About Cebu

Cebu, known as The Queen City of the South, is a holiday destination and the oldest city in the Philippines. With its centuries old trading and entrepreneurial heritage, thriving deep water harbor, international airport and palm-fringed beaches dotted with up-market resorts and hotels, Cebu is the most important business and leisure destination outside of Manila.

Cebu is rich in history. Ferdinand Magellan first came ashore in the Philippines in 1521 while attempting to circumnavigate the world; but, was killed on nearby Mactan Island only three (3) weeks later. In 1565 Miguel Lopez de Legazpi arrived in Cebu to herald the beginning of Spain's colonial presence.

Fort San Pedro is a historical park which houses the National Museum and provides sanctuary for quiet reflection. Built in 1738 as a defense against pirates, the fort was a stronghold for Filipino freedom fighters in 1898, a U.S. Army barracks, and a prison camp during the Japanese occupation. San Pedro was the name of the ship which brought Legazpi to the Philippines in 1565.

The Casa Gorordo Museum is the residence of the first Filipino Bishop of Cebu, a scion of the wealthy Gorordo family. Fully restored and refurbished in period-style, the museum houses a rich collection of 18th Century historical works, procelains, liturgical items and vestments, old prints, photographs and contemporary art works.

Magellan's Cross commemorates the site where Filipino's were first baptized into Christianity in 1521. The ceiling of the shrine housing the Cross is a graphic mural of the inaugural mass conducted in the Philippines.

The country's oldest religious relic is on display at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño. The statue of Santo Niño, (Boy Jesus), was given to Juana the Queen of Rajah Humabon by Magellan on the day of her baptismal in 1521. Santo Niño is now the patron saint of Cebu.

The Lapu-Lapu Monument at Punta Engano on Mactan Island is a testament to this proud chieftain who killed Magellan and is revered as the country's first leader to resist Spanish colonization.