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I.

BACKGROUND

1.2. ABSTRACT
The construction industry has grown greatly as the global and national
economies have become more stable. New architectural concepts have been
introduced, and new structures have been constructed. As the city grows,
Cebuanos will need to find more environmentally friendly ways to live and
work. But in order to do that, some issues are needed to be solved such as
traffic congestion, floods, garbage that clogged drainage systems and lastly,
poverty.

This study aims to provide further information about Cebu city and its
current economic and urban planning of the place, current urban issues and
status, and recommendations on how to solve the problem of the locality. This
study aims to inform local and international tourists, as well as the city's
management and government, that the city can have a greater background
review. Only if, the people of the city will be capable on contributing a solution
on how to fix some issues. In addition, changes and actions is needed to
promote, protect, strengthen, and maintain its stability.

1.3 HISTORY OF THE LOCALITY


Before the Spanish arrived, Cebu was known as "Sugbu" or "Zubu."
Cebu was a trading port visited by marchants from China, Thailand, the East
Indies, and the Arabian kingdom. Ferdinand Magellan, an explorer, arrived in
Cebu on April 7, 1571. King Humabon, who ruled Cebu at the time, greeted
Magellan warmly and converted to Catholicism along with Queen Juana and
400 servants.
Magellan remembered them by erecting the cross and bestowing santo
nio, which is the scripture of the young Christ. Following that, Magellan was
defeated and killed by Lapu-Lapu, the ruler of Mactan Island. However,
Legazpi and Urdaneta arrived in Cebu with a Spanish army and began to
immigrate on April 28, 1565. They also constructed the Santo Nio Church, the
University of San Carlos, and Coron Street. The Philippines had its first church,
university, and street. Cebu served as the capital of the Philippines for six
years following the arrival of the Spanish. Following the Spanish–American
War in 1898, American governments established infrastructure during
America's rule, and Cebu developed as a trade center. During World War II,

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Cebu was Japan's main army base, particularly at Antoanga and Babak, which
were bombed.
The Philippines gained independence from the United States in 1946,
and Cebu is now developing alongside Manila. Today, Cebu is a popular tourist
destination because it has some of the best beach resorts in the world.
Cebu holds the distinction of being the Philippines' oldest town, having
been founded by Magellan himself. After leaving Spain with five ships in 1519,
Magellan landed at Cebu on April 7, 1521, with his three remaining vessels,
set up a cross on the shore at a place called Zubu, and baptized their chief,
Humabon, his wife Juana, and 800 of their followers after receiving a friendly
reception from the natives.
As a result, Cebu became the Philippines' first Christian center.
Pigafetta, a Spanish chronicler, recorded the impact on Europeans of seeing
the natives with their tattoos and silk turbans, the attractive native women
who painted their lips and nails and wore flowers in their hair, and the Arab,
Siamese, and Chinese vessels in the harbor. Unfortunately for Magellan, he
did not receive the same warm welcome on the nearby island of Mactan. When
the Spaniards attempted to land, they were met with a hail of arrows, and
Magellan was killed in the ensuing battle (27 April 1521). His body was never
found. His opponent, the native chief Lapu Lapu, has become a national hero
in the Philippines, the personification of resistance to invaders. Nonetheless,
the Filipinos honor both opposing leaders jointly, and monuments to both are
located in Punta Engao, Lapu-lapu City. A species of fish commonly found in
the waters of the Philippines and frequently seen on restaurant menus has
been given the name lapu-lapu.
After Magellan’s death the Spaniards fled only one ship with 26
survivors, returned to Spain and Humabon abandoned his Christian faith.
When a further Spanish expedition led by Miguel de Legazpi and Fray Andres
de Urdaneta arrived on 27 April 1565 it was received with hostile
demonstrations by chieftain Rajah Tupas. After the battle which followed a
soldier named Juan de Camus found in the ruins of a burned down hut a
statuette of the Infant Jesus, which was presumed to be Magellan’s baptismal
gift to queen Juana: this was the origin of the cult of the Santo Niño de Cebu.
The Spanish post established at this period bore the name of San Miguel, later
changed to Villa Santissimo Nombre de Jesus (Village of the Holy Name of
Jesus). The fort built on the coast was named after Legazpi’s flagship, San

