Lapu-Lapu City is a first class, highly-urbanized city in the province of Cebu. Lapu-Lapu lies about 5 km from the island of Cebu. The short Mactan-Mandaue Bridge connects Lapu-Lapu and the rest of Mactan Island with Mandaue on Cebu Island. Lapu-Lapu is a port and industrial center noted for its thermal installations, which burn petroleum for energy; corn and flour milling; fishing; and handmade guitars. The Mactan International Airport is located adjacent to Lapu-Lapu, as is the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ), an industrial tax-free zone that opened in 1979. The MEPZ includes approximately 35 business ventures, about 50 percent of which are Japanese-owned.
