Locals may know of this place, but this isn’t as widely advertised as we think it should be, so non-locals (like us) are not very familiar with it. So, yes, we know of the National Museum of the Philippines – Cebu and the University of San Carlos Museum and the likes, but ask us about Museo Sugbo… we may just ask you ‘What?”.
Fortunately for us, one sunny day, we decided to discover what Cebu City has to offer by just walking around. And so we found ourselves at the doors of Museo Sugbo. Now… how was the experience for us?
@outragemag Checking out #MuseoSugbo, this not-as-popular #museum in #Cebu that may not have a lot to offer but is still okay to #LGBT ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine
Una, this place is easy to find naman. We walked from Pungko-pungko sa Fuente, and – even if we were sweaty na by the time we arrived – the museum is a tolerable walk away from downtown Cebu City.
Ikalawa, located along M.J. Cuenco Ave., Museo Sugbo actually occupies the former Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) jail. Designed in 1869 by Domingo de Escondrillas, it was supposed to be the main prison for the Visayas District. It was a jail for over 140 years. But in 2004, CPDRC transferred. This led to the jail becoming Museo Sugbo, with the museum inaugurated in 2008.
Ikatlo, there’s an entrance fee of ₱50. Well-kept naman ang place, so that amount is used properly yata. Puwedeng pang-events venue, in fact.
Ika-apat, the museum actually has various connections to the country’s history – e.g. many Katipuneros were incarcerated there; it became a horse stable for the American invaders; and was a jail for the guerillas during the Japanese occupation.
And ika-lima, the contents of the museum basically trace the aforementioned connections to the country’s history – e.g. artefacts from when the country (and Cebu City, as well as nearby localities in particular) was occupied by the Americans and the Japanese, and so on.
Just to be clear: Don’t expect to see much while at Museo Sugbo, just a few historical stuffs that could provide glimpses of what it may have been in the past. Para lang iwas-disappointment. And yet all the same, it’s a not-bad place to go to. If only it can be bettered sana – e.g. better the collections in the exhibitions, add a café or merch place r both, provide guides, and so on.
Anyway, off we go for more LGBTQIA+ rampa…
Museo Sugbo is located at 731 M. J. Cuenco Ave., Cebu City.
