The most recent census has just been released, revealing the official population count of each barangay across every town and city in Cebu. While Metro Cebu continues to bustle with urban expansion, traffic, and soaring high-rises, the latest numbers tell a story beyond the skyline.
Despite the province’s steady march toward modernization, Cebu remains home to several municipalities that seem untouched by time. These small, charming pueblos, hidden between mountain ranges or nestled along sleepy coastlines, carry with them a rustic spirit that resists the chaos of urban growth. Here, centuries have passed, yet the population has barely moved.
Now let us look back to a census conducted in Cebu in 1939. The entire province had a population of less than a million. Cebu was already a vital port and cultural hub, but it was still a far cry from the urban giant it is today.
At the time, Cebu City—then the only chartered city in the province—had a population of just 142,912.
But what may truly surprise you is the list of the most populous towns in Cebu back in 1939. Some of today’s lesser-known municipalities were once bustling centers of activity. Others that now enjoy rapid growth and cityhood status were, back then, quiet agricultural settlements.
MOST POPULATED TOWNS IN CEBU ( 1932 CENSUS)
Tuburan – 45,845
Argao – 37,294
Carcar – 36,307
Toledo – 34,436
Opon (now Lapu-Lapu City) – 33,814
Balamban – 31,322
These figures reveal an older Cebu where economic activity revolved around agriculture, fishing, and local trade, long before the rise of BPO hubs, airports, malls, and industrial estates.
Some of these towns, like Carcar and Danao, have retained their prominence, growing into cities in their own right. Others, such as Argao and Tuburan, while still thriving, have since been outpaced by the explosive growth of Metro Cebu and the Mactan corridor.
At the heart of Cebu’s ongoing transformation stands a man who is not only expanding horizons but also redefining what it means to be a modern Cebuano industrialist, Eugene Erik C. Lim, Chairman, President, and CEO of Topline Business Development Corporation.
Born into the third generation of a respected entrepreneurial family in Cebu, Eugene inherited more than just a name, he inherited a legacy. But instead of merely maintaining the family business, he envisioned something far bigger: an interconnected business ecosystem powered by fuel, ports, real estate, and retail, strategically designed to meet the demands of a rapidly modernizing region.
Fueling Ambition: The Topline Expansion
When Lim took over Topline in the early 2010s, it was primarily a fuel trading firm. Under his leadership, it grew into a vertically integrated energy company with its own fuel depots, a growing fleet of tankers, mobile refueling services, and more than 50 retail stations under the Light Fuels brand.
In mid-2025, Topline made a bold and strategic acquisition: a key Phoenix Petroleum station in Cebu, further expanding Light Fuels’ reach and fueling its regional dominance. This deal is part of an aggressive expansion program aimed at increasing the company’s market share in Central Visayas and beyond.
Topline’s revenue surged from ₱2.1 billion in 2022 to ₱2.8 billion in 2023, and in April 2025, it marked a historic milestone: a successful initial public offering (IPO) on the Philippine Stock Exchange. This move not only signaled Topline’s maturity as a business—it placed Eugene Erik Lim squarely among the country’s most dynamic CEOs.
From Ports to Progress: Pier 88
But Lim’s vision extended far beyond fuel. One of his most innovative achievements is Pier 88, a “smart port” in Liloan, Northern Cebu. Opened in partnership with the local government and other private investors, Pier 88 is a gateway to Cebu from Camotes, Leyte, and Ormoc—offering ferry services, commercial docking, and logistics solutions in a clean, modernized setting.
The port is more than just a transit hub, it’s part of a larger ecosystem.
And just a few minutes away, rising along the coastline, is its complementary project: Bay Mall.
Bay Mall: Commerce Meets Community
In June 2025, through its real estate arm Vikingland Corp., the Topline Group inaugurated Bay Mall—a three-level commercial complex set to become the new lifestyle destination in Northern Cebu. Developed under a public-private partnership with the Liloan LGU, the mall offers:
A Robinsons Supermarket anchor tenant
Food courts, fashion, wellness, and financial service shops
A 1,000-seat BPO facility on the third floor
Free shuttle access from Pier 88, creating a seamless experience for travelers and local shoppers alike
Bay Mall isn’t just a commercial venture. it is a symbol of integrated urban development, providing jobs, creating foot traffic, and drawing investment to an area that used to be considered a sleepy town.
Franchising, Tech, and Green Energy
Lim is also expanding in other strategic directions:
Light Fuels Express, a micro-gas station model designed for motorcycle users and inner-city streets, is now being franchised—empowering small investors.
His investments in fuel tech and logistics startups indicate a push toward digital modernization.
And by 2026, Topline is planning to pilot solar-powered stations and expand its biodiesel blending capabilities, signaling a transition toward green energy. –
Philosophy and Legacy
Those who work closely with Eugene Erik Lim describe him as pragmatic, data-driven, and quietly visionary. He avoids the limelight, preferring spreadsheets and long-term strategies to grand speeches and press tours. But his actions speak volumes.
“Cebu has always punched above its weight,” he once said. “We don’t need to be Manila to think big.”
With Pier 88 and Bay Mall anchoring Northern Cebu, and Topline emerging as a national energy player, Lim’s business blueprint is becoming a model of regional development: grounded in local partnerships, yet ambitious enough to compete on a national—and soon, perhaps international—scale.
From Cebu, to the Nation, to the Future
Eugene Erik Lim isn’t just building businesses. He’s building infrastructure, ecosystems, and most importantly—momentum. With fuel, ports, malls, and mobility all under his belt, he may be quietly scripting the next chapter in Cebu’s rise as the most dynamic economic hub outside of Metro Manila. And at the center of it all is a leader who believes that smart growth is rooted in integration, innovation, and homegrown vision.
InfoCebu 