Young Cebu: Vintage Photos of Cebu

Sir Billy, a regular visitor of MCPB sent me an email today. Attached were awesome photos of Cebu during the early part of the century. He said that he saw the photos in DYAB’s blog and that he wasn’t sure who uploaded them. He copied some of the photos because he wanted to let everyone know how Cebu looked like around 50 to 100 years ago.

I’ve seen these awesome photos before (and have also forgotten who originally uploaded them). But, just to make it clear, these photos are not mine. They were just forwarded to me. If you are the owner of these photos and you wish for me to remove them, please let me know right away. I can and will remove them if necessary. Thanks.






The Cebu Harbor

old pier by mycebuphotoblog.

The San Nicholas Church of the Municipality of Dalaguete.

The old Magallanes Street was already very progressive when this photo was taken.

old_cebu01 by mycebuphotoblog.

The old Cebu Lumber Co where EMall is now currently standing.

old_cebu02 by mycebuphotoblog.

According to the caption, this one is an American clubhouse near Aduana.

old_cebu06 by mycebuphotoblog.

This was how the harbor looked like back then.

pierside by mycebuphotoblog.

Check out how grand and respectable our policemen looked even with just their bolos.

policemen by mycebuphotoblog.

The Cebu Provincial Capitol looking really young and fresh.

capitol by mycebuphotoblog.

The oldest street in the Philippines — Colon Street.

colon by mycebuphotoblog.

View of the old Customs House which is now more popularly known as Malacañan Sa Sugbo

customs by mycebuphotoblog.

The Fort San Pedro entrance looks exactly the same today.

fort by mycebuphotoblog.

View of Fort San Pedro. Those guys are standing in the area now occupied by the Post Office.

fort san pedro by mycebuphotoblog.






The Fountain Rotunda. Gorgeous.

fuente by mycebuphotoblog.

27 thoughts on “Young Cebu: Vintage Photos of Cebu

  1. life was simple then. . .yes, very very true- very organic, very laid back, more greeneries in the urban, less pollution, less kurakot, less crime and endless list of less.

  2. Amazing!! how Cebu changed, its so progressive. Progress does come with a price though. Hopefully with progressive technology like electric cars and alternative energy, pollution will become a thing of the past.. I do love the good old days, when life was simpler…

  3. Ohh, thank you very much Billy @ Ley for showing us “Young Cebu”
    how is it looks like before.

    I think Saint Nicholas is the Patron of Dalaguete,
    Fountain Rotunda, is that the Fuente Osmena now?
    Hey! ang nga police sa una sundang ang dala, (hala ka)
    ang planka sa barko tan-awa ra gud (kuyawan ta)
    Wow!!! Magallanes St. is always part of Cebu,
    as of then ohhhh what a very quite Colon St. no traffic,

    What a lovely photo’s, once again thank you very much
    ” Billy and Ley”

  4. Mr Billy, Ley, and someone,
    thanks for posting these awesome photos, reminded me of how my parents probably lived life during their times……..just beautiful simple things in life

  5. Wow, thank you for posting this Ley. Do you have the actual website or link para makita nato the rest of the other photos?

  6. @coco
    Di ko na makita ang site. I remembered that DYAB once called for contributions of photos depicting old (young sounds better) Cebu to be uploaded to that site. Pero mora man ug daghan ang maka access ug dili kaayo secured basin ug gi discontinue na lang. If I remembered right, it was a certain Ka Bino who sent those in a folder titled ‘Memoirs’. Fortunately, I downloaded and saved it.

  7. kana bang old cebu lumber co. mao man nang former colegio de san ildefonso(the first school in the philippines ran by the jesuits) which is USC now.they say it was located in martires street.may untag nay laing pic ani.duol ra kuno ni sa old cebu capitol,fort san pedro ug colegio de la inmaculada sa karaan.

    1. Bitaw no? Karon lang ko kabantay nga ang facade may cruz diay sa ibabaw. Naay reproduced copy nga naka frame sa stairway going to DOLE sa GMC building purportedly mao ang site sa Colegio de San Ildefonso, later known as Seminario de San Carlos.
      Kon atong tan-awon ang “The Queen – Then and Now”, may dakong building where the GMC bldg is now just at the background of the Legaspi Monument nga anaa sa centro sa old Plaza Independencia photo. Mao na kaha ni?

  8. this is amazing! im having goosebumps while looking at these pictures! very very nice
    its also an evidence that cebu at those early times is a very progresive city and till at present cebu continues to wow everybody. that’s why im very proud to be cebuano!

  9. The title of the picture is ‘San Nicholas Church’ but the caption reads ‘Dalaguete’. I’m not exactly sure which is which.

    it looks like argao parish church…

  10. The picture titled The old Cebu Lumber Co. is believed to be the old campus of USC (University of San Carlos). It is not the actual site of the lumber company.

  11. Guys, you should visit Cebu museum. Daghan kaayu photos didto. Naa sad mga money nga karaa. Piso nga papel. Daghan kaayu ka makit-an didto.

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