Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
of the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
located in the
Central Visayas region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
, and consists of a main island and
167 surrounding islands and islets. Its capital and largest city is
Cebu City
Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas Regions of the P ...
, nicknamed "the Queen City of the South", the oldest city and first
capital of the Philippines, which is politically independent from the provincial government.
The Cebu Metropolitan Area or
Metro Cebu is the
second largest metropolitan area in the Philippines (after
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...
) with Cebu City as the main center of commerce, trade, education and industry in the
Visayas
The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Bisayan languages, Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; tl, Kabisayaan ), are one of the three Island groups of the Philippines, principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao ...
. Being one of the most developed provinces in the Philippines, in a decade it has transformed into a global hub for business processing services, tourism, shipping, furniture-making, and
heavy industry.
Mactan–Cebu International Airport
Mactan–Cebu International Airport ( ceb, Tugpahanang Pangkalibutan sa Mactan–Sugbo; fil, Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Mactan–Cebu; ) is an international airport serving Metro Cebu and serves as the main gateway to the Central Visayas region ...
, located on
Mactan Island
Mactan is a densely populated island located a few kilometers (~1 mile) east of Cebu#Cebu Island, Cebu Island in the Philippines. The island is part of Cebu province and it is divided into the city of Lapu-Lapu City, Lapu-Lapu and the municipal ...
, is the second busiest airport in the Philippines.
History
Early history
The name "Cebu" comes from the old ceb, sibu or ("trade"), a shortened form of ceb, label=none, sinibuayng hingpit, lit=the place for trading. It was originally applied to the harbors of the town of Sugbu, the ancient name for Cebu City. Alternate renditions of the name by traders between the 13th to 16th centuries include ''Sebu'', ''Sibuy'', ''Zubu'', or ''Zebu'', among others. Sugbu or Sugbo, in turn, is derived from the Old Cebuano term for "
scorched earth
A scorched-earth policy is a military strategy that aims to destroy anything that might be useful to the enemy. Any assets that could be used by the enemy may be targeted, which usually includes obvious weapons, transport vehicles, communi ...
" or "great fire".
![Magellan's voyage EN](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Magellan%27s_voyage_EN.svg)
The
Rajahnate of Cebu
Cebu, or Sugbu, also called the Cebu Rajanate, was an Indianized raja (monarchical) mandala (polity) on the island of Cebu in the Philippines prior to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. It is known in ancient Chinese records as the nat ...
was a native kingdom which existed in Cebu prior to the arrival of the Spaniards. It was founded by
Sri Lumay otherwise known as ''
Rajamuda Lumaya'',
[Santarita, J. B. (2018). Panyupayana: The Emergence of Hindu Polities in the Pre-Islamic Philippines. Cultural and Civilisational Links Between India and Southeast Asia, 93–105.] a half-Malay, half-Tamil prince of the
Chola dynasty
The Chola dynasty was a Tamils, Tamil thalassocratic Tamil Dynasties, empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated ...
who invaded
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
. 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.
The capital of the nation was
Singhapala
Singhapala (Baybayin: , ceb, Dakbayan sa Singapala, tl, Lungsod ng Singapala, Old Malay: ''Kota Singapura'') was an ancient fortified city or a region, the capital of the Indianized Rajahnate of Cebu. The location of this ancient city is what ...
(சிங்கப்பூர்)
[THE GENEALOGY OF HARI' TUPAS: AN ETHNOHISTORY OF CHIEFLY POWER AND HIERARCHY IN SUGBU AS A PROTOSTATE Astrid Sala-Boza](_blank)
Page 280. which is Tamil-Sanskrit for "Lion City", the same rootwords with the modern city-state of
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. The later Spanish chronicler Antonio Pigafetta misprounounced Singhapala as Cingopola instead.
Spanish colonial period
The arrival of
Portuguese explorer
Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 began a period of Spanish exploration and colonization.
Losing the favour of King
Manuel I of Portugal
Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), known as the Fortunate ( pt, O Venturoso), was King of Portugal from 1495 to 1521. A member of the House of Aviz, Manuel was Duke of Beja and Viseu prior to succeeding his cousin, John II of Portugal, a ...
for his plan of reaching the Spice Islands by sailing west from Europe, Magellan offered his services to King
Charles I of Spain (Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor). On September 20, 1519, Magellan led five ships with a total complement of 250 people from the Spanish fort of
Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Sanlúcar de Barrameda (), or simply Sanlúcar, is a city in the northwest of Cádiz province, part of the autonomous community of Andalucía in southern Spain. Sanlúcar is located on the left bank at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River oppos ...
en route to southeast Asia via the Americas and the 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 obtain provisions.
Arriving in Cebu City, Magellan, with
Enrique of Malacca as a translator, befriended
Rajah Humabon the Rajah or King of Cebu, and persuaded the natives to ally themselves with 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
Mactan is a densely populated island located a few kilometers (~1 mile) east of Cebu#Cebu Island, Cebu Island in the Philippines. The island is part of Cebu province and it is divided into the city of Lapu-Lapu City, Lapu-Lapu and the municipal ...
, 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 was killed by the natives of Mactan 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 the fleet back to Spain, circumnavigating the world.
![Visayans 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Visayans_1.png)
Survivors of the Magellan expedition returned to Spain with tales of a savage island in the
East Indies
The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around t ...
. Consequently, several Spanish expeditions were sent to the islands but all ended in failure. In 1564, Spanish explorers led by
Miguel López de Legazpi
Miguel López de Legazpi (12 June 1502 – 20 August 1572), also known as '' El Adelantado'' and ''El Viejo'' (The Elder), was a Spaniard who, from the age of 26, lived and built a career in Mexico (then the Viceroyalty of New Spain) and, i ...
, sailing from Mexico, arrived in 1565, and established a colony. The Spaniards fought the King,
Rajah Tupas, and occupied his territories. The Spaniards established settlements, trade flourished and renamed the island to "Villa del Santísimo 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 was established and in 1860, Cebu opened its ports 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.
American colonial period
In 1898, the island was ceded to the United States after the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (clock ...
and
Philippine–American War
The Philippine–American War or Filipino–American War ( es, Guerra filipina-estadounidense, tl, Digmaang Pilipino–Amerikano), previously referred to as the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency by the United States, was an arm ...
. 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.
World War II
Cebu, being one of the most densely populated islands in the Philippines, served as a
Japanese base during their occupation in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
which began with the landing of Japanese soldiers in April 1942. The
3rd
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (d ...
,
8th
8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9.
In mathematics
8 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2.
* a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...
, 82nd and 85th Infantry Division of the
Philippine Commonwealth Army
The Philippine Army was established on December 21, 1935, as the Army of the Philippines, with a general headquarters in Manila, and units and formations based throughout the provinces of the Philippines.
The Philippine Army was initially org ...
was re-established from January 3, 1942, to June 30, 1946, and the 8th Constabulary Regiment of the
Philippine Constabulary was reestablished again from October 28, 1944, to June 30, 1946, at the military general headquarters and the military camps and garrisoned in Cebu city and Cebu province. They started the
Anti-Japanese military operations in Cebu from April 1942 to September 1945 and helped Cebuano guerrillas and fought against the
Japanese Imperial forces
The Imperial Japanese Armed Forces (IJAF) were the combined military forces of the Japanese Empire. Formed during the Meiji Restoration in 1868,"One can date the 'restoration' of imperial rule from the edict of 3 January 1868." p. 334. they ...
. 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 M. Cushing Lieutenant Colonel James M. Cushing (circa 1910 – August 26, 1963) was a mining engineer in US Army who commanded the Philippine resistance against Japan on Cebu Island in the Philippines during World War II.Smith, R.R., 2005, Triumph in the Phil ...
, 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.
During the Marcos dictatorship
Cebu became a key center of resistance against the
Marcos dictatorship, first becoming apparent when the hastily put-together lineup of Pusyon Bisaya defeated the entire slate of Marcos'
Kilusang Bagong Lipunan
The New Society Movement ( fil, Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, KBL), formerly named the New Society Movement of United Nationalists, Liberals, et cetera ( fil, Kilusang Bagong Lipunan ng Nagkakaisang Nacionalista, Liberal, at iba pa, KBLNNL), is a ...
(KBL) in Region VII.
Among the Cebuanos immediately arrested by the Marcos dictatorship when Martial law was announced on September 23, 1972, were columnist and future National Artist
Resil Mojares and human rights lawyer and Carcar Vice Mayor
Democrito Barcenas, who were both detained at Camp Sergio Osmeña.
One of the Marcos Martial Law Desaparecidos from Cebu was Redemptorist Priest Fr.
Rudy Romano
Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas Regions of the P ...
,
a prominent Marcos critic and Executive Secretary of Cebu's Coalition against People's Persecution, who was accosted by armed men in Tisa, Labangon, Cebu City on June 11, 1985, and never seen again.
Levi Ybañez
Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines and capital of the Cebu Province. Acco ...
, Romano's colleague in the Coalition against People's Persecution, was abducted on the same day as Fr. Romano, and was also never heard from again.
Ribomapil Holganza, a prominent leader of Cebu's opposition was also arrested together with his son on Christmas Day, December 25, 1983, on political charges. He was subsequently released and cleared of all charges.
Role in the People Power revolution
Later, Cebu would play a key role in the days leading up to the 1986
People Power revolution
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...
and the ouster of Marcos. It was from Fuente Osmeña circle in Cebu City that the opposition forces relaunched Civil Disobedience Campaign against the Marcos regime and its cronies on February 22, 1986. After that, the Carmelite Monastery in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City, served as a refuge for opposition candidates Aquino and Laurel during the first day of the People Power revolution, because it was not yet safe to go back to Manila.
Recent history
In February 2012 Cebu island experienced the effects of
magnitude 6.7 earthquake on the neighboring island of Negros and was the largest quake in the area for 90 years. The tremor shook buildings but there were no reports of major building damage or loss of life on Cebu Island itself. This tremor was caused by a
previously unrecorded fault.
In October 2013, Cebu and Bohol were hit by record-setting
7.2 magnitude earthquake which left more than 100 dead and collapsed some buildings, including 5 historical churches. There were over 700 aftershocks. The northern part of the province was devastated by
Typhoon Haiyan
Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Yolanda, was one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded. On making landfall, Haiyan devastated portions of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines. It is one of the ...
a month later.
In December 2021,
Typhoon Rai wreaked havoc across the province, leading to a disaster declaration by the governor.
Geography
Cebu is located to the east of
Negros
Negros is the fourth largest and third most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of . Negros is one of the many islands of the Visayas, in the central part of the country. The predominant inhabitants of the island region a ...
, to the west of
Leyte
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has be ...
and
Bohol
Bohol (), officially the Province of Bohol ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Bohol; tl, Lalawigan ng Bohol), is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas Regions of the Philippines, region, consisting of the island itself and 75 m ...
islands. The province consists of Cebu Island, as well as 167 smaller islands, which include
Mactan
Mactan is a densely populated island located a few kilometers (~1 mile) east of Cebu Island in the Philippines. The island is part of Cebu province and it is divided into the city of Lapu-Lapu and the municipality of Cordova. The island is sep ...
