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BEACH
I DIVING I SNORKELING I WILDLIFE
I
HERITAGE
I
GOLF
I
ACTIVITIES |
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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. |
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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. |
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Cebu
Is
Famous
For...
Guitars
Guitar-making
is
the
occupation
of
the
people
of
Mactan
District
and
Maribago
District
in
Lapulapu
City.
Mangoes
Tropical
island
Cebu
is
famous
not
only
for
its
fresh
mangoes
but
its
export-quality
dried
mangoes.
Magellan’s
Cross
Planted
in
April
21,
1521
by
Ferdinand
Magellan,
it
is
the
spot
where
the
first
Christian
Filipinos,
Rajah
Humabon
and
Queen
Juana
and
about
400
of
their
followers,
were
baptized
by
Fr.
Pedro
Valderema.
Image
of
Santo
Niño
Considered
as
the
oldest
religious
relic
in
the
Philippines,
the
image
of
the
Santo
Niño,
or
Holy
Child,
was
given
by
Ferdinand
Magellan
to
Queen
Juana,
among
the
first
Filipinos
to
be
Christianized,
as a
baptismal
gift
in
1521.
The
image
survived
a
great
fire
in
1565
unscratched.
It
has
since
been
deemed
miraculous
and
venerated
by
the
Cebuanos
as
their
patron
saint.
Basilica
Minor
del
Santo
Niño
The
church
was
built
by
Miguel
Lopez
de
Legaspi
and
Father
Andres
Urdaneta
on
the
site
where
the
image
of
Santo
Niño
was
found
in
1565.
The
first
structure
of
the
church
was,
however,
destroyed
by
fire
on
November
1,
1568.
It
was
rebuilt
in
1602
under
the
administration
of
Juan
Albaran
and
was
rehabilitated
in
1740.
On
May
1965,
the
church
was
conferred
the
title
of
Basilica
Minor
del
Santo
Niño
by
Cardinal
Antonuitte,
Papal
Legate
during
the
Fourth
Centennial
Celebration
of
the
Christianization
of
Cebu.
Sinulog
Festival
Cebu’s
biggest
and
most
popular
festival,
the
Sinulog
Festival
is a
feast
in
honor
of
the
Holy
Image
of
Senyor
Santo
Niño
de
Cebu.
People
converge
along
the
routes
of a
grand
solemn
procession
and
partake
in
the
gaiety
amidst
a
mardi
gras
parade
immersed
in
wild
colors
and
the
constant
beating
of
drums.
Fiesta
Senyor,
as
it
is
widely
known,
is
celebrated
every
third
Sunday
of
January.
Mactan
Island
It
is a
coral
island
and
famous
scuba
diving
and
beach
site.
It
is
also
the
site
of
the
Export
Processing
Zone,
which
presently
employs
a
37,118-strong
workforce.
Mactan
Island,
located
across
Mandaue
City,
encompasses
a
total
land
area
of
150
hectares.
Malapascua
Island
Malapascua,
a
term
that
literally
means
"Unfortunate
Christmas,"
is a
paradise
where
time
stands
still.
The
island
is
blessed
with
white
sand
beaches
and
crystal
clear
waters.
The
west
coast
is
especially
ideal
for
swimming
and
snorkeling.
It
takes
about
three
hours
by
land
from
Cebu
City
to
reach
the
island,
which
lies
at
the
northern
tip
of
Cebu
and
west
of
Leyte.
Moalboal
About
a
third
of
the
way
up
the
west
coast
of
Cebu
is
the
sleepy
little
market
town
of
Moalboal.
About
five
kilometers
outside
the
town,
down
a
dusty
track,
is
Panagsama
Beach,
which
was
one
of
the
first
places
where
scuba
diving
caught
on
in
the
Philippines.
In
the
early
1980s,
it
was
one
of
the
most
popular
and
highly
regarded
diving
destinations
in
Asia,
which
led
to
dive
resorts
having
sprung
up
all
along
the
adjacent
coast.
From
Moalboal,
you
can
dive
straight
off
Panagsama
Beach.
All
you
need
to
do
is
swim
out
a
few
meters
and
drop
down
onto
a
beautiful,
sloping
wall
that
descends
to
35
meters.
Panagsama
Beach
is
home
to
an
extraordinary
array
of
coral,
anemones,
sponges,
and
a
swarming
host
of
brightly
colored
reef
fish.
Olango
Wildlife
Sanctuary
Olango
Island
supports
the
largest
concentration
of
migratory
birds
found
thus
far
in
the
country.
Migration
of
these
birds
starts
from
their
breeding
places
in
Siberia,
Northern
China,
and
Japan.
Based
on
data
gathered
so
far,
the
birds
use
Olango
as a
major
refueling
station
as
well
as a
wintering
ground.
At
Olango,
the
birds
can
replenish
their
fat
reserves
by
feeding
on
the
rich
supplies
of
invertebrates
in
the
intertidal
mudflats.
These
fat
reserves
fuel
the
birds
on
the
next
lap
of
their
journey,
which
may
cover
from
3,000
to
15,000
kilometers
of
nonstop
flight.
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