List of people from Cebu

The following is a list of notable people who were either born in, lived in, are current residents of, or are closely associated with the province of Cebu, Philippines (including from highly urbanized cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu):

Pre-colonial monarch and rulers of Cebu

[edit]
  • Sri Lumay - The first Rajah and founder of the Indianized kingdom and historic polity of Cebu. He was of half-Tamil and half-Malay descent from Sumatra.
  • Rajah Humabon - Rajah of Cebu during the 16th century (until 1521). He was baptized as Don Carlos Valderrama and was one of the recorded chiefs of the historic polity of Cebu who encountered Ferdinand Magellan in 1521.
  • Rajah Tupas - Rajah of Cebu from 1521 to 1565. He was the last Rajah of Cebu in the pre-Hispanic Indianized polity of the Philippines.

Hara of the Rajahnate of Cebu

[edit]
  • Sri Alho - Son of Sri Lumay, he ruled the southern part of Cebu called Sialo which included the present-day towns of Carcar and Santander in the southern region of Cebu.
  • Sri Ukob - Son of Sri Lumay, he ruled the northern Cebu called Nahalin which includes the present towns of Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela, Danao, Carmen, and Bantayan.
  • Sri Parang the Limp - Son of Sri Lumay and father of Rajah Tupas, Sri Parang was supposed to rule but was infirm, so he handed the throne to his nephew, Rajah Humabon who became the rajah of Cebu in his stead.
  • Sri Bantog - The youngest son of Sri Lumay, he ruled the region of Singhapala which is now Mabolo of Cebu City and was the father of Rajah Humabon.

Datu of Cebu

[edit]
  • Lapulapu - Datu of Mactan. He is known for leading the resistance in the 1521 Battle of Mactan, where he and his warriors defeated the Spanish forces led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, along with his native allies Rajah Humabon and Datu Zula. He is considered the first national hero of the Philippines.
  • Datu Daya - A legendary lord of Kandaya, now known as Daanbantayan. He was the ruler of the earliest settlers in northern Cebu.
  • Lázaro Mangubat - A monarch of the Kingdom of Mactan, a Spanish duke in the Spanish East Indies, a member of the Tercio and a conquistador, as well as one of the arm bearers (armiger) in the Spanish Empire during the early 17th century.

Literature

[edit]

Visual arts and design

[edit]

Painting

[edit]
  • Martino Abellana "Noy Tinong" - a renowned Cebuano painter and dubbed as "The Dean of Cebuano Painters". His lifetime of works includes portraits, landscapes, and still life glowing in oil, vibrant in pastels, vivid in charcoal, they practically pulsated with life. (Carcar City)
  • Paulina Constancia - an artist known for her work on canvas, textiles, and found materials, sometimes incorporating stitching. She is a self-described multifaceted artist and has described her art as naive art. (Cebu City)
  • Raymundo Francia - a painter, best known for his ecclesiastical murals and ceiling paintings in Spanish colonial churches in the Visayas. He was often dubbed as "Cebu’s Michelangelo". (Cebu City)
  • Romulo Galicano - a painter whose works are technically academic and philosophical in approach. His works are hauntingly reminiscent of the old Filipino Masters with modern sensibilities. (Carcar City)
  • Sofronio Mendoza - a cubist, realist and impressionist painter and teacher who mentored young artists in the Philippines and in Canada. He is a co-founder of Dimasalang Art Group. (Cebu City)

Sculpture

[edit]
  • Ramon Abellana - a sculptor, his famous sculpture works are the Carcar City Rotunda, the Sergio Osmeña Sr and Lapu-Lapu at the Cebu Provincial Capitol, Humabon in Plaza Hamabar, and another statue of Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. (Carcar City)
  • David Medalla - an international artist and political activist. His work ranged from sculpture and kinetic art to painting, installation, and performance art. (Cebu City)

Printmaking

[edit]
  • Manuel Rodriguez Sr. "Mang Maning" - a Filipino printmaker. He was one of the pioneers of printmaking in the Philippines and was dubbed as the "Father of Philippine Printmaking". (Cebu City)

Graphic Design

[edit]

