Cebu (/sɛˈbuː/seb-OO;Cebuano:Sugbo), officially theProvince of Cebu (Cebuano:Lalawigan sa Sugbo;Filipino:Lalawigan ng Cebu), is aprovince of thePhilippines located in theCentral Visayas(Region VII)region, and consists of a main island and167 surrounding islands and islets. The coastal zone of Cebu is identified as a site of highest marine biodiversity importance in theCoral Triangle.^[5]

Cebu Sugbo
Province
Left to right, from the top:Osmeña Peak,Magellan Monument,Kawasan Falls,Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral,Cebu City,Malapascua Island,Cebu Provincial Capitol
Flag Seal
Nickname:  The Gateway to a Thousand Journeys[1]
Anthem:Sugbo (Cebu)
Location in the Philippines
OpenStreetMap
Coordinates:10°19′N123°45′E / 10.32°N 123.75°E /10.32; 123.75
Country	Philippines
Island Group	Visayas
Region	Central Visayas
Founded	6 August 1569
Capital and largest city	Cebu City
Government
• Type	Sangguniang Panlalawigan
• Governor	Gwendolyn F. Garcia (1Cebu)
• Vice Governor	Hilario R. Davide III (LP)
• Legislature	Cebu Provincial Board Members 1st ProvDist Yolanda Daan Raul Bacaltos 2nd ProvDist Edsel Galeos Jose Mari Salvador 3rd ProvDist Victoria Corominas John Ismael Borgonia 4th ProvDist Kerrie Keane Shimura Horacio Franco 5th ProvDist Miguel Magpale Andrei Duterte 6th ProvDist Glenn Soco Thadeo Ouano 7th ProvDist Jerome Librando Christopher Baricuatro
Area [2]
• Total (province)	4,943.72 km2 (1,908.78 sq mi)
• Rank	20th out of 81
	excludes independent cities
Highest elevation (Osmeña Peak)	1,072 m (3,517 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total (province)	3,325,385
• Rank	5th out of 81
• Density	670/km2 (1,700/sq mi)
• Rank	7th out of 81
• Voter (2022)[4]	3,288,778
• Language	Cebuano Forohanon Bantayanon
	Population data excludes independent cities
Divisions
• Independent cities	3 Highly urbanized cities of: Cebu City Lapu-Lapu Mandaue
• Component cities	6 Bogo Carcar Danao Naga Talisay Toledo
• Municipalities	44 Alcantara Alcoy Alegria Aloguinsan Argao Asturias Badian Balamban Bantayan Barili Bogo Boljoon Borbon Carcar Carmen Catmon Compostela Consolacion Cordova Daanbantayan Dalaguete Danao Dumanjug Ginatilan Liloan Madridejos Malabuyoc Medellin Minglanilla Moalboal Naga Oslob Pilar Pinamungajan Poro Ronda Samboan San Fernando San Francisco San Remigio Santa Fe Santander Sibonga Sogod Tabogon Tabuelan Talisay Toledo Tuburan Tudela
• Barangay	1,066 +  137 includingindependent cities 1,203
• Districts	Legislative districts of Cebu Legislative districts of Cebu City Legislative district of Lapu-Lapu Legislative district of Mandaue
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
IDD : area code	+63 (0)32
ISO 3166 code	PH-CEB
Income class	1st class
PSGC	072200000
Patron	Santo Niño de Cebu
Website	www.cebu.gov.ph

Its capital and largest city isCebu City, nicknamed "the Queen (Catholic) City of the South" having the Second Cardinal, the oldest city and firstcapital of the Philippines, which is politically independent from the provincial government along withMandaue andLapu-Lapu City. The Cebu Metropolitan Area orMetro Cebu is thethird largest metropolitan area in the Philippines (afterMetro Manila andMetro Davao) with Cebu City as the main center of commerce, trade, education and industry in theVisayas as well as the regional center ofCentral Visayas. 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, andheavy industry.Mactan–Cebu International Airport, located onMactan Island, is the second busiest airport in the Philippines.

