QUEEN CITY

Cebu City is referred to as the “Queen City” of the Philippines in honor of Queen Jumamay, protector and keeper of Cebu’s former patron, the Santo Niño de Cebu (image of the Child Jesus).

The wife of Cebu’s ruler when Ferdinand Magellan landed in Cebu, Rajah Humabon, she took the Spanish name “Juana” when baptized a Catholic by Father Pedro Valderama, chaplain of Magellan’s expedition.

Antonio Pigafetta, chronicler and “spin doctor” of Ferdinand Magellan, presented Queen Juana with the Image of the Santo Niño.

Well, we all know what happened to good ol’ Ferdie. Having taken sides with Rajah Humabon in gratitude for his hospitality, he launched the most unsuccessful attack on Lapu-Lapu, Humabon’s rival. Apparently, he failed to realize that Lapu-Lapu and his men were deep in training in the martial art of “arnis” precisely to fight Humabon.

So Spain sent another expedition to the Far East Region headed by an Agustinina priest, Andres Urdaneta. Fr. Andres arrived in Cebu on April 27, 1565.

Because of suspicions that the Spaniards had returned to exact vengeance upon the natives for the death of Magellan (the word “ally” must have been lost in the translation. Why on earth didn’t they just attack Lapu-Lapu together?), battles broke out and then Zzubu (it was never “Sugbo” until Tagalogs tried to make Tagalog the national language, notice how you cannot spell “Cebu”, “Zebu” or “Zzubu” using the Tagalog alphabet. Let’s get rid of “Sugbo” already) was reduced to rubble. Fr. Andres had obviously learned the bitter lessons of Magellan’s ill-fated expedition.

The image of the Child Jesus was later found under a pile of ashes unscathed. Other accounts have either Queen Juana protecting the statue after the village had fallen or the statue being restored to the Queen, who reigned for a while as the city's symbolic leader, for safekeeping.

The Santo Niño is credited by most Cebuanos with many miracles, and for keeping the island and province of Cebu safe from natural disasters and the dangers of the insurgency and terrorism in the Country.

Thus, it is only fitting that Cebuanos call their city the “Queen City”.

Compare that to the Ilonggos who, in typical fashion, seem to be suffering under the impression that the title “Queen City” belongs to the city that is “second best to Manila”.

Well, there’s no argument about which city that is, is there? ;-)