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Brief Description
It was in the province of Cebu that Ferdinand Magellan
first set foot in Philippine soil back in 1521. Even
before the Spaniards came, trade with the Chinese
already flourished in the province. Prosperity has
continued, and today, Cebu City, known as the Queen
City of the South, has become a thriving, highly urbanized
center that comes second to Manila’s bustling
metropolis.
Only a few minutes away from the city are numerous
white sand beaches, crystal blue waters, and swaying
palms, making Cebu a perfect destination for both
business and leisure. Mactan Island is a coral island
and famous scuba diving and beach site. It is also
the site of the Export Processing Zone. Malapascua
Island is endowed with white sand beaches and crystal
clear waters, and the west coast is ideal for swimming
and snorkeling. The sleepy little market town of Moalboal
was one of the first places where scuba diving caught
on in the Philippines. From here, you can dive straight
off Panagsama Beach, which is home to an extraordinary
array of coral, anemones, sponges, and a swarming
host of brightly colored reef fish.
Olango Island in Cebu supports the largest concentration
of migratory birds found in the country. These birds
migrating from Russia stop here en route to Australia.
Geography
Located between 9°25' N & 11°30' N and
between 123° 25' E & 124° 30'E in the
center of the archipelago. Cebu is 365 miles south
of Manila and can be reached in an hour through air
travel.
The topography of Cebu is characterized by narrow
coastlines, limestone plateaus, and coastal plains
but with predominant rolling hills and rugged mountain
ranges traversing the northern and southern lengths
of the island. Although Cebu's steep mountains reach
over 1,000 meters, the island lacks substantial forest
cover. In the towns of Bogo, San Remigio, Medellin
and Daan Bantayan at the northern tip of the province,
considerable flat tracts of land are found. Of the
three biggest islands, Mactan and Bantayan are relatively
flat while Camotes is hilly.
Climate
Cebu's weather is relatively moderate, having no distinct
wet and dry season, the perfect vacation spot for
seasons. One can bask under the sunshine the whole
year through since Cebu is blessed with a tropical
climate with a generally fair temperature range of
between 23 –33°C (73-91°F). Coolest
temperature can be felt in January and warmest in
May.
Population
Per data gathered by the Statistics Office as of May
1, 2000, Cebu has a population of about 3,356,137
with the city proper accounting for 718,821. Being
the second largest metropolitan area in the country
after Manila, migrant workers from neighboring islands
in Visayas contribute immensely to the working population.
Dialect
Cebuano is the dialect in the province, which is also
widely spoken in the Visayas and Mindanao. Tagalog
and English are also spoken and understood.
Industries
Copper and dolomite mining, industrial parts assembly,
food processing, footwear, handicraft, rattancraft,
woodcraft, metalcraft, garments, shellcraft, ceramics,
basketware, rattan and wicker furniture, cement, costume
jewelry, giftware, fertilizer, stonecraft, food products
and preserves, electronic devices, transistors and
diodes, vehicle assembly, agricultural products.
In 1997, Central Visayas recorded a total of P8,261
million worth of investments, with Cebu seizing the
bulk of income generated from investment amounting
to P7,695 million.
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