Cebu has the most combined cities and municipalities of any province in the Philippines, with 53 in total. With 9 cities in total, it has the second most number of cities after its neighboring province ofNegros Occidental.

It is unclear whether the island was namedsugbó or the settlement whereFerdinand Magellan's crew arrived in 1521. The capital city of the province is also namedCebu City.

The name is possibly derived from a hypotheticalProto-Philippine word*sug(e)bu meaning "to bathe" or "to wade into the water".^[6] The word has evolved in the Cebuano language assugbú, meaning "to dive into water" and also exists in other Philippine languages such asTagalog andHiligaynon.^[7][6] In fact, there is also another municipality in Batangas, Philippines calledNasugbu, which may also share the same etymological root with the said province.

The modern name is most likely how the first Europeans heard of the name of the place in the 16th-17th centuries, as it was first recorded as Zubu or Çubu, and then eventually it became Cebu. The reason of the spelling change is because Visayanswere mostly illiterate in the 16th and 17th centuries.^[7][8]

Cebu was a native kingdom that existed prior to the arrival of the Spaniards. Visayan folklore relates it was founded bySri Lumay otherwise known asRajamuda Lumaya, a half-Malay, half-Tamil fromSumatra.^[9]The capital of the nation wasSinghapala (சிங்கப்பூர்)^[10] which is Tamil-Sanskrit^[11] for "Lion City", the same root words as with the modern city-state ofSingapore. The later Spanish chronicler Antonio Pigafetta mispronounced Singhapala as Cingopola instead.^[12]

The arrival ofPortuguese explorerFerdinand Magellan in 1521 began a period of Spanish exploration and colonization.^[13][14] Losing the favor of KingManuel I of Portugal for his plan of reaching the Spice Islands by sailing west from Europe, Magellan offered his services to KingCharles 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 ofSanlúcar de Barrameda en route to southeast Asia via the Americas and the Pacific Ocean. They reached the Philippines on March 16, 1521. Rajah Kolambu, the rajah ofMazaua told them to sail for Cebu, where they could trade and obtain provisions.

Arriving in Cebu City, Magellan, withEnrique of Malacca as a translator, befriendedRajah Humabon a chief of a village in Cebu, and persuaded the natives to ally themselves with the Spanish. On April 14, Magellan erected a large wooden cross on the shores of Cebu. Afterwards, Rajah Humabon was baptized along with about 400 Sugbuanons.

Magellan soon heard of Datu Lapu-Lapu, a native chief in nearbyMactan Island, a rival of a chief in Cebu. It was thought that Humabon and Lapu–Lapu had been fighting for control of the flourishing trade in the area. On April 27 theBattle of Mactan occurred, where the Spaniards were defeated and Magellan was killed by the natives of Mactan^[15] in Mactan Island. According to Italian historian and chroniclerAntonio 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.

Survivors of the Magellan expedition returned to Spain with tales of a savage island in theEast Indies. Consequently, several Spanish expeditions were sent to the islands but all ended in failure.

On April 27, 1565Miguel López de Legazpi arrived on the island, though he also intended to make peace, he was also prepared for a war since these were the same people that killed Magellan 44 years prior. According to the report, a messenger went to the Spanish ship and informed them that Tupas and "along with 10 other chiefs" would be out to either make negotiations or as a warning to prepare for an upcoming battle. Despite trying to assure the natives that the Spanish were there with good intentions, the natives already armed themselves, both parties were reported to have taunted each other offshore. Legazpi aimed the artillery on theproas which briefly confused the opposing natives causing them to run into the woods thus making the shore clear for the Spanish to land. Salvaging any valuable item that could be found, Juan de Camuz came across an image of the Child Jesus, which was probably the one Magellan presented to the consort of the chief in 1521. From then on, a church was built on the site which would later become theMinor Basilica of the Holy Child. Twelve days later, on May 8, a fort was established and while the construction was ongoing, the natives frequently launched attacks but were always repulsed until eventually they give in as soon as they realized the superior armament of the Europeans. Legazpi dealt only with Tupas, after a brief "trial" on grounds of apostasy and Magellan's murder, the Europeans pardoned the natives' chief and included the natives. After the exchange, the two parties then discussed the terms and conditions including confirmation of titles, who receives tax exemptions, land grants, authority and recognition of officials. The crew then left Cebu on June 1, 1565.^[16] In the 1700s, Cebu housed 625Spanish Filipino families and 28,112 native families^[17]: 113

