City of Cebu Dakbayan sa Sugbo Hara nga Dakbayan sa Sugbo Lungsod ng Cebu Ciudad de Cebú
—  Highly-urbanized city  —
Skyline of Cebu City
Official seal of City of Cebu Seal
Nickname(s): Queen City of the South
Map of Cebu showing the location of Cebu City
Coordinates: 10°17′N 123°54′E / 10.283°N 123.9°E / 10.283; 123.9Coordinates: 10°17′N 123°54′E / 10.283°N 123.9°E / 10.283; 123.9
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Visayas (Region VII)
Province	Cebu (capital)
Legal class	Highly-urbanized city
Income class	1st
Districts	First (North) and Second (South) districts of Cebu City
Barangays	80
Spanish colonial foundation	1565
Reincorporated city	February 24, 1937
Government
• Mayor	Michael Rama (BOPK–Liberal)
• Vice Mayor	Joy-Augustus G. Young (BOPK–Liberal)
Area
• Total	315.0 km2 (121.6 sq mi)
Elevation	17.0 m (55.8 ft)
Population (2010)
• Total	866,171
• Density	2,700/km2 (7,100/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
Area code(s)	32
Website	www.cebucity.gov.ph

The City of Cebu (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Sugbo) is the capital city of Cebu and is the "second city" in the Philippines with the second most significant metropolitan centre and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.

The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines. Cebu is the Philippines' main domestic shipping port and is home to about 80% of the country's domestic shipping companies. Cebu also holds the second largest international flights in the Philippines and is a significant centre of commerce, trade and industry in the Visayas and Mindanao regions.

Cebu City is the centre of a metropolitan area called Metro Cebu, which includes the cities of Carcar, Danao, Lapu-lapu, Mandaue, Naga, Talisay. Metro Cebu has a total population of about 2 million people. The Mactan-Cebu International Airport, located in Lapu-Lapu City is only a twenty-minute drive away from Cebu City. To the northeast of the city are Mandaue City and the town of Consolacion, to the west are Toledo City, the towns of Balamban and Asturias, to the south are Talisay City and the town of Minglanilla. Across Mactan Strait to the east is Mactan Island where Lapu-Lapu City and an aquarium attraction are located.

History[link]

A 19th-century map of Cebu City.

On April 7, 1521, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan landed in Cebu. He was welcomed by Rajah Humabon, the king of Cebu, who together with his wife and about 700 native islanders, were converted into Catholicism on April 14, 1521. Magellan, however, was killed in the Battle of Mactan, and the remaining members of his expedition left Cebu soon after several of them were treacherously poisoned by Humabon.

On February 13, 1565, Spanish conquistadors led by Miguel López de Legazpi (together with Augustinian friar Andrés de Urdaneta arrived in Cebu, but left after clashing with hostile natives. After visits to Mazaua, Leyte, and Bohol the Spanish returned to Cebu on April 15, 1565. They then attempted to parley with the local ruler, Rajah Tupas, but found that he and the local population had abandoned the town. Thus bereft, the conquistadors sacked the town and seized the island for Spain. Rajah Tupas presented himself at their camp on May 8, and the Treaty of Cebu was formalized on July 3, 1565. López de Legazpi's party named their new colony "Villa de San Miguel" (later renamed "Villa del Santísimo Nombre de Jesús)." In 1567 their numbers were reinforced by the arrival of 2,100 Spaniards and Mexicans. The growing colony was then fortified with the Fuerza de San Pedro.

By 1569 the Spanish settlement in Cebu had become important as a safe port for ships from Mexico and as a jumping-off point for further exploration of the archipelago. Small expeditions led by Juan de Salcedo went to Mindoro and Luzon, where he and Martín de Goiti played a leading role in the subjugation of the Kingdoms of Tundun and Seludong in 1570. One year later, López de Legazpi departed Cebu to discuss a peace pact with the defeated Rajahs. An agreement between the conquistadors and the Rajahs to form a city council paved the way for the establishment of a new settlement and the construction of the walled city of Intramuros on the razed remains of Seludong.

On August 14, 1595, Pope Clement VIII created the diocese of Cebu as a suffragan to the Archdiocese of Manila.

On April 3, 1898, local revolutionaries led by the Negrense Leon Kilat rose up against the Spanish colonial authorities and took control of the urban center after three days of fighting^{[citation needed]}. The uprising was only ended by the treacherous murder of Leon Kilat and the arrival of soldiers from Iloilo.

The signing of the Treaty of Paris at the end of the Spanish-American War provided for the cession of Cebu along with the rest of the Philippine islands to the United States of America. On February 21, 1899 the USS Petrel (PG-2) deployed a landing party of 45 men on the shores of Cebu; the Cebuanos surrendered almost immediately. Cebu’s surrender to the Americans was signed by Luis Flores, although others, most notably, Gen. Arcadio Maxilom and Juan Climaco, offered resistance until 1901^{[citation needed]}.

