History of Cebu

The eastern province of Cebu is part of Philippines. The history of Cebu is very interesting. Earlier Cebu was known as Sugbo and its inhabitants lived in bamboo houses with their distinct architecture. The people were very ornate in their own way, tattoos, gold jewelry, silks and lip colors were used with abandon. The history of Cebu reveals that at one point of time it was the trade center and Chinese ships laden with goodies like silks and porcelains arrived with unfailing regularity. The goodies from the ships were exchanged for articles like gold, honey, wood and spices from Mollucas.

With the arrival of the Spaniards, things changed for Cebu. From Cebu's history, it is known that Ferdinand Magellan with Spanish troops arrived in 1521 AD. Here the Spaniards got a good reception and most of the local villagers converted to Christianity including the ruler, Rajah Humabon. But reaching the slender Strait to Mactan Island, the Spaniards encountered stiff resistance from the locals. The process of colonizing Cebu started with the arrival of Legazpi and Fray Andres de Urdaneta in 1566 AD. The Spanish colonial rule continued for some time and eventually with the passage of time Cebu started coming out on her own. The municipality of Cebu was started in was started in 1905. Cebu was occupied by the Americans for some time , but now with all this behind her, Cebu is one of the most busy and thriving cities of the world.