In 1898, the island was ceded to theUnited States after theSpanish–American War andPhilippine–American War. In 1901, Cebu was governed by the United States for a brief period, however, it became a chartered city on February 24, 1937, and was governed independently by Filipino politicians.^[18]

Cebu, being one of the most densely populated islands in the Philippines, served as aJapanese base during their occupation inWorld War II which began with the landing of Japanese soldiers in April 1942. A Japanese businessman established Cebu's first "comfort station" during the war, where Japanese soldiers routinely gang-raped, humiliated, and murdered kidnapped girls and teenagers who they forced into sexual slavery under the brutal "comfort women" system.^[20][21][22] The3rd,8th, 82nd and 85th Infantry Division of thePhilippine Commonwealth Army was re-established from January 3, 1942, to June 30, 1946, and the 8th Constabulary Regiment of thePhilippine 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 theAnti-Japanese military operations in Cebu from April 1942 to September 1945 and helped Cebuano guerrillas and fought against theJapanese Imperial forces. Almost three years later in March 1945, combined Filipino and American forceslanded and reoccupied the island during theliberation of the Philippines. Cebuano guerrilla groups led by an American,James M. Cushing, is credited for the establishment of the "Koga Papers",^[23] 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.

Cebu became a key center of resistance against theMarcos dictatorship,^[24] first becoming apparent when the hastily put-together lineup of Pusyon Bisaya defeated the entire slate of Marcos'Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) in Region VII.^[25]

Among the Cebuanos immediately arrested by the Marcos dictatorship when martial law was announced on September 23, 1972 were columnist and future National ArtistResil Mojares and human rights lawyer and Carcar Vice MayorDemocrito Barcenas, who were both detained at Camp Sergio Osmeña.^[26][27][28]

One of the Marcos Martial LawDesaparecidos from Cebu was Redemptorist Priest Fr.Rudy Romano,^[29] 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.^[30][31]Levi Ybañez, 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.^[32][33]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.^[34]

Later, Cebu would play a key role in the days leading up to the 1986People Power revolution and the ouster of Marcos. It was from Fuente Osmeña circle in Cebu City that the opposition forces relaunched the 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 candidatesCorazon Aquino andSalvador Laurel during the first day of the People Power revolution, because it was not yet safe to go back to Manila.^[35]

In 2007, the municipalities ofBogo,Carcar, andNaga became component cities. Their respective cityhood laws were ratified in the same year. However, their cityhood status were lost twice in the years 2008 and 2010 after theLCP questioned the validity of the cityhood laws. Their cityhood status were reaffirmed after the court finalized its ruling on February 15, 2011, declared their respective cityhood laws constitutional.

In February 2012 Cebu island experienced the effects ofmagnitude 6.7 earthquake on the neighboring island ofNegros 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 apreviously unrecorded fault.^[36][37]

In October 2013, Cebu andBohol were hit by record-setting7.2 magnitude earthquake which left 222 dead and collapsed some buildings, including 5 historical churches.^[38][39] There were over 700 aftershocks. The northern part of the province was devastated byTyphoon Haiyan a month later.^[40]

In December 2021,Typhoon Rai wreaked havoc across the province,^[41] leading to a declaration of "calamity" by the government.^[42]

Cebu is located to the east ofNegros, to the west ofLeyte andBohol islands. The province consists of Cebu Island, as well as 167 smaller islands, which includeMactan,Bantayan,Malapascua,Olango and theCamotes Islands. But the highly urbanized cities ofCebu, Lapu-Lapu andMandaue areindependent cities not under provincial supervision, yet are often grouped with the province for geographical and statistical purposes.