,
Bantayan,
Malapascua,
Olango and the
Camotes Islands. But the highly urbanized cities of
Cebu
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 ...
, Lapu-Lapu and
Mandaue are
independent cities
An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province).
Historical precursors
In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...
not under provincial supervision, yet are often grouped with the province for geographical and statistical purposes.
The province's land area is , or when the independent cities are included for geographical purposes, the total area is .
Cebu's central location, proximity to an unusually exotic tourist destination, ready access to a diversity of plant, animal and geological wonders within the island, and remoteness from earthquake and typhoon activity are some of the special attributes of Cebu.
Cebu Island
Cebu Island is the
126th largest island in the world. Cebu Island itself is long and narrow, stretching from north to south and across at its widest point. It 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 high. Flat tracts of land can be found in the city of
Bogo and in the towns of
San Remigio,
Medellin and
Daanbantayan
Daanbantayan, officially the Municipality of Daanbantayan ( ceb, Lungsod sa Daanbantayan; tgl, Bayan ng Daanbantayan), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 93, ...
at the northern region of the province.
The island's area is , making it the 9th largest island in the Philippines. It supports over 4.4 million people, of which 2.5 million live in
Metro Cebu.
Beaches, coral atolls, islands, and rich fishing grounds surround Cebu.
Coal was first discovered in Cebu about 1837. There were 15 localities over the whole island, on both coasts; some desultory mining had been carried out Naga near Mount Uling, but most serious operations were at Licos and Camansi west of Compostela and Danao. Active work ceased about 1895 with insurrections, and no production worked for more than ten years. A topographic and geologic survey of Compostela, Danao, and Carmen took place in 1906. The Compostela-Danao coalfield contained about six million workable tons. The tramroads, one from Danao to Camansi, one from Compostela to Mount Licos, were undertaken in 1895, together with a wagon road built in 1877, from Cotcot to Dapdap.
Climate
The climate of Cebu is tropical. There are 2 seasons in Cebu − the dry and wet season. It is dry and sunny most of the year with some occasional rains during the months of June to December. The province of Cebu normally gets typhoons once a year or none.
Northern Cebu gets more rainfall and typhoons than southern Cebu because it has a different climate.
Typhoon Haiyan
Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Yolanda, was one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded. On making landfall, Haiyan devastated portions of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines. It is one of the ...
(Yolanda) hit Northern Cebu in 2013 killing 73 people and injuring 348 others. Though most typhoons hit only the northern part of Cebu, the urban areas in central Cebu are sometimes hit, such as when
Typhoon Mike
Typhoon Mike, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Ruping, of 1990 was the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines since Typhoon Irma in 1981 and Typhoon Nina in 1987. Forming from an area of persistent convection over the Caroline Islands, Mike ...
(Ruping), one of the worst to hit Cebu lashed the central Cebu area in 1990. 31 years later,
Typhoon Rai struck the central and southern portions of the province.
Cebu's temperatures can reach a high of from March to May, and as low as in the mountains during the wet season. The average temperature is around , and does not fluctuate much except during the month of May, which is the hottest month. Cebu averages 70–80% humidity.
Flora
Cebu has little remaining forest cover. The remaining forest patches in Cebu are composed primarily of the following tree species.
*
Mount Lantoy
Mount Lantoy is a mountain located inland from the municipality of Argao, Cebu in the Philippines.
Watershed forest reserve
Mt. Lantoy was declared as a watershed forest reserve by virtue of ''Presidential Proclamation No. 414'' on June 29, 19 ...
: ''
Carallia brachiata
''Carallia brachiata'' is a large tree in the family Rhizophoraceae, that grows to a height of and found from Australia, Malesia, Indochina through to the Western Ghats. It is the host plant of the moth ''Dysphania percota'' in India and ''Dys ...
'' and introduced species ''
Tectona grandis'', ''
Swietenia macrophylla
''Swietenia macrophylla'', commonly known as mahogany, Honduran mahogany, Honduras mahogany, or big-leaf mahogany is a species of plant in the Meliaceae family. It is one of three species that yields genuine mahogany timber (Swietenia), the othe ...
'', ''
Gmelina arborea
''Gmelina arborea'', (in English beechwood, gmelina, goomar teak, Kashmir tree, Malay beechwood, white teak, yamane ), locally known as gamhar, is a fast-growing deciduous tree in the family Lamiaceae.
Distribution and habitat
''Gmelina arborea ...
'', and ''
Casuarina equisetifolia
''Casuarina equisetifolia'', common names ''Coastal She-oak'' or ''Horsetail She-oak'' (sometimes referred to as the Australian pine tree or whistling pine tree outside Australia), is a she-oak species of the genus ''Casuarina''. The native ...
''
*Palinipinon Mountains: ''
Carallia brachiata
''Carallia brachiata'' is a large tree in the family Rhizophoraceae, that grows to a height of and found from Australia, Malesia, Indochina through to the Western Ghats. It is the host plant of the moth ''Dysphania percota'' in India and ''Dys ...
'' and introduced species ''
Swietenia macrophylla
''Swietenia macrophylla'', commonly known as mahogany, Honduran mahogany, Honduras mahogany, or big-leaf mahogany is a species of plant in the Meliaceae family. It is one of three species that yields genuine mahogany timber (Swietenia), the othe ...
''
*Nug-as forest: ''
Ficus
''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending in ...
'' spp., ''
Artocarpus blancoi
''Artocarpus blancoi'' is a species of plant in the family Moraceae endemic to the Philippines. Its habitat (among seasonal forest or thicket growth in low-lying areas) is threatened.
It is locally known as ''tipolo'' or ''antipolo'' by the Fi ...
'', ''
Macarang grandifolia'', and ''
Cinnamomum cebuense
''Cinnamomum cebuense'', the Cebu cinnamon or, locally, kaningag, is a species of cinnamon endemic to Cebu Island, Philippines. It was first discovered in Cantipla, Cebu in mid-1980s and described by Kostermans in 1986. The tree is endemic to t ...
''
*Mount Lanaya: ''
Carallia brachiata
''Carallia brachiata'' is a large tree in the family Rhizophoraceae, that grows to a height of and found from Australia, Malesia, Indochina through to the Western Ghats. It is the host plant of the moth ''Dysphania percota'' in India and ''Dys ...
''
*Mount Tabunan: ''
Trevesia burckii
''Trevesia burckii'' is a flowering plant in the family Araliaceae
The Araliaceae are a family of flowering plants composed of about 43 genera and around 1500 species consisting of primarily woody plants and some herbaceous plants. The morph ...
'', ''
Voacanga globosa'', ''
Schefflera actinophylla'', ''
Pouteria villamilii
''Pouteria villamilii'' (also called white nato) is a species of plant in the family Sapotaceae. It is endemic to the Philippines. It is threatened by habitat loss
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the ...
'', and ''
Palaquium luzoniense
''Palaquium luzoniense'', also called red nato, is a species of plant in the family Sapotaceae. It is endemic to the Philippines. It is threatened by habitat loss
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the p ...
''
Fauna
Endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
species in Cebu include the Cebu Flowerpecker (''
Dicaeum quadricolor
The Cebu flowerpecker (''Dicaeum quadricolor'') is a small passerine bird. It is endemic to Cebu Island in the Philippines. Feared to have become extinct early in the 20th century, it was rediscovered in 1992 in a small patch of limestone forest ...
''), Cebu Slender Skink (''
Brachymeles cebuensis
Rabor's short-legged skink (''Brachymeles cebuensis'') is a species of skink endemic to the Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* ...
''), and Black Shama (''
Copsychus cebuensis'').
Administrative divisions
![Ph fil cebu](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Ph_fil_cebu.png)
The province of Cebu has 3
independent cities
An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province).
Historical precursors
In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...
(
Cebu
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 ...
,
Lapu-Lapu, and
Mandaue) that are not under provincial supervision but are grouped with the province for geographical and statistical purposes, 6 component cities (
Bogo,
Carcar
Carcar, officially the City of Carcar ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Carcar; fil, Lungsod ng Carcar), is a 5th class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Cebu, Philippines. Accord ...
,
Danao,
Naga
Naga or NAGA may refer to:
Mythology
* Nāga, a serpentine deity or race in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions
* Naga Kingdom, in the epic ''Mahabharata''
* Phaya Naga, mythical creatures believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong Riv ...
,
Talisay, and
Toledo
Toledo most commonly refers to:
* Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain
* Province of Toledo, Spain
* Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States
Toledo may also refer to:
Places Belize
* Toledo District
* Toledo Settlement
Bolivia
* Toledo, Orur ...
), and 44 municipalities for a total of 53 units as listed below:
Demographics
![Basilica Minore del Santo Nino](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Basilica_Minore_del_Santo_Nino.jpg)
The population of Cebu Province in 2015 was 2,938,982 people, with a density of . When the independent cities – Cebu City (922,611
), Lapu-Lapu (408,112
), and Mandaue (362,654
) – are included for geographical purposes, the total population is 4,632,359 people, with a population density of 870 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,300/sq mi).
The population of the
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 males and females. However, the male population in the region has been increasing at a faster rate compared to the female population.
In 2010, the median age of the population of the province was 23.0 years, which means that half of the population was younger than 23.0 This is higher than the median age of 20.8 years that was recorded in 2000.
Languages
The
Cebuano language
Cebuano ([Cebuano]
on Merriam-Webster.com ), natively called by its generic term Bisaya or Binisaya (bot ...
is spoken in Cebu, which is also spoken in the rest of
Central Visayas and most parts of
Eastern Visayas
Eastern Visayas ( war, Sinirangan Kabisay-an; ceb, Sidlakang Kabisay-an; tl, Silangang Kabisayaan or ''Silangang Visayas'') is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region VIII. It consists of three main islands, Samar, ...
, as well as most provinces of
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
.
In the
Camotes Islands, especially in
Poro, people there speak their own Visayan language called
Porohanon
Poro Island (Filipino: Pulo ng Poro) is an island in the province of Cebu, located east of Cebu Island and west of Leyte Island. Two municipalities, Poro and Tudela, are located on Poro Island. It is one of the four Camotes Islands along with Pa ...
, which has
Masbateño and
Waray-Waray influences. Some of the residents in Bantayan islands also speak
Bantayanon
The Bantayanon language is the regional language of the Bantayan islands in the Philippines. It is a part of the Bisayan language family and is closely related to Waray and Hiligaynon. There are three dialects of Bantayanon, based in the three ...
, a Visayan language related to
Waray-Waray.
Religion
![Original Image of the Santo Niño de Cebu](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Original_Image_of_the_Santo_Ni%C3%B1o_de_Cebu.jpg)
The majority of its population are
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
followed by roughly 95% of Cebuanos . There are also followers of
Iglesia Filipina Independiente,
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
,
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
and
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
.
Cebu is the capital of the Catholic faith by virtue of being the first Christian city, the first capital of the
Spanish East Indies, and the birthplace of
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
and the Philippine Church.
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
, in his Homily for Families in Cebu (February 19, 1981), called the island as the birthplace of Christianity in the Philippines.
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
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...