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Pedro. It is not known when the town reverted to the name of Cebu. After
being abandoned for a time in the face of Portuguese activity in the area, Cebu
became active again in the 17th century as the trading centre of the Visayas.
On 3 April 1898 rebels seized the town and laid siege to the fort, which was
saved only by the arrival of Spanish warships. The leader of the rising, Leon
Kilat, withdrew into the interior to wage guerrilla war against the Spaniards.
Guerrilla activity continued against the American forces that landed in
February 1899, and only came to an end after three years of fighting. It was
resumed, under very different circumstances, during the Japanese occupation.
The Japanese forces who landed on Cebu on 10 April 1942 after a bombing
which caused heavy damage in the town were never able to suppress the
guerrillas who had taken to the mountains and from time to time were able to
carry out actions in the town itself. Cebu was liberated on 26 March 1945 after
the American landing.
Mt. Manunggal trek, honours the death anniversary of President Ramon
Magsaysay who was tragically killed in an air crash on Mt. Manunggal
Balamban, Cebu.
1.3.1 OLD PHOTOS OF THE CITY

Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

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Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

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Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

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Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

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Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

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Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

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Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

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Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

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Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

Source:https://sugbo.ph/2020/old-photos-of-cebu/

1.3.2 GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION


Cebu, with a total land area of 5,000 square
kilometers, is located in Central Visayas (Region 7)
and is the center of the Philippine archipelago.
Negros is to the east, Bohol is to the southeast, and
Leyte is to the west. The Bohol Strait connects Cebu
and Bohol, while the Tanon Strait connects Cebu and
Negros.

Cebu has an abundance of beauty. From the


central mountains to the coral sands, the island is a
natural wonder. Most of the archipelago's 8,120
species of flowering plants can be found in Cebu. 5,832 are unique to the

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country. Birds migrating from Russia stop enroute to Australia at the Olango
Bird Sanctuary.

Sumilon Island, Mactan Islands, Olango Island, Camotes Islands,


Malapascua Island, and Bantayan Islands are all part of Cebu. Some of the
hundreds of uninhabited islands that surround Cebu are uninhabited. Beaches,
coral atolls, renowned diving spots in Moalboal, abundant fishing grounds, and
well-known islands such as Mactan Island, Malapascua Island, and Bantayan
Island surround and embody Cebu. Its central location, proximity to unusually
exotic tourist destinations, easy access to a variety of plant, animal, and
geological wonders within the island, and isolation from earthquake and
typhoon activity are some of the unique characteristics that contribute to
Cebu's success. Exposure to nature's wonders allows busy families to unwind
and recharge their batteries.

II. BODY
2.1 CURRENT ECONOMIC & URBAN PLANNING
Based on the 2018 to 2020 annual average share, the following
industries drive the economy of the Province of Cebu: manufacturing (17.6%),
wholesale and retail trade (13.7%), motor vehicle and motorcycle repair
(13.7%), real estate and dwelling ownership (11.5%), and professional and
business services (11.5%). The province's economy grew by 4.7 percent in
2019, but fell by 8.9 percent in 2020.

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The Province of Cebu ranked second in Central Visayas' 6.2 percent
economic growth in 2019, accounting for 1.5 percentage points of the total
regional economy. Meanwhile, Cebu Province contributed -2.7 percentage
points to the Central Visayas' -9.9% in 2020.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which was established by


Republic Act No. 10625, or The Philippine Statistical Act of 2013, is responsible
for compiling and maintaining macroeconomic accounts and indicators at the
national and subnational levels, among other things. The Provincial Product
Accounts (PPA) are a tool used at the provincial level to measure the
province's or highly urbanized cities' (HUCs) economic performance over time.