Cebu only became a chartered city in February 24, 1937, during the Commonwealth Era (1935-1946). Many Philippine cities such as Dansalan (now Marawi), Iloilo City, and Bacolod City were only incorporated as such at that time (see Cities of the Philippines). Until then, Cebu City had never been more than a town since its original founding in 1565.

The city, along with the rest of the country came under Japanese occupation during WWII. The Japanese encountered some opposition there from guerrillas led by Col. James Cushing and the Cebu Area Command. It was finally liberated on March 1945.

Colon Street, the most highly-populated area in downtown Cebu City, was the site of fashionable shops, offices and movie houses. It was once the heart of Cebu City's shopping and business activity, but in recent years much of this activity has shifted inland to uptown areas. It is the oldest and the shortest national road in the Philippines. Colon also serves as transit point of public utility jeepney (PUJ) routes covering almost the entire places within the city.

Culture[link]

Procession during the Feast Day of the Santo Niño.

Cebu City is a significant cultural centre in the Philippines. The imprint of Spanish and Roman Catholic culture is evident. The city's most famous landmark is Magellan's Cross. This cross, now housed in a chapel, is reputed to have been planted by Ferdinand Magellan (Fernão Magalhães) when he arrived in the Philippines in 1521. It was encased in hollow tindalo wood in 1835 upon the order of the Augustinian Bishop Santos Gómez Marañon to prevent devotees from taking it home chip by chip. The same bishop restored the present template or kiosk, located at the present Magallanes street between the City Hall and Colegio del Santo Niño. Revered by Filipinos, the Magellan's Cross is a symbol of Christianity in the Philippines.

A few steps away from the Magellan's Cross is the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño (Church of the Holy Child). This is an Augustinian church elevated to the rank of Basilica in 1965 during the 400th year celebrations of Christianity in the Philippines, held in Cebu. The church, which was the first to be established in the islands, is built of hewn stone and features the country's oldest relic, the figure of the Santo Niño de Cebú (Holy Child of Cebu).

This religious event is celebrated during the island's cultural festivities known as the Sinulog festival. Held every third Sunday of January, it celebrates the festival of the Santo Niño, who was formerly considered to be the patron saint of Cebu. (This patronage was later changed to that of Our Lady of Guadalupe after it was realised that the St. Nino could not be a patron saint because he was an image of the Christ and not a saint.) The Sinulog is a dance ritual of pre-Hispanic indigenous origin. The dancer moves two steps forward and one step backward to the rhythmic sound of drums. This movement resembles somewhat the current (sulog) of the river. Thus, the Cebuanos called it Sinulog.

When the Spaniards arrived in Cebu, the Italian chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta, sailing under convoy with the Magellan expedition, offered a baptismal gift to Hara Amihan, wife of Rajah Humabon. She was later named Juana, the figure of the Santo Niño. The natives also honored the Santo Niño de Cebu in their indigenous Sinulog ritual^{[citation needed]}. The Sinulog ritual was preserved but limited to honoring the Santo Niño. Once the Santo Niño church was built in the 16th century, the Christian Malay people started performing the Sinulog ritual in front of the church, the devotees offering candles and indigenous dancers shouting "Viva Pit Señor!"^{[citation needed]}.

In the 1980s and 2000s, the city authorities of Cebu added the religious feast of Santo Niño de Cebú during the Sinulog Festival to its cultural event.

Government[link]

The Cebu City Hall.

Cebu City is a highly-urbanized city, which makes itself independent from Cebu province despite being the seat of the provincial government centered at the Cebu Provincial Capitol. Its voters do not vote for provincial officials. There were proposals however during the time of Governor Emilio Mario Osmeña to establish an "administrative district" that would be independent from Cebu City. This would literally mean carving out Cebu City's Barangay Capitol where the provincial capitol and other provincial offices are located. The plan however didn't push through and was even followed by other proposals like the transfer of the capital to Balamban.

Cebu City is governed by a mayor, vice-mayor and sixteen councilors (eight representing the northern and eight representing the southern region). Each official is popularly elected to serve for a three year term. The chief of the Association of Barangay Captains and the President of the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation also managed in the city council. The day to day administration of the city is handled by a city administrator.

Mike Rama is the mayor of the city. The former vice mayor was elected during the 2010 Philippine elections, meanwhile Joy-Augustus G. Young is the current vice mayor.^[1][2]

Current city officials (2010-2013)[link]

• House of Representatives
  • 1st District (North): Rep. Rachel "Cutie" B. del Mar
  • 2nd District (South): Rep. Tomas "Tommy" R. Osmeña

• City Mayor: Hon. Michael "Mike" L. Rama
• Vice Mayor: Hon. Joy-Augustus G. Young

Economy[link]

Mid-rise office buildings in Asiatown IT Park, Cebu City.