. 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, San Nicolas de Tolentino Church, and other Christian churches, as well as several other non-Catholic churches, mosques and temples.
Government
* Governor:
Gwendolyn Garcia
Gwendolyn Fiel Garcia (born October 12, 1955) is a Filipina politician serving as the governor of Cebu since 2019, a position she previously held from 2004 and 2013—being the first woman to hold that office. She was the representative of Ceb ...
(
PDP–Laban
Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (), abbreviated as PDP–Laban, is a democratic socialist List of political parties in the Philippines, political party in the Philippines founded in 1982. It was part of the country's ruling party al ...
/
One Cebu/
HNP)
* Vice Governor:
Hilario P. Davide III (
LP/
BAKUD)
Congress
Economy
![Cebu City](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Cebu_City.jpg)
"
Ceboom Ceboom (sometimes spelled in all caps) is a portmanteau of "Cebu" and "boom", and has been used to refer to the rapid economic development of Cebu City in the early 1990s.
Role of Typhoon Ruping
Super Typhoon Mike (PAGASA name: Ruping) crossed Ceb ...
", a combination of ''Cebu'' and ''boom'', has been used to describe the province's economic development. With many beautiful islands, white sand beaches, luxury hotels and resorts, diving locations and heritage sites, high domestic and foreign tourist arrivals have fueled the tourism industry of Cebu. Cebu consistently gets a big share of tourist arrivals in the Philippines and has become the tourist gateway to Central and Southern Philippines due to its central geographic location, accessibility, and natural resources. The province also hosts various national and international conferences every year.
About 80% of domestic and international shipping operators and shipbuilders in the Philippines are located in Cebu. Shipbuilding companies in Cebu have manufactured bulk carriers of up to , and double-hulled
fastcraft
A high-speed craft (HSC) is a high-speed water vessel for civilian use, also called a fastcraft or fast ferry.
The first high-speed craft were often hydrofoils or hovercraft, but in the 1990s catamaran and monohull designs become more popul ...
as well. Cebu's industry helps make the Philippines the 5th largest shipbuilding country in the world.
Cebu's extensive port facilities and its proximity to intra-Asian shipping and air routes are major factors which led multinational companies to establish offices or factories on the main island, as well as in the island of Mactan, where they are clustered in special economic zones known as the Mactan Economic Processing Zone 1 (MEPZ-1) and the Mactan Economic Processing Zone 2 (MEPZ-2). Due to its burgeoning furniture-making industry, Cebu has been named as the furniture capital of the Philippines. Cebu's other exports include: fashion accessories, guitars, coconut, coconut oil, dried mangoes,
carrageenan, gifts, toys, watches, cameras, electronic components, and housewares.
With a revenue growth rate of 18.8 percent in 2012, the real estate industry is the fastest-growing sector in Cebu. With the strong economic indicators and high investors' confidence level, more condominium projects and hypermarkets are being developed in the locality. An additional 100 commercial and residential buildings would be completed by 2015 and another 170 to 200 buildings are expected to be finished by 2017. 64 new hypermarkets will be developed in Cebu.
In 2013, Cebu ranked 8th worldwide in the "Top 100 BPO Destinations Report" by global advisory firm, Tholons. The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, an organization of Cebu's businesses, is promoting the city's growth and economy on information and communications technology, with the aim of making Cebu the premier ICT, software and e-services investment destination in southeast Asia. Data gathered by the National Economic Development Authority (Neda) 7 showed that of the 98 BPO and IT companies operating in Cebu, 32 offer voice operations while 66 companies offer non-voice operations. Of the 95,000 employed by the industry, more than half or 50,000 are in the non-voice sector. In 2012, the growth in IT-BPO revenues in Cebu grew 26.9 percent at $484 million, while nationally, the industry grew 18.2 percent at $13 billion.
Cebu's economy is also driven by the mining and quarrying areas in
Toledo
Toledo most commonly refers to:
* Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain
* Province of Toledo, Spain
* Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States
Toledo may also refer to:
Places Belize
* Toledo District
* Toledo Settlement
Bolivia
* Toledo, Orur ...
,
Naga
Naga or NAGA may refer to:
Mythology
* Nāga, a serpentine deity or race in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions
* Naga Kingdom, in the epic ''Mahabharata''
* Phaya Naga, mythical creatures believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong Riv ...
,
Alcoy, and
Danao.
Cebu even boasts being a subsidiary of one of the leading ice rink manufacturers in the world. These rinks are engineered and fabricated in Cebu by Ice Rink Supply and shipped worldwide and Freeze Point Rink Services.
Tourism is an important industry for the province. In 2019, Cebu welcomed 1.4 million foreign tourists, and is one of the most visited in the country by both domestic and foreign visitors. Cebu Island has also entered the list of
Condé Nast Traveler
''Condé Nast Traveler'' is a luxury and lifestyle travel magazine published by Condé Nast. The magazine has won 25 National Magazine Awards.
The Condé Nast unit of Advance Publications purchased ''Signature'', a magazine for Diners Club memb ...
's World's Best Islands rankings thrice: 2016, 2017 and 2019.
Cebu City
Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas Regions of the P ...
and Cebu Province, despite being administratively separated from each other, are often marketed as a single tourist destination, combining natural countryside scenery with urban attractions including cultural-historical sites and developing infrastructure.
Infrastructure
![Mactan Cebu International Airport](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Mactan_Cebu_International_Airport.jpg)
The
Mactan–Cebu International Airport
Mactan–Cebu International Airport ( ceb, Tugpahanang Pangkalibutan sa Mactan–Sugbo; fil, Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Mactan–Cebu; ) is an international airport serving Metro Cebu and serves as the main gateway to the Central Visayas region ...
(MCIA) in
Mactan Island
Mactan is a densely populated island located a few kilometers (~1 mile) east of Cebu#Cebu Island, Cebu Island in the Philippines. The island is part of Cebu province and it is divided into the city of Lapu-Lapu City, Lapu-Lapu and the municipal ...
serves as the main gateway to domestic and international routes to or from Cebu City and other islands in the
Visayas
The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Bisayan languages, Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; tl, Kabisayaan ), are one of the three Island groups of the Philippines, principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao ...
region. In the last 15 years, MCIA's passenger traffic has grown at an annual average of 21% for international passenger traffic. The airport is the second busiest airport in the Philippines in passenger and cargo traffic. The plan for a new terminal expansion of the airport is underway and estimated to cost $240 million under a
public-private partnership program of the Philippine government. The new terminal will host international flights while the old terminal will host domestic flights.
In addition, MCIA Authority (MCIAA) General Manager
Nigel Paul Villarete
Nigel Paul C. Villarete (born September 18, 1962) is a Filipino civil engineer and urban planner. He was the general manager of Mactan–Cebu International Airport and the chief executive officer of the Mactan–Cebu International Airport Authorit ...
also proposed to establish a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line to transport airport passengers to and from MCIAA and different parts of Cebu. This will be integrated into the proposed
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System being planned in
Metro Cebu.
The
Port of Cebu
Port of Cebu ( ceb, Pantalan sa Sugbo) is a seaport located in Cebu City, Philippines. It is the port that serves the Metro Cebu Area and it is managed by the Cebu Port Authority. It is the largest domestic port in the Philippines, mostly serv ...
is the largest shipping hub in the Visayas region.
Cebu Pacific
Cebu Air, Inc., operating as Cebu Pacific (), is a low-cost airline of the Philippines. Founded in 1988, it is Asia's oldest low-cost airline. It offers scheduled flights to both domestic and international destinations. The airline operates fl ...
Air is an airline owned by Cebu-based Gokongwei family. On May 28, 2008, Cebu Pacific was named as the world's number one airline in terms of growth. The airline carried a total of almost 5.5 million passengers in 2007, up 57.4% from 2006. On January 6, 2011, Cebu Pacific flew its 50 millionth passenger (from
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
to
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
). The airline reached the 100 million passengers in 2015. Cebu Pacific commenced international long-haul flights to Middle East and Australia, flight to Guam starting Q1 2016.
Notable business districts are the
Cebu Business Park
Cebu Business Park (CBP) is a 50-hectare master-planned development in Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines. Cebu Holdings, an affiliate of Ayala Land, is currently responsible for the development of Cebu Business Park. Integrating business, residential, ...
and the
Cebu IT Park. This area hosts industries related to the information technology industry such as software development, telecommunications, engineering research and development centers, and business process outsourcing. In 2013,
Ayala Corporation's affiliate, Ayala Land Inc., announced that it is looking at introducing another business park development within the Cebu City area to optimize the high performance of real estate investments in Cebu.
The city's reclamation forms South Road Properties – a mixed-use development south of the city which features entertainment, leisure, residential and business-processing industries.
Is the site of
SM Seaside City Cebu
SM Seaside, (formerly SM Seaside City Cebu) also known locally as Seaside, is a large shopping mall owned and developed by SM Prime Holdings in South Road Properties, Cebu City, Philippines. The mall opened on November 27, 2015, exactly 22 yea ...
, the
eighth largest mall in the world (and
3rd largest shopping mall in the Philippines),
Filinvest
Filinvest Development Corporation (), is the publicly listed holding company for the various firms in the Filinvest group. It was established in 1955 in the Philippines by Andrew L. Gotianun Sr. and his wife, Mercedes Gotianun, as a used-car f ...
's Citta di Mare and Il Corso,
and the
University of the Philippines – Cebu campus.
In Mactan Island,
Megaworld Corporation's Mactan Newtown is a 25-hectare business park near Shangri-La's Mactan Resort and Spa. The project will be home to high-tech offices, a retail center, residential towers and villages, leisure facilities with a beach resort frontage.
Mactan Island is linked to mainland Cebu via
Mactan-Mandaue Bridge and
Marcelo Fernan Bridge.
Media
Cebu is home to a local television station,
Cebu Catholic Television Network (CCTN).
Despite having their own local stations, Cebuanos prefer to watch the Philippines's several dominant television networks, namely:
ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine Commercial broadcasting, commercial broadcast broadcast network, network tha ...
,
People's Television Network
People's Television Network ( fil, Telebisyon ng Bayan; abbreviated PTV) is the flagship State broadcasting, state broadcaster owned by the Government of the Philippines. Founded in 1974, PTV is the main brand of People's Television Network, In ...
,
IBC IBC is an initialism that can stand for:
Broadcasting
*Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation, Channel 13, Philippines
* International Beacon Project, Worldwide network of radio propagation beacons
*International Broadcast Centre
*International ...
,
The 5 Network
TV5 (also known as 5 and formerly known as ABC) is a Philippine free-to-air television network based in Mandaluyong, with its alternate studios located in Novaliches, Quezon City. It is the flagship property of TV5 Network, Inc. with Cignal TV ...
,
CNN Philippines
CNN Philippines (abbreviated as CNN PH) is a commercial broadcast, cable and satellite television network in the Philippines. It is owned and operated by Nine Media Corporation, together with Radio Philippines Network (RPN) as the main content ...
, and
GMA Network
GMA Network (Global Media Arts or simply GMA) is a Philippine free-to-air television and radio network. It is the flagship property of publicly traded GMA Network, Inc. Its first broadcast on television was on October 29, 1961. GMA Network (f ...
