Because it has the best of both worlds!
Is there something magical about Cebu that draws locals and foreigners to visit this place now and then?
Well not originally from here but I’ve lived in this place for almost a decade now but I feel at home.
Is it because of its warmth, extraordinary hospitality, and the adaptability of the locals to different cultures?
Or for its world-class beaches, majestic landscapes, and many exciting adventures it offers? Whatever the reason is, this province continues to amaze tourists of all nationalities.
Cebu is the center of education, business, and employment opportunities in the region.
Home to world-class fashion and design icons such as Monique Lhuillier and Kenneth Cobonpue, and local talent from the entertainment and beauty industry such as Morissette Amon, Kim Chui, Richard Yap, and Ms. 2019 Universe Philippines Gazini Ganados.
Also referred to as the second busiest city in the Philippines, Cebu City is the oldest city in the country, established by the Spanish government in 1500.
Even before that, locals made up of fishers, farmers, and tribes worked together to this day to create a thriving business community.
Many years have passed, and once a fishing village has grown into a thriving community, attracting neighboring towns and islands to live and invest in Cebu Province.
It established large industries, creating thousands of small and medium-sized businesses and employment opportunities.
Local giant industries such as SM, Ayala, Robinsons, San Miguel, Coca-Cola, and International Food Industries have fueled the economy.
Even though Cebu is now an industrial city, you can still witness its interesting heritage through the celebrations of different locals to pay homage to their long-standing Catholic beliefs.
The immense faith of the people makes Cebu the ideal place for visitors from Luzon, Mindanao, and other regions of the Visayas who come here to reflect and renew their faith.
Cebu Preserved Tradition with Innovation
Cebu’s famous Lechon has different roasting styles and secret ingredients that provide many options for visitors, one of which offers the tastiest lechon in town.
Other famous treats that local and foreign tourists want to eat and to bring for ‘pasalubong’ are crispy chicharons, chewy and sweet dried mangoes, Titay’s rosquillos, otap, danggit- these are a small dried fish common sight in the Carbon market.
If you also want to surprise your favorite child or grandchild with their favorite wish list, head to Lapu-Lapu where you can shop for a personalized and affordable guitar, t-shirt, and other accessories.
Lapu-Lapu is a historic city in the Philippines for Magellan- the Portuguese-Spanish conqueror who died in the battle of Mactan.
It is also famous for its wide variety of products and services, beaches, theme parks, and world-class establishments. The New Mactan Airport is near this place.
Almost every corner of the barangay in Cebu City is filled with various food stalls called pungko-pungko.
A budget-friendly version of Jollibee and Chowking. It comprises a small table and chairs where students and passers-by are common eaters.
A great way to hang out with friends and see what a local is like.
Cebu is a historic city as you can witness old buildings turned into museums and or commercial infrastructure.
Century-old churches are very popular and are almost the first stop for any religious tourist.
As Cebu became the gateway to neighboring islands and cities, this has largely contributed to the city’s heavy traffic to Danao province in the north and Carcar to the south.
You realize that Cebu Province is mostly populated by people from neighboring islands.
You will see a long line of passengers heading to their home islands in various terminals when semester break kicks in, along with Holy Week, Christmas, and New Year holidays.
If you are in a hurry and want to take advantage of your year-end breaks, it is best to book a plane in advance to take advantage of benefits and discounts from airline companies.
Major airlines such as Cebu Pacific and PAL now also offer direct Asia-Australia-Middle East flights from Cebu Philippines.
A strategic location made an impact on Cebu’s locals and foreigners
Blessed with its strategic location, Cebu is positioned to become the # 1 melting pot in the Visayas and the Mindanao region.
Industrial development gained momentum with the improvements of channels like seaports and airports.
Soon mega infrastructures will emerge that will transform Cebu to become Asia’s premier destination for leisure and business.
As the province becomes more industrialized, the quality of the public and private education system has improved dramatically.
Because quality education in the future will deliver better citizens and a diverse workforce in the future.
Our proven talents in naval engineering, nursing, IT, and teaching have brought us to international prominence.
Hundreds of international students come to Cebu to study in these excellent fields of study and to learn English as a Second Language (ESL).
Students and even the whole family looking to learn English have taken over Cebu City to benefit from affordable and friendly teachers.
