TOURIST SPOT IN THE CEBU
Cebu Province (Cebuano: Lalawigan sa Sugbo, Tagalog: Lalawigan ng Cebu, Tagalog pronunciation: ['sebu]) is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands. Cebu is a long narrow island stretching 225 kilometers from north to south, surrounded by 167 neighbouring, smaller islands, which include Mactan, Bantayan,Malapascua, Olango and the Camotes Islands. Cebu 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 1000 meters high. Flat tracts of land can be found in the city of Bogo and in the towns of San Remigio, Medellin and Daanbantayan at the northern region of the province. Its capital is Cebu City, the oldest city in the Philippines, which forms part of the Cebu Metropolitan Area together with four neighboring cities which include Danao City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City and Talisay City and eight other municipalities. Mactan-Cebu International Airport, located in Mactan island, is the second busiest airport in the Philippines.
Cebu is one of the most developed provinces in the Philippines, with Cebu City as the main center of commerce, trade, education and industry in the Visayas. Condé Nast Traveler Magazine named Cebu the 7th best island destination in the Indian Ocean-Asia region in 2007,[1] 8th best Asian-Pacific island destination in 2005, 7th in 2004 and in 2009. In a decade it has transformed into a global hub for furniture making, tourism, business processing services, and heavy industry.
Demographics
Main articles: Cebuano people and Cebuano language
The population of Cebu in 2007 was 2,440,120, with its largest city accounting for 799,762 people, or more than a third of the entire provincial population.[2] Cebuano is the official language spoken in Cebu and it is also spoken in most areas of the Visayas, including Bohol, western Leyte,Negros Oriental and some provinces of Mindanao (Bukidnon, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur,Davao City, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Camiguin,Compostela Valley, South Cotabato and Sarangani. The population of Central 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 male and female. However, the male population in the region has been increasing at a faster rate compared to the female population.[3]
Religion
See also: Religion in the Philippines
The majority of its population are Roman Catholic,[4] there are also some followers of Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism.
The image of Santo Niño de Cebú (Holy Child of Cebu), the oldest Christian image in the Philippines, is enshrined and venerated at the Basilica of Santo Niño. According to Philippine historical documents, the statue of the Santo Niño (Holy Child) was given to the wife of the Rajah of Cebu by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. The friendship is depicted in Cebu's cultural event, the Sinulog where street parades and loud drum beats preceded by a Christian mass is celebrated every third Sunday of January. Cebu has a Roman Catholic Archdiocese and has several major churches, including the Basilica 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, Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe of Cebu and other Christian churches, as well as several other non-Catholic churches, mosques and temples.
Climate
Main article: Climate of Cebu
Though Cebu has two official[citation needed] seasons, Dry and Wet, rainfall is usually not particularly high, with average rainfall hitting around 100 millimeters per month. The wet season usually comes from June to December, while the dry season comes from January until May. Rainfall is highest in June and July. Cebu's temperatures can reach a high of 36 degree celsius from March to May, to as low as 18 degrees at the mountains during the cooler season from October to January. The average temperature in Cebu is around 24 to 32 degree celsius, and does not fluctuate much except for the month of May, which is the hottest month. Cebu averages 70–8
History
In April 1521, Ferdinand Magellan, in the service of Charles V of Spain, arrived in Cebu during his voyage to find a westward route to the Indies.[1] He persuaded Rajah Humabon and his chief wife Humamay, to pledge their allegiance with Spain. They were later baptised into the Catholic faith, taking the Christian names Carlos (after Holy Roman Emperor Charles V) and Juana (after Joanna of Castile).
According to Antonio Pigafetta, Italian chronicler to the Spanish expedition, Ferdinand Magellan himself presented the Santo Niño to the newly-baptised Queen Juana as a symbol of the alliance. To her husband Carlos, Magellan presented the bust of "Ecce Homo", or the depiction of Christ before Pontius Pilate. He then presented an image of the Virgin Mary to the natives who were baptized after their rulers. Magellan died on 27 April 1521 in the Battle of Mactan, leaving the image behind. Legends say that after initial efforts by the natives to destroy it, the image was venerated as the animist creation deity Bathala. Many historians consider the facial structure of the statue made from Belgium, where Infant Jesus of Prague statues were also common.
In 1980, Filipino historian Nicomedes Márquez Joaquín wrote about the 44 years after Magellan's soldiers left before the next Spanish expedition came under Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. Joaquín said that the statue was once denounced by natives as originally brought by Magellan, but was re-inforced again by de Legaspi which the natives continued to dispute claiming that the statue came originally from their land.
