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Cebu ( ; ), officially the Province of Cebu (; ), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. The coastal zone of Cebu is identified as a site of highest marine biodiversity importance in the Coral Triangle.
Its capital and largest city is Cebu City, nicknamed "the Queen (Catholic) City of the South" having the Second Cardinal, the oldest city and first capital of the Philippines, which is politically independent from the provincial government along with Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu City. The Cebu Metropolitan Area or Metro Cebu is the third largest metropolitan area in the Philippines (after Metro Manila and Metro Davao) with Cebu City as the main center of commerce, trade, education and industry in the Visayas as well as the regional center of Central Visayas. Being one of the most developed provinces in the Philippines, in a decade it has transformed into a global hub for business processing services, tourism, shipping, furniture-making, and heavy industry. Mactan–Cebu International Airport, located on Mactan Island, is the second busiest airport in the Philippines.
Cebu has the most combined cities and municipalities of any province in the Philippines, with 53 in total. With 9 cities in total, it has the second highest number of cities after its neighboring province of Negros Occidental.
The name is possibly derived from a hypothetical Proto-Philippine word *sug(e)bu meaning "to bathe" or "to wade into the water". The word has evolved in the Cebuano language as sugbú, meaning "to dive into water" and also exists in other Philippine languages such as Tagalog language and Hiligaynon. In fact, there is also another municipality in Batangas, Philippines called Nasugbu, which may also share the same etymological root with the said province.
The modern name is most likely how the first Europeans heard of the name of the place in the 16th–17th centuries, as it was first recorded as Zubu or Çubu, and then eventually it became Cebu. The reason for the spelling change is because Visayans were mostly illiterate in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Arriving in Cebu City, Magellan, with Enrique of Malacca as a translator, befriended Rajah Humabon a chief of a village in Cebu, and persuaded the natives to ally themselves with the Spanish. On April 14, Magellan erected a large wooden cross on the shores of Cebu. Afterwards, Rajah Humabon was baptized along with about 400 Sugbuanons.
Magellan soon heard of Datu Lapu-Lapu, a native chief in nearby Mactan, a rival of a chief in Cebu. It was thought that Humabon and Lapu–Lapu had been fighting for control of the flourishing trade in the area. On April 27 the Battle of Mactan occurred, where the Spaniards were defeated and Magellan was killed by the natives of Mactan in Mactan Island. According to Italian historian and chronicler Antonio Pigafetta, Magellan's body was never recovered despite efforts to trade it for spice and jewels. Magellan's second-in-command, Juan Sebastián Elcano, took his place as captain of the expedition and sailed the fleet back to Spain, circumnavigating the world.
Survivors of the Magellan expedition returned to Spain with tales of a savage island in the Indies. Consequently, several Spanish expeditions were sent to the islands but all ended in failure.
Among the Cebuanos immediately arrested by the Marcos dictatorship when martial law was announced on September 23, 1972, were columnist and future National Artist Resil Mojares and human rights lawyer and Carcar Vice Mayor Democrito Barcenas, who were both detained at Camp Sergio Osmeña.
One of the Marcos Martial Law Desaparecidos from Cebu was Redemptorist Priest Fr. Rudy Romano, a prominent Marcos critic and Executive Secretary of Cebu's Coalition against People's Persecution, who was accosted by armed men in Tisa, Labangon, Cebu City on June 11, 1985, and never seen again. Levi Ybañez, Romano's colleague in the Coalition against People's Persecution, was abducted on the same day as Fr. Romano, and was also never heard from again. Ribomapil Holganza, a prominent leader of Cebu's opposition was also arrested together with his son on Christmas Day, December 25, 1983, on political charges. He was subsequently released and cleared of all charges.
In February 2012, Cebu island experienced the effects of magnitude 6.7 earthquake on the neighboring island of Negros and was the largest quake in the area for 90 years. The tremor shook buildings but there were no reports of major building damage or loss of life on Cebu Island itself. This tremor was caused by a previously unrecorded fault.
In October 2013, Cebu and Bohol were hit by a record-setting 7.2 magnitude earthquake which left 222 dead and collapsed some buildings, including 5 historical churches. There were over 700 aftershocks. The northern part of the province was devastated by Typhoon Haiyan a month later.
In December 2021, Typhoon Rai wreaked havoc across the province, leading to a declaration of "calamity" by the government.
On September 30, 2025, northern Cebu was struck by an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9, with dozens of fatalities and hundreds of injured.
The province's land area is , or when the three independent cities (Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue) are included for geographical purposes, the total area is .
Cebu's central location, proximity to an unusually exotic tourist destination, ready access to a diversity of plant, animal and geological wonders within the island, and remoteness from earthquake and typhoon activity are some of the special attributes of Cebu.
