Even before the Spaniards came, Cebu (referring to both the city known as the Queen City of the South and to the island province in the Visayas region of the Philippines) was already a bustling trade center. 

Cebu city, the capital of Cebu province, is the Philippines' oldest city.

There are numerous artifacts of such historic legacy, including the country's oldest fort Fort San Pedro (shown in photo), Magellan's Cross (a Christian cross reputed to be to be erected on orders of the world-famous explorer Ferdinand Magellan when he came to Cebu), and the Sinulog festival held in honor of the Santo Nino. Sinulog has its roots on a pre-Hispanic dance ritual where the dancer moves two steps forward and one step backward to the rhythmic sound of drums, resembling the current (sulog) of a river, hence the name.

Cebu is endowed with the perfect mix of a hospitable people, pleasant climate, modern infrastructure as can be expected from one of the Philippines' premier urban centers, and a strategic geographic location, with close proximity to beautiful beaches and fantastic diving grounds as a bonus. As such, Cebu has become a favorite of local and foreign tourists (especially those from Japan, South Korea, China, the United States, and Europe). There are indeed more than a thousand reasons to have life's best view in Cebu!

(Video from youtube.com; posted by jafalks 04.19.09)