Also known as: Lalawigan ng Cebu, Sugbu
Cebu is a province in Region VII (Central Visayas). Population 5.23M (PSA 2024 census), 6 component cities + 44 municipalities, 1,066 barangays total, land area 5,088.4 km². Provincial capital: Cebu City (Highly Urbanized — independent).
Cebu is a province in Region VII (Central Visayas). Its capital is Cebu City (Highly Urbanized — independent).
Cebu had 5,228,149 residents in the 2024 census (PSA 2024 Census of Population (POPCEN 2024), reference date July 1, 2024). That is the most recent official count. There is no 2026 census result, so any 2026 population figure is an estimate. The figure counts the province together with Cebu City, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.
Cebu covers 5,088.4 km², per the PSA Philippine Statistical Yearbook figure used on this page.
Cebu has 6 component cities and 44 municipalities (50 LGUs under the province), per PSA's Philippine Standard Geographic Code (2Q 2026), and 1,066 barangays. Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue City are highly urbanized cities located within Cebu but administered independently of the province, so they are not counted above; counting them, there are 9 cities in all.
Cebu's 6 component cities are Bogo City, Carcar City, Danao City, Naga City, Talisay City and Toledo City. Its 44 municipalities are Alcantara, Alcoy, Alegria, Aloguinsan, Argao, Asturias, Badian, Balamban, Bantayan, Barili, Boljoon, Borbon, Carmen, Catmon, Compostela, Consolacion, Cordova, Daanbantayan, Dalaguete, Dumanjug, Ginatilan, Liloan, Madridejos, Malabuyoc, Medellin, Minglanilla, Moalboal, Oslob, Pilar, Pinamungajan, Poro, Ronda, Samboan, San Fernando, San Francisco, San Remigio, Santa Fe, Santander, Sibonga, Sogod, Tabogon, Tabuelan, Tuburan and Tudela. Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue City are highly urbanized cities located within Cebu but administered independently of the province, so they are not counted above; counting them, there are 9 cities in all.
According to PSA census data and DEPDev (formerly NEDA) regional development reports, Cebu Province operates the most economically integrated multi-LGU corridor in the Visayas — Mandaue + Lapu-Lapu + Cebu City + Talisay form a contiguous urban region (Metro Cebu) that spans three independent HUCs plus Talisay (component city), all within the province's administrative orbit but outside its CLUP authority. The province itself coordinates the southern corridor (Carcar, Sibonga, Argao, Dalaguete, Boljoon) and the northern corridor (Bogo, Daanbantayan, Medellin, Tabuelan) where coastal-to-mountain land use challenges differ dramatically from Metro Cebu. Provincial PDPFP must coordinate the Cebu-Bohol bridge alignment, the Camotes Island ferry-port master planning, and the inter-LGU watershed management spanning Mananga, Lusaran, and Bonbon river basins. Mining in the limestone uplands (Toledo, Naga) is a perpetual provincial-vs-LGU governance friction. Tourism integration with Bohol and Negros adds inter-province coordination demand. Provincial population figures on this page count the province together with Cebu City, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu.
Key industries: IT-BPO, Tourism + hospitality, Manufacturing (electronics, furniture, shipbuilding), Shipping + maritime logistics, Higher education, Mining (limestone)
More on the regulatory framework: CLUP explainer · RA 7160 explainer · SGLG explainer · full glossary. Working a CLUP review cycle? Run the CLUP readiness self-check or see CLUP compliance monitoring.
Cebu Province is the cleanest PH validation case for Nova Gov's regional dashboards — 53 component LGUs of varying capacity, all reporting up to a provincial PDPFP that must reconcile competing local priorities. The Metro Cebu coordination case (province + 4 HUCs/CCs) is exactly the multi-jurisdiction overlay AIOS was designed for.
Cebu's PDPFP has to reconcile one province with four independent HUCs/CCs across Mactan, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Talisay. Book a working consultation and we'll talk through how a pilot could handle that against your PDPFP before you commit to anything.
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