Cebu Culture

The people of Cebu are called Cebuanos and are a mix of Bisaya, Chinese, and Spanish ancestries. Cebu is home to a number of Spanish and ethnic Chinese communities who play an important economic role in Cebuano society. Cebu culture is laid back and easy going- the people are friendly and have preserved strong Spanish-oriented traditions.

Cebuano is the native tongue of Cebu as well as the lingua franca of a large part of the Visayas and Mindanao. Most Cebuanos are conversant in English and Tagalog, the official languages of the Philippines.

The patron of Cebu is the Santo Niño de Cebu. According to historical accounts, the Santo Niño was given by the Portuguese sea captain and explorer Ferdinand Magellan to the wife of the chief, Rajah Humabon as a gift to celebrate their alliance. Soon, Magellan died in a battle at Mactan Island. That act is depicted in Cebu’s largest, most popular cultural event, the Sinulog where street-dancing and loud drum beats preceded by a holy Mass is the main attraction.

Most of the population in Cebu are Roman Catholic (as in most Philippine provinces, with the possible exception of Mindanao) though there are some thriving Muslim communities, most of whom are migrants from the islands of Mindanao.

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