CeBu CeBoom CeBlog

Did you know that…Cebu City was the first established capital of the islands until the seat of the Spanish colonial government was moved to Manila in the early eighteenth century. Why? Can you imagine if Malacanang Palace were in Cebu City when Martial Law was declared on September 21, 1972? The head of state then would have been barbecued or made “tinuwa” in Pasil in less than 24 hours. That’s the same reason why Legaspi changed his mind and moved the capital to Manila and not because Cebu was no longer a commercially viable port during the galleon trade with Acapulco. Legaspi was simply traumatized by Magellan’s defeat in Mactan and was clearly intimidated by the Cebuanos.

In Col. Manuel Segura’s book “Tabunan: The Exploits of Cebu Guerillas”, the dauntless yet under armed Cebuanos inflicted the highest number of enemy forces killed per guerilla fighter in the Philippines. The indomitable spirit and determination of the Cebuano fighters to arm themselves against the superior Japanese Forces became the progenitor of the now burgeoning gun (paltik) industry in the province. One of the most famous guerilla fighter that later became a successful arms manufacturer was Simeon Cortes who once fabricated mortars out of sewer pipes. (source:vizvoyz)