The Port of Cebu in the 1930s
Cebu in the 1930s was already a robust commercial and industrial center in the Philippines, next to Manila. At that time, the harbor was already deep enough for ocean-going streamers to dock and anchor.
The waterfront was 1,664.80 meters long with a berthing capacity of nine foreign and 15 inter-island vessels of ordinary size. It already had two modern piers, each measuring 155.45 meters long and 33 meters wide (At that time, there were only Pier 1 and Pier 2. Pier 3 was still under construction).
During those years, Cebu already had direct import and export trade with ships from the Port of America, Europe and Asia. Cebu was already independent from Manila since Cebu had been in trade relations for import and export firms, namely Pacific Commercial Company, Smith, Bell and Co. Ltd., Ker and Co, W.F. Stevenson and Co., Procter and Gamble Trading, Philippine Refining, Warner Barnes & Co., Madrigal and Co., Compania General de Tabacos de Filipinas, International Harvester, Daido Boeki Kaisha, Ltd. Mitsui Bussan Kaisha, Dy Te and Co., Lu Do & Lu Ym, Joaquin Castro and Ci,, UyMatiao& Co., Lim TianTeng (a street in Cebu City has been renamed after the business and guerilla leader), GotiacoHermanos, Heng Sun & Co., Yek Hua Trading Corp., Hejos de F. Escano, Aboitiz and Co., Asiatic Philippine Lumber, Iligan Lumber Co., Miguel Sheaker, Butuan Sawmill Inc., Anakan Lumber, Insular Lumber Co., Findlay Millar Co., Tong Hing& Co., Lim Bonfing y Hermanos Inc., Go Chan & Co., and Go Occo& Co.
Cebu had been importing cotton piece goods, canned goods, flour, fertilizers, iron, mineral oils, hardware articles and many other products, while the export of Cebu were hemp, maguey, copra, copra cake, coconut oil, logs, lumber, tobacco leaf, kapok, kapok seeds, and seashells.
At that time, the business leaders of Cebu who had interest in the port operation were the Cebu Chinese Chamber of Commerce (which up to now still exists; for years, it was led by its chairman emeritus Filomeno "Menoy" Lim)represented by its president, Mr. Tirso Uytengsu (a street in Cebu City had been named after him).
The Cebu Trading Center was headed by its manager, Honorio Contreras. Incidentally, before the outbreak of World War II, Cebu, just like Manila, had strong business relationships with Japan which had nationals residing in Cebu. Around that time, there was a Cebu Japan Association whose president was Mr. T. Nakai. There was Mr. Y. Noya who was manager of the Japan-based Mitsui Bussan Kaisha, Ltd., while a Filipino was manager of the American Firm, I. Beck Inc. An American national by the name of Henry Gasser was manager of Dy Buncio& Co. Inc.
The Port of Cebu operated daily except on Sundays, with an average of eight vessels sailing from Cebu to other ports. Shipping firms had offices in Cebu like the Compania Maritima (the building it occupied still stands to this day; it is the building you will see before entering the SRP near the Cebu City Hall), Robert Dollar Co., Joaquin Castro & Co., Insular Navigation, Philippine Navigation, Victoriano Chiongbian (the patriarch of the Chiongbians and father of William Chiongbian (a municipality in the province of Misamis Occidental has been renamed after the shipping pioneer of Visayas and Mindanao), Fork Set Co., De la Rama Steamship Lines (founded by Senator Esteban dela Rama of Panay Island and father of Lourdes dela Rama the wife of Sergio "Serging" Chiong Veloso Jr. and mother of Mayor Tomas R. Osmeña and former Senator Sergio "Serge" Osmena III), Pastrana Unchuan, UyMatiao & Co. and Lim TianTeng and Co.
The trading of Cebu was supported by the following banks: Philippine National Bank, the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China and the Bank of the Philippine Islands (its main office still stands today, near the Cebu City Hall beside the Basilica del Sto. Nino. On the upper floor is a library and museum).
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