.
While national newspapers have a presence on the island, Cebu has English-language local newspapers – ''
The Freeman
''The Freeman'' (formerly published as ''The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty'' or ''Ideas on Liberty'') was an American libertarian magazine, formerly published by the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE). It was founded in 1950 by John Chamberl ...
'' (under the
Star Group
A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by its gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night, but their immense distances from Earth mak ...
), ''
SunStar Cebu
''SunStar Cebu'', often stylized as ''Sun•Star Cebu'' (formerly ''Sun•Star Daily''), is a community newspaper in Cebu City, the Philippines. It is the flagship newspaper of the SunStar network of newspapers and is the leading newspaper in ...
'' and ''Cebu Daily News'' (under the
Inquirer Group): and Cebuano-language newspapers – ''SunStar SuperBalita'' owned by SunStar, and ''Banat News'' owned by ''The Freeman''. Each of the local newspapers sell cheaper than their national counterparts.
Education
The Philippine elementary school begins from Grades 1 to 6. The high school program takes six years, from Grades 7 through to 12, taken after graduating from elementary school. Cebu is considered as the main education hub in the
Visayas
The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Bisayan languages, Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; tl, Kabisayaan ), are one of the three Island groups of the Philippines, principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao ...
. It has eleven large universities each with a number of college branches mostly throughout the capital,
Cebu City
Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas Regions of the P ...
, 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 (in alphabetical order):
*
Cebu Doctors University
Cebu Doctors' University, also referred to by its acronym CDU and colloquially Cebu Doc, is a private nonsectarian coeducational higher education institution located in Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines. It was founded in 1973 at Cebu City as Cebu ...
*
Cebu Institute of Technology–University
*
Cebu Normal University
*
Cebu Technological University
Cebu Technological University ( ceb, Unibersidad Teknolohiko sa Sugbo), abbreviated as CTU and also known as Cebu Tech, is a public, non-sectarian, coeducational, state-funded higher education institution located in Cebu, Philippines. CTU was o ...
*
Southwestern University
Southwestern University (Southwestern or SU) is a private liberal arts college in Georgetown, Texas. Formed in 1873 from a revival of collegiate charters granted in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest college or university in Texas. Southwestern o ...
*
University of Cebu
*
University of San Carlos
The University of San Carlos, also referred to by its acronym USC or colloquially shortened to San Carlos, is a private, Catholic, research, coeducational basic and higher education institution administered by the Philippine Southern Province ...
*
University of San Jose–Recoletos
*
University of Southern Philippines Foundation
The University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) is a private, non-sectarian university in Cebu City, Philippines. USPF boasts of diverse program offerings, a highly competent teaching force, and complete facilities to ensure that its s ...
*
University of the Philippines Cebu
The University of the Philippines Cebu (; ; also referred to as UPC or UP Cebu) is a public research university and the youngest constituent university of the University of the Philippines System located in Cebu City, the capital city of Cebu pr ...
*
University of the Visayas
*UV Gullas College of Medicine
Other notable institutions include:
Asian College of Technology
Asian College of Technology, officially the ''Asian College of Technology - International Educational Foundation'' (ACT-IEF or simply ACT), is a private college in the Philippines, located in Cebu City and Talisay City, in the Cebu province.
A ...
in Cebu City and
Talisay, Benedicto College,
Cebu Eastern College
Cebu Eastern College () is a Chinese Filipino school at the corner of Dimasalang and Leon Kilat in Cebu City, Philippines. The campus offers kindergarten, elementary, high school and college classes. Their other campus is at D. Jakosalem whic ...
,
Cebu Institute of Medicine
Cebu Institute of Medicine (CIM) is the independently administered medical school arm of Velez College in Cebu City, Philippines.
Both are located adjacent to each other in F. Ramos Street. Its primary base hospital is the Cebu Velez General Hos ...
, a medical school in affiliation with
Velez College
Velez College is a private educational institution in Cebu City, Cebu, widely known for offering Allied health professions, allied health degrees. It was founded by Dr. Jacinto Velez, Sr. in 1952, who was then chairman of the board of trustees of ...
, The
International Academy of Film and Television
The International Academy of Film and Television (IAFT) is a trade film school offering diploma and certificate programs in filmmaking, acting, and 3D animation. IAFT includes significant amounts of hands-on practical experience under the care and ...
, established in
Mactan
Mactan is a densely populated island located a few kilometers (~1 mile) east of Cebu Island in the Philippines. The island is part of Cebu province and it is divided into the city of Lapu-Lapu and the municipality of Cordova. The island is sep ...
in 2004 and Cebu's first film school,
Matias H. Aznar Memorial College of Medicine
Matias H. Aznar Memorial College of Medicine, Inc. (MHAM CM, Inc.) is a medical school in Cebu City, Philippines. It was founded in 1947.
History
Matias H. Aznar Memorial College of Medicine, Inc. (MHAM CM, Inc.) is a non-stock educational in ...
,
Salazar Colleges of Science and Institute of Technology, among others.
Cebu is home to one fully accredited international school,
Cebu International School, a
K–12
K–12, from kindergarten to 12th grade, is an American English expression that indicates the range of years of publicly supported primary and secondary education found in the United States, which is similar to publicly supported school grade ...
school established in 1924.
Cebu is considered to be a hub of medical education, with many international students coming to study medicine in Cebu's medical schools. Some of Cebu's well-known medical schools are in
Cebu Doctors University
Cebu Doctors' University, also referred to by its acronym CDU and colloquially Cebu Doc, is a private nonsectarian coeducational higher education institution located in Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines. It was founded in 1973 at Cebu City as Cebu ...
and
Cebu Institute of Medicine
Cebu Institute of Medicine (CIM) is the independently administered medical school arm of Velez College in Cebu City, Philippines.
Both are located adjacent to each other in F. Ramos Street. Its primary base hospital is the Cebu Velez General Hos ...
.
Tourism
Attractions
Cebu City
Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas Regions of the P ...
is a significant cultural centre in the Philippines. The imprint of Spanish and Roman Catholic culture is evident. There are also many historically important sights all over the province.
Magellan's Cross full.jpg, Magellan's Cross, Cebu City
Bagacay Point Lighthouse-cr.jpg, Bagacay Point Lighthouse, Liloan
Malapascua Island, Sunset on the beach, Philippines.jpg , Bounty Beach, Malapascua Island
Malapascua is a Philippine island situated in the Visayan Sea, across a shallow strait from the northernmost tip of Cebu Island. Administratively, it is part of the peninsular barangay of Logon, Daanbantayan, Cebu. Malapascua is a small island, ...
, Daanbantayan
Daanbantayan, officially the Municipality of Daanbantayan ( ceb, Lungsod sa Daanbantayan; tgl, Bayan ng Daanbantayan), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 93, ...
Tingko Beach, Philippines.jpg, Tingko Beach
Alcoy, officially the Municipality of Alcoy ( ceb, Lungsod sa Alcoy; tgl, Bayan ng Alcoy), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 19,186 people.
It is named after ...
, Alcoy
Island in the sky.jpg, Island in the Sky mountain resort, Balamban
Balamban, officially the Municipality of Balamban ( ceb, Lungsod sa Balamban; tgl, Bayan ng Balamban), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 95,136 people.
Mount ...
Bantayan municipality from far end of quay.JPG, Bantayan from far end of quay
Boljoon Church, Cebu.jpg, Boljoon Church
The Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio de Maria Parish Church (Our Lady of Patronage of Mary Parish Church), commonly known as Boljoon Church, is a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to the Our Lady of Patrocinio in the municipality of Boljoon, Cebu, Phil ...
Boljoon
Carcar City Museum.jpg, Carcar Museum (formerly Carcar Dispensary), Carcar
Carcar, officially the City of Carcar ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Carcar; fil, Lungsod ng Carcar), is a 5th class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Cebu, Philippines. Accord ...
Bogo Cebu.jpg, St. Vincent Ferrer Church, Bogo
Argao Church and belfry.jpg, Argao Church
Argao Church, canonically known as the Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of Saint Michael the Archangel, is a Roman Catholic church in Argao, Cebu, Philippines. The municipality of Argao was established as a parish in 1703 under the Augustinian order. ...
An Unnamed Waterfalls in Cebu, Philippines.jpg, Waterfalls in Cebu
Cuisine
Cebu also has a great number of delicacies from every town. Much of the delicacies are either Precolonial or influenced by Spanish or Chinese cuisines.
File:Lechon.jpg, Cebu Lechon is among the two types of lechon in the Philippines. It is primarily served around the Metro Cebu Area, particularly Talisay City, but is served all throughout the island and other parts of the Visayas
The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Bisayan languages, Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; tl, Kabisayaan ), are one of the three Island groups of the Philippines, principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao ...
.
File:Lechon liempo (pork belly lechon) Philippines.jpg, Liempo is a variation of lechon that only comprises the pork belly. In Cebu, it is primarily served in Balamban.
File:Rosquillos.jpg, Rosquillos
''Rosquillos'' are Philippine cookies made from flour, eggs, shortening, sugar, and baking powder. They were originally created by Margarita “Titay” T. Frasco in 1907 in Liloan, Cebu. The name means "ringlet" in Spanish (from ''rosca'', "r ...
are Philippine cookies that originate from Liloan.
File:Titay's Rosquillos Corazon.jpg, The Corazon Rosquillos, a special variety of Rosquillos from ''Titay's'' that has a heart-shaped hole instead of a circular one.
File:9668Photos taken during 2020 coronavirus pandemic Baliuag, Bulacan 48.jpg, Chicharon is a common Filipino Food that is made up of crispy fried pork rinds. In Cebu, it is commonly found in Carcar.
File:Ampao from Carcar, Cebu.jpg, Ampaw is a Cebuano snack made from fried white rice coated in syrup, usually with Peanuts inside. It originates from Carcar.
File:Puso- Rice from Cebu City.JPG, Pusô
''Pusô'' or ''tamu'', sometimes known in Philippine English as "hanging rice", is a Filipino rice cake made by boiling rice in a woven pouch of palm leaves. It is most commonly found in octahedral, diamond, or rectangular shapes, but it can al ...
is rice boiled in a woven pouch made from palm leaves. It is common all throughout the Visayas.
File:Humba (Philippines).jpg, Humbà
''Humbà'', also spelled ''hombà'', is a Filipino braised pork dish originating from the Visayas Islands of the Philippines. It traditionally uses pork belly slow-cooked until very tender in soy sauce, vinegar, black peppercorns, garlic, b ...
is a braised pork dish from the Visayas. In Cebu, it is primarily served in Ronda.
File:Otap.jpg, Otap is an oval-shaped puff pastry cookie that originates from Cebu.
File:Masareal (Philippines).jpg, Masareal
Masareal or masa real is a Filipino delicacy made from a mixture of finely-ground boiled peanuts and sugar. It is dried and cut into rectangular bars. It is traditionally sold wrapped in white paper. It originates from Mandaue, Cebu. The known m ...
is a Cebuano delicacy that is made from a mixture of finely-ground boiled peanuts, coconut syrup ( latík), and water. It originates from Mandaue.