Fashion Design

[edit]
  • Leo Almodal - a fashion designer celebrated for his luxurious, intricate bridal gowns and evening wear. Known for his "haute couture" brand, he creates opulent designs featuring detailed embroidery, crystals, and sculpted silhouettes, often worn by pageant queens and celebrities. (Mandaue City)
  • Harvey Cenit - International fashion designer based in the United Arab Emirates. He won Fashion Factor Season 3 in the United Arab Emirates and receiving the Most Promising Fashion Designer of the Year award at The Filipino Times Awards in 2016. (Medellin)
  • Monique Lhuillier - an International fashion designer and creative director known for her bridal, ready-to-wear and lifestyle brand. She is known for her celebrity wedding and red carpet gowns for famous international celebrities. (Cebu City)
  • Furne One - a Dubai based Filipino fashion designer and the creative director and founder of the international couture house Amato Couture. He is celebrated for his dramatic, avant‑garde designs and has dressed a wide array of global celebrities. (Cebu City)
  • Cary Santiago - a fashion designer and couturier known for his elaborate evening wear, sculptural couture pieces, and contributions to Philippine high fashion.(Cebu City)
  • Philipp Tampus is a fashion designer known for his bridal, evening wear, and haute couture designs. He gained national recognition through his participation in Project Runway Philippines and regular appearances at Philippine Fashion Week. (Lapu-lapu City)

Costume Design

[edit]

Industrial Design

[edit]
  • Kenneth Cobonpue - an industrial designer known for his unique designs integrating natural materials through innovative handmade production processes. His roster of clientele includes Hollywood celebrities and members of royalty. TIME Magazine has called him "rattan’s first great virtuoso". (Mandaue City)
  • Vito Selma - a furniture and industrial designer known for his contemporary furniture designs that emphasize natural materials, particularly wood. (Cebu City)

Mass media and journalism

[edit]

Performing arts and entertainment

[edit]

Music, Film and TV Personalities

[edit]

Musical Bands

[edit]
  • Bethany - an alternative rock band formed during 2008 in Cebu. The band is primarily known for their melodic songwriting, intricate guitar hooks, and electric live performances.
  • Cueshé - a pop rock band that broke into the mainstream OPM scene with radio hits like “Stay,” “Sorry,” and “Ulan,” blending melodic pop sensibilities with rock energy. The band formed in 1998 and hit mainstream in 2005.
  • Franco - a rock band formed by Reyes in 1996, which is credited for having boosted the Cebu rock scene.
  • Missing Filemon - a rock band from Cebu. The band was founded in 2002. They won a FAMAS Award for Best Theme Song for the 2007 film Confessional.
  • Hastang - a modern rock band known for their all-original material and energetic presence in the local indie rock scene since 2005, with songs like “Oblivion” gaining airplay and establishing them in regional gigs.
  • Junior Kilat - is a reggae, ska and dub band. They are a popular reggae band in Manila, winning a "Song Of The Year Award" in NU-107's Rock Awards for Ako Si M16.
  • Urbandub - a rock band formed in 2000. Urbandub is the first indie band in the Philippines to release albums nationwide with the assistance of a major label.

Politics and government

[edit]

Officials are sorted based on the following criteria, in order:

  1. Constituency and/or jurisdiction. (National, local, non-officials)
  2. Groupings of positions (i.e. Heads of branches, cabinet members, senators, etc.) in order of precedence.
  3. Term start; Year during which they began serving in the senior-most position qualifying them for that grouping
  4. Term end; Year during which their term ended. Incumbents are listed last.
  5. Alphabetically by last name, then first name.

National Government

[edit]

Heads of government branches

[edit]

Non-cabinet executive agency heads and other national officials/figures

[edit]

International positions

[edit]

Local Government

[edit]

Governors of other provinces

[edit]
  • Ramon "Nito" Duterte Durano III (b. 1948) — 8th Vice Governor of Cebu (1980-1984), Cebu 5th District Representative (1987-1988), Mayor (2001-2010; 2013-2022) and Mayor-elect (2025) of Danao City, and Vice Mayor of Danao City (2010-2013; 2022–Present).
See also: Legislative districts of Cebu, Cebu City, Mandaue City, and Lapu-Lapu City for constituencies

Members of the Cebu Provincial Board

[edit]

