A new era has begun in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) and Cebu is ready to rise. After a 5-year hiatus, Cebu returns to the league (MPBL) with a brand-new name and renewed fire.
Leading the charge is Head Coach Junthy Valenzuela, bringing experience, strategy, and heart to the court. Under his leadership, the Cebu Greats are set to make waves in the league.
There are 20 teams competing in the 2025 Season but only two are from the Visayas, The Greats and the Tubo Slashers of Bacolod City. Yes, the old nemesis back in the MBA era.
From real estate news and infrastructure updates to local legends, heritage, and business insights, InfoCebu is your digital home for everything Cebu.
Whether you’re a Cebuano,away for the moment, an investor looking in, or just curious about the Queen City of the South, we’re here to bring you closer to home.
Once known for its heavy industry, Mandaue City is undergoing a dramatic transformation, one that may redefine Cebu’s urban future. Welcome to Global City Mandaue, a 131-hectare waterfront development poised to become a smart, green, and globally competitive urban district along the Mactan Channel.
From Vision to Reality
Global City Mandaue is not just another real estate project. It’s a multi-billion reclamation and urban transformation initiative, a bold attempt to build a fully integrated smart city that will blend commerce, governance, luxury living, green spaces, and culture.
The area that will be reclaimed spans across Barangays Paknaan and Umapad, right by the Marcelo Fernan Bridge, just 2.7 kilometers from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
The People Behind the Project
This megaproject is made possible through a public-private partnership between: Global City Mandaue Corporation (GCMC), a joint venture firm headed by Sheila Romero, with backing from Globalport 900 Inc, the City Government of Mandaue and the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA)
Supporting the technical backbone are world-class urban planners and engineers: CallisonRTKL, Royal HaskoningDHV, Arcadis, ESCA Inc., and Cebu-based Canizares Architects.
A City in Three Districts
The 131-hectare project is thoughtfully divided into three vibrant districts:
1. Civic District (Cemanda) — The heart of governance and community, this area will house the new Mandaue City Hall, police and fire stations, bus and ferry terminals, cultural venues, and religious centers.
2. Commercial District (Meridio) — Designed for business and innovation, it will feature high-rise office towers, retail spaces, hotels, convention centers, and tech incubators.
3. Waterfront Luxury District — Facing the Mactan Channel, this upscale zone will host residential towers, resort hotels, marina boardwalks, fine dining, and entertainment hubs. –
Smart & Sustainable Urbanism
Unlike older urban centers, Global City Mandaue is built with green principles at its core: BERDE-certified buildings Lush green belts, bike lanes, and jogging paths Vertical gardens and biophilic architecture A 2-km waterfront boardwalk and mangrove protection zones.
The Supreme Court’s 2025 decision to uphold the 131-hectare reclamation project provided the green light for the project to proceed.
Timeline
2013: Reclamation rights granted to Globalport 900 Inc.
2022: Groundbreaking and project relaunch
2023: Permits secured and environmental assessments approved
2025: Supreme Court decision gives green light for project to proceed
Why It Matters
With Cebu’s limited space available for development, Global City Mandaue will be a welcome expansion, but with the high cost of reclamation and development, this fresh inventory will not come in cheap.
Before Manny Pacquiao ever laced a pair of gloves, one name stood tall in Philippine boxing, Gabriel “Flash” Elorde. Born on March 25, 1935, in Bogo, Cebu.
Elorde’s story is one of quiet beginnings, unshakable discipline, and international triumph. Long before boxing became a staple of Philippine pop culture, Flash was already carving his name into the annals of sports history.
Humble Beginnings in Bogo
Growing up in a modest family of 15 siblings, Elorde learned early the values of perseverance and resilience. He didn’t even finish elementary school—opting instead to help support his family by working various odd jobs. His boxing journey began informally, fighting in local bouts across Cebu, earning just a few pesos, but impressing crowds with his lightning-quick footwork—hence the nickname “Flash.”
Rising Through the Ranks
At just 16, Elorde turned professional and caught the attention of the national boxing scene. His graceful, southpaw style—later influenced by Filipino-American legend Ceferino Garcia—set him apart. But it was his training under Japanese fighter and trainer Koichi Wajima that refined his style into what would dominate the featherweight and junior lightweight divisions.
In 1956, Elorde shocked the boxing world by defeating Sandy Saddler, then the world featherweight champion, in a non-title bout in Manila. This victory put Elorde on the international radar.
World Champion
On March 16, 1960, Flash made history. He defeated Harold Gomes of the United States via a seventh-round knockout in Quezon City, capturing the World Junior Lightweight Title—the first Filipino to win a world boxing title since Pancho Villa in the 1920s. Elorde held the title for over seven years, defending it 10 times, a feat that remains unmatched in junior lightweight history.
A Champion Inside and Outside the Ring
Elorde wasn’t just a fighter; he was a gentleman. Known for his humility, discipline, and sportsmanship, he embodied the ideal Filipino athlete. He became a national figure during the 1960s, endorsing brands and appearing in media, but never losing his roots in Bogo.
After retiring in 1971, he helped train a new generation of Filipino boxers and established a boxing promotion business that would carry his name—the Elorde Boxing Gym, now run by his sons and grandchildren.
Legacy and Honors
Flash Elorde passed away on January 2, 1985, at the age of 49 due to cancer. But his legend continues. He was posthumously inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993. In his honor, the Flash Elorde Awards recognize the best in Philippine boxing every year. A statue of him stands proudly at the Bogo City Plaza, reminding locals that greatness can rise from even the humblest of origins.
InfoCebu 