Central Visayas
Second metropolitan pole centered on Cebu where tourism, furniture exports, and maritime commerce create diversified alternative to Metro Manila.
Central Visayas centers on Cebu—the Queen City of the South that functions as the Philippines' second metropolitan pole, generating economic activity that provides alternative to Metro Manila concentration. The region combines tourism, manufacturing, and maritime commerce in ways that create diversified development distinct from single-sector economies.
Cebu City's port has served inter-island commerce for centuries, creating commercial traditions that persist in contemporary manufacturing and service sectors. Furniture production, fashion accessories, and processed foods export from zones that exploit wage cost advantages while maintaining quality standards international markets require.
Tourism generates substantial regional income. Beach resorts in Bohol and Cebu attract international visitors seeking tropical destinations; whale shark encounters in Oslob have become social media phenomena that drive visitor flows; and historical sites including Magellan's Cross and Spanish-era churches add cultural tourism dimensions.
The region demonstrates how secondary poles can develop when infrastructure and institutions enable alternatives to primate city concentration. By 2026, expect continued tourism recovery following pandemic disruption, manufacturing exports maintaining competitiveness, and Cebu's role as counter-magnet to Metro Manila strengthening as congestion makes the capital less attractive for expansion.