About 80 percent of the island vessels operating in the country are based in Cebu City.^{[citation needed]} Recently, the entry of business process outsourcing (BPO) firms have contributed much to the growth of the local economy. Cebu's exports include furniture, accessories, and handicrafts.

Geography and people[link]

Cebu City has a land area of 291.2 square kilometres and about 55.9 square kilometres is classified as urban, while 235.2 square kilometres is classified as rural, although all barangays are classified as urban. To the northeast of the city is Mandaue City and the town of Consolacion; to the west is Toledo City and the towns of Balamban and Asturias; to the south is Talisay City and the town of Minglanilla.

Across Mactan Strait to the east is Mactan Island where Lapu-Lapu City is located. Further east across the Cebu Strait is the Island of Bohol.

Around the 1960s, the population of the city was about 91,000. The current data shows that the population reached 799,762 people in 2007, and as of 2009 LGPMS Census the city's population was 822,628 in over 161,151 households.

The city is politically subdivided into 80 barangays or barrios. These are grouped into two congressional districts, with 46 barangays or barrios in the northern district and 34 barangays or barrios in the southern district.

Barangays[link]

Cebu City is politically subdivided into 80 barangays.

North district[link]

Adlaon Agsungot Apas Bacayan Banilad Binaliw Budla-an Busay Cambinocot Capitol Site Carreta Cogon Ramos Day-as Ermita Guba Hipodromo Kalubihan Kamagayan Kamputhaw (Camputhaw) Kasambagan Lahug Lorega San Miguel Lusaran Luz

A view of Cebu City at night. Mabini Mabolo Malubog Pahina Central Pari-an Paril Pit-os Pulangbato Sambag 1 Sambag 2 San Antonio San José San Roque Santa Cruz Santo Niño Sirao T. Padilla Talamban Taptap Tejero Tinago Zapatera

South district[link]

Babag Basak Pardo Basak San Nicolas Bonbon Buhisan Bulacao Pardo Buot-Taup Pardo Calamba Cogon Pardo Duljo-Fatima Guadalupe Inayawan Kalunasan Kinasang-an Pardo Labangon Mambaling Pahina San Nicolas Pamutan

A view of Cebu City taken at the "Tops" in Brgy. Busay. Pasil Poblacion Pardo Pung-ol-Sibugay Punta Princesa Quiot Pardo San Nicolas Proper Sapangdaku Sawang Calero Sinsin Suba San Nicolas Sudlon I Sudlon II Tabunan Tagba-o Tisa To-ong Pardo

Climate[link]

Infrastructure[link]

The Cebu South Road Properties (SRP).

The Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

The city is readily accessible by air via the Mactan-Cebu International Airport located in Lapu-Lapu City which has direct international flights to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, China, South Korea and domestic destinations. Many international and cargo airlines fly to Cebu. There are also direct transfer flights via the capital's Ninoy Aquino International Airport that readily connects the city to other destinations in the world. The city mostly gets its power from an interconnection grid with the Leyte Geothermal Power Plant which also powers the majority of the Visayas.

The city is served by a domestic and international port which are governed by the Cebu Port Authority with around 3.5 kilometers of berthing space. The city is home to more than 80% of the country's inter-island vessels traveling on domestic routes mostly in the Visayas and Mindanao.^{[citation needed]}

The South Road Properties (SRP) is a 300-hectare prime property development project on a reclaimed land located a few metres off the coast of Cebu's central business district. It is registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and is funded by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation(JBIC).^[4] Traversing the property is a 12 kilometres, four-lane highway known as the Cebu South Coastal Road that provides motorists with an alternative route to the southern towns of Cebu.

The Crown Regency Hotel and Towers, the tallest building in the Philippines outside Metro Manila.

Telecommunication facilities, broadband and wireless internet connections are available and are provided by some of the country's largest telecommunication companies.^[who?]

In the 1990s the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill was constructed to ease garbage disposal within the city. In June 2005, the city fully implemented the segregation of wastes as mandated by law.^{[citation needed]}

Mass transportation throughout the city and the metropolitan itself is provided by jeepneys, buses and taxis.

Education[link]

Cebu City currently has ten large universities each with a number of college branches throughout the city and more than a dozen other schools specializing in various courses.

Among these schools is the University of San Carlos. It has four campuses around the metropolitan area. It is currently headed by the Society of the Divine Word.

The University of the Philippines Cebu College, located at Barangay Camputhaw in the district of Lahug in Cebu City currently has 8 courses and has plans of expansion and development. The U.P. Board of Regents elevated the status of U.P. Cebu as an autonomous unit of the University of the Philippines System on September 24, 2010.