On 28 April 1565, Spanish mariner Juan de Camus found the statue in a pine box amidst the ruins of a burnt house. The image, carved from wood and coated with paint, stood 30 centimetres tall, and wore a loose velvet garment, a gilded neck chain and a woolen red hood. A golden sphere, a replica of the world, was in the in the left hand, and the right hand is slightly raised in benediction. Camus presented the image to Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and the Augustinian priests; the natives refused to associate it with the gift of Magellan, claiming it had existed there since ancient times. Writer Dr. Resil Mojares wrote that the natives did so for fear that the Spaniards would demand it back. The natives’ version of the origin of the Santo Niño is in the Agipo (stump or driftwood) legend, which states r=that the statue was caught by a fisherman who chose to rid of it, only to have it returned with a plentiful harvest.
The statue was later taken out for procession, afterwards which Legaspi then ordered the creation of the Confraternity of the Santo Niño de Cebú, appointing Father Andres de Urdaneta as head superior. Legaspi instituted a fiesta to commemorate of the finding of the image, and although the original celebration still survives, Pope Innocent XIII moved the celebration to the Third Sunday of January to avoid conflict with Eastertide.
The Minor Basilica of Santo Nino (Spanish: Basilica Minore del Santo Niño) was built on the spot where the image was found by Juan de Camus. The parish was originally made out of bamboo and mangrove palm and claims to be the oldest parish in the Philippines. Pope Paul VI elevated its rank as Minor Basilica on its 400th year anniversary.
The Sinulog is an annual festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City and Maasin City, Southern Leyte, Philippines[1] The festival commemorates the Bisayan people's pagan origin, and their acceptance of Roman Catholicism.
The main feature is a street parade with participants in bright coloured costumes dancing to the rhythm of drums, trumpets and native gongs. Smaller versions of the festival are held in various parts of the province, also to celebrate and honor the Santo Niño. There is also a "Sinulog sa Kabataan" performed by the youths of Cebu a week before the parade. Recently, the festival has been promoted as a tourist attraction, with a contest featuring contingents from various parts of the country. The Sinulog Contest is usually held in the Cebu City Sports Complex.
History
 | This section does not cite any references or sources. (September 2011) |
On April 15, 1521, the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived and planted the cross on the shores of Cebu, claiming the territory for Spain. He presented the image of the child Jesus, theSanto Niño, as baptismal gift to Hara Amihan, wife of Rajah Humabon. Hara Amihan was later named, Queen Juana in honor of Juana, mother of Carlos I. Along with the rulers of the island, some 800 natives were also baptized to the Roman Catholic Church. At the moment of receiving the holy image, it was said that Queen Juana danced with joy bearing this image of the child Jesus. With the other natives following her example, this moment was regarded as the first Sinulog.
This event is frequently used as basis for most Sinulog dances, which dramatize the coming of the Spaniards and the presentation of the Santo Niño to the Queen. A popular theme among Sinulog dances is Queen Juana holding the Santo Niño in her arms and using it to bless her people who are often afflicted by sickness caused by demons and other evil spirits.
Magellan's Cross is a Christian cross planted by Portuguese, and Spanish explorers as ordered by Ferdinand Magellan upon arriving in Cebu in thePhilippines on (depending on source) April 14 or 21, 1521.[1][2]
This cross is housed in a chapel next to the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño on Magallanes Street (Magallanes being the Spanish name of Magellan), just in front of the city center of Cebu City. A sign below the cross describes the original cross is encased inside the wooden cross that is found in the center of the chapel. This is to protect the original cross from people who chipped away parts of the cross for souvenir purposes or in the belief that the cross possesses miraculous powers.[3] Some people, however, believe that the original cross had been destroyed or had disappeared after Magellan's death, and the cross is a replica that was planted there by the Spaniards after they successfully colonized the Philippines.[1][2][4]
Fuente Osmeña CircleEveryone who comes to Cebu happens upon this area whether on purpose, by necessity, or accidentally. A center for cultural, social, and political happenings, this rotunda could very well be the soul center of the people of Cebu.
It was built during the founding of Cebu City's water system.
And if you want to see what it look like: It is in the right portion of the 50 peso Philippine currency bill...
History
Built in 1974[1] it originally served as a residence of the late Cebuano lepidopterist Julian Jumalon.[2]
Prof. Jumalon amassed a vast collection of butterflies through his travels worldwide and by trading local Philippine species with foreign ones. Jumalon's fascination with Lepidopterans did not just end in having them preserved and framed. He wanted the butterflies close by especially the rare ones. So to invite these insects he planted his residence with butterfly food plants. He also caught live specimens and released them in his garden. His butterfly collection is known to be the oldest and perhaps the biggest in the Philippines.
