The History of the Founding and Operation of the Port of Cebu
PRE-SPANISH PERIOD
During the pre-Magallanic era, ZUBU, as Cebu was then called, was already an important trading center. Merchants from as far away as Arabia, China, Siam, Borneo, the Moluccas and other land of Southeast Asia were attracted by native merchandise and spices and its ideal safe harbor which was protected from the East by Mactan Island.
DISCOVERY
It was already a bustling commercial port when Magellan and its men landed to colonize and they found a number of Chinese junks and other Asian vessels calling the port. The native ruler, King Humabon, was exacting tributes from all vessels doing business in the port. This may have been their way of generating customs revenue.
With the defeat and death of foreign conqueror Ferdinand Magellan in a bloody battle at Mactan, It was not until 1565 that the Spaniards came back to impose its rule in Cebu. This time, Legaspi established Port San Pedro, a stone fortress to protect the invading Spanish soldiers.
THE GALLEON TRADE
The galleon trade established between the Philippines and Mexico included the Port of Cebu as a route in its business expansion itinerary. In fact, the present City evolved from Fort San Pedro which is to considered today a tourist attraction and destination. It is just a stone throw away from the present Customhouse building on the Southside.
But since the galleon trade was centered in Manila, Cebu was relegated to a regional trading center. There was a marked decline in trade between Cebu and China and other lands of Southeast Asia as Manila was the entreport for foreign trade.
On April 23, 1594, a Royal Decree allowed Spaniards in Cebu to participate in the galleon trade by permitting then to construct one galleon a year. Between 1506 and 1597 ship sailed from Cebu to Spain but in 1604 Cebu’s shared in the galleon trade ceased entirely.
The period from 1665 to 1970 saw further commercial decline of the Port.
1840, however, Cebu started to rise and became the undisputed regional trading port for products from the Visayas and Mindanao. It emerge as an international port where sugar, abaca, and copra were transshipped from Cebu abroad foreign vessels for international importers, thus becoming a transshipment point
ESTABLISHMENT OF CEBU AND CUSTOMHOUSE
The Port of Cebu was officially opened to worldwide trade by Spanish Royal decree passed on July 30, 1886 which provided for the establishment of a Customhouse in Cebu. This had to be done because of the increasing variety export products-spices, abaca, sugar, corn, copra, tobacco, lumber, pearls, locally woven textiles from silk, piña, abaca , and cotton.- which were being shipped out in bigger quantities every year.
With the coming of the steamships, Port of Cebu became the hub of the shipping and commercial activities South of Manila. In fact, Chinese and Spanish mestizos from Cebu have continued to dominate the inter-island shipping industry today and have even expanded into international shipping.
But aside from Chinese and Spanish Descendants who pioneered in the export and import trade, Cebu also attracted Americans, British, and other European entrepreneurs. New waves of Chinese immigrants and merchantmen from Luzon and other parts of the country to infuse new blood into Cebu’s commercial mainstream, making Cebu a truly cosmopolitan port.
PROFILE OF THE PORT OF CEBU
Cebu lies on the southern crossroads between Luzon and Mindanao and between Eastern and western Visayas. It has a naturally protected harbor. Thru San Bernardino Strait, Cebu enjoys access to the Pacific Ocean. It is thus nearer to the US West Coast than in Manila.
It is the principal port of entry in the Central Visayas and is open to both foreign and domestic trade and is located along a narrow strait between Cebu City and Mactan Island. It is situated 10° 18N latitude and 23° E longitude.
The port can be entered from either the Northwest or the South. The Northeast channel is narrow with a safe navigable width of 50 meters and an average depth of 8.8 meters. The fairway is marked with adequate bouys, beacon, and lights. This narrow channel may be approached from the South and is one-half mile wide at its narrowest width.
The marginal wharf up to the reef is some 165 to 200 meters with an average depth of 9 meters. It has excellent access roads passing thru the business center of Cebu City of thru the Reclamation Area via the Cebu-Mandaue road.
FOUNDING HISTORY OF THE CUSTOMHOUSE
While it was July 30, 1886 when the creation of a customhouse was authorized in a Spanish Royal Decree, it was only in 1908 when the Bureau of Customs was able to provide public service in this part of the country with makeshift building for its office along the Commercio street ( now M.C. Briones Street). In 1920 the office was replace by a concrete building which still stands today. Its territorial jurisdiction then covered the Island of Cebu, Bohol, Samar, Leyte, Dinagal and Negros Oriental.
PRESENT FACILITIES
The Cebu International Port ( CIP ) was opened to both domestic and foreign shipping in September 1985. The CIP is the main thrust of the P372 M Cebu Port Development Project Financed by the World Bank. It complements the existing Piers 1, 2, & 3 and berthing areas for domestic shipping along the Southside
It has 9.5 meters deep water access for navigation channel and a 20 meters by 692.5 meters quay structure with rubber dock fenders and a ship side depth of 10.5 meters. The new structure runs parallel to the Public Estate Authority (PEA) now Cebu Port Authority ( CPA ), reclamation area. It can accommodate container vessels and mixed-cargo freighters with drafts up to 5.3 meters. Very recently, super luxury ships from Europe called on the port.
The CIP has a container marshalling yard, a 60m x 180m container freight station (CFS), a transit shed, a passenger shed, a fire station and a workshop. It has 23 steel high mast towers which cover the lighting requirements of the quay. The 6.5 hectare container yard has a capacity for 10,000 TEU’s (twenty-foot equivalent units). A 1.5 hectare back-up yard at Mandaue end provides storage facilities for non-containerized foreign cargo.
SUB-PORT OF MACTAN
The Subport of Mactan came into existence when the late President Garcia created Mactan as a Subport in 1960. But it was only in 1966 when the Port was formally declared open by President Marcos. It started as an Alternate International Airport under CAO No. 10-66 and subsequently was made as a Principal Port of Entry in 1969 under R.A. 5833.
CAO 13-66 defined its territorial jurisdiction which included Cebu International Airport; the whole Island of Mactan, and the Islands adjacent there to with Cebu International Airport as its Principal Port of Entry. Upon then implementation of P.D. No. 733, however, it was reverted to nits original status as a subport.
It can be seen that Mactan is a unique port in a sense that it provides public services to both aircraft and sea craft operations. Now it even covers a vast export processing zone, and provides docking facilities to ocean-going vessels carrying cargoes of wheat.
SUBPORT OF TAGBILARAN
It was created under Executive Order No. 435 dated July 6, 1961 issued by then President Garcia. A month after, CAO 260 was issued declaring the port open to both foreign and coastwise trade. On October 18, 1966, then, Acting Cebu Collector of Customs Juanito A. Agbayani dispatched ateam of customs personnel headed by Mr. Godofredo Alvares to open the customs office in tagbilaran.
SUBPORT OF DUMAGUETE
It was officially opened on November 23, 1956. Its area of responsibility extends from the north in the Municipality of Escalante, province of Negros Occidental up to the town of Busay, province of Negros Oriental in the South and including the island-province of Siquoijor.
The organizer of the port and its first Collector of Customs was the late Mr. Pedro G. Villafuerte. He assumed office in November 23, 1956 with a complement of seven personnel.