File:Binaki (sweet tamales) in the Philippines.jpg, Pintos, also known as ''Binaki'', is a Philippine steamed corn sweet tamales that is served in both Bukidnon and Cebu, particularly in Bogo.
Toddy Bottle and Glass.jpg, Tubâ
Tubâ () is a Filipino alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm trees. During the Spanish colonial period, tubâ was introduced to Guam, the Marianas, and Mexico via the Manila Galleons. They remain popular in Mexico, ...
, is a type of Philippine Coconut wine or "toddy" found in the Visayas. In Cebu, it is found in both Borbon and Argao
Argao, officially the Municipality of Argao ( ceb, Lungsod sa Argao; tgl, Bayan ng Argao), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 78,187 people.
Geography
The munic ...
.
Festivals
;Sinulog
![Viva for Niño](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Viva_for_Ni%C3%B1o.jpg)
The Sinulog Festival is the largest fiesta (festival) in the Philippines. Held every third Sunday of January, it commemorates the
Child Jesus (''Santo Niño''), the Lord and Protector of Cebu. 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 the current (''sulog'') of what was then known as Cebu's Pahina River. Thus the name Sinulog.
The Sinulog Festival celebration lasts for nine days, culminating on the final day with the Sinulog Grand Parade. The day before the parade, the Fluvial Procession is held at dawn with a statue of the Santo Niño carried on a pump boat from Mandaue City to Cebu City, decked with hundreds of flowers and candles. The procession ends at the Basilica where a re-enactment of the Christianization of the Philippines on the island of Cebu is performed. In the afternoon, a more solemn procession takes place along the major streets of the city, which last for hours due to large crowds participating in the event.
When the Spaniards arrived in Cebu, the Italian chronicler,
Antonio Pigafetta, sailing under convoy with the Magellan expedition, offered the wooden figure of the Santo Niño as a baptismal gift to Hara Amihan, wife of Rajah Humabon who was named Juana after her baptism together with the Rajah, who was also renamed, Carlos. Juana, together with the natives, according to tradition, danced and worshipped the Santo Niño de Cebu in their indigenous Sinulog dance ritual. According to legend, the Rajah's adviser, Baladhay, had fallen ill and was bedridden. The Rajah ordered his men to place Baladhay before the image of Santo Niño hoping that the Holy Child would heal him. The next day, the whole
Kingdom of Sugbo was awoken to an angry Baladhay who was threatening the Child with a grass knife, appearing to have also fully recovered from his illness. When the Rajah asked him why he was threatening the Child, he told the Rajah that the Child Jesus had mischievously woken him up with a coconut midrib. Irritated by the Child, he grabbed his knife and threatened the Child by swaying the grass knife at the Child, but the Child simply evaded the knife by dancing. Because the Child was so swift at evading the knife, he had no choice but to dance with the Child as well to keep up his pace. He also explained that the Child's dance resembled the river current. Baladhay is believed to be the first person to dance the Sinulog. The Sinulog ritual was preserved after the Spaniards colonized the Philippines, with the focus still on the worship to the Santo Niño. Once the Santo Niño church was built in the 16th century, the Catholic
Malay people
Malays ( ms, Orang Melayu, Jawi: أورڠ ملايو) are an Austronesian ethnic group native to eastern Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula and coastal Borneo, as well as the smaller islands that lie between these locations — areas that are ...
started performing the Sinulog ritual in front of the church, the devotees offering candles and indigenous dancers shouting ''"Viva Pit Señor!"'', which means to "Trust in the Lord".
In the province, the festival is shared by both Cebu City and
Carmen
''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...
. The festival is said to have originated in Carmen and was once a localized version of the
Ati-atihan Festival introduced by Jose Motos, the then rector of the Parish of
St. Augustine
Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afri ...
, the town parish of Carmen, but was then changed to "Sinulog sa Carmen" after Sinulog became an established Cebuano festival. The Sinulog dance was first introduced to Cebu City by a woman named Estelita Diola, who would otherwise be referred to as "Titang Diola". Her family was skilled with the original form of the dance of Sinulog and the tradition was eventually passed on to her by her father. Because of her great contribution and propagation of the Sinulog dance of Cebu, she was referred to as the "Heritage Keeper". The original Sinulog dance and her legacy of devotion to the Child Jesus through dancing continues today even after her death and is still continued through her former students who now teach the youth of Cebu the original dance moves of Sinulog. Sinulog had since very much diversified from the original dance of Titang Diola. Today we can see the Sinulog danced every day at the
Basilica Minore del Santo Niño
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...
performed by the candle vendors. The version they perform is called "Sinug" and is only for worship and prayer to bless the candles for prayers to the Holy Child. The Sinulog Festival dance performed by contingents in the City Sports Center is still religious and devotional since dancers often include personal supplications, petitions, thanksgivings, intercessions, or any other prayers in their dance for the Child Jesus and their dance performances in street dance and ritual showdown are still centered on the Holy Child. There are mainly two types of Sinulog dances performed in the festival, namely the "Sinulog-Based Category" and the "Free Interpretation Category". The Sinulog-Based Category refers to the Sinulog dance based on the Church Sinulog performed by candle vendors while the Free Interpretation Category refers to the Sinulog dance interpreted in any way, outside Church Sinulog, for as long as it is acceptable in the festival. In recent years, the festival gained commercialization which made the festival and Cebu popular, but unfortunately lessened the religious nature of the festival. Despite the extreme commercialization of the festival, Sinulog still remains to be a religious festival for the faithful. Sinulog still remains to be a dance of prayer. Much of the participants of the festival are devotees, themselves, of the Santo Niño and often attach their own personal prayers in their dances as either a petition, a thanksgiving, or just an offering.
In the 1980s and 2000s, the city authorities of Cebu added the religious feast of Santo Niño de Cebu during the Sinulog Festival to its cultural event. Despite being a religious festival and a Christian festival, Sinulog has come to be a celebration for all Cebuanos and Filipinos regardless of their faith and practices. Aside from its religious nature, Sinulog has also become renowned for its street parties. In 2012, Cebu introduced Life Dance, the biggest outdoor dance party in the Philippines. The Sinulog street parties are considered a major attraction for youth individuals but, in most cases for most people, particularly the faithful, a growing problem that threatens the religiosity and solemnity of the festival. In 2016, the festival had the worst recorded case of a stampede wherein large groups of people, both worshippers and drunken party-goers, were congested in the uptown area, with no passable exit routes and virtually no crowd control up until midnight and with one recorded case of a teenage woman losing consciousness because of cramped spaces. Due to this incident, the then Cebu City Mayor
Tomas Osmeña enforced a strict liquor ban in the following festivals during his term to ensure the safety of the worshippers and spectators and to maintain the solemnity of the celebration.
;Kadaugan sa Mactan
Literally translates to the "Victory in Mactan", this is a historical festival reenactment of the
Battle of Mactan. Celebrated canonically on April 27, It depicts the events before, during, and immediately after the defeat of Portuguese Navigator
Ferdinand Magellan at the hands of Lapu-lapu and his men. Much of the historical activities take place in Mactan Shrine, the site of the Battle of Mactan. Usually, in the Kadaugan sa Mactan, Filipino celebrities, especially celebrities of Cebuano origin, are chosen to portray the key characters of the events of the Battle of Mactan (specifically Lapu-lapu, his wife ''Reyna Bulakna'', and Magellan). This is typically a week-long celebration and culminates with the ''Rampada Festival'', a stylized contemporary reenactment of the victory celebration after the battle in Mactan, incorporating Latin and ballroom dances and steps. Despite the Sinulog Festival being more popular by comparison, the Kadaugan had already been established as a festival of Cebu and its culture and history long before Sinulog was an established festival.
;Pasigarbo sa Sugbo
Literally translates to the "Celebration in Cebu", this Festival is a relatively new festival in Cebu, conceptualized in 2008. This festival was the "Brainchild" of Cebu's first female governor,
Gwendolyn Garcia
Gwendolyn Fiel Garcia (born October 12, 1955) is a Filipina politician serving as the governor of Cebu since 2019, a position she previously held from 2004 and 2013—being the first woman to hold that office. She was the representative of Ceb ...
. This festival was a program and a major tourism endeavor initiated by the governor in order to promote Cebu as an entire province and to celebrate Cebu in its culture, faith, history, and continuous advancement. In this festival, each individual town in Cebu is encouraged to showcase a theme, a product, a festival, or something unique from their place. Despite, in itself, not being a religious festival, praise, thanksgiving, and worship to God, as well as devotion to the patron saints of each town of Cebu is also given emphasis in the festival (as hinted in the category for portable processional platforms for patron saints or ''Best in Andas'' category). Unlike the Sinulog Festival, which is limited to two major categories (Sinulog-based and Free Interpretation), Participants of Pasigarbo are given more freedom in the interpretation of the culture, faith, history, and products of their hometowns. Ever since its conception, the festival had been celebrated yearly at the
Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) in Mandaue, around the date of the Provincial Charter Day of Cebu which is celebrated every August 6, however, was ceased after 2012. This was largely due to the
2013 Bohol earthquake
The 2013 Bohol earthquake occurred on October 15 at in Bohol, an island province located in Central Visayas, Philippines. The magnitude of the earthquake was recorded at 7.2, with epicenter of Sagbayan, and its depth of focus was . It affe ...
, which also heavily affected Cebu, as well as the lack of support from the provincial government for both the repair of the CICC and the festival itself. This was mainly because Garcia was no longer in position as governor at the time. Fortunately, the festival was recently relaunched in 2019, less than a month after Garcia's return to the provincial seat. Unlike previous celebrations, the 2019 Pasigarbo, due to the abandoned state of the CICC, was celebrated, much like the Sinulog Festival, in the
Cebu City Sports Complex. As per its return, it has established itself once more as a provincial festival and a new addition to Cebu's prime festivals and significant dates, together with the Sinulog Festival and the Kadaugan sa Mactan.
Other Festivals
;Panagtagbo sa Mandaue
This is a religious festival from Mandaue City that is in honor of the
Holy Family
The Holy Family consists of the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. The subject became popular in art from the 1490s on, but veneration of the Holy Family was formally begun in the 17th century by Saint François de Laval, the first ...
and is greatly inspired from and is associated directly with the religious activities of the Sinulog Festival. The name of the festival is the Cebuano term for "gathering". This is because the festival celebrates the ''Translacion'' (Transfer of Relic) of the Santo Niño de Cebu and
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Our Lady of Guadalupe ( es, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe), also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe ( es, Virgen de Guadalupe), is a Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus associated with a series of five Marian apparitions, which are believed t ...
to the Archdiocesan Shrine of
St. Joseph
Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers ...
, the patron saint of Mandaue. It replaced the
Mantawi Festival The Mantawi Festival is an annual festival celebrated every on May 7th in Mandaue City in Cebu, Philippines.
History
The city of Mandaue and the festival is named after a tree that grew abundantly in the shores of the Cebu. The cove was found ...
as the festival of Mandaue. The Festival is celebrated on the Thursday before the Sinulog Festival or the day before the Translacion which marks the start of the
Triduum
A triduum (plural: ''tridua'') is a religious observance lasting three days.
