Cebu : Past
and Present
As early as the 13th century, Sugbo,
how the island of Cebu was called, was already an important crossroad
of pre-colonial Southeast Asian trade.
In
1521, Ferdinand Magellan made it a base for the exploration
and conquest of the islands. However, his efforts were thwarted when
he was killed in a battle on the nearby island of Mactan by
its chieftain, Lapu-Lapu, who became the first Philippine
hero to repulse foreign domination.
The second wave of Spanish conquistadores
led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi founded their first
settlement, Villa San Miguel, on Cebu in 1565. Later,
the name was changed to Villa de Santissimo Nombre de Jesus,
after an image of the Santo Nino or Boy Jesus found
among the ruins of a vanquished native village.
In 1860, the demand for sugar cane, tobacco
and hemp paved the way for the opening up of the countryside. And with
Cebu's central location in the south, goods entered and exited through
its ports. By the mid-19th century, Cebu had caught up with the outside
world. Cities thrived with newly-established industries, and suburbs
flourished. With the American rule came improved infrastructure, more
modern ports and facilities.
Today, Metropolitan Cebu is a 33,000-hectare
complex of three cities and six municipalities. Its population of more
than a million is a cosmopolitan mix of Filipinos with Chinese, American
and European influences. The prevailing dialect is Cebuano or Bisaya,
the vernacular, but English and Tagalog are widely spoken.
As in the past, the island province preserves
with pride its role as the crossroads of international trade. The recently-expanded
and modernized Mactan International Airport services flights from all
over the world. Ocean-going vessels dock at the similarly modernized
ports.
Accommodations within the city range
from the luxury of first-class hotels to comfortable pensions and lodging
houses at affordable rates. Resorts provide out-of-town accommodations
with adequate facilities for a variety of land and water sports.
