Cebu City as Metropolitan and Regional Center

The presence of large urban areas in its immediate and outlying vicinity has transformed the City of Cebu as the urban core and commerce center, with a pattern of activities that respect no boundaries due to the unrestricted and avoidable flow of goods and people. The prime destination of this movements are the areas and/or vicinities of Carbon, Magallanes, and Colon Streets, with the Central Business District (CBD). Heavy traffic flow and traffic congestion occurs in the CBD, particularly during peak hours. This situation is aggravated by the presence of six (6) major universities with large student population and their corresponding demand for transportation has increase the volume of transportation in the CBD.

In addition the city as a regional center continue to radiate its influence to the rest of the Visayas and Mindanao regions. It must be noted that for the last four decades after World War II, the City of Cebu has metamorphosed as the center of education and culture; the hub of sea and air transport; and the center of trade and commerce. With Cebu City developing into a polar growth center, providing relief for in-migration into the Metro Manila Area into a considerable degree, it has absorbed the burdens of a high rate of in-migration from all over the Visayas and Mindanao.

Nonetheless, after several decades of steady growth as influenced by national conditions, suffering from the same fate from economic retrogression, the City of Cebu, however, by its own moment of growth, has weathered its serious consequences. This can be traced to the dynamic and aggressive stance of local entrepreneurs, and above all, the resiliency of the Cebuanos to overcome adversities to emerge as a tough survivor.

Despite of lack of proper coordination of development program and economic activities within the Metro Cebu Area, the presence of other growth centers in the outlying areas; the continually aggregating economic activities within Cebu City through additional investment inputs; increasing and improving exports; the establishment of more industries in Mandaue City; and, the implementation of government infrastructure projects have contributed to additional opportunities for employment and income, consequently enlarging the consumer base. Further, these conditions would have largely promoted the broadening of the city's income and/or tax base.

Planning on the Metropolitan level with the creation of a metropolitan authority would be a future necessity.