Major tridua
The best-known and most significant example today is the liturgical Paschal Triduum (the three days from the evening of Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday). ...
of the "Fiesta Señor" activities.
;Sugat Kabanhawan
![Kabanhawan sa minglanilla Cebu Philippines](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Kabanhawan_sa_minglanilla_Cebu_Philippines.jpg)
This is the
Easter
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
Festival of
Minglanilla
Minglanilla, officially the Municipality of Minglanilla ( ceb, Lungsod sa Minglanilla; tgl, Bayan ng Minglanilla), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 151,002 ...
. It is held in honor of
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
as the "Risen Lord". It celebrates the mystery of the
Resurrection of Jesus
The resurrection of Jesus ( grc-x-biblical, ἀνάστασις τοῦ Ἰησοῦ) is the Christian belief that God raised Jesus on the third day after his crucifixion, starting – or restoring – his exalted life as Christ and Lo ...
and the traditional belief of the faithful in Christ's apparition to the
Blessed Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...
in a private revelation in order to reveal to her that He had risen from the dead and is truly God. The festival's name is taken from the term ''Sugat'' (Cebuano) or ''Salubong'' (Filipino) which is a traditional practice during Easter Vigils wherein an image of Christ is shown before an image of the Virgin Mary that is covered in a black veil to show her mourning and sadness, which is then lifted by angels, exposing the Virgin Mary with unspeakable joy at the Resurrection of Jesus. The second part of the name is the Cebuano word for "resurrection", which is timely for the religious celebration. The Festival is centered on the life of Jesus, as well as Christian Morals and Values, with both themes being heavily incorporated in the performances of the dancers in the festival. This festival has gained Minglanilla the title as the "Easter Capital of Cebu".
;Kabkaban
The Kabkaban Festival is the local religious festival of the City of Carcar in honor of
St. Catherine of Alexandria
Catherine of Alexandria (also spelled Katherine); grc-gre, ἡ Ἁγία Αἰκατερίνη ἡ Μεγαλομάρτυς ; ar, سانت كاترين; la, Catharina Alexandrina). is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, w ...
. The festival's name was the old name of Carcar, which was taken from ''Kabkab'' ("Kabkaban" for plural), the local term for the Oakleaf Fern (
Aglaomorpha quercifolia
''Aglaomorpha quercifolia'' (synonym ''Drynaria quercifolia''), commonly known as the oakleaf fern or oakleaf basket fern, is a species of '' Aglaomorpha'' in the family Polypodiaceae. Other common names for the fern are ''pakpak lawin'', ''gurar' ...
). The festival celebrates Carcar, as well as the Carcaranon way of life and the town's culture, faith, and musical history. Much of the dance steps used in the Kabkaban dance were taken and inspired directly from the dance moves used in the Sinulog Festival and other Sinulog dance offerings by the Sandiego Family with their company, the "Sandiego Dance Company", headed by Val Sandiego, a native of Carcar who is also considered as the "Father of Kabkaban". The inspiration from the dance company is also evident in the costumes used by the dancers of the Kabkaban Festival, as well as dancers representing Carcar in the Sinulog Festival or other festivals like the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival of Festivals. The Kabkaban festival is celebrated from the 23rd until November 25, in line with the feast day of the town's patron saint.
;La Torta
The La Torta Festival is
Argao
Argao, officially the Municipality of Argao ( ceb, Lungsod sa Argao; tgl, Bayan ng Argao), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 78,187 people.
Geography
The munic ...
's food festival. It is in honor of
St. Michael the Archangel. It replaced Argao's former festival, the "Pitlagong Festival" in 2011. It celebrates the ''Torta'', a Cebuano tart-like cake that is reminiscent of the Spanish cake, but distinct in its recipe as it uses ''Tubâ'' or
coconut wine as a rising agent instead of
yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to constitut ...
. Because Argao is one of Cebu's Spanish Towns (the other being Liloan), dancers in the La Torta Festival wear Spanish inspired costumes that usually have a red motif to them and dance Spanish dance steps or Spanish-inspired dance steps. It is celebrated on September 28 to 29 to coincide with the feast of the
archangels.
;Dagitab
The Dagitab Festival is
Naga
Naga or NAGA may refer to:
Mythology
* Nāga, a serpentine deity or race in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions
* Naga Kingdom, in the epic ''Mahabharata''
* Phaya Naga, mythical creatures believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong Riv ...
's
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
Festival. It is in honor of
St. Francis of Assisi. The name of the festival means "electric light" which is what Naga is known for, particularly during the Holidays. During December, Naga's streets, parks, and buildings are lit with all sorts of bright lights of different colors to mark the Holiday Season. But these bright lights come at a cost, power outages. To resolve this problem, Gov. Gwen Garcia, together with the Province of Cebu, set up another electric company to supply electricity in the town. The onset of electric advancements and greater connection initiated the start of the industrialization of Naga. The industrial movement is also one of the focuses of the festival. Dancers in the Dagitab Festival wear and incorporate LED lights/lamps in their lively performances to bring the Holiday Spirit to everyone and to celebrate the advancement of the city. This festival has gained Naga the titles of being the "Christmas Capital of Cebu" and the "Industrial Hub of the South". Despite being in honor of St. Francis, whose feast day is on October 4, the festival is celebrated on December 23 which is two days before Christmas Day.
;Halad Inasal
![Halad sa Talisay](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Halad_sa_Talisay.jpg)
The Halad Inasal Festival is Talisay's food festival. It is in honor of
St. Teresa of Avila
ST, St, or St. may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Stanza, in poetry
* Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band
* Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise
* Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...
. The name of the festival is taken from the Cebuano words ''Halad'', which means offering, and ''Inasal'', which refers to the local term for Lechon or Philippine Roasted Pig. Cebu is well known for producing Lechon Inasal and has two towns that are dedicated "Lechon Towns" with one being Talisay (the other being Carcar). The festival was formerly called simply the "Inasal Festival", but was renamed as "Halad Inasal Festival" to highlight the religiosity of the festival. In the Halad Inasal Festival, dancers and participants parade freshly roasted and crunchy Inasal in the streets of Talisay while they perform their dance offerings and bring them even while they perform their ritual showdown. It is celebrated around, but never directly on October 15, the feast of St. Teresa, so as not to interfere with the religious activities of the town feast.
;Bonga
The Bonga Festival is the Harvest Festival of
Sibonga
Sibonga, officially the Municipality of Sibonga ( ceb, Lungsod sa Sibonga; tgl, Bayan ng Sibonga), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 53,424 people.
Sibonga is ...
. It is in honor of the town's two patron saints,
St. Philomena
Philomena ( el, Ἁγία Φιλομένα), also known as Saint Philomena or ''Philomena of Rome'' was a young virgin martyr whose remains were discovered on May 24–25, 1802, in the Catacomb of Priscilla. Three tiles enclosing the tomb bore ...
and
Our Lady of the Pillar
Our Lady of the Pillar ( es, Nuestra Señora del Pilar) is the name given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the context of the traditional belief that Mary, while living in Jerusalem, supernaturally appeared to the Apostle James the Greater in AD 4 ...
. The name of the festival is the Cebuano word for "fruit". It is a festival of thanksgiving for the bountiful fruit harvest during the harvest season of the town. It is celebrated on October 12, in line with the feast of the original patroness of the town, the Blessed Virgin. The festival has given the town its very own title as the "Fruit Basket of Cebu".
;Rosquillos (Festival)
![Spanish-inspired festival costumes (Pasigarbo sa Sugbo 2019)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Spanish-inspired_festival_costumes_%28Pasigarbo_sa_Sugbo_2019%29.jpg)
The Rosquillos festival is the food festival of Liloan. It is in honor of
St. Ferdinand of Castille. It celebrates the Rosquillos, a Philippine ring type cookie that originated from Liloan. The cookie was conceptualized and conceived by a woman named Titay Frasco, who was the founder of ''Titay's'', the largest chain company of Rosquillos in the Philippines. It is celebrated on May 30.
;Kagasangan
This is the sea festival of
Moalboal
Moalboal, officially the Municipality of Moalboal ( ceb, Lungsod sa Moalboal; tgl, Bayan ng Moalboal), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 36,930 people.
Exten ...
. It is in honor of
St. John of Nepomuk
John of Nepomuk (or John Nepomucene) ( cs, Jan Nepomucký; german: Johannes Nepomuk; la, Ioannes Nepomucenus) ( 1345 – 20 March 1393)
was the saint of Bohemia (Czech Republic) who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of Wenceslaus ...
. The name of the festival is taken from the Cebuano term for "coral reefs". It is a nature-tourism project initiated by the local government made to preserve the reefs of the town, which are viable sources of livelihood and eco-tourism. This is one of the known sea festivals in the Province of Cebu. It is celebrated on May 16.
;Utanon
![Native Filipina Dancing](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Native_Filipina_Dancing.jpg)
The Utanon Festival of
Dalaguete
Dalaguete, officially the Municipality of Dalaguete ( ceb, Lungsod sa Dalaguete; tgl, Bayan ng Dalaguete), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 74,596 people.
Lo ...
, is the town's harvest festival. It is in honor of
St. William the Hermit. The name of the festival is the Cebuano word for "vegetables". It is a festival about showing thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest of vegetables in the town, all year round. It is celebrated on February 10. The festival has helped acknowledge the town as a producer of grain and vegetable crops, giving the town the title as the "Salad Bowl of Cebu".
;Siloy
The Siloy Festival is Alcoy's nature festival and eco-tourism project. It is in honor of
St. Rose of Lima. The festival takes its name from the local term of the Black Shama Bird (
Copsychus Cebuensis), a local species of song bird only found in Cebu, with its last stronghold in Alcoy's rainforest and woody areas. The festival is a project meant to promote awareness of the Black Shama and its endangered nature and to help preserve Cebu's endemic
Shama species of birds, as well to help save
Mother Earth
Mother Earth may refer to:
*The Earth goddess in any of the world's mythologies
*Mother goddess
*Mother Nature, a common personification of the Earth and its biosphere as the giver and sustainer of life
Written media and literature
*Mother Earth ...
. It is celebrated on August 23 every year.
;Palawod
![Festival Queen of Palawod Festival](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Festival_Queen_of_Palawod_Festival.jpg)
The Palawod Festival is the sea festival of Bantayan. It is in honor of Sts.
Peter and
Paul, who are both the town's patron saints. The festival's name means "to voyage into deep waters". This is a festival of thanksgiving for the bountiful catch and for the abundance of the sea and its bounty. It is celebrated on the 29th of the month of June to be connected with the
Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.
;Tostado
The Tostado festival is the food festival of
Santander
Santander may refer to:
Places
* Santander, Spain, a port city and capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain
* Santander Department, a department of Colombia
* Santander State, former state of Colombia
* Santander de Quilichao, a m ...
. It is in honor of
St. Gabriel the Archangel. It celebrates the ''Tostado'', a Cebuano shortbread cookie that is shaped like a flower. The local economy had been heavily boosted thanks to the Tostado cookie, which had provided job opportunities for many people. This festival also celebrates the resources of the town. It is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of April.
