Online marketplace Lamudi makes pick: Cebu City tagged as ‘most livable’

CEBU, Philippines - For being “exciting, different and affordable,” Cebu City was chosen as the number one place to live in Asia by online real estate listing site Lamudi.

Katy Campbell, Lamudi’s global public relations director, said the company picked the best places in Asia that are all “different but exciting to live in,” and Cebu came out on top.

On March 7, Lamudi shortlisted Bali in Indonesia; culturally-rich Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh; and Mandalay near the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar, which has a large number of historical sites and buildings, among others.

The multicultural city of Lahore, considered as the cultural heart of Pakistan; and the world’s least expensive city to live which has a very diverse ethnic makeup, Islamabad, also in Pakistan, were also in the list.

Founded in 2013, Lamudi is a global player in helping clients find and book apartments throughout Asia. Its real estate marketplace offers sellers, buyers, landlords and renters the ideal platform to find online homes, land, and commercial properties.

Campbell said Lamudi chose Cebu because of its being the country’s oldest city and cultural center. It also has several Filipino-Spanish heritage buildings, and at the same time big shopping malls, business parks and universities, museums, and other attractions.

Campbell said Lamudi defines Cebu as “calmer city” compared to Manila, and praised it for its apartments that are “utterly cheap to rent or buy.”

“Even the most luxurious apartments can be found for less than $1,000 (a month) and food is very affordable as well,” she added.

Requested for his comment, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella told The FREEMAN he concurred with “every detail and observation” of Lamudi.

Labella believed Cebu City was chosen as the most livable place in Asia because of its “deep religion and culture, kind and hospitable people, and the respect Cebuanos bestow on their beliefs and heritage.”

“There are lots of things that we Cebuanos should be proud about Cebu,” he said, one of which is the low cost of living compared to other urban centers.

“The conveniences of the modern city are found in Cebu. We have beautiful beaches, high class resorts and hotels, beautiful infrastructures and Cebu itself is a chinatown,” he said.

Asked what Cebu can do to compete globally in terms of development, Labella said inviting more investors and less politics in governance.

“We can still do a lot, like continuing to be united especially in implementing developments; and to be more in cooperation (and) compassion, and less in politics,” he said.—/RHM (FREEMAN)