Cebu City

Cebu City is the provincial capital of Cebu in the Philippines and is the second most important metropolitan center in the country. The city lies on the eastern shore of the island of Cebu and is the oldest city in the country, even older than the nation's capital, Manila. It is the country's main shipping hub and is home to more than 80% of the country's interisland shipping companies. Cebu is also the main hub, outside of the capital, of international flights into the country and is the most important center of commerce, trade, and industry in the Visayas and Mindanao, the southern parts of the country. It is because of this and other important aspects that Cebu City is dubbed Queen City of the South. According to the official 2000 census, it has a population of 718,821 people in 147,600 households.

Cebu City is the center of a metropolitan area called Metro Cebu, which includes the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Talisay. Metro Cebu has a total population of more than 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 is located.

Culture

The city is an important cultural center in the Philippines. The city's most famous landmark is Magellan's Cross. This cross, now housed in a chapel, was supposedly planted by Ferdinand Magellan when he arrived in the Philippine Islands in 1521. It was encased in hollow tindalo wood in 1835 upon the order of the Augustinian Bishop Santos Gomez Marañon to prevent devotees from taking it home chip by chip. The same bishop restored the present templete, or kiosk, located at the present Magellan street between City Hall and Colegio del Sto. Niño. Revered by the Cebuanos, the Cross of Magellan is hailed by tourists as a symbol of the beginning of Christianity in the Philippines.

A few walks away from the Magellan's Cross is the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, an Augustinian church which was elevated to the rank of minor basilica in 1965 during the 400th year celebrations of the Christianization of the Philippines held in Cebu. The church, which was the first to be established in the islands, is currently built of hewn stone and features the country's oldest relic, the image of the Santo Niño de Cebu.

The Sinulog

Cebu City is also host to the popular Sinulog festival, held every third Sunday of January in honor of Santo Niño, the "Holy Child". The Sinulog is a dance ritual of pre-Spanish 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. The dance was meant to honor the anitos.

When the Spaniards arrived in Cebu, Magellan offered, as a baptismal gift, to Hara Amihan, wife of Rajah Humabon and later named Juana, the image of the Santo Niño. With Magellan gone, the natives likewise honored the Santo Niño with their sinulog. Because the Augustinian missionaries appreciated native culture, the sinulog was preserved but limited to honoring the Santo Niño. Once the Santo Niño church was built, the faithful started performing the sinulog in front of the church, the devotees offering candles and the dancers shouting "Pit Señor!"

During the annual feast of the Santo Niño, the basilica turns into a dancing hall after the solemn mass, with all the devotees executing the sinulog. The dance continues during the procession in front of the carroza which bears the statue along the streets of Cebu up to late evening.

In 1980, the city authorities of Cebu made the Sinulog part and parcel of the religious feast of the Santo Niños. A mardi-gras atmosphere was added, the innovation becoming more colorful each year. The religious and the earthy sometimes overlap each other but, as a whole, there is much fun for Cebuanos and tourists alike who find in the Santo Niño festival that part of every one's childhood that must stay like Santa Claus and halloween.

History

Cebu, or Sugbu, was already a prosperous settlement before it was colonized by Spain. It had trade relations with China and the other countries of Southeast Asia.

On April 7, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan landed in Cebu. He was welcomed by Rajah Humabon, who, together with his wife and about 800 natives, were baptized by the Spaniards on April 14, 1521 and are considered to be the first Filipino Catholics. Magellan, however, failed to successfully claim the Philippines for the crown of Spain, having been slain in neighboring Mactan Island on April 27, 1521 by the chieftain Lapu-lapu.

On April 27, 1565, Miguel López de Legazpi, with Augustinian Fr. Andres de Urdaneta, landed in Cebu. Legazpi renamed the city on January 1, 1571, from San Miguel to Villa del Santissimo Nombre de Jesus. During this six year period, Cebu City was the capital of the newly established Spanish colony.