;Isda
This is the sea festival and town fiesta of
Madridejos. It is in honor of the
Immaculate Conception. The name of the festival is the Cebuano word for "fish". It celebrates the bountiful catch and the abundance of fish species and other marine life in the area. It is celebrated on December 8, which is also the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
;Banig
This is the weaving festival of
Badian. It is in honor of
St. James the Great
James the Great, also known as James, son of Zebedee, Saint James the Great, Saint James the Greater, Saint James the Elder, or Saint Jacob (Aramaic ܝܥܩܘܒ ܒܪ ܙܒܕܝ, Arabic يعقوب, Hebrew בן זבדי , '' Yaʿăqōḇ'', Latin '' ...
. It celebrates the ''
Banig
A baníg ( ) is a traditional handwoven mat of the Philippines predominantly used as a sleeping mat or a floor mat. Depending on the region of the Philippines, the mat is made of ''buri'' (palm), pandanus or reed leaves. The leaves are dried, u ...
'', a hand-woven Philippine mat made from
Pandanus
''Pandanus'' is a genus of monocots with some 750 accepted species. They are palm-like, dioecious trees and shrubs native to the Old World tropics and subtropics. The greatest number of species are found in Madagascar and Malaysia. Common names ...
leaves that is commonly sold, in the province, in Badian. It is celebrated on the 25th of the month of April.
;Hinulawan
This is the town fiesta of Toledo. It is in honor of
St. John of Sahagun. The name of this festival is an amalgamation of two Cebuano words, ''Hinaguan'', which means "fruits of labor", and ''Bulawan'', which means "bright" or "golden". This was, historically, the old name of the town. Currently, it is the name of a river that is found in the town. Hinulawan Festival celebrates the rich culture and history of the town, as well as the golden hearts and the shining and welcoming personality of the Toledohanons. It falls on June 12, which coincides with the
Philippine Independence Day
Independence Day ( fil, Araw ng Kasarinlán; also known as ''Araw ng Kalayaan'', "Day of Freedom") is an annual national holiday in the Philippines observed on June 12, commemorating the declaration of Philippine independence from Spain in 18 ...
celebration.
;Toslob
Originally called the "Sadsad Festival", this is the local festival of
Oslob
Oslob, officially the Municipality of Oslob ( ceb, Lungsod sa Oslob; tgl, Bayan ng Oslob), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 29,264 people.
Oslob is bordered ...
. Like the Isda Festival, It is in honor of the Immaculate Conception. The name of the festival is the Cebuano term for the act of "dipping". The name of the festival is a reference to the etymology of the name of the town wherein two Spanish soldiers mistakenly identified the town after asking a couple who, due to misinterpretation, thought they were referring to what they were doing. The couple did not understand that the soldiers were asking for the name of the town and simply thought they were referring to the boiled bananas they were dipping in salted vinegar so all they could utter was "Toslob". The soldiers seemingly also misheard them and thought they said "Oslob". Ever since then, the town was referred to by that name which the Spanish Soldiers heard. The Toslob festival is a celebration of thanksgiving for the graces received as a town community. It is celebrated on December 8, which is also the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
;Pamuhuan/Pinamuohan
This is the harvest festival of
Pinamungajan. It is in honor of
St. Monica
Monica ( – 387) was an early North African Christian saint and the mother of Augustine of Hippo. She is remembered and honored in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, albeit on different feast days, for her outstanding Christian virtues, partic ...
. The name of the festival came from the Cebuano word, ''Pinamuhuan'', which means "a worker's share of the harvest". It is a celebration of thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest in the town. It is celebrated on August 27.
;Lalin
This is the town fiesta of
Asturias. It is in honor of
St. Roch
Roch (lived c. 1348 – 15/16 August 1376/79 (traditionally c. 1295 – 16 August 1327, also called Rock in English, is a Catholic saint, a confessor whose death is commemorated on 16 August and 9 September in Italy; he is especially invoked a ...
. The name of the festival comes from the Cebuano word which refers to the combination of cultures of different people. The festival's name was taken from the old name of the town, which was ''Naghalin''. The town was called "Naghalin" because it was a place where migrants settled and formed a neighborhood. The neighborhood soon flourished into a community and a town of Cebu. This festival is a celebration of thanksgiving for the graces received by the town and the community. It is celebrated on August 16.
;Panagsogod
This is the town fiesta of
Sogod. It is in honor of St. James the Great. The name of the festival is taken from the Cebuano word for "Beginning" and is a reference to the town being the "place of origin of the North and the South" or "where the North and the South meet". This is because the shoreline of Sogod is composed of half white sand from the North of Cebu and half black sand from the South. It is a celebration of happy endings and new beginnings every year. It is celebrated on the 25th of the month of April.
;Sarok (Festival)
The Sarok Festival is the town fiesta of
Consolacion. It is in honor of
St. Narcissus. It celebrates the ''Sarok'', a Cebuano variant of the ''
Salakot'' that is made of woven Stalks from the Nito plant (Lygodium Circinnatum) and/or dried leaves or
Bamboo
Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...
, creating a patterned net-like structure, with a signature six-petal flower design made from lighter leaves or thin Bamboo wood plates secured at the very top of the hat. It is celebrated every February 14 (coinciding with
Valentines Day), in commemoration of Consolacion's Founding Anniversary.
;Tagbo
This festival is the town fiesta of
Poro. The festival is patterned after Sinulog and is also in honor of the Santo Niño. The name of the festival is the Cebuano word for the act of "meeting", or "to meet". This is taken from the history of the town of Poro, wherein two warring tribes met together on one spot to make a community, eventually forming the town of Poro. It is celebrated on January 19.
;Tubod
This is the town fiesta of
Tuburan. It is in honor of
St. Anthony of Padua
Anthony of Padua ( it, Antonio di Padova) or Anthony of Lisbon ( pt, António/Antônio de Lisboa; born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231) was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. He was bor ...
. The name of the festival is the Cebuano word for "Spring". It celebrates the 7 springs of Tuburan, which are said to be the tears of fairies who continue to cry today, yearning and waiting for their lovers to return. The springs have become the main tourist attractions of Tuburan and have placed the town on the map. It is celebrated on June 13
;Katubhan
This is the harvest festival
Medellin. It was formerly Medellin's Sinulog Festival, but was changed to its own festival to make it distinct from Sinulog and to focus on the main products of the town,
Sugarcane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...
and
Sugar
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...
. However, it is still in honor of Santo Niño. The name of the festival is taken from the Cebuano term for "sugarcane plantation". It is a festival meant to be a thanksgiving to the Child Jesus for the bountiful harvest of sugarcane all year round. The sugarcane has become so abundant in the town that Medellin has received the title as "The Sugar Bowl of Cebu". It is celebrated every April 27.
;Panuhog
This is the sea festival of
Santa Fe. It replaced the "Puting Baybay" Festival as the official town fiesta. It was also formerly the Sinulog festival of the town, but was changed to its own distinct festival. Like Sinulog, it is in honor of Santo Niño. The name of the festival is taken from the Cebuano word for "stringing things together". This refers to the act of stringing shells found on the shorelines to form various crafts and ornaments, from chandeliers, to wind chimes, bracelets, keychains, tourism giftshop items, etc. It celebrates the shell craft industry, which is one of the main industries of the town (the others being fishing and beach resort management). It is meant to be a thanksgiving to the Child Jesus for blessing the town with beautiful beaches and bountiful marine life. It is celebrated every October 2.
;Lingaw-sadya
This is the town fiesta of Balamban. It is in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. The name of the festival is derived from 2 Cebuano words, namely ''lingaw'', which means "enjoyment", and ''sadya'', which means "happiness". It is a celebration that celebrates Balamban as a center for mountain climbing and merry-making. It is meant to be a celebration of happy moments and all the good times each year. It is celebrated on the October 3 to 4, around the feast of the town's patron saint.
;Garbo
This is the town fiesta of
Lapu-lapu. It is in honor of Our Lady of the Rule, the Virgin Mary depicted as a
Black Madonna. The name of the festival is the Cebuano word for "pride". It is a celebration of all things proudly Oponganon and a thanksgiving to the Blessed Virgin for her intercession and for all graces received every year. It is celebrated around the feast day of the Virgin Mary which is every November 21.
;Karansa
![Karansa sa Danao](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Karansa_sa_Danao.jpg)
This is the pottery festival of
Danao. It is in honor of
St. Thomas of Villanova
Thomas of Villanova (1488 – September 8, 1555), born Tomás García y Martínez, was a Spanish friar of the Order of Saint Augustine who was a noted preacher, ascetic and religious writer of his day. He became an archbishop who was famous for ...
. The name of the festival is a Cebuano term that refers to an "expression of joy and happiness among potters after a hard day's work". The festival is primarily a happy and playful dancing and prancing activity in coordination with the rhythm of music, beating of the drums and occasional loud shouts. The dance has four basic steps, namely, swaying (kiay), shaking (karag and kurug) and juddering (karahay). It is celebrated annually every 3rd Sunday of September.
;Soli-soli
This is the weaving festival of
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
. It is in honor of St. Joseph. The festival's name refers to the local name for the Common Bulrush (
Typha latifolia
''Typha latifolia'' (broadleaf cattail, bulrush, common bulrush, common cattail, cat-o'-nine-tails, great reedmace, cooper's reed, cumbungi) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the genus '' Typha''. It is found as a native plant species in North a ...
), a plant that is common in the town around Lake Danao and all throughout Pacijan Island. The Festival showcases the livelihood of the San Franciscohanons, which is weaving the Soli-soli grass into mats, decorations, handbags, pouches, and other handicrafts. There are three basic dance steps of the festival dance, namely, hands and arms sideward swaying, harvesting and cutting movement, and finally a weaving motion, which are all a mimesis of the process of weaving Soli-soli. It is celebrated every third Sunday of March, in line with the solemnity of
St. Joseph, husband of Mary.
;Kinsan
This is the sea festival of
Aloguinsan
Aloguinsan, officially the Municipality of Aloguinsan ( ceb, Lungsod sa Aloguinsan; tgl, Bayan ng Aloguinsan), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 34,466 people. ...
. It is in honor of
St. Raphael the Archangel. It celebrates the Dotted Grouper (
Epinephelus epistictus), known locally as ''Kinsan'', which is an abundant fish in the town and an important source of livelihood for the town's fishermen. The festival is celebrated through lively dancing in the street and in the grandstand, as well as cooking contests for the best Kinsan dish in town. It is celebrated every 2nd Sunday of June.
;Binuyocan/Buyoc
This is the town fiesta of
Malabuyoc
Malabuyoc, officially the Municipality of Malabuyoc ( ceb, Lungsod sa Malabuyoc; tgl, Bayan ng Malabuyoc), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 19,770 people. Mala ...
. It is in honor of
St. Nicholas of Tolentino. The name of the festival is derived from the Cebuano ''buyoc'', which means to "bend down" or "bend over. According to a popular story, long ago, Malabuyoc grew plenty of fruit trees such as
Mangoes,
Lanzones,
Cacaos
Cacaos is a barrio in the municipality of Orocovis, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 878.
History
Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became an un ...
