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| Local Information
Lat:10.315699 x Lon:123.885440
Area: 4,932.79 sq km (1,904.6 sq mi)
Calling Code: + (6332)
Currency: Philippine peso
Population: (est) 2,439,005
Official Language: Tagalog
Time Zone: GMT +8 hrs
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Cebu is an island province in the Philippines. It is the pivotal port-city of the central island-group of the country called the Visayas. It is the country’s oldest city with a history beginning in the early 16th century, with the arrival of the Spaniards on the island. The region was first discovered by Ferdinand Magellan, the legendary seafarer from Portugal who first arrived there in 1521. Magellan’s Cross, preserved in a chapel is a relic from the period of the founding of Cebu.
The capital of the province, Cebu city is known as the Queen City of the South and has been an ages-old centre of trade and business in the nation. The island is surrounded by 167 other islands and is a strip of land extending 225 kilometres north to south.
Cebu’s terrain is diverse; plateaus, hills and plains are all found on the island. It is recognized as one of the top tourist island destination of the region. About 3.5 million people reside in Cebu and interestingly, the province has its own officially recognized language, Cebuano. Most of the people are Roman Catholics with some Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic groups constituting the minority.
The climate is typically tropical with a constantly high humidity. The island is however, well protected from geographical disturbances like earthquakes, typhoons and tsunamis etc., because of the many surrounding islets. The peak summer and winter months apart, the weather is tolerable through the year, staying between 24-32°C.
Cebu is well connected by air to the other important destinations in the region, like Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo and Busan. The International Port in the province is a busy transit point for ships passing through the region. The Cebu Business Park has the offices of many international companies. There is a separate business district dedicated to computer hardware and software firms as well as engineering, telecommunications and business process outsourcing.
Cebu handles about 80% of the Philippines shipping traffic and cargo. The proximity of the place to the orient, the subcontinent and oceanic countries has made it a strategic centre of many of the world’s leading financial, semiconductor, optical, electronic and heavy-industry firms. The consistent growth rate of the country has been driven largely by this province. The human resources of the region are minimally involved with agriculture and are recognized as being very productive working resources. This ensures constant availability of skilled human resources for industrial and manufacturing units. With high levels of tourism, natural resources and competent labour force, the region is the fastest growing economy in the Philippines.
Furniture is one sector that has made its presence felt in Cebu; so much so that it is billed as the furniture capital of the country. To its credit, the investment in the IT and BPO companies is also on the rise in Cebu. The business chambers of the city are also working to promote it as a cost-effective and high quality site of software development and ICT-enabled services. Shipbuilding and associated industries have also developed and kept pace with the requirements of international marine vessels that count on Cebu to deliver to their requirements.
Support from the government has also resulted in aggressive, yet stable growth rates that have seen a fresh phase of foreign investments. Many Philippine local brands that have gained attention and markets overseas are headquartered in Cebu .The International Convention Centre in the city hosted the 12th ASEAN Summit in 2006.
Cebu has its share of tourists who are interested in seeing a metropolis that has so many adjacent natural wonders. Sun, sea and sand are the foremost attractions of this beautiful tropical island. The Mactan Beach is popular for its many tourist spots like Cebu White Sands, Cordova Resort, Maribago Resort, Plantation Mactan, the Shangrila, Tambuli and Hadsan Resorts.
Mountain biking to the top of Mt. Busay is also a favourite activity of the visitors and the view of the city by night from this point is amazing. Hiking in this area also means many hours of fun.
The tartanilla ride is another major tourist draw. The brightly painted, horse-drawn carriage ride is a fun way to tour the city and its many interesting sights. The city also has shopping malls and market squares that tourists can visit for buying local products at good prices. Other venues for entertainment such as departmental stores, movie theatres, bookstores and restaurants make Cebu make it as much a booming business borough as a vacationers’ venue!
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