Another catholic university in Cebu City is the University of San Jose–Recoletos which was established in 1947. It is currently headed by the Augustinian Recollects and has 2 different campuses within the city excluding a new campus outside the city located in the Municipality of Balamban.

Cebu Normal University was established in 1915 as a provincial normal school, a branch of the Philippine Normal School. It became an independent institution in 1924, a chartered college in 1976 and a university in 1998.

The Cebu Doctors' University (formerly Cebu Doctors' College) was granted university status on November 2004. It is the only school in the Philippines declared as a university without having basic education (pre-school - high school) curriculum and catering mainly to courses related to the health services field.

The University of Cebu in Banilad opened in June 2002. The University of Cebu's main campus offers courses such as Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT), HRM, Computer Engineering, BSED and others. Also located in the city is the University of the Visayas.

Other noteworthy institutions in the city includes the Asian College of Technology, Southwestern University, Cebu Institute of Technology – University (the newest university in the city), University of Southern Philippines Foundation in Lahug and Mabini, Cebu Technological University (formerly the Cebu State College of Science and Technology), Cebu Institute of Medicine (formerly the Velez College), Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu, Cebu International School, and the St. Theresa's College of Cebu City.

Cebu City has 68 public elementary schools, 23 national high schools and 28 night high schools. These night high schools are operated by the city government.

The Cebu City Public Library and Information Center is the only public library in Cebu.

Tourism[link]

Waterfront Cebu City Hotel, site of the 1998 ASEAN Tourism Forum.

The city derives significant income from tourism. It hosted the 1998 ASEAN Tourism Forum. The city also hosted the East Asian Tourism Forum on August 2002, in which the province of Cebu is a member and signatory.

Ayala Center Cebu.

There are a number of significant Spanish colonial buildings in Cebu City which includes the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino, Fort San Pedro, Casa Gorordo Museum and Magellan's Cross.^[5]

Facade of the Cebu Taoist Temple.

The Cebu Reggae Festival is a popular Filipino Reggae and Roots music festival, it now has become one of the Philippines' largest annual Reggae Festivals. On Cebuano musical heritage, the Jose R. Gullas Halad Museum in V. Gullas St. (former Manalili) corner D. Jakosalem St. in Cebu City, holds musical memorabilia of Cebuano composers in the early 20th century, the likes of Ben Zubiri (composer of Matud Nila), Inting Rubi (Kasadya Ning Taknaa) and Minggoy Lopez (Rosas Pandan). The Cebu City Sports Complex exhibits sporting and festival events.

Away from the city is the Cebu Taoist Temple, a Taoist temple in Beverly Hills. Views of Cebu City can also be seen from villages and gated communities located on the mountains.

Twin towns and sister cities[link]

See also[link]

Philippines portal

• List of parishes in Cebu
• Cagayan de Oro

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cebu City

• Cebu City Government Website
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• 2010 Philippine Census

	Balamban	Compostela	Liloan
	Toledo		Consolacion Mandaue Mactan Channel / Lapu-Lapu
		Cebu City    East
	Minglanilla	Talisay	Cebu Strait

v t e Cities of the Philippines Highly-urbanized Cities Angeles Bacolod Baguio Butuan Cagayan de Oro Caloocan Cebu Davao General Santos Iligan Iloilo Lapu-Lapu Las Piñas Lucena Makati Malabon Mandaluyong Mandaue Manila Marikina Muntinlupa Naga, Camarines Sur Navotas Olongapo Parañaque Pasay Pasig Puerto Princesa Quezon City San Juan Tacloban Taguig Valenzuela Zamboanga Independent Component Cities Cotabato Dagupan Ormoc Santiago Component Cities Alaminos Antipolo Bago Bais Balanga Batangas Batac Bayawan Baybay Bayugan Biñan Bislig Bogo Borongan Cabadbaran Cabanatuan Cadiz Calamba Calapan Calbayog Candon Canlaon Carcar Catbalogan Cauayan Cavite Danao Dapitan Dasmariñas Digos Dipolog Dumaguete El Salvador Escalante Gapan Gingoog Guihulngan Himamaylan Ilagan Iriga Isabela Kabankalan Kidapawan Koronadal La Carlota Lamitan Laoag Legazpi Lipa Maasin Malaybalay Malolos Marawi Masbate Mati Meycauayan Muñoz Naga, Cebu Oroquieta Ozamiz Pagadian Palayan Panabo Passi Roxas Sagay Samal San Carlos, Negros Occidental San Carlos, Pangasinan San Fernando, La Union San Fernando, Pampanga San Jose San Jose del Monte San Pablo Santa Rosa Silay Sipalay Sorsogon Surigao Tabuk Tacurong Tagaytay Tagbilaran Tagum Talisay, Cebu Talisay, Negros Occidental Tanauan Tandag Tangub Tanjay Tarlac Tayabas Toledo Trece Martires Tuguegarao Urdaneta Valencia Victorias Vigan