, and many others. The fruit of the tree branches grew so big and plentiful that the trees bent down under their weight. Because of practically all the branches of the fruit trees bending over due to the over-abundance of fruit, the place came to be called "Buyoc", and eventually "Malabuyoc". The municipality of Malabuyoc launched the Binuyocan Festival on September 10, 2004. The festival is a celebration of the bountiful harvest of fruit in the town. It continues to be celebrated every September 10 every year.
;Humba (Festival)
The Humba Festival is the food festival of Ronda.
It is in honor of
Our Lady of Sorrows. It replaced the Panginabuhi Festival as the official festival of the town. The festival celebrates the Humba dish, a Visayan braised pork dish that is the iconic delicacy of the town. During the Humba festival, dancers incorporate the Humba dish, as well as the ingredients of Humba in their dances. There are also Humba cooking contests to promote Humba and to determine the best Humba every year. It is celebrated around the September 14 or 15, in line with the feast of the Virgin Mary.
;Haladaya
This is the historical festival of Daanbantayan. It celebrates Datu Daya, the precolonial chieftain of the kingdom known as "Kandaya", which is now present-day Daanbantayan. The name of the festival is an exaltation to Datu Daya, translating to "all hail Daya". It is meant to be a celebration of the leadership and bravery of Datu Daya. Despite being a historical festival, it is also considered a religious festival in honor of St. Rose of Lima. It is celebrated every August 30, in line with the feast of the town's patron saint.
;Bahandi
This is the town fiesta of
Alcantara
Alcantara, Alcântara (Portuguese), Alcántara (Spanish), Alcàntara, Alcàntera, El-Qantarah and (El) Kantara are all transliterations of the Arabic word ''al qantara'' (القنطرة), meaning "the bridge".
Alcantara may refer to:
People
* A ...
. It is in honor of St. Augustine of Hippo. The name of the festival is the Cebuano word for "treasure". It is meant to be a thanksgiving for the treasures of Alcantara, which are its natural resources. It is celebrated on the August 27 to 28 in line with the feast of the patron saint of the town.
;Lapyahan
This is the sea festival of
San Remigio. It is in honor of St. John of Nepomuk. The name of the festival is taken from the Cebuano term for "shorelines". It is a thanksgiving for the shoreline of the town, which is the longest in the Province of Cebu, as well as the bounty of the sea. It is celebrated on May 16.
;Hinatdan
This is the town fiesta of
Ginatilan
Ginatilan, officially the Municipality of Ginatilan ( ceb, Lungsod sa Ginatilan; tgl, Bayan ng Ginatilan), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 16,906 people.
Gi ...
. It is in honor of
St. Gregory the Great
Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregoria ...
. The festival's name ''Hinatdan'' is the Cebuano term for "getting things done". It is a celebration of the hardwork, faith, and resiliency of the Ginatilanons. It is celebrated around the 2nd week of March.
;Dinagat
This is the sea festival of
Cordova. It is in honor of St. Roch. The name of the festival is a Cebuano word "gathering from the sea" and is reference to a method of fishing by means of picking sea life from the shoreline for food. The festival celebrates the rich and bountiful sea life of Cordova. Dancers in the Dinagat festival incorporate sea life in their dances, especially
moray eels
Moray eels, or Muraenidae (), are a family of eels whose members are found worldwide. There are approximately 200 species in 15 genera which are almost exclusively marine, but several species are regularly seen in brackish water, and a few are fo ...
, locally known as Bakasi, which are considered a delicacy in Cordova. This is also why the Dinagat festival is also referred to as the "Dinagat-Bakasi festival". It is celebrated on August 16.
;Pintos (Festival)
This is the food festival of Bogo. It celebrates the Pintos, a sweet Philippine tamales that is the main delicacy of Bogo. It is in honor of
St. Vincent Ferrer
Vincent Ferrer, OP ( ca-valencia, Sant Vicent Ferrer , es, San Vicente Ferrer, it, San Vincenzo Ferreri, german: Sankt Vinzenz Ferrer, nl, Sint-Vincent Ferrer, french: Saint Vincent Ferrier; 23 January 1350 – 5 April 1419) was a Valencian D ...
. The festival is a thanksgiving for the Pintos as the town's major source of livelihood and tourism for many people. The Pintos is also incorporated in the dances of the festival. It is celebrated every May 26.
;Tuba (Festival)
This is the town fiesta of Borbon. It is in honor of
St. Sebastian
Saint Sebastian (in Latin: ''Sebastianus''; Narbonne, Narbo, Gallia Narbonensis, Roman Empire c. AD 255 – Rome, Roman Italy, Italia, Roman Empire c. AD 288) was an early Christianity, Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional beli ...
. It celebrates the Tubâ, a Visayan coconut wine (also called coconut toddy) commonly found in the town. The festival is a thanksgiving for Tuba as a source of livelihood, as well as the local toddy industry. It is celebrated every January 20.
;Budbod Kabog
This is the food festival of
Catmon. It is in honor of St. William the Hermit. The name of the festival is derived from ''Budbod'', a type of puto (food), rice cake or grain cake, made with Millet (known locally as ''Kabog'') instead of the usual ingredient, rice. It is a festival about showing thanksgiving for the Budbod industry in the town. It is celebrated on February 10.
;Sinanggiyaw
This is the harvest festival of Dumanjug. It is in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. The festival's name is an amalgamation of the words ''Sanggi'', which refers to the process of harvesting crops, and ''Sayaw'', which is Filipino for "Dance". The dance of the festival is a mimesis of the process of farming and harvesting. It is a celebration of thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest in the town. It is celebrated on October 4.
;Cassava (Festival)
This is the harvest festival of Tudela, Cebu, Tudela. It is in honor of the Immaculate Conception. It is a celebration of thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest of Cassava, the main produce of the town. It is celebrated on the first two weeks of June.
;Kawayan
This is the town fiesta of Alegria, Cebu, Alegria. It is in honor of St. Francis Xavier. The festival's name is the Cebuano word for "Bamboo". It is a celebration of thanksgiving for the abundance of bamboo in the town and its many uses and applications. It is celebrated annually on December 2–3.
;Pausbaw
This is the harvest festival of Tabogon. It is in honor of Isidore the Laborer, St. Isidore the Farmer. It replaced the Sanggi Festival as the official festival of the town. The festival's name ''Pausbaw'' is the Cebuano term for "achieving progress for farmers with the help of carabaos". The festival is a dedication to the hard work of farmers that plow the field with the help of water buffalos. It is a celebration of thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest of the town. It is celebrated on May 20.
;Dagayday
This is the town fiesta of
Samboan. It is in honor of St. Michael the Archangel. It replaced the Sak-sak Festival as the official festival of the town. The name of the festival is the Cebuano word for "Waterfalls". It is a thanksgiving for the natural resources of the town, which are its waterfalls. It is celebrated on September 28 to 29 to coincide with the feast of the archangels.
;Ani-anihan
This is the harvest festival of Tabuelan. It is in honor of St. John the Baptist. The festival's name is a Cebuano term that is a reference to the act of "harvesting". It is a celebration of thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest of the town. It is celebrated on June 24.
;Pamugsay
This is the sea festival of Pilar, Cebu, Pilar. It is in honor of St. Francis Xavier. The name of the festival is a Cebuano term for "the act of paddling". The festival celebrates the rich and bountiful sea life of Pilar. It is celebrated annually on December 2.
;Queseo
This is the food festival of Compostela, Cebu, Compostela. It is in honor of St. James the Great. The name of the festival is the Cebuano word for "Kesong puti, Carabao White Cheese". There are seven main dance steps in the festival dance. These dance steps are all a mimesis of the process of making the Queseo. The dance steps are ''Limpyo'' (cleaning the carabao teat),
''Puga sa Gatas'' (milking the carabao), ''Sa-an'' (screening the milk with a mesh), ''Init kaldero'' (heating of the cauldron), ''Huwad suka'' (pouring vinegar to milk and stirring it in), ''Hulma'' (molding the cheese), and finally, ''Putos'' (wrapping the cheese with banana leaf strips). It is a celebration of the cheese-making livelihood of the town. It is celebrated on July 25.
;Panumod
This is the farm animal festival of Barili. It is in honor of St. Anne. It replaced the Kaumahan Festival as the official festival of the town. The festival's name is a Cebuano term for "livestock". Barili is considered to be the largest producer of livestock in the province. The town's public market, the Mantalongon Public Market is where most of the town's livestock and domestic animals are sold. It is a celebration of thanksgiving for the bountiful livestock of the town. It is celebrated on July 26.
;Sikoy-sikoy
This is the sea festival of San Fernando, Cebu, San Fernando. It is in honor of St. Isidore the Farmer. The name of the festival is a Cebuano word ''Sikoy'', which is a fishing method using nets done during rough tides. The festival celebrates the rich and bountiful sea life of San Fernando, which are considered blessings of God's love to the town. It is celebrated every November 17–21.
;Bolho
This is the town fiesta of
Boljoon. It is in honor of Our Lady of the Patronage. The name of the festival is a reference to the origin of the name of the town which is a Cebuano term referring to a large land mass cavity surrounded by mountains. This valley is believed to have been brought about by the sudden collapse of a mountain range. It is a celebration of the way of life of the Boljo-anons. It is celebrated around November 13, in line with the feast of the Virgin Mary.
International relations and sisterhood agreements
* Cebu Province hosted two major Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and telecom events, the 12th ASEAN Telecommunications and IT Ministers Meeting (TELMIN) and the 13th ASEAN Telecommunications and IT Senior Officials Meeting (TELSOM) in 2012.
* Cebu Province hosted the international 4th Dance Xchange, a project organized by the National Dance Committee of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in 2012.
* Cebu Province as member hosted the 11th EATOF, East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Forum in 2011
* Cebu Province join as a participating member of Inter–Island Tourism Policy Forum in 2011 (ITOP Forum)
* Cebu Province hosted the 12th ASEAN Summit in 2007.
* Sichuan, China (2006)
* Vladimir, Russia, Vladimir, Russia (2008)
* Ljubljana, Slovenia (2008)
* Gangwon Province (South Korea), Gangwon, South Korea (2008)
* Guam, United States of America (2008)
* Rishon LeZion, Israel (2009)
* Saint Petersburg, Russia (2009)
* Guangdong, China (2009)
* Guangxi, China (2010)
* Barcelona, Spain (2010)
* Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine (2010)
* Busan, South Korea (2011)
* Ninawa, Iraq (2011)
* Valparaíso, Chile (2011)
* Fujian, People's Republic of China (2018)
;Existing sisterhood agreements
* Hainan, China
* Hawaii, United States of America
;Domestic sisterhood agreements
* Sorsogon City
* Antique
* Aklan
* Ilocos Norte
* Iloilo
* South Cotabato
*
Bukidnon
* Masbate
* Laguna (province), Laguna
* Quezon
* Parañaque
* Pangasinan
* Davao del Sur
Notes
References
Bibliography
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External links
*
Official Website of the Provincial Government of CebuThe Official Government Portal of the Republic of the Philippines – Cebu
{{Authority control
Cebu,
Provinces of the Philippines
Island provinces of the Philippines
States and territories established in 1565
1565 establishments in the Philippines