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ABOUT
CEBU CITY
Cebu
City is the capital of the Cebu Province, which is a beautiful
island in the Pacific. The city lies in the eastern shore
of the Island of Cebu and is the oldest city of the Philippines.
Cebu, or Sugbu, was already a prosperous settlement before
it was colonized by Spain. Geographically, the island of
Cebu is 562 kilometers south of Manila, the capital city,
in the middle of the north-south axis of the country's
7,700 islands.
The
city is an important cultural center in the Philippines.
The most famous landmark is the Magellan's Cross. The cross
was supposedly planted by Spanish conquistadore Ferdinand
Magellan when he arrived in the island in 1521 and now
is housed in a chapel just nearby the Basilica del Sto.
Niño. The city is the host of the popular Sinulog festival,
held every third Sunday of January in honor of the Holy
Child. The city comes alive during this carnival time.
This celebration can start as early as the Christmas season,
a mixture of religious festivities and the pagan Mardi
gras. Locals festoon their homes for the holiday, and will
not take it off until after Sinulog.
Cebu
is a vibrant city with a creative energy that can very
well rival other metropolises. The furniture and fashion
accessories manufacturers are well respected in all the
major global markets. As a fledging metropolis, Cebuanos
enjoy an urban lifestyle with a dynamic selection of restaurants
offering international cuisine. The cultural scene boasts
of the two active organizations, the Cebu Arts Council,
and the Peace Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as several
smaller performing and visual arts groups. Together, they
bring in regular performances and exhibits from here and
abroad.
ABOUT CEBU PROVINCE
Cebu is located in the Central Visayas Region of the Philippine
archipelago, some 365 miles south of the country’s
capital. It is called the Queen City of the South and the
Seat of Christianity in the Philippines. It is comprised
of six major cities namely Cebu, which is its capital,
Mandaue, Danao, Lapu-lapu, Toledo and Talisay , around
48 smaller towns and 167 islets. The Cebu province includes
several islands, such as Bantayan, Camotes, Malapascua
and Mactan.
Cebu
was once a sleepy fishing village named Sugbo. In 1521,
the Spanish conquistadore Ferdinand Magellan made it a
base of exploration. In this historic landing, Magellan
planted his famous cross, now a tourist attraction in the
city, and converted the natives to Christianity. Mactan
Island in Cebu was also the venue of the famous Battle
of Mactan, where Ferdinand Magellan met his death. The
next Spanish expedition to land in Cebu was that of Miguel
Lopez de Legaspi. Their first settlement was called Villa
San Miguel and it was established in 1565. Later, it was
renamed Villa de Santissimo Nombre de Jesus when an image
of the baby Jesus, known as Santo Nino was found among
the ruins of a native village.
The
culture of Cebu is very diverse and colorful. The local
dialect is called Cebuano and it is only in Cebu that the
famous puso, or hanging rice, can be found. Local delicacies
include buwad, or dried fish, lechon, dried mangoes and
fresh seafood from the many fishing ports around the island.
Cebu is also the host of many festivals of the different
Cebuano towns. The island province is also famous for its
guitars, which is of export quality. Cebu also boasts of
its many white-sand beaches and world-class tourist destinations.
Local Cebu attractions include the Magellan’s Cross,
Lapu-lapu Shrine, Fort San Pedro, Basilica Minore del Santo
Niño and many others. Cebu also has many natural wonders,
examples of which are Kawasan Falls, Olango Island Sanctuary,
Nonoc Cave and many more.
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