General information about Cebu City
Cebu City has the nation’s busiest port and its second busiest airport and it is the gateway to the Visayas. It is also a magnet for migrants from all over the region. Cebu City also is one of the few emerging cities in the Philippines. This place has a long story of changing of its street names. Cebu also is the transport hub in the Visayas. It is also the most densely populated island in the Philippines and is the second strategic and economic importance to the country. The Cebu City or known as in Cebuano Dakbayan Sa Sugbo is the capital city if Cebu and is the second city in the Philippines and it is the second most significant metropolitan center in the Philippines and also known as the oldest city that established by the Spaniards.
As time and day goes by there more establishments that build in the city, especially call center that can employed more than thousands of people in the city and day by day there are more building or companies rising up and newly rise.
The old Magellan Cross in Cebu
Magellan Cross: the Magellan Cross was built in 1841 across from Cebu City Hall. It is the Ferdinand’s Catholic legacy, which made up of a large wooden cross and is housed in a stone rotunda. The small cross of Ferdinand Magellan was now encased in a small chapel to the public. It is show or represents that Magellan planted the cross on the shores of Cebu in 1521 of April. There also painting in top of the roof which Magellan stands beside his local mates. In outside the Magellan Cross there are vendors ladies that selling candles and doing a ritual dance as a symbolic dance in the gratitude on the Magellan Cross. Magellan Cross is one of the tourist destination and tourist attractions even if locals.
The holy Basilica Del Santo Niño
Basilica Del Santo Niño: is the holiest and is real survivor church in the Cebu. It is the first church that built in the Philippines and this built in 1565 and it is burnt three times and it was rebuilt in 1737. It is originally named by the Spanish Augustinian Friar Andres de Urdaneta, founded in San Agustin Church or Church before it was renamed in 1965 by Pope Paul VI at Basilica Del Santo Niño. It is the home of the Santo Niño who was a formerly considered the patron saint of Cebu. Inside in the church, above in the ceiling there are many christianalism that painted and shows the gratitude of being Christians. It is the biggest and known church in the Cebu City because of its features and looks and the history back ground that each of us can capture our interest of this Basilica Del Santo Niño. This is one of the historic places in Cebu City.
The sightseeing spot "Fort San Pedro"in Cebu
Fort San Pedro: this is built in 1565 by the conqueror of the Philippines Miguel Lopez De Legaspi. It is also the smallest fort in the Philippines and is also the oldest of which originally planned as a pure wooden fort. Fort San Pedro has served as an army garrison, a rebel stronghold, a prison camp and the city zoo. It is walled by the peaceful garden. Today it consists about 7-8 meters high stone walls and under the Philippine Tourism Authority. This fort is now a museum that can be visited daily. It is the second oldest place in the Philippines.
Museums in Cebu City
Sugbo Museum: this is the most important museum in the Visayas because of its cultural and historical pieces of the Philippine history. Sugbo is the ancient name of the Ferdinand Magellan was once the island of Cebu. This museum displays various artifacts from all the periods. It is displays also antiques jars, Chinese porcelain, and earthenware and even crafted wood and even due old postcards from the area of Cebu. This museum is open and offering their displays in different eras of the Philippine history and it has an entrance fee for both tourist and locals. If there is possibility you can get a discount.
Cebu City has many attractions spots that can offer into either locals or tourist. It has also many places which is historic and most interesting.
Casa Gorordo Museum: is one of the hidden gems of Cebu City, it was built in the 1850’s and originally a private home. Gorordo is one of Cebu’s leading families. In the lower part of the house have walls of Mactan coral stone. It also displays items including the kitchen implements, antique photos and wooden furniture.
Taoist Temple: is a symbol of the city’s large and prosperous ethnic Chinese population. It is in the over looking northern hills in the city. The architecture of this temple is functional and austere by Chinese standards.
The heritage of Cebu
The heritage of the Cebu monument provides for important events of Cebu. It is constructed time only 3 years and the monumental work of art was completed in December 2000. The local artist Eduardo Castillo is the monument is some scenes and famous building.
- The Santo Niño Procession
- A Catholic Mass
- The Battle between Magellan and Lapu-Lapu
- President Sergio Osmeña Sr.