The province's land area is 4,944 square kilometers (1,909 sq mi), or when the three independent cities (Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue) are included for geographical purposes, the total area is 5,342 square kilometers (2,063 sq mi).

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 is the126th largest island in the world. Cebu Island itself is long and narrow, stretching 196 kilometers (122 mi) from north to south and 32 kilometers (20 mi) across at its widest point.^[44] 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 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) high. Flat tracts of land can be found in the city ofBogo and in the towns ofSan Remigio,Medellin andDaanbantayan at the northern region of the province.^[44]

The island's area is 4,468 square kilometres (1,725 sq mi),^[43] making it the 9th largest island in the Philippines. It supports over 5.2 million people,^[45] of which an estimated 2.9 million live inMetro Cebu.^[46]

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.^[47] 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.^[48] 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.

The climate of Cebu is tropical. There are 2 seasons in Cebu − the dry and wet season.^[49] 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 (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 whenTyphoon 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 36 °C (97 °F) from March to May, and as low as 18 °C (64 °F) in the mountains during the wet season. The average temperature is around 24 to 34 °C (75 to 93 °F), and does not fluctuate much except during the month of May, which is the hottest month. Cebu averages 70–80% humidity.^[50]

Endemic species in Cebu include the Cebu Flowerpecker (Dicaeum quadricolor), Cebu Slender Skink (Brachymeles cebuensis), Uling Goby (Sicyopus cebuensis), and Black Shama (Copsychus cebuensis).

There is also a subspecies ofIdea leuconoe that is only endemic to Cebu.I. l. jumaloni is endemic to the area ofKawasan Falls inBadian, hence its common name, theKawasan Paper Kite Butterfly. The subspecies is also named after Julian Jumalon, a CebuanoLepidopterist and butterfly artist. The butterfly can also be observed in the Nug-as rainforest.

Cebu has little remaining forest cover. The remaining forest patches in Cebu are composed primarily of the following tree species.^[51]

• Mount Lantoy:Carallia brachiata and introduced speciesTectona grandis,Swietenia macrophylla,Gmelina arborea, andCasuarina equisetifolia
• Palinipinon Mountains:Carallia brachiata and introduced speciesSwietenia macrophylla
• Nug-as forest:Ficus spp.,Artocarpus blancoi,Macaranga grandifolia, andCinnamomum cebuense
• Mount Lanaya:Carallia brachiata
• Mount Tabunan:Trevesia burckii,Voacanga globosa,Heptapleurum actinophyllum,Pouteria villamilii, andPalaquium luzoniense

The province of Cebu has3 highly urbanized cities (the capital city ofCebu,Lapu-Lapu, andMandaue) which are geographically grouped but governed independent from the province,6 component cities (Bogo,Carcar,Danao,Naga,Talisay, andToledo), and44 municipalities for a total of53 units as listed below:

The population of Cebu province, according to the2020 Philippine census, was 3,325,385 with a density of 670 inhabitants per square kilometre or 1,700 inhabitants per square mile^[3]. When the independent cities – Cebu City (964,169^[56]), Lapu-Lapu (497,604^[56]), and Mandaue (364,116^[56]) – are included for geographical purposes, the total population is 5,151,274 people, with a population density of 964 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,498/sq mi).

The population of theCentral 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.^[57]

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 23.0years.^[2] This is higher than the median age of 20.8 years that was recorded in 2000.

TheCebuano language is spoken in Cebu, which is also spoken in the rest ofCentral Visayas and most parts ofEastern Visayas, as well as most provinces ofMindanao.

In theCamotes Islands, especially inPoro, people there speak their own Visayan language calledPorohanon, which hasMasbateño andWaray-Waray influences. Some of the residents in Bantayan islands also speakBantayanon, a Visayan language related toWaray-Waray.