v t e Provincial capital cities and municipalities of the Philippines Luzon Antipolo (de facto), Rizal · Balanga, Bataan · Baler, Aurora · Bangued, Abra · Basco, Batanes · Batangas, Batangas · Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya · Boac, Marinduque · Bontoc, Mountain Province · Cabarroguis, Quirino · Calapan, Oriental Mindoro · Daet, Camarines Norte · Iba, Zambales · Ilagan, Isabela · Imus (de jure), Cavite · Kabugao (de jure), Apayao · Lagawe, Ifugao · Laoag, Ilocos Norte · La Trinidad, Benguet · Daraga, Albay · Lingayen, Pangasinan · Lucena, Quezon · Luna (de facto), Apayao · Malolos, Bulacan · Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro · Masbate, Masbate · Palayan, Nueva Ecija · Pasig (de jure), Rizal · Naga, Camarines Sur · Puerto Princesa, Palawan · Romblon, Romblon · San Fernando, La Union · San Fernando, Pampanga · Tabuk, Kalinga · Tarlac, Tarlac · Trece Martires (de facto), Cavite · Tuguegarao, Cagayan · Santa Cruz, Laguna · Sorsogon, Sorsogon · Vigan, Ilocos Sur · Virac, Catanduanes Visayas Bacolod, Negros Occidental · Borongan, Eastern Samar · Catarman, Northern Samar · Catbalogan, Samar · Cebu, Cebu · Dumaguete, Negros Oriental · Iloilo, Iloilo · Jordan, Guimaras · Kalibo, Aklan · Maasin, Southern Leyte · Naval, Biliran · Roxas, Capiz · San Jose de Buenavista, Antique · Siquijor, Siquijor · Tagbilaran, Bohol · Tacloban, Leyte Mindanao Alabel, Sarangani · Bongao (de facto), Tawi-Tawi · Butuan (de facto), Agusan del Norte · Cabadbaran (de jure), Agusan del Norte · Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental · Digos, Davao del Sur · Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte · Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay · Isabela, Basilan · Isulan, Sultan Kudarat · Jolo, Sulu · Kidapawan, Cotabato · Koronadal, South Cotabato · Malaybalay, Bukidnon · Mambajao, Camiguin · Marawi, Lanao del Sur · Mati, Davao Oriental · Nabunturan, Compostela Valley · Oroquieta, Misamis Occidental · Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur · Panglima Sugala (de jure), Tawi-Tawi · Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur · San Jose, Dinagat Islands · Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao · Surigao, Surigao del Norte · Tagum, Davao del Norte · Tandag, Surigao del Sur · Tubod, Lanao del Norte

Cebu Lalawigan ng Cebu Lalawigan sa Sugbu
—  Province  —
Flag Official seal of Cebu Seal
Map of the Philippines with Cebu highlighted
Coordinates: 10°19′17″N 123°45′17″E / 10.32139°N 123.75472°E / 10.32139; 123.75472Coordinates: 10°19′17″N 123°45′17″E / 10.32139°N 123.75472°E / 10.32139; 123.75472
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Visayas (Region VII)
Founded	April 27, 1565
Capital	Cebu City
Government
• Type	Province of the Philippines
• Governor	Gwendolyn Garcia (NUP)
• Vice Governor	Agnes Magpale (NUP)
Area
• Total	4,932.79 km2 (1,904.56 sq mi)
Area rank	22nd out of 80
Population (2010)
• Total	2,619,362
• Rank	5th out of 80
• Density	530/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
• Density rank	7th out of 80
Divisions
• Independent cities	3
• Component cities	6
• Municipalities	44
• Barangays	1,066 including independent cities: 1,203
• Districts	1st to 6th districts of Cebu (shared with Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu cities) including independent cities: 1st and 2nd districts of Cebu City
Time zone	PHT (UTC+8)
ZIP Code
Spoken languages	Cebuano, Tagalog, English
Website	www.cebu.gov.ph

Cebu (Cebuano: Sugbo) is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands. Cebu is a long narrow island stretching 225 kilometers from north to south, surrounded by 167 neighbouring, smaller islands, which include Mactan, Bantayan, Malapascua, Olango and the Camotes Islands. Cebu has narrow coastlines, limestone plateaus and coastal plains. It also has rolling hills and rugged mountain ranges traversing the northern and southern lengths of the island. Cebu's highest mountains are over 1000 meters high. Flat tracts of land can be found in the city of Bogo and in the towns of San Remigio, Medellin and Daanbantayan at the northern region of the province. Its capital is Cebu City, the oldest city in the Philippines, which forms part of the Cebu Metropolitan Area together with four neighboring cities which include Danao City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City and Talisay City and eight other municipalities. Mactan-Cebu International Airport, located in Mactan island, is the second busiest airport in the Philippines.