Cebu's highest mountains are over high. Flat tracts of land can be found in the city of Bogo and in the towns of San Remigio, Medellin and Daanbantayan at the northern region of the province.
The island's area is , making it the 9th largest island in the Philippines. It supports over 5.2 million people, of which an estimated 2.9 million live in Metro Cebu.
Beaches, coral atolls, islands, and rich fishing grounds surround Cebu.
Coal was first discovered in Cebu about 1837. There were 15 localities over the whole island, on both coasts; some desultory mining had been carried out Naga near Mount Uling, but most serious operations were at Licos and Camansi west of Compostela and Danao. Active work ceased about 1895 with the insurrections, and no production was worked on for more than ten years. A topographic and geologic survey of Compostela, Danao, and Carmen took place in 1906. The Compostela-Danao coalfield contained about six million workable tons. The tramroads, one from Danao to Camansi, one from Compostela to Mount Licos, were undertaken in 1895, together with a wagon road built in 1877, from Cotcot to Dapdap.
Northern Cebu gets more rainfall and typhoons than southern Cebu because it has a different climate. Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) hit Northern Cebu in 2013 killing 73 people and injuring 348 others. Though most typhoons hit only the northern part of Cebu, the urban areas in central Cebu are sometimes hit, such as when Typhoon Mike (Ruping), one of the worst to hit Cebu lashed the central Cebu area in 1990. 31 years later, Typhoon Rai struck the central and southern portions of the province.
Cebu's temperatures can reach a high of from March to May, and as low as in the mountains during the wet season. The average temperature is around , and does not fluctuate much except during the month of May, which is the hottest month. Cebu averages 70–80% humidity.
There is also a subspecies of Idea leuconoe that is only endemic to Cebu. I. l. jumaloni is endemic to the area of Kawasan Falls in Badian, hence its common name, the Kawasan Paper Kite Butterfly. The subspecies is also named after Julian Jumalon, a Cebuano Lepidopterist and butterfly artist. The butterfly can also be observed in the Nug-as rainforest.
The population of the Central Visayas is predominantly young with about 37 percent of its population below 10 years old. This is very evident in the very broad base of the population pyramid in the region which has prevailed since 1970 but at a declining rate. A decline of 2.29 percentage points in the proportion of the household population below 15 years old was noted from 1980 to 1995. Conversely, an increase of 3.06 percentage points was observed in the 15–64 age group during the same period. The population of the region is evenly distributed between males and females. However, the male population in the region has been increasing at a faster rate compared to the female population.
In 2010, the median age of the population of the province was 23.0 years, which means that half of the population was younger than 23.0 This is higher than the median age of 20.8 years that was recorded in 2000.
In the Camotes Islands, especially in Poro, people there speak their own Visayan language called Porohanon, which has Masbateño and Waray-Waray influences. Some of the residents in Bantayan islands also speak Bantayanon, a Visayan language related to Waray-Waray.
also speak Philippine Hokkien privately amongst fellow speakers in Metro Cebu, while Mandarin Chinese (Standard Chinese) is also taught in Chinese class of Chinese school.
Cebu is the capital of the Catholic faith by virtue of being the first Christian city, the first capital of the Spanish East Indies, and the birthplace of Christianity and the Philippine Church. Pope John Paul II, in his Homily for Families in Cebu (February 19, 1981), called the island as the birthplace of Christianity in the Philippines. At over 3,000,000 adherents, the province of Cebu has the highest number of Roman Catholics out of any province in the Philippines.
The image of Santo Niño de Cebú (Holy Child of Cebu), the oldest Christian image in the Philippines, is enshrined and venerated at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño. According to Philippine historical documents, the statue of the Santo Niño (Holy Child) was given to Queen Humamay (also referred to as Hara Amihan and Queen Juana), the wife of Rajah Humabon (also referred to as Rajah Carlos), the Rajah of Cebu by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. The Cebuanos' acceptance of Christianity is depicted in Cebu's cultural event, the Sinulog where street parades and loud drum beats preceded by a Christian Mass is celebrated every third Sunday of January. Cebu has a Roman Catholic Archdiocese and has several major churches, including the Basilica Minor del Santo Niño de Cebu, Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, Santo Rosario Parish Church, San José–Recoletos Church, Sacred Heart Church, Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, National Shrine of Our Lady of the Rule, Mandaue Church, Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe of Cebu, San Nicolas de Tolentino Church, Boljoon Church, and other Christian churches, as well as several other non-Catholic churches, mosques and temples.
