Compania Maritima
This is an old building that is located along the South Road Propeties(SRP) in Cebu City, it is considered to be one of the heritage sites in Cebu. According to my research, this structure was built in 1910. This was one of the first buildings constructed near the sea port of the city. As years pass by, different names were given to building.
These picture were taken last August 11 2019:
This building was known as Fernandez Building in 1910. It was named after the Fernandez Hermanos Inc., the company who owned the building, it was founded by brothers Jose and Ramon Fernandez. It was first occupied by the Manila Steamship Company. And in the 1930's, it was occupied by the Shamrock Hotel, which was owned by Mike Ryan. This was also where the Shamrock Bakery and Restaurant started. Presently Shamrock is known as one of the top stores of Cebuano delicacies or "pasalubong". The Shamrock Hotel also gained popularity due to its location near the seaport, and was easily seen by tourists and foreigners for a comfortable stay near the city.
The building was destroyed during World War II. After the war it was rebuilt, and was occupied by Compania Maritima. This company became successful in sea transportation both passenger and cargo vessels. The company lasted until the 1980's before they declared bankruptcy. From that moment on the building was abandoned. Before, the company's name was seen on its front wall. Today, it is not in a good condition, roofless, and the inner walls are damaged. Its roof were damaged because of the tropical typhoon "Ruping" in 1992. On October 26, 2013, the Department of Engineering and Public Works declared the area as off-limits due to the damages inflicted by the earthquake that occured on October 15. The whole area became a parking lot on 2015. It served as a temporary place for pilgrims of the Sto. Nino coming from nearby provinces during the Sinulog festivities.
In my opinion, the government should give attention to the Compania Maritima which is considered as a beautiful inheritance to our beloved province, Cebu. I hope this would not be an ordinary parking lot and a place for homeless people. I wish that one day it'll be one of the prime attractions of the city because of its beauty and unique design. By this way, the local government can generate funds, which will provide for the modernization of our province.
Thank you for reading, I hope you have learned something from this blog. :)
