|
 A port in pre-Hispanic times, Cebu was known as "Sugbu"
or "Zubu",
and
was visited by traders from China, Thailand, the
East Indies and the Arabian kingdoms. On April 7,
1521 when the explorer Ferdinand Magellan landed in
Cebu, its ruler King Humabon welcomed him. It wasn’t
long before Humabon and his queen, Juana, converted
to Christianity along with four hundred of their
subjects. Magellan planted a cross and gave Queen
Juana a statue of the Santo Nino (the child, Jesus)
to commemorate the event.
 Magellan later, died in battle in nearby Mactan
Island when confronting the local chief, Lapu-Lapu.
 Led by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Fray Andres de
Urdaneta the Spaniards returned on April 28, 1565.
They destroyed the settlements of Rajah Tupas, built
a fortified community on its site, and named it
Villa del Santissimo Nombre de Jesus in honour of
the Santo Nino statue that had survived the fires
set by Spanish conquistadors.
 For six years, it was the capital of the
Philippines. The Augustinians built the country's
first church, the Basilica
Minore del Santo Nino as well as the first
school, University of San Carlos and
Colon Street was
constructed.
 In 1860, the demand for sugar cane, tobacco and hemp
paved the way for the opening up of the countryside.
With Cebu's central location in the south, its ports
were kept busy. By the mid-19th century, Cebu had
caught up with the outside world. Cities thrived
with newly-established industries, and suburbs
flourished.
 In 1898, Cebuanos forced the Spanish colonizers out
of Cebu and when the Americans took over in 1899,
they too met with hostility. This led to the clash
in Toledo City in 1990 and by 1901 the American
regime was in control of the Philppine Islands. In
the same year, the province was officially named
Cebu, becoming an official city on February 24,
1937.
 The American occupation saw the re-emergence of Cebu
as an important trade centre
(after being eclipsed by Manila during the Spanish
regime) with improved infrastructure, modern ports
and facilities. Cebu's strategic location made it a
key Japanese base during World War 11, subjecting it
to heavy bombing by liberating American forces. The
most infamous battle sites were in the Antuanga area
and Bagbag hills.
 Liberation finally came in 1946. Since then, Cebu
has blossomed into the bustling cosmopolitan centre
it is today that doubles as a great tourist
location. Its population of more than a million is a
cosmopolitan mix of Filipino with Chinese, American
and European influences. The prevailing dialect is
Cebuano or Bisaya, but English and Tagalog are
widely spoken.
 Today,
metropolitan
Cebu is a 33,000-hectare complex of three cities and
six municipalities. Its infrastructure including an
international airport,
advanced communication facilities, luxury hotels and
beach resorts, fine
restaurants,
shopping and entertainment
centres.
|
