Cebu will be the highlight and center of the celebrations for the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines and the historic victory of the “Battle of Mactan.”
With this, organizers of some events of the Catholic church are expecting 10,000 people to participate in the historic gathering.
Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said in a press conference in Cebu yesterday that three events will be the highlight of the celebrations.
These include the simultaneous Easter Mass on April 14, 2021 to recall the first recorded mass and the re-enactment of the first baptism.
Fr. Mhar Balili, secretary general for the congress, added that with these events in line, they are also expecting Filipinos working abroad to come home and become part of the historic celebration.
“In other words, these events especially the re-enactment will be one of the focal point why Filipino abroad will come home, We are not only expecting locals but also foreigners,” Balili said.
The re-enactment of the first baptism will also bring together 500 children at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño to be baptized also on April 14, 2021.
Renowned furniture designer and member of the Visayas Quincentennial Committee, Kenneth Cobonpue said they will prepare a “Heritage Walk Cebu” for the tourists who will be coming for the celebration.
They will be given a tour around the historical sites in Cebu where its starting point will be at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño.