Mayors

[edit]
  • Vicente Hermosa "Nyor Inting" Garces (1887–1971) — Mayor of Talisay. (1925–1937)
  • Mario Diez Ortiz (1922–2015) — 16th Mayor of Cebu City (1963), 6th Vice Mayor of Cebu City (1960-1963), and Cebu City Councilor. (1959–1960)
  • Florencio S. Urot (1904–1975) — 18th Mayor of Cebu City (1971) and Cebu City Councilor. (1940–1971)
  • Ronald Regis Duterte (1934–2016) — 20th Mayor of Cebu City (1983–1986), 9th Vice Mayor of Cebu City (1980–1983), and Cebu City Councilor. (1963–1980)
  • Alfredo "Ingkoy Pedong" Mendoza Ouano (1924–2014) — 16th Mayor of Mandaue City (1988-1998), Vice Mayor of Mandaue (1972–1986), and Mandaue City Councilor (1956–1965)
  • Alvin Biano Garcia (b. 1946) — 25th Mayor of Cebu City (1995-2001), 14th Vice Mayor of Cebu City. (1988-1995)
  • Valdemar Mendiola Chiong (b. 1960) — Mayor of Naga, Cebu. (2006–2016; 2019–2020; 2022–Present)
  • Michael "Mike" Lopez Rama (b. 1954) — 26th Mayor of Cebu City (2010–2016; 2021–2024), 16th Vice Mayor of Cebu City (2001–2010; 2019–2021), and City Councilor (1992–2001)
  • Edgardo Colina Labella (1951–2021) — 27th Mayor of Cebu City (2019–2021), 19th Vice Mayor of Cebu City (2013–2019), and Cebu City Councilor from the 1st (North) District. (1998–2001; 2004–2013)
  • Raymond Alvin Neri Garcia (b. 1977) — 28th Mayor of Cebu City (2024–Present), 21st Vice Mayor of Cebu City, (2022-2024) and Cebu City Councilor from the 1st (North) District. (2016–2022)
  • Nestor Dionson Archival Sr. (b. 1958) — 29th Mayor of Cebu City (2025–Present) and Cebu City Councilor from the 1st (North) District. (1995–1998, 2001–2010, 2013–2016, 2019–2025)

Vice mayors

[edit]
  • Ramón Abasolo Abellanosa (1904–1984) — 5th Vice Mayor of Cebu City (1957-1958) and Cebu City Councilor. (c. 1940s)
  • Donaldo Cabañes Hontiveros (b. 1977) — 20th Vice Mayor of Cebu City (2021-2022; 2024-2025) and Cebu City Councilor from the 2nd (South) District. (2019–2021; 2022–2024)

City and municipal councilors

[edit]

Non-government officials

[edit]

Sports

[edit]

Boxing

[edit]

Basketball

[edit]

Volleyball

[edit]

Football

[edit]

Martial Arts

[edit]

Chess

[edit]

Triathlon

[edit]

Weightlifting

[edit]

Baseball

[edit]

Softball

[edit]

Billiard

[edit]

Skateboarding

[edit]

Shooting Sport

[edit]

Gymnastics

[edit]

Athletics

[edit]

Bowling

[edit]

Golf

[edit]

Business

[edit]

Science

[edit]

Agricultural Science

[edit]

Astronomy

[edit]

Environmental Science

[edit]
  • Dioscoro S. Rabor - also known as Joe Rabor. An ornithologist, zoologist, and conservationist. Known as the "Father of Philippine Wildlife Conservation", he led more than 50 wildlife expeditions in the Philippines, authored 87 scientific papers and articles, and described 69 new bird taxa and numerous mammal species. (Cebu City)
  • Anna Oposa - is a marine conservationist and co-founder of NGO Save Philippine Seas (SPS), an organization that aims to protect coastal and marine environments through education and community-based projects. She helped create the first shark sanctuary in the Philippines and helped designate the thresher shark as a nationally protected species. (Cebu City)

Health Science

[edit]

Military service

[edit]

Pageant titleholders

[edit]

Pageant titleholders who won a national pageant title and subsequently competed in, placed in, or won an international pageant.

They are categorized according to the specific international pageant in which they competed.

Women's Pageant

[edit]

Miss Intercontinental

[edit]

Religious figure

[edit]

Saint

[edit]

Venerable

[edit]
  • Teofilo Camomot - an archbishop. He is recognized by the Catholic Church as a Venerable for his heroic virtues, holy life, and selfless service to God and the poor. (Carcar City)

Cardinal

[edit]

Archbishop

[edit]

Bishop

[edit]

Faith Healer

[edit]

Religion Founder and Leader

[edit]

Heroes and revolutionaries

[edit]

Datu

[edit]

Katimpuneros

[edit]
  • Potenciano Aliño - a revolutionary hero, together with his brothers Felix, Hilario and Sulpicio fought as revolutionaries against the Spanish colonial rule. (Talisay City)
  • Leon Kilat - a revolutionary leader in Cebu during the Philippine revolution against the Spanish Empire. (Originally from Bacong, Negros Oriental)
  • Arcadio Maxílom - a member of Katipunan and revolutionary leader from Cebu who played a key role in the Philippine Revolution against Spanish rule. He led revolutionary forces in northern Cebu and later continued resistance during the early period of American occupation. (Tuburan)

Guerrillas

[edit]

Education

[edit]

Notable people with roots from Cebu

[edit]

This article is sourced from Wikipedia. Content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.