And the practically lower cost of living in the city than in the regions of Manila. Regular students of English who are living in Cebu during the summer holidays are from South Korea and Japan.
Hundreds of ESL schools operate in Cebu employing excellent Filipino teachers.
And for more adventures…
The Sinulog festival is one of the most colorful celebrations in Cebu, perhaps the entire Philippines.
Since 1980 it has been celebrated until today and continues to attract locals and foreigners to come every year to witness its long, colorful parade of dancers with beautiful muses every year that every photographer tries to capture from the best angle to win in a photo competition.
Decorated vehicles also took part in the parade to bring local celebrities to bring more fun and entertainment to everyone.
It’s a joyful, full-day event celebrated every 3rd Sunday in January, but since it’s a major city event, the local government has set aside a long month of preparation, usually, six months before, to ensure the success of its celebration.
It is best that you check the time first if you are planning to come to the Philippines, especially a province like Cebu.
The summer months begin from March to early August, although rain showers do occur from time to time due to the tropical climate.
You don’t want to miss unforgettable adventures at Kawasan-Badian Canyoneering.
You will surely be amazed by the crystal blue waters, the high cliffs, the magical rock formations, and the crystal blue waters that are so clean you can even drink it!
Safety measures are strictly enforced in canyoning activities.
If you want to take full advantage of your money’s worth for food and clothing, pack your gear and head down Colon Street to the carbon market.
Colon Street is well known for its ancient relics and buildings that have been converted into hotels, warehouses, and merchandise shops.
You can find many inexpensive finds here. The perfect places to find thrifty clothing, ukay-ukay, street food and weekend fresh produce, weekend food, fresh fruits, and crops produced from mountain sources.
Another tourist activity that you can explore in Cebu Province is Oslob whale watching. Known to be ‘’gentle giants’’, these so-called by locals as “tuki” are very engaging with the visitors who are feeding the whales to get pictures.
According to the scientists, these aquatic animals should be migratory in nature, depending on one place, such as in the Oslob shoreline limits and increase their population.
Cebu’s sustainability and support drive
If you are helping future generations to continue to see these gentle giants, it may be important to consider skipping these activities instead of giving locals the opportunity to find other income-generating sources.
Another option to visit that offers a more sustainable adventure is the Cebu Safari with many animals with over one hundred species. They have tigers, llamas, giraffes, wildebeest, meerkats, zebras, emus, macaws, lions, hyenas, camels, and many others.
All the animals are housed in large enclosures to better provide comfort for the animals because this mimics their natural habitat instead of putting them in cages. (Source: Cebu Tour)
The IT/BPO capital in the Visayas and Mindanao regions
New York is nicknamed the city that never sleeps, it can also be true in Cebu’s IT Park. Can you believe this place was once an airport? Once only a small barangay in Apas Lahug, but now it is slowly becoming a city inside a city.
The major IT, BPO, and contact center sectors are built here with outsourcing companies such as Concentrix (former Convergys), Teleperformance Philippines, Accenture, JP Morgan Chase and Co., TeleTech, Qualfon, Stellar, and ESL companies such as QQ English and Linguage.
Many condominiums and fitness centers follow when the need arises to provide 24/7 convenience for employees and employers from other countries.
The recently opened Ayala Mall has added the benefits of the city’s living comfort along with commercial banks, cafes, restaurants, huge gardens, birds, and tall trees that thrive in the place. One note: listen to these birds chirping every 4–6 pm. Very lovely.
The proximity to other nearby islands, the convenience of transportation, and lots of entertainment options ranging from shopping malls, bars, and casinos allow every visitor to come back to this city as quickly as possible.
But like any other developed city in the country, at the cost of being a highly developed city, Cebu is no exception to the crime and pollution caused by overpopulation.
Although the city’s local government has made a huge effort to close the gap between these problems and make Cebu safe to live and do business, Cebu is still using its advantages to persuade locals and foreigners to live here and invest.
Restaurants ranging from various Asian cuisines, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese (bakery), and even exotic Indian restaurants are there to surprise your tastes.
Starbucks, 7/11, and local coffee shops like Bo’s Coffee, Pan de Manila are all over the city.
Cebu is thus very popular due to its diverse culture, majestic nature, and world-class talents of Filipinos who come together in this place to work for various local and multinational companies.
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