Cebu is one of the most developed provinces in the country. The Metropolitan Area Of Cebu or Metro Cebu (which includes Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City ) is second only to Metro Manila in population in the country.
Philippine Information
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Province of Cebu
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Central Visayas (Region VII)
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Cebu City
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April 7 , 1521 and April 27 , 1565
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3,356,137
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largest
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660
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6th highest
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5,0884
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19th largest
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2
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4
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47
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1,203
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8&dagger
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Cebuano , Ilonggo , Waray , English , and Spanish
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Gwendolyn García (2004 - present)
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Cebu lies to the east of Negros Island ; to the east is Leyte and to the southeast is Bohol province. It is flanked on both sides by the straits of Cebu (between Cebu and Bohol) and Tañon (between Cebu and Negros).
Cebu is served by Mactan-Cebu International Airport , which is located in Lapu-Lapu City , some thirty minutes drive from downtown Cebu City .
The people of Cebu are called and are of Bisaya , Chinese , Spanish , and Negrito ancestries. Cebu is also home to a number of Spanish and ethnic Chinese communities who play an important Economic and Marketing role in the Cebuano society. Visayan - Cebuano culture is laid back and easy going; the people are friendly and have preserved strong Spanish-oriented traditions in its cultural life to this very day.
and Tagalog , the official languages of the Philippines, as well as other Visayan languages like Ilonggo and Waray-waray .
The patron of Cebu is the Santo Niño De Cebu , who is Jesus represented as a child. The statue is housed in the country's oldest church, the Basilica Minore Del Santo Niño . According to historical accounts, the Santo Niño was given by the Portuguese sea captain and explorer Ferdinand Magellan to the wife of the chief, Rajah Humabon as a gift to celebrate their alliance. Soon, Magellan died in a battle at Mactan Island. That act is depicted in Cebu's largest, most popular cultural event, the Sinulog where street-dancing and loud drum beats preceded by a holy Mass is the main attraction.
Previously a part of the , etc. as well as several other non-Catholic churches. Most of the population in Cebu are Roman Catholic (as in most Philippine provinces, with the possible exception of Mindanao ) though there are some thriving Muslim communities, most of whom are migrants from the islands of Mindanao.
Other religious minorities include Protestant churches of (Mormons), etc.
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The main island of Cebu is a long, narrow slither of land flanked on both sides by
Tañon Strait and the
Strait Of Cebu . To its southeastern tip is a small body of land that is Mactan Island. Cebu is comprised of hundreds of small islands, some of which are uninhabited which make them the targets of adventure-seeking tourists.
Cebu is known for its narrow coastlines, limestone plateaus, and coastal plains, all characteristics of a typical tropical island. However, Cebu also has predominant rolling hills and rugged mountain ranges traversing the northern and southern lengths of the island.
Cebu's steep mountains reach over 1,000 meters but there is actually a substantial lack of adequate forest cover. Flat tracts of land can be found in towns of
Bogo ,
San Remigio, Cebu ,
Medellin , and
Daan Bantayan at the northern tip of the province.
Cebu is continuing to develop its infrastructure to make travel more efficient as it continues to attract more investors and tourists, especially the Koreans.
To date, Cebu's infrastructure is highlighted by the two steel bridges that connect Mactan Island with the main island.
A 3rd Mactan-Cebu bridge as well as an underwater tunnel are both being discussed by local leaders citing the growing inconveniences related to the existing two steel bridges. Funding for the new projects however are out of reach.
Cebu City on the other hand has the much-anticipated South Reclamation Project (SRP), a massive pile of reclaimed land estimated to be at around 3 square kilometres. Cebu City has plans to sell or lease land to potential investors and big businesses. Among the planned construction projects for the SRP is a modern sports complex (replacing the overused Cebu City Sports Center) and a hotel. Mall operators also expressed interest to build malls and pour their investments in the SRP.
The SRP has a modern highway (called South Coastal Road) which connects Cebu City to Talisay City and due to its quality and isolation, the road cuts travel time between the two cities by as much as 50 minutes.
Before the arrival of the
Spaniards , Cebu, then known as Zubu (or ''Sugbo'' in Visayan), was a thriving fishing village and a busy trading post, with trade routes to
China ,
Siam ,
Arabia as well as the nearby
Malay islands.
On
March 16 ,
1521 , the Portuguese navigator
Ferdinand Magellan landed on Cebu island. He was on expedition under the command of the Spanish king and his goal was to search for the fabled island of
Moluccas and to see about expanding the Spanish territories to the Orient.
Magellan persuaded the Chief of Cebu,
Rajah Humabon to swear
Oath and
Allegiance to the Spanish
King Charles V . Accompanied by Spanish Dominican friars, the expedition was responsible for the first wave of
Christianity in the Philippines. On
April 14 , Magellan erected a large wooden cross on the shores of Cebu. Afterwards, some 400 native Cebuanos were baptized, along with Rajah Humabon and his wife who took the Christian names Carlos and Juana, respectively to honor the Spanish King. The Santo Niño was also presented to the queen as a symbol of peace between the Spaniards and the natives.
