Mandaue
Highly urbanized city
City of Mandaue
From top, left to right: Mandaue skyline viewed from the Mactan Channel, Marcelo Fernan Bridge, Sotero Cabahug monument beside the Mandaue Presidencia
Flag Seal
Nicknames:  Furniture Capital of the Philippines Industrial City of Southern Philippines
Anthem: Mandaue ang Dakbayan English: Mandaue, the City
Map of Cebu with Mandaue highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Mandaue Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°20′N 123°56′E / 10.33°N 123.93°E / 10.33; 123.93
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Visayas
Province	Cebu (highly urbanized city under supervision of the provincial government of Cebu)
District	Lone district
Pueblo	circa 1656
Municipality Status	1901
Cityhood	August 30, 1969
Highly urbanized city	February 15, 1991
Barangays	27 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Panlungsod
• Mayor	Jonas C. Cortes (PDPLBN)
• Vice Mayor	Glenn O. Bercede (PDPLBN)
• Representative	Emmarie M. Ouano-Dizon (PDPLBN)
• City Council	Members Nerissa Corazon C. Soon-Ruiz Malcolm A. Sanchez Jimmy C. Lumapas Jesus P. Arcilla Jr. Marie Immaline C. Cortes-Zafra Cynthia C. Remedio Jennifer S. del Mar Joel M. Seno Cesar Y. Cabahug Jr. Andreo O. Icalina
• Electorate	234,581 voters (2022)
Area [2]
• Total	34.87 km2 (13.46 sq mi)
Elevation	122 m (400 ft)
Highest elevation	984 m (3,228 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	364,116
• Density	10,000/km2 (27,000/sq mi)
• Households	103,345
Economy
• Gross domestic product (GDP)	₱109.6 billion (2022)[4] $1.936 billion (2022)[5]
• Income class	1st city income class
• Poverty incidence	5.99 % (2018)[6]
• Revenue	₱ 2,781 million (2020)
• Assets	₱ 32,571 million (2020)
• Expenditure	₱ 2,668 million (2020)
• Liabilities	₱ 1,266 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Visayan Electric Company (VECO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	6014
PSGC	072230000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)32
Native languages	Cebuano, Hiligaynon, and Tagalog
Website	www.mandauecity.gov.ph

Mandaue (Tagalog pronunciation: [mɐnˈdaʊ.ɛ]), officially the City of Mandaue (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Mandaue; Hiligaynon: Dakbanwa sang Mandaue; Filipino: Lungsod ng Mandaue), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 364,116 people.^[3]

Mandaue City is located on the central-eastern coastal region of Cebu. Its southeast coast borders Mactan Island where Lapu-Lapu City is located and is connected to the island via two bridges: the Mactan-Mandaue Bridge and Marcelo Fernan Bridge. Mandaue City is bounded on the north by the town of Consolacion, to the east by the Camotes Sea, and to the west and south by Cebu City.

It is one of three highly urbanized cities on Cebu island and forms a part of the Cebu Metropolitan area^[7] and was part of the sixth district of Cebu joined with the municipalities of Consolacion and Cordova - it was qualified for a lone district since 1991. In April 5, 2019, the city became a lone legislative district.^[8] As of June 30, 2022, Mandaue City had its first representation in the 19th Congress of the Philippines.

Mandani Bay in Construction May 2023 Photo: Bart Sakwerda, Budots Media

History

A community was established in Mandaue by a flourishing group of Austronesian people. The Venetian chronicler Antonio Pigafetta wrote of a settlement called Mandaui which existed in the area with a chieftain named Apanoaan^[9] some called him Lambuzzan in other accounts.^[10]

Mandaue natives were forced into a town as decreed by the Spanish authorities. This may have started off as a mission village (which included present day Consolacion, Liloan and Poro) serving as a bulwark for the church in the northern Cebu and was managed by the Jesuit in 1638 then a century later by the Recollects.^[11]

The Philippine Revolution of 1898 gave the town a new form of administration in accordance with the organic decree of the Central Revolutionary Government. The short-lived revolution was overthrown by the American troops and a battle nearly destroyed the town in 1901, killing Presidente Benito Ceniza.^[12]

Mandaue was a semi-autonomous functioning town. Semi-autonomous as it was still under the jurisdiction of Cebu. Despite having been developed and organized by the Spaniards throughout the ages and its population increasing as the years gone by, the Spaniards did not make an initiative to elevate the town into an independent municipality. It was only after the death of Presidente Ceniza and the establishment of American Rule in Mandaue that the dream of becoming an independent municipality came true. In 1901, Mandaue became an independent municipality.^[13]

Mandaue became independent from being an American Commonwealth and a Japanese garrison on July 4, 1946, along with the entire nation.

