A Glimpse of the Historical Samboan Park I Samboan, Cebu

Hello, wonderful friends in this beautiful community. How are you today? I hope you are all safe and doing well in this summer season.

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After making a dip in the cold Aguinid Falls of Samboan, Cebu, I will share another great opportunity with you as I walked around the plaza of Samboan.

Samboan, is a fifth-class municipality of the province of Cebu. It is located in the Southern part of Cebu. A lot of interesting spots to visit this place such as the different falls, the beautiful beaches, and the interesting historical and cultural places in the area.

A reroute to Samboan from the original plan is also a good choice. Luckily, we found this beautiful plaza that offers a resting place and relaxation. It was past noon time when we arrive at their plaza it was just so timely because it was very hot. I was amazed by the beauty that the plaza offers to everyone. You can see green grasses around, the church and the Baluarte or a watch tower of the area during the Spanish Regime.

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Before you reach the plaza, you will see this signage "Siempre SAMBOAN" and a beautiful waiting shed adjacent to it that signals you that you have made it to the town plaza of Samboan, Cebu, the Boluntaryo Monument or World War ll Volunteers Monument.

_{Boluntaryo Monument}

It serves as a landmark of the place. This monument was dedicated to the volunteers of World War 2, with the depiction of a soldier found on the roof of the structure.

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As I stroll around their spacious park, I get close to their watch tower and a piece of information written on the tarpaulin hanging on the wall greatly catches my attention.

The Campanario de Antigua which is outside the San Miguel Archangel Church is another heritage site that is very famous in Samboan. A Spanish structure made of coral stones, the Campanario de Antigua was built as a lookout against Moro raiders.

A restoration of a Spanish watchtower, which was originally used to warn locals about incoming attacks coming from the sea during the Spanish colonization.

The three-story structure was first built in 1878, standing over 200 feet above sea level and was restored by the University of San Carlos College of Architecture.

The restored watchtower is connected to the coast (now a highway road) by Escala de Jacob's Ladder, a flight of 147 stone steps.

During my visit, a lot of youths were present in front of the structure to make a pose as a remembrance of their visit and some are doing their projects.

It's best to go on top of the structure to take pictures of the plaza and an overlooking view of the sea around but during our visit, the structure was being locked up so we cannot go up.

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Another structure you can see nearby Samboan Park is the exemplary church of San Miguel Archangel Church. It is one of the oldest Spanish-built churches in Cebu. St. Michael the Archangel Church in Samboan was originally part of the parish of Tanjay, Negros Oriental. It became a separate parish in the year 1784. The church was built under the term of Fr. Romualdo Avila.

One of the most interesting things about the church is its architectural design which is not in the shape of a cross, unlike other churches.

According to theoldchurches.com, Saint Michael the Archangel Church in Samboan, Cebu has four pilasters, the innermost two terminate in the cornice at the pediment and their finials appear to melt into the stonewall. The outermost ones have finials that bound the pediment, a wall surface that is pierced with a rose window and rises to an acroterium with a cross. Pilasters partitioned the facade into three vertical panels while cornices divide it into two levels and a pediment.

One enters the church through an arched entryway in the ground level flanked by arched windows with openwork. On top of the keystone of the door is a decorative relief. Above it is a relief of the seal of the Spanish royalty, which means that the church received funds directly from Spain that were used for its construction. In the upper register is the recessed niche of the patron, sparsely ornamented. Flanking it are rectangular windows with wrought ironwork. On the epistle side of the church is the octagonal bell tower.

Today, it has a wide open space outside with a lot of sits allocated for the people for relaxation and while waiting for the mass. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) acknowledges the historic and cultural importance of the Samboan Church. The government agency installed a Level II marker, a designation that it is a heritage zone/historic center, in 2016.

Outside the park, you can see grottos and statues up into the hills that remind people during the holy week or easter season.

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After the tour you can relax and unwind for a bit in the place for the spacious park can accommodate a large number of people. You can also bring your mats and enjoy them here with your family.

Have a nice day everyone!

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How to get there?
Samboan Park is located in Población, Samboan Cebu. It is a four to five-hour drive from Cebu South Terminal to the second to the last Southern Cebu town.

By Bus: From Cebu South Bus Terminal, ride a bus bound for Samboan/Bato via Barili and remind the driver to drop you off at Samboan Boluntaryo Monument. From there, you can just walk going to Samboan Park.

By Private Car/Motorcycle: Navigate Samboan Park using your google maps/waze.

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Indeed, an unplanned trip to Samboan Park is a great opportunity for us. It opens up our minds to the historical and cultural structures of the place.

Sometimes in life, we will be redirected into another route which we never thought of happening but not all reroutes lead to misfortunes just like what we had experienced, instead of going to Boljoon, stopping by Samboan is a wonderful tour.

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Thank you for reading this far my Hive friends and for supporting my blog! That's all for today's blog. See you around. Keep safe everyone!

_{Lead images edited through Canva.
All photos are mine unless stated otherwise.}