Located in the city's downtown, Colon Street is often called the oldest[1][2][3] and shortest[4] national road in the Philippines.

[6][7] Colon, crowded and a bit run-down now, was the site of fashionable shops, offices, and movie houses.

Beginning in the early 1990s, much of this activity has shifted to the more modern, bigger, and diverse commercial and business districts now spread in almost all of the urban areas of Cebu in what was considered residential and leisure settlements.

[8] In 2006, the Cebu City Council proposed a plan to close parts of Colon Street from vehicular traffic and convert it into a tourism zone.

[9] However, this proposal received opposition from businessmen and motorists due to concerns about security and parking spaces.