The Finding of the Image of the Santo Niño de Cebu

Thinking that the Spanish galleons carried with them retribution for Magellan's death, the natives of Cebu made themselves ready against the Spaniards. Legazpi's efforts for peace -- he had explicit instructions from the King to befriend the natives -- failed. Legazpi ordered the ships' artillery to fire; promptly the natives fled to the mountains. Legazpi's soldiers set ashore. As they weremaking a house-to-house inspection, soldier Juan Camus found inside a box a wooden image of the Holy Child Jesus. The image was taken to a provisional chapel where Fray Andres de Urdaneta said a thanksgiving mass for the success of the expedition, the mission of which was to Christianize the last native of the Islands.

The image, observed Fray Urdaneta, was like those made in Flanders (Belgium) during the 16th century. It must be the very same image given by Magellan to Rajah Humabon's wife upon her conversion to Christianity. The image is reputed to possess miraculous power. Aware of this, King Charles III awarded it, during the 17th century, the Toison de Oro or the Golden Fleece. During the rites held to commemorate the fourth centennial of the Christianization of the Philippines, then Prince Juan Carlos, now Spain's reigning monarch, gifted it with a golden crown.

The image is wooden, about eleven inches tall, and covered with a coat of paint. During the Second World War, the church was slightly damaged due to the bombing of the Americans. To the relief of the Santo Niño devotees, their beloved image was found hanging by its clothes, intact and entire.

Enshrined at the Basilica Minore side chapel, the Santo Niño image has its counterparts and replicas all over the Islands. It has played a very important role in the conversion of the Filipinos to the Catholic faith.

City Government

Cebu City is a chartered city and thus is actually independent from Cebu Province. Registered voters of the city cannot vote for provincial candidates unlike its nearby counterparts (Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Talisay cities) that form part of Metro Cebu. It is the capital of the province mainly because the provincial capitol is located in it. There were proposals however during the time of Governor Lito Osmeña to create an "administrative district" that would be independent from Cebu City. This would literally mean carving out Cebu City's Barangay Capitol where the provicial 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 nearby Balamban town.

Cebu City is governed mainly by city hall, composed of one mayor, one vice-mayor and sixteen councilors (eight representing the north and eight representing the south). Each official is elected publicly to 3-year terms. The day to day administration of the city is handled by a city administrator.

Cebu City is politically subdivided into 80 barangays. The chief of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) also sits in the city council.

Economy

Cebu City together with the nearby cities that form part of Metro Cebu is the most important economic center outside Metro Manila. More than 80% of interisland vessels operating in the country are based there. The city is home to some national and international corporations like Gaisano Group of Companies, Aboitiz Group of Companies, WG&A, Norkis Group of Companies, Bigfoot International, Lexmark Philippines Inc., Lhuillier Jewellers, Waterfront Hotels Philippines Inc., among others. Its international port (cargo and container) is currently the busiest outside Manila. Some homegrown brands in the city have also expanded throughout the past years to find a niche 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, among others.

Not surprisingly international brands have gained a strong following among Cebuano consumers. Starbucks now enjoys the largest number and the biggest spenders among the city's coffee consumers. Kenny Rogers' Roasters is attracting an average of 2,000 customers daily. Honda, Ford Motors, General Motors, Hyundai, KIA, Nissan, Sony, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Toyota and Mitsubishi all have sales and customer services centers around the city.

The city pulses around the old district which is popularly known as downtown area and is regarded as the main central business district. In the years that followed however, and with the city's growth and expansion, the concentration of businesses have expanded outside this downtown area. In 1988, the Cebu Provincial Government sold a vast track of land that was occupied by a golfcourse to a group of Manila-based businessmen, the Ayalas, who later developed it into what is now the Cebu Business Park. It is a neo central business district credited for altering the city's skyline with the current construction boom in the area. Just nearby is the Asiatown Information Technology (IT) Park, another business district that caters mostly to businesses related to the information technology (IT) industry such as software development, telecommunication, call centers, among others.

In 1998, the city positioned (and promoted) itself as an information technology center, with the popular slogan "Cebu is IT," citing the fact that it's future lies on it. Such an endeavor has bore fruit with the establishment of several information technology zones accredited with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). The Asiatown Information Technology Park, a private initiative, was also a result of this. Investors who would relocate at these IT-designated zones are entitled to several perks.