Former governors of Cebu:
| 1st | Rhea Mae Gullas | Lakas-CMD | 2 | Majority | |
| 2nd | Edsel Galeos | Lakas-CMD | 2 | Majority | |
| 3rd | Karen Flores Garcia | NUP | 1 | Majority | |
| 4th | Sun Shimura | PMP | 1 | Majority | |
| 5th | Duke Frasco | One Cebu | 3 | Majority | |
| 6th | Daphne Lagon | Lakas-CMD | 2 | Majority | |
| 7th | Patricia Calderon | NPC | 1 | Majority |
About 80% of domestic and international shipping operators and shipbuilders in the Philippines are located in Cebu. Shipbuilding companies in Cebu have manufactured bulk carriers of up to , and double-hulled fastcraft as well. Cebu's industry helps make the Philippines the 5th largest shipbuilding country in the world.
Cebu's extensive port facilities and its proximity to intra-Asian shipping and air routes are major factors which led multinational companies to establish offices or factories on the main island, as well as in the island of Mactan, where they are clustered in special economic zones known as the Mactan Economic Processing Zone 1 (MEPZ-1) and the Mactan Economic Processing Zone 2 (MEPZ-2). Due to its burgeoning furniture-making industry, Cebu has been named as the furniture capital of the Philippines. Cebu's other exports include: fashion accessories, guitars, coconut, coconut oil, dried mangoes, carrageenan, gifts, toys, watches, cameras, electronic components, and housewares.
With a revenue growth rate of 18.8 percent in 2012, the real estate industry is the fastest-growing sector in Cebu. With strong economic indicators and high investors' confidence level, more condominium projects and hypermarkets are being developed in the locality. An additional 100 commercial and residential buildings would be completed by 2015 and another 170 to 200 buildings are expected to be finished by 2017. 64 new hypermarkets will be developed in Cebu.
In 2013, Cebu ranked 8th worldwide in the "Top 100 BPO Destinations Report" by global advisory firm, Tholons. The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, an organization of Cebu's businesses, is promoting the city's growth and economy on information and communications technology, with the aim of making Cebu the premier ICT, software and e-services investment destination in Southeast Asia. Data gathered by the National Economic Development Authority (Neda) 7 showed that of the 98 BPO and IT companies operating in Cebu, 32 offer voice operations while 66 companies offer non-voice operations. Of the 95,000 employed by the industry, more than half or 50,000 are in the non-voice sector. In 2012, the growth in IT-BPO revenues in Cebu grew 26.9 percent at $484 million, while nationally, the industry grew 18.2 percent at $13 billion.
Cebu's economy is also driven by the mining and quarrying areas in Toledo, Naga, Alcoy, and Danao.
Cebu even boasts of being a subsidiary of one of the leading ice rink manufacturers in the world. These rinks are engineered and fabricated in Cebu by Ice Rink Supply and shipped worldwide by Freeze Point Rink Services.
Tourism is an important industry for the province. In 2019, Cebu welcomed 1.4 million foreign tourists, and is one of the most visited in the country by both domestic and foreign visitors. Cebu Island has also entered the list of Condé Nast Traveler's World's Best Islands rankings thrice: 2016, 2017 and 2019. Cebu City and Cebu Province, despite being administratively separated from each other, are often marketed as a single tourist destination, combining natural countryside scenery with urban attractions including cultural-historical sites and developing infrastructure.
The province celebrates its charterhood August 6 each year. It is considered a special non-working holiday throughout the entire province, including the three independent city states.
During the monthly celebration of Cebu's provincial charterhood, the province hosts a variety of events in line with the aim for unity among all Cebuanos. As part of the Founding Anniversary Celebration of the province, the capitol hosts the Tabo sa Kapitolyo, a provincial trade fair that features all the products, delicacies, and other specialties from each city and municipality in the province. The province also hosts the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo Festival of Festivals, a celebration that showcases all festivals from every town of Cebu and is meant to highlight the culture, history, traditions, and way of life of all Cebuanos.
The Semana Santa of Bantayan is the local Holy Week celebration in the town of Bantayan. It is largely considered the grandest celebration of Holy Week in the Visayas. The celebration features lifelike Passus depicting the Passion and Death of Jesus on top of intricate caroes that are paraded throughout the entire town.
One thing that makes the Holy Week and Lent of Bantayan unique from other Holy Week observations of other parts of Cebu and the Philippines (and, quite possibly, the world) is that traditional Lenten Fast is not strictly observed during Holy Week. This is because the town of Bantayan has received an exemption from the traditional Lenten fast directly from the Vatican. The exemption or special permission dated July 27, 1824, which is formally known as "Bantayan Indult", was signed by Pope Leo XII himself. The Bantayan Indult was given through Padre Doroteo Andrada Del Rosario and allows the consumption of meat on days of fasting and obligation. The original document is being kept at the Bantayan Museum on Bantayan Island.
