The City of Mandaue was founded in April 7, 1521, when a “Cove of Cebu”, called Mandawe, was sighted by a Spanish expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan. The “Cove of Cebu”, which is located in the present Barangay Tipolo, became the host to the first
facility in the country. Its establishment marked the origins of the industrialization of the country as it helped in the promotion and sustainability of the Acapulco Trade which took place at that time.
In 1571, Legaspi established the country’s first drydock complex on the shoreline of Tipolo, Mandaue, in order to hasten the colonization of the area. The drydock facilities, which were a few meters away from the existing location of the San Miguel Brewery Complex, reportedly serviced the Galleons of Legaspi.
Historically, Mandaue got its name from a thick, clinging vines known as “mantawi”, which were abundant in the early times, long before the coming of the Spanish conquestadores. During these times, Mandaue, with its eastern and southern boundaries facing the Mactan Strait, was already referred to as the “merchants’ paradise”. The major economic points within the area were already interlinked with several crude transportation network.
The “Cove of Cebu” was formally constituted into a “pueblo” between 1580 to 1700 and was officially known as the town of Mandaue in the year 1899.
From that “Cove of Cebu” emerged the now industrial City of Mandaue. It became a chartered city on June 21, 1969 through Republic Act 5519. It was considered a highly-urbanized city in the year 1991.
MANTAWI FESTIVAL
The Mantawi Festival is an annual festival celebrated in Mandaue City. This festival is a celebration of Mandaue’s rich cultural and historical heritage and its importance today as a commercial and industrial center in Cebu.
Mantawi Festival relives the historical past of the city, when it was first sighted by Magellan on April 7, 1521 at high noon, upon entry to the island Sugbo in search for food and supplies for its voyage back to Spain.
Mandaue, a name derived from the legend of “Mantawi” that was a vine growing abundantly in the cove, was mentioned by Antonio de Pigafetta as a flourishing settlement nearest Cebu, under the leadership of Datu Lambuzzan.
MANDAUE'S DELICIOUS DELICACIES
BIBINGKA
Here in Cebu City, some businessmen and women are trying to sell bibingka. There are many kinds of bibingka, including Bibingka of Mandaue City. It appears on television that they cooked a huge bibingka (rice cake) so big that it occupies their basketball court. This was made this year, 2011.
Here's the picture:
TAGAKTAK
The tagaktak is a crispy, thin, triangular-shaped cake that’s made of grounded or pounded rice, sugar and some water. People who have eaten the tagaktak said that it is almost similar in taste to the breakfast cereal of rice crispies.
BUDBUD
The budbud is Mandaue’s version of the popular Filipino snack of suman. There are three types of budbud and the most common type is the budbud kabog, which many say is the most delicious and tasty of the three types. The budbud kabog is made of glutinous millet, coconut milk and sugar, and wrapped in banana leaves.
PLACES THAT YOU MAY VISIT IN MANDAUE
SAINT JOSEPH CHURCH
The present Mandaue church is attributed to the initiative of a secular priest, named Don Ambrosio; Redondo (1886, 157) describes the church as planned as a Greek cross with two octagonal chapels, 60 x 20 yards for the principal nave and 20 x 8 yards for the transept. In the 19th century, Mandaue was under the seculars, although it seems that the Recollects took charge of the parish for a while. The mandaue church site together with the market was donated by the late Kapitan Felix Ceniza whose grave now lies beneath the altar of St. Joseph church.
MANDAUE CITY PLAZA
