Temple of Leah

September 01, 2018

Temple of Leah

If Sirao Flower Farm is Cebu's mini-Amsterdam then Temple of Leah is their Taj Mahal. Similar to the UNESCO World Heritage site which Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, the Temple of Leah is also a symbol of undying love and constant devotion of a husband to his wife.

"A man's success is measured by what his wife and children say about him. Money and accomplishments mean nothing if you let your home fail." - Tony Gaskins

Teodorico Soriano-Adarna had Temple of Leah built for his wife of 52 years, Leah Villa Albino-Adarna. It will have 24 chambers and will have a museum, an art gallery, and a library with personal and favorite belongings and mementos of Leah. There is also a family tree inside the temple in which any Adarna can trace his roots.

Inspired by Greek and Roman architecture, Temple of Leah has a fountain, numerous statues of nymphs in various poses and lions, and a grand staircase with brass angels. The grand staircase leads to the 9-foot tall bronze statue of Leah in which its inscription says, "Leah V. Albino-Adarna was chosen Matron Queen of her Alma Mater, the University of Southern Philippines. This nine-foot bronze statue portrays her composure and regal bearing when she was crowned. May the beholder discern her innate beauty, poise, and gentleness." It was signed by her husband, Teodorico Soriano-Adarna.

One of the nymphs statues gracing Temple of Leah.

The fountain though still not operational when we visited.

Leah V. Albino-Adarna's bronze statue.

There are so many people visiting this place that
it's a challenge to take a good picture without any other people.

Temple of Leah, like Sirao Flower Farm, is located at Busay Cebu City so a view of the city and the mountainside will greet you at their viewing deck. If you are not in a hurry, it's a great place to read a book or just be lost in your own thoughts.

Sadly, my little Queen B fell asleep on our way to Temple of Leah and is taking a nap all throughout our visit at that majestic place. I would like her to see the place though she'll probably forget it very soon after the trip anyway.

Construction was still ongoing when we visited. The museum, art gallery, and library are all still not open to the public. We will definitely visit Temple of Leah again once it is all finished.

Can't wait to visit you again.

How to get to Temple of Leah

Temple of Leah is located before Sirao Flower Farm so I suggest that you visit the flower farm first before this place. From downtown Cebu, you can ride a jeepney going to J.Y.Square Mall. At J.Y. Square Mall, ride another jeepney going to Busay and ask to be dropped off at the mountain view highway intersection. From there, you can walk to go to the Temple of Leah. At the J.Y. Square Mall, you can also hire motorcycles, locally known as habal-habal, to bring you at the entrance of the Temple of Leah. Of course, you can also hire a taxi from anywhere in Cebu City for convenience.

Quite near the Temple of Leah is the native restaurant, Lantaw where we had our lunch. They offer traditional Cebuano and Filipino dishes. Our group ordered their Crispy Pata, Pancit Canton, Grilled Tuna Panga, and Cordova Express. Everything we had that day was tasty and price points are affordable especially with its serving sizes. I enjoyed their Cordova Express which is their seafood Bicol Express version. And the view from the restaurant is similar to that of the Temple of Leah and Sirao Flower Farm. I highly recommend this popular local restaurant. They also have other branches in Cebu.