Cebu, Philippines: Temple of Leah
Also dubbed as the “Taj Mahal of Cebu”, this architectural wonder of Greek/Roman inspiration is fast becoming one of Cebu’s top tourist destinations. Located in the mountain barangay of Busay in Cebu City, you’d be in awe not only of the structure but of how this amazing temple came to be.
Temple of Leah was born out of Teodorico Adarna’s “undying love and ceaseless devotion” to his beloved wife, Leah Villa Albino-Adarna. This showcases a man’s grand profession of love resonating in the vast halls and picturesque beauty of the place.
The grand facade of the temple.
A huge golden statue of Leah on the grand staircase with a replica of the Louvre Museum pyramid on the roof.
There isn’t much to do here except to roam around and to sight-see (with a fantastic view of Cebu City) as it is still under construction but I personally think it is a promising place, more so once completed.
When in Cebu, visit the temple to get a glimpse of how a man’s love could bring forth a structure that could match most of the Roman’s greatests like Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain.
Two humongous lions sit by the staircase to the temple, overlooking the fountain and Cebu City beyond.
The fountain in the middle of the huge space in front of the temple.
The huge space in front of the temple - offering a great place to view the Cebu City skyline. Too bad Cebu was covered with haze when we visited.
A statue at the corner of the temple.
Grecian beauty and grace scattered all around the temple.
How to Get There
Having a private car is the greatest way to go but if you don’t have one for your perusal, then you may opt to do any of the following:
TAXI. Cabs are found anywhere in the city and you may hail them to bring you to Busay where the Temple of Leah is. Be prepared to shell out a few pesos on top of the metered rate though since it’s gonna be a steep climb up there and not much passengers to take on their way back to the city. Fare may vary depending on your starting point.
JEEPNEY - MOTORCYCLE. Take a jeepney bound for Lahug and alight at JY Square (common jeepney routes are 17 B/C/D and 04C). From JY Square, motorcycles abound that will bring you up the mountains (we call them habal-habal). Try to negotiate the price first before hopping - a fair amount would be around 100 Php.
From the Temple of Leah back to the city, there are a lot of motorcycles waiting outside the temple and the fare may be a bit lower going down compared to going up.
Temple of Leah
Roosevelt Street, Busay, Cebu City
Entrance Fee: Php 50
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