Cebu is one of the most developed provinces in the Philippines, with Cebu City as the main center of commerce, trade, education and industry in the Visayas. Condé Nast Traveler Magazine named Cebu the seventh best island destination in the Indian Ocean-Asia region in 2007,^[1] eighth best Asian-Pacific island destination in 2005, seventh in 2004 and in 2009.

Demographics[link]

The population of Cebu in 2007 was 2,440,120, with its largest city accounting for 799,762 people, or more than a third of the entire provincial population.^[2] Cebuano is the official language spoken in Cebu and it is also spoken in most areas of the Visayas, including Bohol, western Leyte, Negros Oriental and some provinces of Mindanao (Bukidnon, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao City, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Camiguin, Compostela Valley, South Cotabato and Sarangani. The population of Central Visayas is predominantly young with about 37 percent of its population below 10 years old. This is very evident in the very broad base of the population pyramid in the region which has prevailed since 1970 but at a declining rate. A decline of 2.29 percentage points in the proportion of household population below 15 years old was noted from 1980 to 1995. Conversely, an increase of 3.06 percentage points was observed in the 15-64 age group during the same period. The population of the region is evenly distributed between male and female. However, the male population in the region has been increasing at a faster rate compared to the female population.^[3]

Religion[link]

The majority of its population are Roman Catholic,^[4] there are also some followers of Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism.

The image of Santo Niño de Cebú (Holy Child of Cebu), the oldest Christian image in the Philippines, is enshrined and venerated at the Basilica of Santo Niño. According to Philippine historical documents, the statue of the Santo Niño (Holy Child) was given to the wife of the Rajah of Cebu by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. The friendship is depicted in Cebu's cultural event, the Sinulog where street parades and loud drum beats preceded by a Christian mass is celebrated every third Sunday of January. Cebu has a Roman Catholic Archdiocese and has several major churches, including the Basilica Minor del Santo Niño de Cebu, Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, Santo Rosario Parish Church, San José-Recoletos Church, Sacred Heart Church, Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, National Shrine of Our Lady of the Rule, National Shrine of Saint Joseph, Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe of Cebu and other Christian churches, as well as several other non-Catholic churches, mosques and temples.

Climate[link]

Though Cebu has two official seasons, Dry and Wet, rainfall is usually not particularly high, with average rainfall hitting around 100 millimeters per month. The wet season usually comes from June to December, while the dry season comes from January until May. Rainfall is highest in June and July. Cebu's temperatures can reach a high of 36 degree celsius from March to May, to as low as 18 degrees at the mountains during the cooler season from October to January. The average temperature in Cebu is around 24 to 32 degree celsius, and does not fluctuate much except for the month of May, which is the hottest month. Cebu averages 70-80 percent humidity.^[5]

History[link]

Between the 13th and 16th century Cebu then known as Zubu^[6] (or Sugbo) was an island inhabited by Hindu, animist and Muslim^[7] ruled by Rajahs and Datus.^[8] It was a kingdom of the defunct Rajahnate of Cebu.

The Rajahnate of Cebu was a native kingdom which used to exist in Cebu prior to the arrival of the Spaniards. It was founded by Sri 'Lumay' otherwise known as 'Rajamuda Lumaya', a native prince of the Chola dynasty which had invaded Sumatra in Indonesia. He was sent by the Maharajah to establish a base for expeditionary forces to subdue the local kingdoms, but he rebelled and established his own independent Rajahnate instead. ^[9]

The arrival of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 established a period of Spanish exploration and colonization.^[10][11]

A map showing the route of the Magellan expedition circumnavigating the world.

Losing favor for his plan of reaching the Spice Islands from king Manuel I of Portugal, by sailing west from Europe, Magellan offered his services to king Charles I of Spain. On September 20, 1519, Magellan led five ships with a crew of 250 people from the Spanish fort of Sanlúcar de Barrameda enroute to Southeast Asia via the Americas and Pacific Ocean. They reached the Philippines on March 16, 1521. Rajah Kolambu the king of Mazaua told them to sail for Cebu, where they could trade and have provisions.

Pigafetta's illustrations of Cebuanos during the expedition.

Arriving in Cebu City, Magellan, with Enrique of Malacca as translator, befriended Rajah Humabon the Rajah or King of Cebu and persuaded the natives of allegiance to Charles I of Spain. Humabon and his wife were given Christian names and baptized as Carlos and Juana. The Santo Niño was presented to the native queen of Cebu, as a symbol of peace and friendship between the Spaniards and the Cebuanos. On April 14, Magellan erected a large wooden cross on the shores of Cebu. Afterwards, about 700 islanders were baptized.