There are several speculations as to why the town made the request for an indult. The most probable reason for having this indult is because people in the town would usually avoid fishing during Holy Week. This is likely because, at the time, all forms of work were prohibited, including fishing and aquaculture. Without anyone supplying fish, the only allowed meat for fasting, to the town, the Bantayanons were left with no choice but to eat the meat that is normally prohibited in Lent. There is also another reason for this based on folk beliefs. Because of the local belief that evil powers and malignant entities are stronger during Good Friday, the day of the death of Jesus, the fishermen of the town would deem it too unsafe to fish, in fear that an evil presence will come upon them at sea.
In truth, the indult has long expired and is no longer valid, however, Bantayanons today still practice eating the usually forbidden meat during Holy Week as it has already become part of their Lenten traditions.
Translating to "Heritage Night", it is a program initiated by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Incorporated in 2007. Gabii sa Kabilin is an event that aims to help preserve Cebu's rich history, culture and heritage, by encouraging the public to visit the different museums and heritage structures of Cebu. For one night, all the museums and heritage structures of Cebu all open their doors for all people in order for them to learn about the history of Cebu, as well as its heritage and cultural legacy. Although most of the heritage locations that participate in the heritage night are from Cebu City, there are also other locations that are from the other parts of the province. Museo Sugbo, the provincial museum, and the National Museum of the Philippines of Cebu are among the participating museums of Gabii sa Kabilin.
In addition, MCIA Authority (MCIAA) General Manager Nigel Paul Villarete also proposed to establish a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line to transport airport passengers to and from MCIAA and different parts of Cebu. This will be integrated into the proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System being planned in Metro Cebu.
The Port of Cebu is the largest shipping hub in the Visayas region.
Cebu Pacific Air is an airline owned by Cebu-based Gokongwei family. On May 28, 2008, Cebu Pacific was named as the world's number one airline in terms of growth. The airline carried a total of almost 5.5 million passengers in 2007, up 57.4% from 2006. On January 6, 2011, Cebu Pacific flew its 50 millionth passenger (from Manila to Beijing). The airline reached 100 million passengers in 2015. Cebu Pacific commenced international long-haul flights to Middle East and Australia, with flights to Guam starting Q1 2016.
Notable business districts are the Cebu Business Park and the Cebu IT Park. This area hosts industries related to the information technology industry such as software development, telecommunications, engineering research and development centers, and business process outsourcing. In 2013, Ayala Corporation's affiliate, Ayala Land Inc., announced that it is looking at introducing another business park development within the Cebu City area to optimize the high performance of real estate investments in Cebu.
The city's reclamation forms South Road Properties – a mixed-use development south of the city which features entertainment, leisure, residential and business-processing industries. Is the site of SM Seaside City Cebu, the eighth largest mall in the world (and 3rd largest shopping mall in the Philippines), Filinvest's Citta di Mare and Il Corso, and the University of the Philippines – Cebu campus.
In Mactan Island, Megaworld Corporation's Mactan Newtown is a 25-hectare business park near Shangri-La's Mactan Resort and Spa. The project will be home to high-tech offices, a retail center, residential towers and villages, and leisure facilities with beach resort frontage.Mactan Oceantown – Mactan, Cebu City, http://www.megaworldcorp.com/Projects/Office.aspx
Mactan Island is linked to mainland Cebu via Mactan-Mandaue Bridge, Marcelo Fernan Bridge and Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway, the longest bridge in the Philippines.
Despite having their own local stations, Cebuanos prefer to watch the Philippines's several dominant television networks, namely: ABS-CBN (now Kapamilya Channel and A2Z), People's Television Network, IBC, TV5, CNN Philippines (now RPTV) and GMA Network.
While national newspapers have a presence on the island, Cebu has English-language local newspapers – The Freeman (under the Star Group), SunStar Cebu and Cebu Daily News (under the Inquirer Group): and Cebuano-language newspapers – SunStar SuperBalita owned by SunStar, and Banat News owned by The Freeman. Each of the local newspapers sell cheaper than their national counterparts.
The most prominent of these universities are (in alphabetical order):
Other notable institutions include: Asian College of Technology in Cebu City and Talisay, Benedicto College, Cebu Eastern College, Cebu Institute of Medicine, a medical school in affiliation with Velez College, The International Academy of Film and Television, established in Mactan in 2004 and Cebu's first film school, Matias H. Aznar Memorial College of Medicine, Salazar Colleges of Science and Institute of Technology, among others.
Cebu is home to one fully accredited international school, Cebu International School, a K–12 school established in 1924. Cebu is considered to be a hub of medical education, with many international students coming to study medicine in Cebu's medical schools. Some of Cebu's well-known medical schools are in Cebu Doctors University and Cebu Institute of Medicine.
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