The Rich History Of Cebu City You Didn’t Know

Ever wondered what the rich history of Cebu City is? Read on and find out!

Cebu City is a highly urbanized city in Visayas Region. According to statistics, in 2015, the city had a population of 922, 611 people which made it the most populous city in Visayas Region. The city has always been known as the ‘Queen City’ of the South, but what is it about this city that made it as such?

Cebu City is a highly urbanized city in Visayas Region

Bantayan Church Cebu
Image: Google

Cebu is considered as an important city in Visayas because it serves as the region’s center of commerce, education, and trade in the region. It houses the Philippines’ leading domestic shipping port, and it holds 80% of the Philippines’ domestic shipping companies. Located on the eastern side of Cebu island is ‘Metro Cebu’ which encompasses the following cities and towns: Danao, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, Carcar, Naga, Talisay, Compostela, Consolacion, Cordova, Minglanilla, Liloan,  and San Fernando.

As of 2015, Metro Cebu has a total population of 2,849,213 which makes it the second-most populous metropolitan area in the country, next to Metro Manila in Luzon.

Cebu is considered as the birthplace of Christianity because it is where the Portuguese Explorer Fernando Magallanes landed. The city is where the Spanish first settled. It is the country’s oldest city, and is regarded to as the “Second City” in the Philippines next to Metro Manila. Its name is derived from the word ‘sibu’ or ‘sibo’ which is a shortened word for sinibuayng hingpit or “the place for trading”. The city is known for some famous delicacies like dried mangoes, daing na isda and daing na pusit, and lechon!

The city is known for some famous delicacies like dried mangoes, daing na isda and daing na pusit, and lechon.

Aside from the delicacies in the city, it has also been known to house some of the country’s most beautiful beaches and resorts! Magellan’s Cross, Lapu-Lapu Shrine, the Colon Street, and Fort San Pedro can also be found here. Magellan’s Cross is a huge cross erected by the Portuguese explorers as ordered by Fernando Magallanes. The Shrine of Lapu Lapu is a 20 meter statue in Mactan which was built in honor of the native leader who killed Magallanes. The Colon Street is the shortest and the oldest national road in the country, and Fort San Pedro is the oldest military defense structure built by both the Spanish and Cebuanos under the orders of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.

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