Chinese Filipinos also speakPhilippine Hokkien privately amongst fellow speakers inCebu, whileMandarin (Standard Chinese) is also taught in Chinese class ofChinese Filipino schools.

The majority of its population areRoman Catholic^[59] followed by roughly 95% of Cebuanos.^[60] There are also followers ofIglesia Filipina Independiente,Islam,Buddhism andHinduism. The increasing members of theIglesia ni Cristo in the province has 3 subdivided district (Bogo City, Carcar City and Cebu City) chapels, dominating each cities and towns, while barrio chapels have 2-3% presence in the entire province.

Cebu is the capital of the Catholic faith^[61] by virtue of being the first Christian city,^[62] the first capital of theSpanish East Indies, and the birthplace ofChristianity and the Philippine Church.Pope John Paul II, in his Homily for Families in Cebu (February 19, 1981), called the island as the birthplace of Christianity in the Philippines.^[63] At over 3,000,000 adherents, the province of Cebu has the highest number of Roman Catholics out of any province in the Philippines.^[60]

The image ofSanto Niño de Cebú (Holy Child of Cebu), the oldest Christian image in the Philippines, is enshrined and venerated at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño. According to Philippine historical documents, the statue of the Santo Niño (Holy Child) was given to Queen Humamay (also referred to as Hara Amihan and Queen Juana), the wife of Rajah Humabon (also referred to as Rajah Carlos), the Rajah of Cebu by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. The Cebuanos' acceptance of Christianity is depicted in Cebu's cultural event, theSinulog where street parades and loud drum beats preceded by a Christian Mass is celebrated every third Sunday of January. Cebu has aRoman Catholic Archdiocese and has several major churches, including theBasilica 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 of Mandaue, Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe of Cebu, San Nicolas de Tolentino Church,Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santissima of Boljoon, and other Christian churches, as well as several other non-Catholic churches, mosques and temples.

• Governor:Gwendolyn Garcia (PDP–Laban/One Cebu/HNP)
• Vice Governor:Hilario P. Davide III (LP/BAKUD)

Former governors of Cebu:

"Ceboom", a combination ofCebu andboom, 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 70,000 tonnesdeadweight (DWT), and double-hulledfastcraft 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.^[73]

In 2013, Cebu ranked 8th worldwide in the "Top 100 BPO Destinations Report" by global advisory firm, Tholons.^[74][75] 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.^[76][77]

Cebu's economy is also driven by the mining and quarrying areas inToledo,Naga,Alcoy, andDanao.

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^[78] and Freeze Point Rink Services.^[79]

Tourism is an important industry for the province. In 2019, Cebu welcomed 1.4 million foreign tourists,^[80] and is one of the most visited in the country by both domestic and foreign visitors. Cebu Island has also entered the list ofCondé Nast Traveler's World's Best Islands rankings thrice: 2016, 2017 and 2019.Cebu City 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.

Cebu City 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, Cebu City
•  
  Bagacay Point Lighthouse,Liloan
•  
  Bounty Beach,Malapascua Island,Daanbantayan
•  
  Carcar Museum (formerly Carcar Dispensary),Carcar
•  
  Casa Gorordo Ancestral house Museum

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.

•  
  Cebu Lechon is one of the two types of lechon in the Philippines. It is served primarily around theMetro Cebu Area, particularlyTalisay City, but is served throughout the island and other parts of theVisayas.
•  
  Liempo is a variation of lechon that contains only the pork belly rather than a whole pig. In Cebu, it is served primarily in Balamban.
•  
  Rosquillos are Philippine cookies that originate from Liloan.
•  
  The Corazon Rosquillos, a special variety of Rosquillos fromTitay's that has a heart-shaped hole instead of a circular one.
•  
  Chicharon is a common Filipino Food that is made up of crispy fried pork rinds. In Cebu, it is commonly found in Carcar.
•  
  Ampaw is a Cebuano snack made from fried white rice coated in syrup, usually with Peanuts inside. It originates from Carcar.
•  
  Pusô is rice boiled in a woven pouch made from palm leaves. It is common all throughout the Visayas.
•  
  Humbà is a braised pork dish from the Visayas. In Cebu, it is primarily served inRonda.
•  
  Otap is an oval-shaped puff pastry cookie that originates from Cebu.
•  
  Masareal is a Cebuano delicacy that is made from a mixture of finely-ground boiled peanuts, coconut syrup (latík), and water. It originates fromMandaue.
•  
  Pintos, also known asBinaki, is a Philippine steamed corn sweettamales that is served in bothBukidnon and Cebu, particularly in Bogo.
•  
  Tubâ, is a type of PhilippineCoconut wine or "toddy" found in the Visayas. In Cebu, it is found in bothBorbon andArgao.

