Paradise Philippines

Cebu - Unchanged and Unspoilt
By Roy Sencio

The year was 1988, and the song on the radio went…

From Bissau to Palau - in the shade of Avalon,
From Fiji to Tiree and the Isles of Ebony,
From Peru to Cebu hear the power of Babylon,
From Bali to Cali - far beneath the Coral Sea.

If you know music like I do, and I mean, good music… you probably know that one, Enya and Orinoco Flow, I believe that was her first hit. Such a lovely haunting song about travel and seeing the world, visiting places you would never have dreamed existed… one such place, mentioned in the song.. Cebu!

Cebu is right smack in the middle of the Philippine islands and is one of the most developed in the country. The capital Cebu City, is the country’s oldest city in the Philippines.

Known to have been the first man to circumnavigate the earth, Ferdinand Magellan discovered the Philippine islands by chance in 1521. Landing in Cebu City he got friendly with the natives and their leader Raja Humabon. Of course, the rest is history, if you know it. He got his butt kicked by Lapu lapu, a chieftain in neighboring Mactan. That probably could very well be the first ever documented triumph over foreign aggression, claiming the Philippines in the name of Spain and all, hehehe. Although some historians believe that this was caused by Raja Humabon, the leader at the time who pledged allegiance to Spain. Some say the Raja could have been in a row with Lapu lapu and they were fighting over control of the channel between Cebu and Mactan, a very important trade route, even today it still is. Magellan’s remains were never brought back to Spain, Lapu lapu’s men refused to give up the body despite several offers for it by the remaining Spanish officers.

Cebu is a really old city but; a link to old world history, and yet a springboard into a promising tomorrow.

Cebu is today’s center for internet and communication technology investments and the hub of the country’s growing outsourcing industry. A recent study by industry publication Global Services and investment advisory firm Tholons reveals that Cebu ranks fourth as most favored technology outsourcing destination for global companies, out of 15 emerging outsourcing destinations; the first three cities Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune are in India. There are more call centers in Cebu than I fly has eyes… exageration to prove a point, yet true actually.

Despite its rapid grown and development, Cebu has not rid itself of its rustic charms and simple pleasures; traits that offer a much needed balance to busy and stressful urban living. It has five-star hotels, convention centers, casinos, shopping malls and a bustling business district; but all these you can easily leave behind in just 30 minutes, to find yourself watching the surf on a white sand beach or marveling over the city from atop a mountain resort; and there are many of these to choose from.

History shows that cities change, influenced by those that arrive and thrive; Cebu has not. Not in almost 500 years, and Cebu has seen them all come over the decades; the Europeans, Americans, Chinese, Japanese and to the current influx of migrant Koreans.

Other cities are shaped by its settlers; Cebu changes those who settle in it, making them adapt to its idyllic and laid back lifestyle in an otherwise busy urban jungle. Cebu makes a settler accept paradise as it is, as it remains firm in preserving what makes it one of the best places to live in.