Cebu gained First Class-A status on July 1, 1956 by virtue of Executive Order No. 188 issued by President Ramon Magsaysay issued on July 9, 1956.
The co-provinces of Cebu that were reclassified as First Class-A Provinces were Albay, Antique, Batangas, Bohol, Bulacan, Cagayan, Camarines Sur, Capiz, Cavite, Cotabato, Dava, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Isabela, Laguna, Lanao, La Union, Leyte, Masbate, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Mountain Province, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Quezon, Rizal, Samar, Sorsogon, Sulu, Surigao, Tarlac, Zambales, and Zamboanga del Norte.
While Camarines Norte and Oriental Mindoro were reclassified as First Class-B provinces, First Class provinces were Agusan, Bataan, Palawan, Nueva Viscaya, Palawan, Romblon and, Zamboanga del Sur.
The Second Class Provinces were Abra, Bukidnon, Catandaunes, and Marinduque and the Fourth Class provinces were Batanes and Occidental Mindoro.
The Executive Order of President Magsaysay was issued by virtue of Republic Act 130 enacted on June 14, 1947 by the Philippine Congress. It is entitled "An Act Continuing the Existing Classifications of Provinces and Municipalities and Authorizing the President of the Philippines to make partial readjustments thereof."
When the Americans came to the Philippines replacing the Spaniards as colonizers, the president of the United States of America issued Act No. 83 on February 6, 1901 entitled "A General Act for the Organization of the Provincial Governments in the Philippine Islands."
On March 10, 1917 Act No. 2711 entitled "An Act Amending the Administrative Code". Its purpose was to adapt the Jones Law or the Philippine Bill of 1916 and the Reorganization Act otherwise known as Act 2657 known as the Administrative Code.
The country was divided into what was called as Grand Divisions of the Philippine Islands, comprising 42 provinces and 7 provinces under the Department of Mindanao and Sulu. Interestingly, a Cebuano, Antonio Minoza, a Municipal President of Argao was appointed Deputy Governor of the Department of Mindanao and Sulu. It was Deputy Governor Minoza who was able to influence the migration of 30,000 Argawanons to Mindanao in 1917.
The Province of Cebu under Act 2711 comprised of the following:
The Province of Cebu consists of the Island of Cebu and neighboring islands, including the Camotes Islands. It comprises the following municipalities:
Alcantara, Alcoy, Alegria, Aloguinsan, Asturias, Badian, Balamban, Bantayan, Barili, Bogo (converted as a City on on March 15, 2007 by virtue of Republic Act 9390), Boljo-on, Borbon, Carcar (converted as a City by virtue of Republic Act 9436 on July 7, 2007), Carmen, Catmon, Cebu (the Capital of the Province, converted as a City by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 58, formally inaugurated on February 24, 1937), Compostela, Consolacion, Cordova, Daanbantayan, Dalaguete, Danao (converted as a City by virtue of Republic Act 3028 on January 6, 1961), Dumanjug, Ginatilan, Liloan, Madridejos, Malabuyoc, Mandaue (converted as a City on August 30, 1969 by virtue of Republic Act 5519), Medellin, Minglanilla, Moalboal, Naga (converted as a City on September 5, 2007 by virtue of Republic Act 9491), Opon (renamed as Lapulapu City by virtue of Republic Act 3134 on June 17, 1961), Oslob, Pilar, Pinamungajan, Poro, Ronda, Samboan, San Fernando, San Francisco, San Remegio, Santa Fe, Santander, Sibonga, Sogod, Tabogon, Talisay (converted as a City on January 12, 2001 by virtrue of Republic Act 8979), Toledo (converted as a City by virtue of Republic Act No. 2688 on January 6, 1961), Tuburan and Tudela.