Magellan soon heard of Datu Lapu-Lapu, a native king in nearby Mactan Island, a rival of the Rajahs of Cebu. It was thought that Humabon and Lapu-Lapu had been fighting for control of the flourishing trade in the area. On April 27, the Battle of Mactan occurred where the Spaniards were defeated and Magellan killed by the natives of Mactan^[12] in Mactan Island. According to Italian historian and chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta, Magellan's body was never recovered despite efforts to trade for it with spice and jewels. Magellan's second in command, Juan Sebastián Elcano took his place as captain of the expedition and sailed their fleet back to Spain, circumnavigating the world.

Survivors of the Magellan expedition brought tales of a savage island in the East Indies with them when they returned to Spain. Consequently, several Spanish expeditions were sent to the islands but all ended in failure. In 1564, Spanish explorers led by Miguel López de Legazpi sailing from Mexico arrived in 1565 and established a colony.^[13] The Spaniards fought the King Rajah Tupas and occupied his territories. The Spaniards established settlements, trade flourished and renamed the island to "Villa del Santíssimo Nombre de Jesús" (Town of the Most Holy Name of Jesus). Cebu became the first European settlement established by the Spanish Cortés in the Philippines. In 1595, the Universidad de San Carlos (University of San Carlos) was established and in 1860, Cebu opened its forts to foreign trade. The first printing house ("Imprenta de Escondrillas y Cia") was established in 1873 and in 1880, the Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion (College of the Immaculate Conception) was established and the first periodical The Bulletin of Cebu ("El Boletin de Cebú") began publishing in 1886. In 1898, the island was ceded to the United States after the Spanish-American War and Philippine-American War. In 1901, Cebu was governed by the United States for a brief period, however it became a charter province on February 24, 1937 and was governed independently by Filipino politicians.

Cebu, being one of the most densely populated island in the Philippines, served as a Japanese base during their occupation in World War II which began with the landing of Japanese soldiers in April 1942. The 3rd, 8th, 82nd and 85th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was reestablished on 1942 to 1946 and the 8th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary was reestablished again on 1944 to 1946 at the military general headquarters and the military camps and garrisoned in Cebu City and Cebu Province and started by the Anti-Japanese military operations in Cebu from April 1942 to September 1945 and helping Cebuano guerrillas and fought against the Japanese Imperial forces. Almost three years later in March 1945, combined Filipino and American forces landed and reoccupied the island during the liberation of the Philippines. Cebuano guerrilla groups led by an American, James Cushing is credited for the establishment of the Koga Papers which is said to have changed the American plans to retake the Philippines from Japanese occupation in 1944, by helping the combined United States and the Philippine Commonwealth Army forces enter Cebu in 1945. The following year the island achieved independence from colonial rule in 1946.

Infrastructure and electricity[link]

The Mactan-Cebu International Airport on Mactan Island has regular direct flights to Hong Kong, Singapore, Busan-Gimhae and Seoul-Incheon (South Korea), Tokyo-Narita (Japan), and Doha (Qatar).

With the number of weekly international flights to and from Mactan International Airport is increasing, a new international terminal has been proposed. The Cebu International Port is the largest shipping hub in Visayas island group. Cebu also has several business districts attracting different industries. Among them is the Cebu Business Park, a prime business and financial center in Cebu City. Nearby is the Asiatown IT Park, built on what was once the location of the Lahug Airport (Cebu's old airport prior to Mactan International Airport), another business district that caters mostly to businesses related to the information technology industry such as software development, telecommunications, engineering research and development centers, business process outsourcing, including a number of call centers and other industrial businesses.

The Cebu South Road Properties (SRP)

South of the city is the South Road Properties Special Economic Zone, a large reclaimed property. It is a prime real estate zone that will house a business district, a tourism zone and an industrial area patterned after the Mactan Export Processing Zone on nearby Mactan Island. The new South Coastal Highway, which stretches from Cebu City to Talisay passes through the property. A 1.2-kilometer tunnel, which passes beneath Plaza Independencia is currently being constructed at the highway's entrance in Cebu City to connect it with Sergio Osmeña Avenue which traverses the North Reclamation Area.

Despite this new developments, poverty is remarkable all around the city, with traders on most sidewalks and little stores (Sari Sari) dedicated to the sale of very basic grocery items at retail level. Houses are mostly poor and of very basic materials.

Roads across the different neighborhoods (Barangays) are not enough for the densely populated city and its cars, adding up to huge traffic jams and extremely slow pace in work hours.

The city receives its electricity from an interconnection grid with the Leyte and Negros Geothermal Power Plants which also powers majority of the Visayan Islands. There are also coal-fired power plants. Distribution of electricity is provided by the Visayas Electric Company. Telecommunication facilities in the city are abundant provided by some of the country's largest telecommunication companies. Connections to the internet are also available.

Economy[link]

Cebu City is the largest city and economic hub of the province.