Cityhood

Main article: Cities of the Philippines

Former flag of Mandaue

On August 30, 1969, Mandaue became a chartered city and decades later it was recognized as a highly urbanized city on February 15, 1991.^[14] In early-April 2019, Mandaue City became a lone legislative district, which means that it will be separated from the sixth district, and will have its own representative of the lone district.^[8][15]

Geography

The city has a total area of 34.87 km² (13.46 sq mi). According to the 2020 census, the population density is 10,000/km² (26,000/sq mi).

Land utilization

Category Land Area ha acres Industrial 1,695 4,190 51.4%   Residential 872 2,150 26.5%   Agricultural 283 700 8.6%   Commercial 242 600 7.3%   Roads 120 300 3.6%   Institutional 60 150 1.8%   Parks 24 59 0.7%

The city is the 6th smallest government unit in terms of land area; among the Metro Cebu local government units the city is the second smallest next to the municipality of Cordova in the island of Mactan. The city's land area is only 4.5% of the total land area of Metro Cebu and less than 1% of the total land of the province of Cebu.

The North Reclamation Project, now known as the North Special Administrative Zone, currently has about 180 ha (440 acres) reclaimed land. Of the 180 hectares, about 36 ha (89 acres) belong to the city.

It is one of the two (the other one being the municipality of Consolacion) local government units located within the mainland Metro Cebu where the elevation of land is less than 100 m (330 ft).

Many of the areas of the city are extremely flat. About 77.37% is within the 0-8% slope category. Barangays belonging to this region are Centro, Looc, South Special Administrative Zone, Cambaro, Opao, Umapad, Paknaan, Alang-alang, Tipolo, Ibabao, Guizo, Subangdaku, Mantuyong, Maguikay and Tabok. The greater portion of the city, comprising about 70%, is dominated by the Mandaue Clay Loam soil series. This is found in the 0-2% and 2-5% slope ranges. Faraon clay loam characterizes the rest of the land with slope range from 5-8% and up to 25-40%.^[16]

Barangays

Mandaue is politically subdivided into 27 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Political map of Mandaue

PSGC	Barangay	Population			±% p.a.
		2020[3]		2010[18]
072230001	Alang-alang	3.2%	11,495	12,475	▾	−0.81%
072230002	Bakilid	1.2%	4,387	5,027	▾	−1.35%
072230003	Banilad	5.0%	18,386	22,297	▾	−1.91%
072230004	Basak	3.2%	11,777	7,858	▴	4.13%
072230005	Cabancalan	4.1%	14,841	12,202	▴	1.98%
072230006	Cambaro	2.5%	8,990	8,082	▴	1.07%
072230007	Canduman	6.4%	23,455	17,100	▴	3.21%
072230008	Casili	1.5%	5,403	3,743	▴	3.74%
072230009	Casuntingan	4.6%	16,846	13,217	▴	2.46%
072230010	Centro (Poblacion)	0.8%	2,980	3,236	▾	−0.82%
072230011	Cubacub	3.8%	13,832	8,255	▴	5.30%
072230012	Guizo	2.0%	7,258	8,554	▾	−1.63%
072230013	Ibabao-Estancia	1.9%	6,994	8,641	▾	−2.09%
072230014	Jagobiao	3.3%	12,138	12,227	▾	−0.07%
072230015	Labogon	5.6%	20,466	19,175	▴	0.65%
072230016	Looc	4.8%	17,395	14,438	▴	1.88%
072230017	Maguikay	4.1%	14,956	17,782	▾	−1.72%
072230018	Mantuyong	1.5%	5,487	5,869	▾	−0.67%
072230019	Opao	3.3%	12,014	9,907	▴	1.95%
072230020	Paknaan	8.4%	30,532	22,957	▴	2.89%
072230021	Pagsabungan	5.6%	20,266	16,838	▴	1.87%
072230022	Subangdaku	4.7%	17,097	20,333	▾	−1.72%
072230023	Tabok	5.4%	19,486	15,709	▴	2.18%
072230024	Tawason	1.9%	6,984	4,891	▴	3.63%
072230025	Tingub	1.7%	6,082	5,780	▴	0.51%
072230026	Tipolo	4.3%	15,790	17,273	▾	−0.89%
072230027	Umapad	5.2%	18,779	17,454	▴	0.73%
	Total		364,116	331,320	▴	0.95%

Demographics

Aerial photo of the Mactan Channel looking south. Mandaue is on the right side while Lapu-Lapu City is on the left

