Cebu's Freedom Park: Visiting a Famous Locale

"A man without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots"
_{-Marcus Garvey}

As a youngster, it is a privilege to visit this historical landmark in Cebu and know the historical events it witnessed throughout the development of Cebu, Philippines.

Cebu's Freedom Park hosts historical events situated across the University of San Jose Recoletos located on Magellanes Street bounded by Calderon and Escaño Street.

For several decades, the place has been widely known to the locals in Cebu as Carbon Market because it is where the vendors display a variety of flowers, souvenir items, and food stalls to be sold.

However, the place was reconstructed and transformed to bring this landmark back to its 1600s vintage look (the beginnings and histories of the area).

From a distance, you can see the newly rennovated park with tall obelisk they have built that is visible from afar. We were visiting and touring several Universities around the area (since it's enrollment season) and when I saw the obelisk— it piqued my interest so we crossed the streets and visited the park.

As a certified bisdak and a local here in Cebu, I've heard of this park known as "Freedom Park" or simply the Carbon Market but this is the first time I've visited the place. The obelisk lights up during the evenings which is unfortunate since I only get to see it in daylight.

You can see the luscious greenery in the area which added more of a relaxing ambiance and fresh air- giving the visitors a more comfortable spot to indulge in the foods bought from the stalls nearby. The setting is perfect for leisure walks and other recreational activities.

The park has several food stalls around the corner of the park which made it an accessible hangout spot at the Carbon Public Market. It is surrounded by green grass and Narra trees, spacious benches, and the renovated Barracks.

I wanted to buy some of the foods they were selling, but I was full at the moment. So, I just wandered in the area for a bit. I've heard some stories about the place.

This is the venue where the locals or the Cebuanos gathered and held their discussions to express their views on the abuses caused by the invaders during the colonial period of the Philippines.

Numerous historical events occurred in the park, these include the Katipunan Revolution (1898), the Liberation of Cebu, Rallies and gatherings as well as the Signing of Cebu City Charter; it’s at this place where we find our voices represented and strengthened by the phrase “Freedom of Speech”—all of them have greatly impacted in what we and the country have become so far.

This is the first time I've visited a local historical spot which actually piqued my interest and curiosity which led me to research its role and part in the historical evolution in Cebu, Philippines. Kudos to this trip, I've come to appreciate more the history of our ancestors and the Philippines.

Thank you for reading, here's to more exploration!