The Beautiful Tourist Spots in the Philippines: Cebu PLACE

The City of Cebu (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Sugbo, Filipino: Lungsod ng Cebu)

is the capital city of Cebu and the second city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest city established by the Spaniards in the country.

The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines. Cebu is the Philippines' main domestic shipping port and is home to about 80% of the country's domestic shipping companies. Cebu also holds the second largest international flights in the Philippines and is a significant centre of commerce, trade and industry in the Visayas and Mindanao region. According to the 2007 Philippine census, the city has a population of about 798,809 people.

Cebu City is the centre of a metropolitan area called Metro Cebu, which includes the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Talisay. Metro Cebu has a total population of about 2 million people. The Mactan-Cebu International Airport, located in Lapu-Lapu City is only a twenty-minute drive away from Cebu City. To the northeast of the city are Mandaue City and the town of Consolacion, to the west are Toledo City, the towns of Balamban and Asturias, to the south are Talisay City and the town of Minglanilla. Across Mactan Strait to the east is Mactan Island where Lapu-Lapu City and an aquarium attraction are located.

GETTING THERE:

- Cebu, situated on the air and sea transport crossroads of the country, is accessible by plane and boat. Philippines Airlines (PAL) has seven daily flights from Manila and daily flights from 22 domestic destinations. Mactan International Airport is also served thrice weekly by PAL flights from Tokyo and twice weekly by Silk Air flights from Singapore From Hongkong there are twice weekly flights with PAL and twice weekly flights with Cathay Pacific. Passengers flying to the Philippines from Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, the Middle East and the U.S.A. and heading for Cebu, can take advantage of PAL's exclusive "Cebu Link" service. They just have to check in once at their point of origin,transfer to the Cebu-bound plane in Manila, and claim their baggage and clear customs and immigration in Cebu. From Manila, Cebu is 22 hours away by boat. The city's port is the gateway to Southern Philippines' major destinations.

Festival

Sinulog is celebrated every third Sunday of January. Also known as Fiesta Senor, this is cebu's most extravagant and popular festival. It honors the holy image of the Sto Nino de Cebu with a mardi gras-type parade where merrymakers dance to the beat of the Pit Senor drums.

One of the many festivals that were celebrated in CEBU.

Lapu-Lapu Monument

Located in punta Engano, Mactan Island, this monument honors the first Filipino hero, Lapu-Lapu. Across the street is the monument to Magellan, the conquistador Lapu-Lapu killed on the very spot where the monument stands.