Data showed that the oldest written accounts of Mandaue came from a population of 160 in 1637 to 1638. Mandaue had 10,309 souls according to the Buzeta & Bravo (1850). During the first year of its township in 1899, Mandaue had 42 barrios with a population of 21,086. When Mandaue was a second class municipality in 1964 its population was 33,811.^[22]

According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 364,116, which is an increase of 104,388 from the 2000 census. Among all the Philippine's highly urbanized cities, the City of Mandaue posted the highest proportion of household population who reported Roman Catholic as their religious affiliation at 95.2%.^[23] Mandaue has a significantly large population at or below the poverty line.^[24]

Economy

About 40 percent of Cebu's export companies are found in Mandaue. The city is dubbed as the industrial hub of Region VII and hosts about 10,000 industrial and commercial businesses, making it a "little rich city" in the country. It is home to some of the world's biggest companies such as San Miguel Corp., Coca-Cola Bottling Corp. Shemberg, the number one exporter of carrageenan, Monde Nissin, Profood International Corp., and 7D Dried Mangoes. Mandaue City also accounts for 75 percent of the country's total exports in the furniture sector, making the city the furniture capital of the country. One of these furniture companies is Mandaue Foam which started in 1971 and now has 25 factories and showrooms nationwide.

Tourism

Mandaue's point of interests, destinations, and attractions include:

• 
  Cebu International Convention Centre
• 
  Bantayan sa Hari, 1912
• 
  Parkmall
• 
  Oakridge Business Park

Cuisine

Masareal from Mandaue

Mandaue has many restaurants which cater to gourmets and international cuisines like Italian, Japanese, Indian, Mediterranean, Lebanese, Arabic, Russian, Korean, Mexican, and Western cuisines. A variety of restaurants also serves meals of local cuisine.

Many famous Cebuano meals like the lechon^[35] or inasal, eaten with achara or pickled vegetables. The sugba or barbecue of either isda (fish), baboy (pork), manok (chicken) or baka (beef) is found all over Mandaue eaten with puso, a diamond-shaped hanged rice covered in coco leaves. Kinilaw^[36] is raw meat usually pork or fish drenched in vinegar and salt. The buwad or dried seafood, either fish or squid, can be pungent with a crunchy and chewy texture. There are some exotic meals that can be found like dinuguan or pig's blood which is eaten like a soup. Barbecued chicken feet are liked by many locals.

Original cuisine in Mandaue includes bibingka which is steamed rice cakes mixed with coconut and sometimes egg. Binangos paired with rice is made of ground up corn with Bolinao fish. This dish is found only in Mandaue; other delicacies includes the tagaktak, the seasonal buriring fish (stewed with iba) and the famous masareal.

Transportation

Philippine Jeepney

Mandaue City's road network is composed of a national highway which connects the city to its neighboring cities and municipalities, and a national secondary road which traverses the city's metropolitan area. The total length of the city road network (paved and unpaved) and the four bridges, is about 133.7 km (83.1 mi), broken down into:

• National road - 13.2 km (8.2 mi)
• City road - 57.1 km (35.5 mi)
• Barangay road - 63.4 km (39.4 mi)

Road density is 5.31 km/km² (8.55 mi/sq mi) of land. In terms of population, road density is 0.04 km (0.025 mi) per one thousand inhabitants.

Land transportation is being served by PUJ, utility vehicles, mini-buses, multi-cabs, tricycles, trisikads and for cargoes, trailers and vans. Sea transport of Mandaue is highly dependent on Port of Cebu and Cebu International Port, because of the city's proximity to these facilities.

Education

Lapu-Lapu–Mandaue campus of the University of Cebu.

Mandaue houses two universities, the Cebu Doctors' University and the Lapu-Lapu–Mandaue campus of the University of Cebu. There are also technical schools like TESDA in barangays Banilad and Looc and other private institutions that provide certificate degrees. Associate degree, Baccalaureate Degrees, Master's and Doctoral programs.

Mandaue has institutionalized learning with the Cabahug Medal which was started on 1923 by Sotero Cabahug as a medal of academic excellence annually. The Mandaue Fraternal Society was also created in the early part of the 19th century to provide a community for the professionals during the time when Mandaue was still a sleepy town.

Cebu's part-time Japanese school, the Cebu Japanese School (CJS; セブ補習授業校 Sebu Hoshū Jugyō Kō), is located on the fifth floor of the Clotilde Commercial Center in Barangay Casuntingan, Mandaue City.^[37]

Media

Sister cities

References

Sources

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mandaue.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Mandaue.

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code