Starting this year, the PSA will release annual economic performance
data at the provincial level based on the identified pilot provinces and HUCs.
In 2021, the province of Cebu will be one of the PPA pilot provinces.

Cebu City is part of a larger metropolitan area that has seen rapid
population growth in recent decades, growing from 1.5 million people in 1990
to 2.8 million people in 2015. Due to the mountainous topography and high
vulnerability risk, development stretches along the coast, limiting viable land
allocation for urban expansion. This was not matched by a corresponding
development of services and businesses in the other Metro Cebu
municipalities, resulting in the formation of a monocentric urban system
centered in Cebu City.

This, combined with inefficient land use, a lack of public transportation,


and inadequate road network development, has resulted in traffic congestion
as well as a high demand for service delivery and housing. Coastal reclamation
is a second strategy for expanding urban areas, but it has the potential to
harm the coastal environment and marine ecology, as well as change the
regional groundwater regime, which could alter the coastal environment,
flooding patterns, and slope and foundation stability. Unsustainable
urbanization jeopardizes Cebu's economic performance, increasing the costs
of traffic congestion, pollution, social and spatial segregation, and
environmental risks.

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The city's difficult metropolitan governance and lack of planning tools
do not provide the necessary tools for long-term sustainable urban planning.
This, combined with a lack of data availability, data management, and
analysis, prevents the city from making appropriate evidence-based planning
decisions.

The city of Cebu wants to change this trend by improving its strategies
and urban planning mechanisms in order to promote sustainable urban
development for the upcoming decade's urban expansion, which is expected
to be driven by continuous migration and population growth. In this regard, it
is necessary to improve spatial and evidence-based planning for sustainable
development and to concretely advance the implementation of the Sustainable
Development Goals by promoting sustainable modes of transportation,
disaster resilience, public space, and affordable housing.

Description of the Intervention The interventions for Cebu City aim to


address Cebu's unsustainable urbanization trends in two ways:

1) Cebu City Strategy

The city of Cebu currently lacks a strategy that directs urban


development and establishes long-term objectives. The Global Future Cities
Program aims to assist in the development of the strategy with the specific
goal of advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and addressing
transportation, resilience, and housing challenges.

Main activities include:

• A comprehensive diagnosis and context evaluation based on


evidence-based data analysis that establishes a baseline of the city's
main urban challenges;
• Develop the strategy's main objectives, which will be in line with
national and regional plans as well as the SDGs;
• Engaging community groups, the private sector, and key
stakeholders from city and metropolitan governments in a
participatory stakeholder engagement process;
• Development of a city spatial plan that proposes efficient land use
and a connected, mixed-use, inclusive, and compact city form;

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• Establishing a road map for achieving the SDGs, which will include
mechanisms for evaluation and monitoring;
• Identifying catalytic projects that are aligned with the city strategy's
goals and can help with implementation;
• Develop a funding and financing strategy for the city strategy's
implementation, with a particular focus on Cebu City's municipal
finance capacity.

2) Cebu Data Hub

In Cebu City, there is a scarcity of data, which makes it difficult to develop


solid, evidence-based strategies and plans. The Global Future Cities Program
aims to assist in the creation of a data center that allows data to be shared
across city departments and improves evidence-based planning throughout
the city.

Main activities include:

• An evaluation of the current data and IT framework that identifies


data needs and gaps, particularly in relation to the development of
the City Strategy.
• Determine the data hub's purpose and mandate, as well as how it
should be used for planning purposes.
• The intervention will conduct the necessary data collection activities
for the development of the city strategy based on the identification
of data gaps.
• Establish a data architecture that includes data sharing protocols,
quality assessment custodianship guidelines, a citizen engagement
platform, and a big data strategy.
• Determining the appropriate data science platform for the data hub
• Capacity-building training for the relevant teams in the management
and use of the data hub will be provided.
• Establishment of an institutionalization framework strategy, including
where the data hub will be housed within the city governance
structure and who will make up the team.

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