About 80% of its domestic shipping is located in Cebu. Its extensive international port facilities, its proximity to intra-Asiam shipping and air routes are major factors which led multinational companies like: Convergys, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Mitsumi, BMC Group, Pentax, Marine Colloids, Fairchild Semiconductor, Tsuneishi Heavy Industries, Muramoto Audio-Visual, Lexmark International, Asahi Optical, Teradyne, NEC Technologies, Timex, Olympus Optical, United Technologies, Maithland-Smith, and Taiyo-Yuden to establish their presence on the main island as well as Mactan.

Cebu's labor force is oriented towards non-agricultural lines and is rated one of the most productive work force in the country. High domestic and foreign tourist arrivals, geographic location, accessibility and natural resources have fueled the development growth of Cebu with an excellent industrial record and now the fastest growing economy in the Philippines.

Cebu is home to some national and international corporations like AAA Commercial Broker & Consultancy Inc, Ayala Corporation, JobsDB.com, Gaisano Group of Companies, Aboitiz Group of Companies, WG&A, Norkis Group of Companies, Bigfoot International, Affiliated Computer Services (A Xerox Company), Lexmark Philippines Inc., and Lhuillier Jewellers among others. Its international port (cargo and container) is currently one of the busiest in the country. Homegrown brands in the city have expanded throughout the past years finding success in the national and even in the international market like Penshoppe, Oxygen, Loalde and Island Souvenirs. Other homegrown brands that have expanded outside the city and province include BO's Coffee Club, Julie's Bakeshop, Orange Brutus, Mother's Fried Chicken and other businesses.

Due to its burgeoning furniture-making industry, Cebu has been named as the furniture capital of the Philippines. The Department of Trade and Industry in Cebu is aiming to develop this aspect of Cebu's economy by specifically targeting small to medium enterprises or SMEs whose products are considered export quality. Cebu is also becoming an IT hub as many companies, either local or international, are establishing their headquarters in Cebu. The city has become a site for various call centers and BPOs. The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, an organization of Cebu's businesses, are hedging the city's growth and economy on information and communications technology, with the aim of making it a premier ICT investment, software and e-services hub in Southeast Asia. Shipbuilding companies in Cebu have manufactured bulk carriers of up to 70,000 metric tons deadweight (DWT) and double hulled fastcrafts as well.

The Cebu International Convention Centre serves as a landmark in recognition of Mandaue City’s involvement in the international trade. As venue of the 12th ASEAN summit, the city continues to establish an important role in international industrial relation, becoming the core of development and strengthening its role as the growth center of the province of Cebu.

Education[link]

The Philippine elementary school begins in grade 1 to grade 6. The high school program takes four years to finish, taken after graduating from elementary school. Cebu is the main educational institute in the central region of the country. It has several large universities each with a number of college branches throughout Cebu City and more than a dozen other schools and universities specializing in various courses such as Medicine, Engineering, Nautical courses, Nursing, Law, Commerce, Education, Computer and IT and other professions.

The most prominent of these universities are the University of San Carlos, University of the Philippines Cebu College, University of San Jose–Recoletos, Cebu Normal University, University of Cebu, University of Southern Philippines Foundation, Southwestern University, and the University of the Visayas. The only medical university in the country is the Cebu Doctors' University (formerly Cebu Doctors' College) located in the Cebu Boardwalk in nearby Mandaue City. It was elevated to university status in November 2004. The Cebu Institute of Technology – University (formerly Cebu Institute of Technology) located in N. Bacalso Ave. and the Cebu Technological University (formerly Cebu State College of Science and Technology) which is located in M.J. Cuenco Avenue cor. R. Palma Street, Cebu City are the newest universities. CIT-U and CTU were elevated to university status in the year 2010. The Cebu's first film school, The International Academy of Film and Television was established on Mactan Island in 2004. The Asian College of Technology, is also located in Metro Cebu.

Media[link]

Cebu has television and cable stations namely: Wealth Channel 28, Real Cebu Television (RCTV - 36) and the Cebu Catholic Television Network (CCTN 47) (a religious station partly owned and endorsed by the Archdiocese of Cebu). Cebu! Television Channel 28 and the Real Cebu Television (RCTV - 36) are only seen on cable television and CCTN operates an UHF frequency on channel 47 on free TV. It can also be accessed through Skycable's channel 56.

Despite having these local stations, Cebuanos prefer to watch the Philippines' three dominant television networks namely: ABS-CBN, TV5 and GMA Network Inc. While national newspapers have presence in the island, Cebu has English-language local newspapers: The Freeman, Sun-Star - Cebu and Cebu Daily News, while there are also Cebuano language newspapers, SunStar SuperBalita owned by Sun Star and Banat News owned by The Freeman. Each of the local newspapers sell for about 10 peso a copy, which is much cheaper than their national counterparts.

Government[link]