At his death, a foundation (Julian N. Jumalon Foundation, Inc.) was created by his children and grand children to foster to his collection and the compound which, prior to the founder's death, has become a tourist attraction.
Attractions
Inside the compound is a salon and garden. The garden is a collection of a hundred butterfly food plant species.[3] Among these plants flutters around 50 local and foreign species of butterflies. Some rare species are hatched in captivity and later released.
Inside the salon is Jumalon's collection of butterflies and other insects. Also found inside is the histories of butterfly species. The salon also houses the paintings and other works of Jumalon, who was also an artist. Most popular among his works is his mosaics made entirely of butterly wings (lepido mosaic) from damaged butterfly taken from his collection and other collections around the world. These mosaics depicts several places around Cebu City and National Heroes among others.
MOALBOAL - located 89 kms. southwest of Cebu City. It offers modestly priced cottages for rent, white sandy beaches. A popular diving area having one of the best coral formations in the country. Scuba diving facilities are available.
THE TOPS - Situated high on top of cool Busay Hills is an excellent sight seeing spot which offers a breathtaking view of Metro Cebu and the islands of Mactan and Olango. Cottages are available for daytime picnics and instant evening parties. Only 15 minutes ride from Cebu City's Lahug area.
One of the many pasalubong gifts tourists buy here in Cebu is the well-known Philippine Dried Mangoes. Very notable of its peculiar sweet taste with the tangerine-like twist on every bite, many are attratced and convinced to bring home the goodness of Cebu mangoes.
There are many companies manufacturing dried mangoes, and luckily, many of them are dwelling here in Cebu. Mangoes here may be the perfect type for dried mangoes, and setting up the place for their creations just might be the perfect location. Proudly Cebuano original delicacy, the dried mango is all natural with preservatives and additives to make it yet tasty than all other delicacies in the Philippines.
Added to that, companies here in Cebu manufacturing Dried Mangoes are exporting the product internationally. Crates and crates of dried mangoes are being shipped outside the Philippines, letting other countries taste the best mangoes we can all be proud of.
Dried Mangoes are perfect for desserts and snacks, as it complements with whatever main dish you dine. Some restaurants serve dried mangoes for their dessert as patronage to Philippine products. Other than dried mangoes, there have been variations of the product such as the tamarind-mango candy balls made of a perfectly combined mixture of two fruits captivating a perfect twist in the Filipino taste buds—mango that makes it sweet as ever and tamarind to put the sour flavor of it. Compared to the dried mangoes, these tamarind-mango balls are cheaper yet tasty also. Again, this product is proudly an original Cebuano recipe we can all bring to other places as a teaser to the taste of Cebu.
Other than that, Cebu is well-known of its crunchy and huge carabao mangoes and the ever sweet ripe mangoes. These fresh fruits are often fresh-picks from the farms in the southern municipalities of Cebu. Aside from not being expensive, this gives everybody a fresh and nutritious taste of the soil that made it grow. There are other sweet products Cebu can be proud of. So, if you are a tourist, Filipino or foreigner, never forget to let your hometown taste Cebu through its finest sweet delicacies.
There are many companies manufacturing dried mangoes, and luckily, many of them are dwelling here in Cebu. Mangoes here may be the perfect type for dried mangoes, and setting up the place for their creations just might be the perfect location. Proudly Cebuano original delicacy, the dried mango is all natural with preservatives and additives to make it yet tasty than all other delicacies in the Philippines.
Added to that, companies here in Cebu manufacturing Dried Mangoes are exporting the product internationally. Crates and crates of dried mangoes are being shipped outside the Philippines, letting other countries taste the best mangoes we can all be proud of.
Dried Mangoes are perfect for desserts and snacks, as it complements with whatever main dish you dine. Some restaurants serve dried mangoes for their dessert as patronage to Philippine products. Other than dried mangoes, there have been variations of the product such as the tamarind-mango candy balls made of a perfectly combined mixture of two fruits captivating a perfect twist in the Filipino taste buds—mango that makes it sweet as ever and tamarind to put the sour flavor of it. Compared to the dried mangoes, these tamarind-mango balls are cheaper yet tasty also. Again, this product is proudly an original Cebuano recipe we can all bring to other places as a teaser to the taste of Cebu.
Other than that, Cebu is well-known of its crunchy and huge carabao mangoes and the ever sweet ripe mangoes. These fresh fruits are often fresh-picks from the farms in the southern municipalities of Cebu. Aside from not being expensive, this gives everybody a fresh and nutritious taste of the soil that made it grow. There are other sweet products Cebu can be proud of. So, if you are a tourist, Filipino or foreigner, never forget to let your hometown taste Cebu through its finest sweet delicacies.
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