Perhaps the most famous landmark in all of Cebu City is this wooden cross brought by Spanish explorers in 1521, to commemorate the beginning of Christianity in the Philippines.

Reputed to have been erected by Ferdinand Magellan himself upon arrival of his expedition in Cebu, the revered cross is housed in a modest octagonal pavilion made from white coral stone, built sometime in 1834 by Spanish friars.

The structure is situated in Plaza Sugbo beside the Basilica del Santo Niño, the first church to be established in the islands.

Sometime in 1835, the original cross was encased inside another wooden cross to prevent natural deterioration and to deter people from chipping away pieces of the original cross, believing that the cross possesses miraculous powers.

On the ceiling of the pavilion’s interior is a mural depicting the baptism of Rajah Humabon and his household by Fr. Pedro Valderrama, and the planting of the wooden cross by Ferdinand Magellan.

The pavilion, along with the Basilica del Santo Niño Church and Convent, were collectively declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines on April 14, 2021.