Cebu Provincial Charter Day

The province celebrates its charterhood August 6 each year. It is considered a special non-working holiday throughout the entire province, including the three independent city states.

During the monthly celebration of Cebu's provincial charterhood, the province hosts a variety of events in line with the aim for unity among all Cebuanos. As part of the Founding Anniversary Celebration of the province, the capitol hosts theTabo sa Kapitolyo, a provincial trade fair that features all the products, delicacies, and other specialties from each City and Municipality in the province. The province also hosts thePasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival of Festivals, a celebration that showcases all festivals from every town of Cebu and is meant to highlight the culture, history, traditions, and way of life of all Cebuanos.

Semana Santa sa Bantayan

The Semana Santa of Bantayan is the local Holy Week celebration in the town of Bantayan. It is largely considered the grandest celebration of Holy Week in the Visayas. The celebration features lifelike Passus depicting thePassion and Death of Jesus on top of intricate caroes that are paraded throughout the entire town.

One thing that makes the Holy Week andLenten Celebration of Bantayan unique from other Holy Week observations of other parts of Cebu and the Philippines (and, quite possibly, the world) is that traditional Lenten Fast is not strictly observed during Holy Week. This is because the town of Bantayan has received an exemption from the traditional Lenten fast directly from the Vatican. The exemption or special permission dated July 27, 1824, which is formally known as "Bantayan Indult", was signed byPope Leo XII himself. The Bantayan Indult was given through Padre Doroteo Andrada Del Rosario and allows the consumption of meat on days of fasting and obligation. The original document is being kept at the Bantayan Museum in Bantayan Island.

There are several speculations as to why the town made the request for an indult. The most probable reason for having this indult is because people in the town would usually avoid fishing during Holy Week. This is likely because, at the time, all forms of work was prohibited, including fishing and aquaculture. Without anyone supplying fish, the only allowed meat for fasting, to the town, the Bantayanons were left with no choice but to eat the meat that is normally prohibited in Lent. There is also another reason for this based on folk beliefs. Because of the local belief that evil powers and malignant entities are stronger during Good Friday, the day of the death ofJesus, the fishermen of the town would deem it too unsafe to fish, in fear that an evil presence will come upon them at sea.

In truth, the indult has long expired and is no longer valid, however, Bantayanons today still practice eating the usually forbidden meat during Holy Week as it has already become part of their Lenten traditions.

Gabii sa Kabilin

Translating to "Heritage Night", it is a program initiated by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Incorporated in 2007. Gabii sa Kabilin is an event that aims to help preserve Cebu's rich history, culture and heritage, by encouraging the public to visit the different museums and heritage structures of Cebu. For one night, all the museums and heritage structures of Cebu all open their doors for all people in order for them to learn about the history of Cebu, as well as its heritage and cultural legacy. Although most of the heritage locations that participate in the heritage night are from Cebu City, there are also other locations that are from the other parts of the province.Museo Sugbo, the provincial museum, and theNational Museum of the Philippines of Cebu are among the participating museums of Gabii sa Kabilin.