Certain areas though still have to addressed in order for the city and the rest of the island to sustain its growth in the coming years. Most businessmen have acknowledged that the city must work hard especially with the entry of China in the global playing field.

Infrastructure

Cebu City and the rest of the metro areas have all the necessary infrastructures sufficient enough for its pace of urbanization. The city is readily accessible by air via the Mactan-Cebu International Airport located in Lapu-Lapu City which has direct flights to Hongkong, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Qatar, and South Korea. There are also direct transfer flights via the capital's NAIA 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 majority of the Visayas Islands. There are also coal-fired power plants though these have been controversial due to its impact to the environment. Just recently, a South Korean investor expressed willingness to set-up another coal-fired power plant. Distribution of electricity is provided by the Visayas Electric Company (VECO).

The Port of Cebu is the biggest and main port of entry in the province of Cebu and Central Visayas Region. The port is located at the center of the province's east coast. It is nestled in a natural harbor in the narrow strait between Cebu City and Mactan Island, the latter providing a natural cover and breakwater, making the port one of the safest and operational the whole year round. Its international port is a multipurpose terminal covering an area of 10 hectares with 690 meters of berthing space and a controlling draught of minus 8.5 meters at MLLW. It has direct ports of call with Singapore and Hongkong. Nearby is the Cebu Baseport - Domestic Zone, an area for the domestic transactions of different business coming from and going to the different island of the achipelago. It is dedicated to coastwise shipping with 3.5 kilometers of berthing space, 3 finger piers and 3 passenger terminals. Operations of the port are handled by the Cebu Port Authority which was created in 1992. Telecommunication facilities in the city are abundant provided by some of the country's largest telecommunication companies. Connections to the internet are also readily available. Early 2004, the city was piloted by Dominion Wireless which involved the setting up of Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) technology in the uptown area of the city. The company was aiming at connecting the entire Metro Cebu itself to the internet wirelessly through WiFi though certain technical limitations have prevented them from doing so. As of now, only the uptown area (around 1 kilometer radius) is being served by this. Clients with WiFi computers including the portables ones like PDAs can readily connect to the internet wirelessly within these zones. Some coffee shops, hotels and other establishments in the city have also availed themselves of this technology exclusively for their clients.

The city's major roads are currently being overlayed with a fresh layer of asphalt partly in preparation for an upcoming international gathering which will be hosted by Cebu Province. Early 2000, a series of flyovers, around five of them, were proposed by the city's north district representative to congress in order to facilitate traffic in relations to the city's growth and to prevent future clog-ups. Actually, two of the five proposed flyovers have been constructed already; the third of which would have been constructed months ago if not for the opposition of some establishments affected by it. Construction for this third flyover however has been postponed until February 2007 pending further public hearings and consultations and probably a redesign to suit the needs of those who opposed it. A Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is being proposed to be up and running in a few months time. This bus system will serve as a test guide if Cebu City and the entire metro itself is ready for a Mass Railway System. Mr. Rogelio Osmeña, an official from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said during a public forum that the city might not yet be ready for a mass railway system considering that its population has gotten used to the popular jeepney. He further clarified that any new forms of a mass transportation system, like a railway, must be introduced step by step. In jeepneys, there are designated loading and unloading areas although in actual practice these can just stop anywhere that pleases the passenger unlike in a railway system where there are fixed stations. An earlier proposal though for a Light Transit System (LRT) has been approved at the committee level in Congress. The local government also needs to address some issues raised by the jeepney drivers who oppose the project.

South of the city is the South Road Properties (SRP) Special Economic Zone, a 330-hectare prime real estate zoned that would house a central business district, a tourism zone, and an industrial area patterned after the nearby Mactan Export Processing Zone. It is actually a reclamation area funded through a Japanese loan, which the city is obliged to pay. It's main thoroughfare is the South Coastal Highway which stretches from downtown Cebu City up to Talisay City down south. A 1.2 kilometer subway tunnel 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 (the first reclamation area in Cebu City) connecting with Ouano Avenue at the New Mandaue City (another reclamation area) in Mandaue City. Construction of the tunnel was a bit controversial since the original plan was to construct an elevated highway but such a structure would cut through the historic Plaza Independencia and mar the view of another historical structure nearby, the Fort San Pedro, hence the tunnel project.

