Cebu is one of the provinces of the Philippines. It lies to the east of Negros Island; to the west of Leyte and to the southeast is Bohol province. It is flanked on both sides by the straits of Bohol (between Cebu and Bohol) and Tañon (between Cebu and Negros). Cebu is located between 9°25'N and 11°15'N latitude and between 123°13'E and 124°5'E longitude in the center of the archipelago.

 

 

Cebu Island is a long narrow island stretching 225 km (140 mi) from north to south, surrounded by 167 neighboring smaller islands, that includes Mactan Island, Bantayan, Malapascua, Olango and the Camotes Islands. Of the hundreds of small islands some are uninhabited which make them the targets of adventure-seeking tourists.Cebu is known for its narrow coastlines, limestone plateaus, and coastal plains, all characteristics of a typical tropical island.

 

Cebu also has predominant rolling hills and rugged mountain ranges traversing the northern and southern lengths of the island. Cebu's steep mountains reach over 1,000 meters. Flat tracts of land can be found in towns of Bogo, San Remigio, Medellin, and Daanbantayan at the northern tip of the province. Its capital is Cebu City, the oldest city in the country, which forms part of the Cebu Metropolitan Area together with 6 neighboring cities Carcar City, Danao City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Naga City and Talisay City and 6 other municipalities.

 

Cebu is served by Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Mactan Island, thirty minutes drive from downtown Cebu City. Cebu is one of the most developed provinces in the country and the main center of commerce, trade, education and industry in the central and southern parts of the archipelago. It has five-star hotels, casinos, white sand beaches, world-class golf courses, convention centers, and shopping malls.

 

People and Culture: 
 
The native people of Cebu are called Cebuanos. Most are descendants from Austronesian people, some have Spanish and Chinese ancestry. Spanish and Chinese communities play an important economic and political role in Cebu. Cebuano culture is laid back and has preserved Hispanic traditions in its culture. The Philippines being under American rule for the early part of the 20th century, American culture is pervasive in certain areas of life, with English being retained as the medium of instruction of most subjects in private schools and, to a lesser extent, in public ones.
 
American culture also influenced contemporary music, the fastfood industry, etc. As with other countries, foreign nationals have inter-married with the locals, with some of these nationalities being American, Japanese, Western European (British, German, etc.) Australian, and other East Asians. 

 

 

It lies to the east of Negros Island; to the east is Leyte and to the southeast is Bohol Island. It is flanked on both sides by the straits of Cebu (between Cebu and Bohol) and Tañon (between Cebu and Negros). Cebu is located between 9°25'N and 11°15'N latitude and between 123°13'E and 124°5'E longitude in the center of the archipelago.

 

Cebu Island is a long narrow island stretching 225 km (140 mi) from north to south, surrounded by 167 neighboring smaller islands, that includes Mactan Island, Bantayan, Malapascua, Olango and the Camotes Islands. Of the hundreds of small islands some are uninhabited which make them the targets of adventure-seeking tourists. Cebu City is the capital of Cebu Island Province. The province is a long narrow island at the center of the Visayan Islands, 365 miles south of Manila. Cebu City is centrally located in the widest portion of the island at the east coast harbor.

 

How to get Cebu: 

 

There are many ways to come to Cebu. The first, and the easiest, is by direct flight. Cebu International Airport is served by various airlines like Cathay Pacific from Hong Kong, SilkAir (Singapore Airlines) from Singapore, Malaysian Airlines from Kuala Lumpur and Qatar Airways from Doha. The alternative is to fly to Manila and take a domestic flight to Cebu, or take a ferry.

 

From the capital city flights to Cebu are offered several times a day. The boat trip takes about 20 hours, but sailing on a luxury liner through the Philippine archipelago is an adventure in itself. The larger ferries arrive both from Luzon (the main island) and from other major islands while the fast ferries service connect the minor islands all around Cebu. 

 

Cebu Festivals: 

 

Sinulog Festival- The Sinulog festival is Cebu's biggest and most popular festival. It is celebrated every 3rd Sunday of January. The feast is in honor of the holy image Señor Santo Niño de Cebú. Fiesta Señor, as it widely known, is the most celebrated among Cebu's festivals where people converge along the route of a grand solemn procession and partake in the gaiety amidst a mardigras parade immersed in vivid colors and the constant drums of the Pit Señor. 

 

Mantawi Festival - Unique and exotic, dance steps are accompanied by a different beat, played by a brass instead of the usual drum and bugle. This makes up a one-of-a-kind festivity that entices and seduces the crowd to gather and witness one of the most anticipated celebration in the City of Mandaue, the Mantawi Festival. 

 

Paskuhan - A Christmas celebration of songs and lantern making held during the month of December spread good cheers to local residents and visitors alike.

 

Kadaugan sa Mactan - A one day re-enactment - held at the Mactan shrine - celebrated with much pomp and pageantry every 27th of April to commemorate the historic Battle of Mactan between the forces of Lapulapu and Magellan.