- Holy Pedro Calungsod
Good Restaurants in Cebu City
Black Angus a steak house on the very small Mango Avenue where on only has to be specialized in steaks.
Lighthouse is one of the most beautiful and most pleasant restaurants in Cebu City. It is served good Filipino Food in a pleasant atmosphere. It has a live band consisting of three blind. It is lined in the Mango.
Banana Leaf is one of our favorite it is as far as Asian cuisine. This restaurant gets the award to be one of the restaurants in the Philippines Top 100. It is served here Indonesian, Thai and Filipino cuisine with a unique mix flavor. It is located in the terraces of Ayala.
Old Spaghetti House is all for pasta lovers, it is a small Italian Restaurant in SM. The noodles taste like Italians and the sauce sweetened not like in common place.
Maya is located in the Crossroad; it is a purely Mexican style restaurant. However this restaurant is slightly expensive but very satisfying choices of food.
Cebu City Hotels
Cebu has many top hotels, where you can stay and relax on a safe and quite place.
Each of them offers a good accommodation that can perfectly fit in each taste of choice.
Marco Polo is the classiest and one of the most expensive hotels in Cebu. These is located in Lahug, the staff of this hotel is very friendly and welcoming to each one. The rooms are perfectly okay, nothing to say about it and the view are very nice because it is over looking in the Cebu. This hotel also offers a good buffet breakfast.
Marriot is an adjacent to the Ayala Center. The rooms are stylish and well appointed and with most offering views. They also have a buffet breakfast of the packages.
Waterfront Hotel and Casino is an Asian high roller city. It has a 24 hour casino and countless food and beverages outlets, has discos, gyms, piano and etc. it is also an international style dining and has many entertainment center.
The city is busy by time of holy week; most of the hotels are full. It is better to book in advanced than to book in the difficult time.
Entertainment and Activities in Cebu City
Travesty Comedy Bar is at the Mango. It is very funny live show with an entrance of 100 pesos per head. The show is indeed partly to Cebuano but the language plays no important role since the whole show has a very visual.
22nd Street Comedy Bar this funny and very entertaining bar is located in Mango Avenue and this is hosted with gays. In a 100 pesos entrance of each person you can witness the lively entertainment and gigs that they performed in the stage.
Cebu City has many entertainment places and clubs or bars to be fun and go with friends. The place in Cebu which there are many clubs and bars is in the Mango Avenue, it is the place which is offers very much fun of all the young’s or even if elders.
Cebu City shopping Malls
Mostly of the Cebuano’s love malls, where you can eat, shop, bank, organize flights, and all of these malls are comfort of air conditioned. Basically all the malls are open at 10am to 9pm.
Ayala Center is a shopping that European or American label boutiques well find here, there are also restaurants, bars, health spas, cinemas, fast food chain, games halls, and even child care center.
Robinson’s Plaza is a small time shopping mall; it has a department store, supermarket, ATM’s, ticketing agencies and a food court in the ground floor.
SM Mall is located in the north Reclamation Area, like Ayala and Robinson’s you can find whatever you want here, it is also possible to organize travel and banking.
There are much shopping mall that is known in the city like the Century Plaza Commercial Complex, Colonnade Mall, Gaisano Metro, Gaisano South, Mango Plaza, White Gold, S&R; Shopping Mall, Raintree Mall, and the Super Metro.
Cebu City's Festivals and Events
The Cebu’s biggest annual festival that draws pilgrims from around the Philippines is the Sinulog.
Sinulog or the Fiesta Señor is the Feast of Santo Niño. It is celebrated on the third Sunday of January and it is marked a colorful processions bearing the city’s venerated image of Santo Niño. The word Sinulog is a Visayan term for a dance that imitates the rhythm but after the Cebuano’s conversion to Christianity. It has a prestigious long parade of different costumes of dancers that showing how Sinulog its goes and many locals artist that giving the gratitude to celebrate the Fiesta of Santo Niño. There are colorful float that passing in every street in city and in the night there are many entertainment that organized by the people to show how beautiful the Cebu City it is and how the Cebu City grows into a better place.