Marketing of this vast track of land was partly delayed due to a dispute with neighboring Talisay City over ownership of certain parts of the area, which delayed the release of land titles. Construction of inland roads and other basic infrastructures were also delayed because of it. The dispute has somewhat been resolved with the release of the titles to Cebu City. The entire project itself has also been declared as a special economic zone. Construction of the basic infrastructures though have been started by the city.

AIM Survey Despite the ongoing development of new infrastructure projects, the city was graded poorly by participants (mostly residents of Cebu City) of a 2006 survey of the nation's most competitive cities conducted by the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), a school based in Metro Manila. In the survey, Cebu City got a rank of 6th over all. It got a rank of 12th in infrastructure and 9th in dynamism of economy, among the lowest in the listings. A quick reaction was heard espcecially with regards to the scores in infrastructure and dynamism of economy due to the fact that the city had adequate vital infrastructres and a booming economy due to investments. An official from AIM however noted that one of the reasons for the low score was because the respondents themselves who were residents of the city might have had high expectations of the city. The respondents in the survey also didn't grade other cities in relation to their own.

Despite of this however, the city still remains the country's top investment site as revealed by Mr. Donald Dee, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, during the recently concluded Cebu Business Month participated by various businessmen nationwide. Also, the entire island of Cebu (see Cebu Province) was judged for the second time by the UK-based Condenast Travellers Magazine as the 8th best island in the Asia-Pacific (November 2005).

Healthcare

There are currently four large, and privately owned, tertiary hospitals operating in the city that are modern and of international standards. Other tertiary hospitals can also be found within the metro area. There are three government hospitals, one run by the city, the other which is the biggest is run by the province, while the third which is a mother and child hospital is directly under the Department of Health. The city however just like any other in the country is rapidly experiencing a shortage of skilled nurses due to the high demand abroad where compensation is attractive. Most of the nurses already working in the hospitals have only a few years of training, some are even fresh graduates. Despite the fact that the country produces thousands of nurses annually, the turnover is still high with even some fresh graduates working for only an average of 1-2 years before going abroad. The government though has tried several ways to address this issue including requiring fresh graduates to serve in the country for a specified period of time before being allowed to work overseas.

Peace and order

For many years, Cebu City was general peaceful and orderly. Since December 22, 2004 however, a series of vigilante killings similar to what happened in Davao City claimed the lives of 167 ex-convicts which caught the attention of not only the national government but also the United States (through its ambassador). Mayor Osmena has gone on record that solving the killings is not a priority of his administration. Some residents and journalists called the vigilante killings as an example of the "culture of violence." A huge part of the population however are divided over the vigilante killings with some favoring and opposing it. Such an incident though could partly be attributed to the country's justice system where some cases rarely move a finger.^*

Fortunately though, the city has never encountered any major terrorist bombings in its entire history.

Arts and Entertainment

Cebu City is renowned for giving birth to some of Asia's greatest entertainers like Vina Morales, Pilita Corales and Lou Dayoc (an active local showbiz promoter and host). Most recently the city gained worldwide attention through ABS-CBN's facilities when one of its residents, 16-year old Kim Chiu, won the grand prize of the Philippines version of Endemol's Big Brother (Pinoy Big Brother). The city also has its own orchestra, the Peace Philharmonic Orchestra, which was founded by international pianist Ingrid Sala Santamaria.

The city itself is also home to broadcasted variety shows Sabado na Gyud (ABS-CBN) and Oi (GMA Network), which continue to attract millions of televiewers across the entire Visayas and Mindanao.

There are currently three major local channels (Cebu-based) that features shows and documentaries relevant to the city and the province as well. They are Real Cebu TeleVision RCTV Channel 36 and Cebu Channel 28.

