Witness My Hometown

The City of Mandaue is a 1st class cityin the province of Cebu, Philippines. It is known as the "Emerging Convention City in Asia." The city is one of the two highly urbanized cities in the province of Cebu and form the core of the Metropolitan Cebu area.

Mandaue lies right across from Mactan Island where Lapu-Lapu City is located. Lapu-Lapu City is the site of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport the country's second busiest. Mandaue is connected to Mactan Island via two bridges: the original Mactan-Cebu Bridge and the relatively new Marcelo Fernan Bridge. These bridges are the only two routes between the airport and Cebu City.

According to the 2000 census, Mandaue has a population of 259,728 people in 54,882 households.

Investors and businessmen favor the bustling metropolis of Mandaue not only because it the “Furniture Capital of the Philippines.” Mandaue has a long history of commerce. It was once a busy port where merchants traded and conducted business.

Official Seal of Mandaue City

Today it is a modern metropolis with incredible energy, extraordinary entrepreneurs, and enterprising and talented people. About 40 percent of Cebu’s export companies are found in Mandaue.

The city rakes in millions of pesos in revenues annually through its low taxation scheme, and continues to offer investors the New Mandaue City at the South Special Economic Administrative Zone as an alternative to other volatile commercial sites. And with the Cebu International Convention Center in place, Mandaue City poised to become the “Emerging Convention City in Asia.”

The Mandaue City Hall, commonly referred to as Mandaue Presidencia, is a Neo-Grec style building that serves as the seat of government for the city of Mandaue in Cebu, Philippines. The building found in the heart of the city was first used as the office of Mandaue's El Presidente or mayor since the Commonwealth Era.

Economy

As of 2001, the city has 391 export and import private manufacturing firms and has more than 8,000 major business establishments engaged in local and domestic trade, wholesale and retail merchandising and services.

Today, Mandaue is Cebu's new economic driver with more than 10,000 business establishments. About 40 percent of Cebu's export companies are found in Mandaue. The City also contributes at least 75 percent of the country's total furniture export production. The City was also tagged by the Asian Institute of Management and the Department of Trade and Industry as the "little rich city", notwithstanding its limited land area.

The four electric jeepneys used to transport buyers and vendors to and from the Mandaue City public market had helped city residents cut costs on their fares.

Mandaue City market administrator Mosuline Suliva said the E-jeepneys are helpful not only for Mandaue City residents but visitors visiting the city market.

Free rides on E-jeepneys are made available days after the new market opened last Jan. 18. Purchased from China, each of the E-jeepneys cost P600,000.

Suliva said he is considering to recommend the procurement of another E-jeepney for the market.

He said E-jeepneys are environment-friendly and convenient to passengers.

The E-jeepneys are stationed at the old public market and head to the new public market, then to Burgos St., C. Ouano St. in front of City Hall before turning to S.B. Cabahug St. in front of the National Shrine of St. Joseph and returning to the new market.

The E-jeepney sits 14 passengers and has a five-hour running time. Re-charging takes eight hours.

Two e-jeepneys are scheduled to ply their routes during peak hours from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. The other two will take off at 4 p.m.

Saint Joseph National Shrine of Mandaue

Nearest church in the Mandaue City Hall.

Mandaue City Christmas Village

Last December 2011, I have experienced this view in our Mandaue City Plaza. Every Christmas season there's a different theme but this is my favorite one. Its like there's a snow in our city and Santa's coming.

About the Fiesta

May 8 has always been a significant day for Mandauehanons. It is during this time where we remember to say our thanks to the one man who has been there for us throughout the ages, our patron saint, St. Joseph the worker. Our devotion is embodies through the 9-day novena held at the National Shrine of St. Joseph located at the city center. The church's spiritual celebration is accompanied by the city's celebartion of Mamduehanons. The fiesta celebration officially begins with an opening salvo, usually on the first day of the novena.

Best time of the year to go and why:

• Comparsa sa Mandawe (last week of August) - Comparsa is a dance theatre competition among different youth groups that were used to be held in Mandaue in the late 50's and 60's. The festival is akin to the traditional "comparsa" except that it accommodates all types of live instrumentation. Themes, storyline or concept are culled or inspired from Mandaue's history, heritage, culture and values, outstanding Mandauehanons, achievers, best products and other prides of the City.
• Sugat and Fluvial Parade of Sto. Nino ("The Traslacion") - Third Friday and Saturday of January - Perhaps the most religious among Filipinos, Cebuanos come together to venerate the first religious relic brought by Magellan more than 480 years ago. Known as The Traslacion, the Child Jesus or the Sto. Niño, as traditionally practiced, visits the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue on Friday before the Sinulog celebration.

Go grab a taste!

Mandaue is also home to the best bibingka (rice cake) in the province. In fact, just recently, Mandaue City baked the biggest bibingka using the best bibingka recipe in an attempt to join the Guinness Book of World Records.