Mactan–Cebu International Airport (MCIA) on the island ofMactan serves as the main gateway to domestic and international routes to or from Cebu City and other islands in theVisayas 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 apublic-private partnership program of the Philippine government. The new terminal will host international flights while the old terminal will host domestic flights.^[81]

In addition, MCIA Authority (MCIAA) General ManagerNigel Paul Villarete 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 proposedBus Rapid Transit (BRT) System being planned inMetro Cebu.

ThePort of Cebu is the largest shipping hub in the Visayas region.

Cebu Pacific 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.^[82] On January 6, 2011, Cebu Pacific flew its 50 millionth passenger (fromManila toBeijing). The airline reached the 100 million passengers in 2015.^[83] Cebu Pacific commenced international long-haul flights to Middle East and Australia, flight to Guam starting Q1 2016.

Notable business districts are theCebu Business Park and theCebu 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.^[84]

The city's 300-hectare (740-acre; 3.0 km²; 3,000,000 m²) reclamation forms South Road Properties – a mixed-use development south of the city which features entertainment, leisure, residential and business-processing industries.^[85] Is the site ofSM Seaside City Cebu, theeighth largest mall in the world (and3rd largest shopping mall in the Philippines),Filinvest's Citta di Mare^[86] and Il Corso,^[87]and theUniversity of the Philippines – Cebu campus.^[88]

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.^[89]

Mactan Island is linked to mainland Cebu viaMactan-Mandaue Bridge,Marcelo Fernan Bridge andCebu–Cordova Link Expressway, the longest bridge in the Philippines.

Cebu is home to a local television station,Cebu Catholic Television Network (CCTN).^[a]

Despite having their own local stations, Cebuanos prefer to watch the Philippines's several dominant television networks, namely:ABS-CBN (nowKapamilya Channel andA2Z),People's Television Network,IBC,TV5,CNN Philippines (nowRPTV) andGMA Network.^{[citation needed]}

While national newspapers have a presence on the island, Cebu has English-language local newspapers –The Freeman (under theStar Group),SunStar Cebu andCebu Daily News (under theInquirer Group): and Cebuano-language newspapers –SunStar SuperBalita owned by SunStar, andBanat News owned byThe Freeman. Each of the local newspapers sell cheaper than their national counterparts.^{[citation needed]}

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 theVisayas. It has eleven large universities each with a number of college branches mostly throughout the capital,Cebu City, 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 Institute of Technology–University
• Cebu Normal University
• Cebu Technological University
• Southwestern University
• University of Cebu
• University of San Carlos
• University of San Jose–Recoletos
• University of Southern Philippines Foundation
• University of the Philippines Cebu
• University of the Visayas
• UV Gullas College of Medicine

Other notable institutions include:Asian College of Technology in Cebu City andTalisay, Benedicto College,Cebu Eastern College,Cebu Institute of Medicine, a medical school in affiliation withVelez College, TheInternational Academy of Film and Television, established inMactan in 2004 and Cebu's first film school,Matias H. Aznar Memorial College of Medicine,Salazar Colleges of Science and Institute of Technology, among others.

Cebu is home to one fully accredited international school,Cebu International School, aK–12 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 inCebu Doctors University andCebu Institute of Medicine.

• Cebu 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 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 as member hosted the 11thEast Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Forum in 2011^[90]
• Cebu join as a participating member of Inter–Island Tourism Policy Forum in 2011 (ITOP Forum)^[91]
• Cebu hosted the 12thASEAN Summit in 2007.^[92]

Existing sisterhood agreements

•  Hainan, China
•  Hawaii, United States of America

Domestic sisterhood agreements

• List of people from Cebu

•   Geographic data related toCebu at OpenStreetMap
• Official website of the Provincial Government of Cebu
• The Official Government Portal of the Republic of the Philippines – Cebu^{[permanent dead link‍]}
• G. K. Lowry; A. T. White; P. Christie (2009)."Scaling Up to Networks of Marine Protected Areas in the Philippines: Biophysical, Legal, Institutional, and Social Considerations"(PDF).Coastal Management.37 (3):274–290.Bibcode:2009CoasM..37..274L.doi:10.1080/08920750902851146.