Beautiful Cebu

Cebu is not the same colonial province time has forgotten decades ago. It is not a periphery to the center but rather, a destination with its own unique charm. Discover for yourself. See new destinations in the Cebu mainland. Read on...

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

HISTORY | Failure to Industrialize: Root of our Underdevelopment

Despite the frenzy of construction, numerous infrastructure projects and the amount of public spending poured into Cebu City during the American colonial period upon instigation of Sergio OsmeƱa, Cebu City's economy actually slowed down as compared to that of the 19th Century. This was due to disruptions in world trade as a consequence of wars and the Great Depression in the 1930s.
Philippine economy remained basically agricultural, Cebu included for “although the Americans supported public works, they inhibited economic development through tax schemes designed to protect US commerce.” (Larkin, 1982)
Cebu City never moved beyond exporting raw materials and importing finished products during the American colonial period. It only supplied the United States with the agricultural goods it needed and failed to diversify and industrialize. That will remain so in the years to come. “When the frontier century came to a close, the Philippines had erected its modern social and economic structures, and from that time on has had to live with consequences.” (Larkin, 1982)

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PROFILE | Cebu City, Queen City of the South

Cebu's port is home to most of the Philippines' shipping companies. It's not surprising as Cebu City has been, historically, the center of commerce, education, entertainment and information of Southern Philippines. It is also the administrative, ecclesiastical and cultural capital of the region.

THE ISLAND | SanFran is Disaster Resilient : UN

In May 2011, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) recognized San Francisco's disaster preparedness and awarded it the Sasakawa Award for Disaster Reduction for its “indigenous solutions to disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation through its Purok system.”

ECONOMY | It's More Prosperous in the Philippines ... soon.

The Philippines and Peru will be among emerging economies that become much more prominent in the next few decades, helped by demographics and rising education standards, with the Philippines set to leapfrog 27 places to become the 16th largest economy by 2050, HSBC predicts.

POLITICS | Tomas as Jullus Caesar

For many people, Tomas and Joy Young's loss didn't add up. For them, last election's results were erratic, wild, inconsistent.

HISTORY | Demystifying Jose Rizal

The question is, could Rizal walk the talk? Even in his writing, he debated with himself between peaceful reform and bloody uprising. If Spain didn't throw him in prison and executed him, would he have become a hero?