Encouraged by his success in Cebu, Magellan later crossed the channel to the nearby island of Mactan which was under the rule of a local Datu
Lapu-Lapu . On
April 27 , the historic
Battle Of Mactan occurred where Magellan was killed and his men were driven off the island by the natives. According to 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 and sailed the remainder of the fleet to Spain, taking a route different from the eastern route as opposed to the western route which they took when they first arrived. In so doing, the fleet became the first to "circumnavigate the world."
Survivors of the Magellan Expedition brought tales of a savage island in the Orient with them when they returned to Spain. Consequently, several follow-up expeditions were sent but all ended in failure.
Forty-four years after Magellan first set foot in Cebu, in 1565,
Conquistador Miguel López De Legazpi and his 500 armed soldiers together with several
Augustinian and
Franciscan friars arrived and declared that the Spanish crown succeeded in colonizing the islands. Legazpi and his men then marched through Zugbo and bombarded the palisades of chieftain
Rajah Tupas and destroyed the village. He and his men, later rebuilt it and called it ''Villa del Santisimo Nombre de Jesús'' (Village of the Most Holy Name of Jesus). Thus, in 1569, it became the first Spanish settlement established by the
Spanish Cortés in the Philippines.
On
August 14 1571 , (''Villa del Santisimo Nombre de Jesús'') was detached from the Catholic diocese of Manila and became a diocese of its own. When Legazpi departed for Manila in 1571, he did not abandon Cebu. Instead, he employed
Garrison s and a provincial governor to look after it and left half of his soldiers in Cebu.
Three centuries later, in
June 12 ,
1898 marked the end of the Spanish era and the onset of the American regime. In 1901, Cebu became a municipality and on
February 24 ,
1937 became a chartered city.
Cebu, being the most densely populated island in the country, served as a vital
Japanese base during the Japanese occupation in
World War II which began with the landing of the
Japanese Imperial Army on April 1942. Three years later on March 1945, an American force landed and reoccupied the city, resulting in a Japanese surrender.
For the first time ever, the nation recognized the province of Cebu as a major source of votes during the 2004 National Elections. With an estimated 1.6 million registered voters, Cebu was easily the heaviest voting province in the country (followed by Pangasinan with 1.3 million).
For the 2004 elections, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her K4 coalition won a landslide victory over their opponents. Arroyo won about 1.2 million votes in Cebu, followed by the Koalisyong ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) presidential candidate Fernando Poe, Jr., with less than 200,000 votes. Among senatorial candidates, the K4 overwhelmed the KNP as Cebu voters gave them a 10 to 2 advantage (12 senate seats were up for grabs). On the vice-presidential race, Noli de Castro (K4) won a similar number of votes reflected to that of his running-mate Arroyo.
. The Sinulog festival is Cebu's biggest and most popular festival. It is celebrated every 3rd Sunday of January. The feast is in honor of the holy image
Señor Santo Niño De Cebu . Fiesta Señor, as it widely known, is the most celebrated among Cebu's festivals where people converge along the route of a grand solemn procession and partake in the gaiety amidst a mardigras parade immersed in vivid colors and the constant drums of the Pit Señor.
. A Christmas celebration of songs and lantern making held during the month of December spread good cheers to local residents and visitors alike.
. A one day re-enactment celebrated with pomp and pageantry every 27th of April to commemorate the historic Battle of Mactan between the forces of Lapulapu and Magellan.
. Held to honor the patroness of Opon on November 20-21, this religious and social event reveals the deep religious faith of the people and the penchant for merry making. A food fair, a procession and a coronation of the Fiesta Queen highlight the festivity.
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A unique mixture of solemn religious rites and local celebration highlights the Holy Week activities in Bantayan Island. The normally quiet island is visited by relatives and friends of the residents, as well as tourists to experience the scenic rites and to cool off the summer heat in the beautiful white sandy beaches and clear tropical waters.
. Is celebrated on November 24-25 in honor of the town's patron, St. Catherine of Alexandria. Carcar town is noted for its old Spanish style houses in the quiet countryside setting. During fiestas, the residents would invite friends, relatives and town visitors into their homes to taste popular local delicacies. A lively and enjoyable event.
. Lapulapu City - Held to honor the patroness of Opon on November 20-21, this religious and social event reveals faith of the people and the penchant for merry making. A food fair, carnival, procession and a coronation of the Fiesta Queen highlight the festivity.
. Poro, Cebu - Celebrated every January in honor of Patron Santo Niño de Poro. Beloved memoir of a living past, Tagbo is the cornerstone from which this great municipality has sprung. Rich in cultural heritage and deep in spiritual values, Tagbo is a very significant event preluding the birth of a town every dear to the hearts of her sons and daughters.
. Agro-tourism festival in the southern towns of the second district about 100 km from the city. A month-long activity to spread out tourism to the coutryside.
. Celebrated every 3rd of April in commemoration of the Spanish resistance in the south. This historic battle under Leon Kilat's leadership gave Cebu the glory of being the first major island outside Luzon to oppose Spanish dominance.
