Getting to Knowthe Philippines’

Oldest City

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There are two popular accounts on how the city of Cebu got its name.

One story has the city’s name originating from the word sibu or sibo, which was Cebuano for “trade.” The label was a shortcut for sinibuayang hingpit, or the

place for trading, and was what locals called the harbors of Sugbo.

Sugbo, on the other hand, meant “scorched earth or great fire”, and was the ancient name of Cebu City.

Another account has Cebu City originating as a fishing village before the Spanish colonial era. Ruled by Rajah Humabon, the town was called Sebu, which

means “animal fat.”

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Being the Philippines’ first and oldest chartered city naturally allows for Cebu City to be home to other first oldest artifacts and establishments.

The city is the location of the Unibersidad ng San Carlos, which is considered the oldest university in the Visayas, and second in the

country overall.

Fort San Pedro is also in the city. Built in 1738 to repel Muslim raiders, it is the smallest, oldest triangular bastion fort in the Philippines.

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While Cebu City is widely recognized for being the location of Magellan’s Cross, the city is home to a number of churches that date as

far back as the Spanish colonial rea.

The most notable of these is the Minor Basilica of the Holy Child, or Basílica Minore del Santo Niño in Spanish.

It is the oldest Roman Catholic Church established in the Philippines, and houses oldest religious image in the country as well.

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During Japanese occupation, Cebu City and the rest of Cebu Province became the principal Japanese base due to its strategic location and

substantial population.

It is this strategic location that continues to make Cebu City the ideal location for most of the country’s domestic shipping companies.

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