in Cebu City. This was once the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC), home of the famous dancing inmates. Before it became CPDRC, it was called Carcel de Cebu. Designed by Dominggo de Escondrillas in 1869, the building was constructed to be the main prison for the Visayas district. Withstanding both time and the elements, Carcel de Cebu's structures made of coral stone and lime mortar have now become Cebu's history keeper.

The Museo Sugbo has the noble task of reconstructing Cebuano history; Cebuanos have the sheer pleasure of taking a time travel through viewing the museum's thirteen galleries.

Source: http://www.livinginthephilippines.com/

What to explore at Museo Sugbo?

The Pre-Colonial Gallery

The Pre-Colonial Gallery traces over two thousand years of the pre-history of Cebu. Among its highlights include a collection of stone tools dating to the Neolithic (3,000 BCE-500 BCE), decorated earthenware dating to the Philippine Metal Age (500 BCE-900 CE) and Chinese, Vietnamese as well as Thai ceramics dating to the Age of Foreign Trading (900 CE-1500 CE).

The Spanish Colonial Gallery

The gallery traces the roots of Spanish colonization, beginning with the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 and the conquest of Cebu by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in 1565. Among the highlights of this section include letters of Legazpi to King Philip II (the first letter ever sent out of the Philippines) dated 27 May 1565 and other documents of the Spanish period like Encomienda papers of various pioneer towns in Cebu dating to the early 1600s.

The Katipunan Revolution and the American Colonial Gallery

Located at the second floor of the main museum building, this gallery houses a collection of the memorabilia of the Katipunan in Cebu; a fine collection of a Thomasite teacher’s mementos; newspapers in Cebuano and Spanish languages; and the memorabilia of Gov. Sotero Cabahug, builder of the Cebu Capitol.

The War Memorial Gallery

This gallery houses medals, armaments and vintage bombs as well as documents related to the brutal years of the Japanese Occupation in Cebu up to the Liberation in 1945.

Gregorio & Jovito Abellana Special Exhibition

Gregorio Abellana served as a lieutenant in the Revolution against Spain (1898) as well as the subsequent war against the Americans in Cebu (1899-1901). His son, Jovito, followed his footsteps and served the guerrilla resistance to the Japanese Occupation (1942-1945), playing the price with his eventual incarceration and torture under the dreaded Kempei-tai. The gallery showcases both their lives as patriots in between two wars.

Sen. Vicente Rama Special Exhibition

Housed in what was once the old prison infirmary are the memorabilia of Sen. Vicente Rama, father of the Cebu City Charter, publisher of three newspapers and the undefeated opposition Democrata Party legislator. The gallery traces the senator’s long and illustrious career both as a pre-war lawmaker and journalist, showcasing a long life devoted to public service.

The National Museum – Cebu Regional Branch

Two large galleries in another building across the MPHH and the museum quadrangle provide rare artifacts from excavations conducted in Cebu as well as a changing exhibition of objects and artifacts that are part of Cebu’s history.

Cebu Journalism and Journalists Gallery

This is the first community media museum gallery in the country. The gallery contains photo frames with captions of pre-war and post-war journalists of Cebu with captions on their contributions to Cebu journalism. It also contains equipment like a Minerva letterpress, an ink knife, radio microphones and a Royal Quick Deluxe typewriter. The gallery contains several QR Code markers that make the exhibits interactive.

Source: http://g1d.me/museo-sugbo/

How to get to Museo Sugbo?

Museo Sugbo is situated along M.J. Cuenco Avenue in the old Spanish-era district called Tejero. From SM Cebu (which is across Radisson Blu), ride a jeepney (with code 10H), going to Museo Sugbo. The Museo is not the last stop but it drops off at that point or near it.