Sports and recreation

The city is widely considered as the mecca of sports in the entire Visayas. Placed in charge of the development of resident athletes is the Cebu City Sports Commission which was founded in 2001. The CCSC designates a special team for every sport, each one being called "Team Cebu City". The Philippine Sports Commission has its regional office located at the Abellana National High School/Cebu City Sports Center.

Famous athletes from Cebu city

Richard Bitoon
Bowen Montecillo
Tito Sotto
Loriz Echavez

Education

Cebu City is the country's center of education outside of Metro Manila. It currently has nine large universities each with a number of campus branches throughout the metro, and more than a dozen other schools and colleges specializing in various courses such as Medicine, Engineering, Nautical courses, Nursing, Law, Computer and IT, etc.

Among these schools is the University of the Philippines Cebu College (U.P. Cebu) -- a branch of the University of the Philippines (U.P. System) which is generally acknowledged as the top university in the country. It is located in the Lahug district in Cebu City.

Its newest university, Cebu Doctors' University (formerly Cebu Doctors' College) was elevated to university status on November 2004. It is the first and only medical university in the Philippines and is currently constructing a nine-storey main building at the Cebu Boardwalk in nearby Mandaue City.

Many foreign students also come to Cebu City to study since education is relatively cheaper here. Most of them are Iranians and Nepalese who come to study dentistry and medicine. In recent years, many Koreans have come to Cebu to study English.

Hotels and Shopping

Cebu City is home to numerous international hotels such as Marriot, Marco Polo and Parklane. Notable hotels surpassing even the international ones include Crown Regency and Waterfront.

Early 2006, the grand old dame of hotels in Cebu formally reopened under a new name, Marco Polo Plaza, after more than two years of closing its doors. The hotel complex was formerly occupied by Cebu Plaza and was the most famous landmark in the island. It was also the first deluxe hotel in the province which first opened in the early 80s and was in fact the symbol of the province's economic progress.

There are a number of commercial establishments in the city, the most popular of which are the SM City and Ayala Center malls. There are also other smaller malls and stand alone department stores. Throughout the years however, the establishment of "strip malls" which offers some sort of a town center environment have become the trend.

Despite the presence of such modern malls and store, the downtown area still remains the center of commercial activity in the city.

International Events

The city has played host to a number of international gatherings such as the Asean Tourism Forum (1998) and East Asian Tourism Forum (2002). Cebu City also co-hosted the Southeast Asian Games on December 2005. This coming December 2006, Cebu City will co-host the ASEAN Summit along with Mandaue City (Metro Cebu), the main host.

In 1998, Cebu City welcomed their Majesties King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia of Spain for a goodwill visit in commemoration of the 100th year of Philippine Independence from Spain. A number of VIPs have also visited Cebu City including one president of the former West Germany during the inaguration of the new USC-TC Campus in Talamban.

Other international gatherings including the ASEAN ministerial ones (tourism, security, etc.) were also held in Lapu-Lapu City, a part of Metro Cebu.

Sister cities

Gallery

Image:Cebu_capitol03.jpg|Capitol Social Hall Image:IMG_0674.JPG|Santo Niño Procession

Image:Pilgrim_center01.jpg| Augustinian Saints at the Pilgrim Center of the Basilica. Image:IMG_1694.JPG|Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral Image:Colon_street01.jpg|Colon Street's newly asphalted road Image:Ob1_cebu.jpg|Osmeña Boulevard -- Cebu City's Main Thoroughfare Image:Crown_regency01.jpg|Once completed, this hotel building will stand at 40-storeys tall and will be the tallest building outside Metro Manila. Image:Crownregencymodel.jpg|A scale model of the Fuente Towers Complex currently under construction. Image:Srp_tunnel01.jpg|1.2 kilometer tunnel at the South Road Properties Special Economic Zone. Due for completion in 2008. Image:Asiatown_itpark13.jpg|PIPC IT Building at the Asiatown Information Technology (IT) Park. Image:Parklane_hotel.jpg| At the background is Parklane International Hotel which will open in July next month while at the foreground is Pag-Ibig Workers Tower. Both buildings are at the Cebu Business Park.

External links

Coastal cities | Cities in the Philippines | Cebu

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