Cebu is one vacation destination that you should not miss. Perhaps, there is no need for me to over-emphasize what the rest of the world knows already. So when you are in Cebu, do not just sleep in your hotel room. Go outdoors and enjoy what this island in the Pacific has to offer.

Cebu is White Sand Beaches

You can go to any world class resort in the nearby Mactan Island (the island where the international airport is located). We have Plantation Bay, Microtel Inn, Shangri-la, and now Imperial Palace. Of couse, there are other mid-range resorts within island. Just go to Cordova, Marigondon or in Maribago. You can also go island hopping.

If Mactan is not enough, you can pack your bag and head north to either Malapascua or Bantayan Islands. There you can find powdery white sand beaches, and they are not as expensive and commercialized as the beaches in Mactan.

Or you may also go south to Moalboal, go diving, and if you are lucky, swim with the whales that frequently pass by the Tañon Strait. There is also an exclusive resort at the Badian Island.

Cebu is Lechon

When you are in Cebu, don’t forget to try its tasty Lechon (roasted pig). It’s already rich in flavor that you don’t need to add sauce to it. Famous Cebu lechons include, Mila’s Lechon, CNT Lechon, Alejos’s Lechon and Ben’s Lechon. Taste it while it is still hot and crispy.

Cebu is Friendly People

Friendly people, beautiful Cebuanas, handsome Cebuanos, what more can you ask? But you just have to be careful when in the downtown area. Even the snatchers and pickpockets there look friendly.

Cebu Is In World History

Ironically, the world’s first famous tourist got killed in Mactan, Cebu. You must have already heard about Ferdinand Magellan, the great Portuguese explorer, whose team was the first to circumnavigate the world. He was killed by Lapu-lapu, the chieftain of Mactan, in 1521. It was not a cold-bloodied murder, but a result of a battle.

You can find the Lapu-lapu’s shrine in Mactan (near Shangri-la) and Magellan’s Cross in Cebu City (near City Hall). Cebu is rich in history and you can visit various museums and historical sites.

Cebu is Food Trips

What do you want? Japanese, American, Chinese, Korean, or Filipino cuisines? Or you can just enjoy a sumptuous buffet meal just about anywhere. Lots of restaurants in Cebu offer very affordable eat-all-you-can meals.

Cebu is Nightlife

You can be sleepless in Cebu by just staying around the Fuente Osmeña area. Or you can go to the IT Park where lots of young people are employed in call centers and BPOs. There are establishments there that are open 24 hours a day.

Cebu Travel Is Affordable

You can get round trip airfare as low as P2,000. But on the average, air travel to Cebu is still cheap. If you are coming from Mindanao or in the nearby islands in the Visayas, travelling by boat, though slow, is also very affordable.

Cebu hotels are also affordable. I saw some ads offering as low as P600/day for a nice and comfortable rooms in the Fuente area.

Cebu is Fun

Need I say more? Come and visit Cebu and experience all that they were saying about this Queen City of the South. See also my Day trip in Cebu guide.

Related posts:

1. Cebu, World
2. Day Trip in Cebu: A Quick Guide
3. Bantayan Island, Cebu: Holy Week Destination

An officemate once told me about best-tasting halo-halo that he ever had. The name of the store escaped me then, until my wife mentioned to me Razon’s. “They’re opening an outlet in Cebu” she gladly told me over the phone. “Our next next-door neighbor owns the outlet” she added.

I suddenly remembered what my colleague had mentioned days before. “Are they from Pampanga?” My wife confirmed that they are from Pampanga.

And so last Sunday, I went to the nearest Razon’s outlet in Parañaque and tried for the first time their famous halo-halo. It wasn’t too sweet, which I like. The shaved ice is like cream, and it’s indeed the best that I had. No fancy flavors and rainbow-like colors. As a matter of fact, it has only three main ingredients: sun-ripened saging na saba, macapuno and leche flan with dayap rind traditionally cooked to sweet perfection.

With the scorching summer heat, who wouldn’t want a sweet and very cold halo-halo?

Now, since it’s their opening day, you might want to go there and get some freebies when you order halo-halo and other meals. They also have this special palabok, sizzling sisig, sizzling bulalo, and sizzling bangus. Below is a coupon which you have to print and bring on opening day. (VALID on opening day only) I don’t really know the exact freebies but, I know you won’t regret it when you get to taste their halo-halo.

Click for here for the >>> FREE COUPON

p.s. Please leave a comment if you intend to go there and use the coupon.

Related posts:

1. Day Trip in Cebu: A Quick Guide
2. Cebu Sinulog 2009: Travel to Cebu
3. The Cebu Pacific Experience

Cebu Pacific P1 seat sale

Sale period is from October 31 to November 2, 2009 (or until the allotted 100000 seats are sold out). The race is on and I am sure the before the bell strikes at midnight, plenty will rush to the Cebu Pacific’s website. As of 11:30 pm on this 30th of October, their website is down. (Duh!)

Travel period is from June 15 to September 30, 2010. So better grab a ticket now and save the planning later. CEB’s trademark P1 seat sale also covers all of its 14 international destinations namely: Busan, Ho Chi Minh, Kota Kinabalu, Taipei, Bangkok, Incheon, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Guangzhou, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and Osaka.

Take note:
- Go-Lite: 7kg hand-carry baggage
- Optional: Add P100 upon booking for 15kg check-in baggage
- Fares are inclusive of tax and surchages
- Exclusive of airport terminal fees and applicable government taxes

Ok, ten minutes after midnight and I can’t still access their site. Waaaah. I want to go to Hong Kong.

Related posts:

1. Latest Cebu Pacific Seat Sale and Fare Discounts
2. Cebu Pacific Flight Promos and Discounted Fares
3. Free Cebu Pacific Airlines Tickets and Travel Vouchers

CEB kicks off ‘ber months with Halloween seat sale
30% off on all flights!

Travel during the ‘ber months this year, and get a load off your fare with our system-wide seat sale offer starting now until August 31, 2009!

The Halloween seat sale gives every Juan 30% off on all domestic and international destinations. This is valid for travel from October 1 to December 16, 2009.

Lots of reasons to fly! We fly direct from Manila to 28 domestic and 13 international destinations and from Cebu to 20 domestic and 4 international destinations.

Our other hubs are Davao (direct flights to Cebu, Manila, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga and Iloilo) and Clark (direct flights to Cebu, Bangkok, Singapore, Macau and Hong Kong).

We are the only airline servicing Manila-Cauayan, Cebu-Clark, Cebu-Dumaguete, Cebu-Roxas, Cebu-Puerto Princesa, Cebu-Surigao, Cebu-Cotabato, Cebu-Legazpi, Cebu-Siargao, Davao-Iloilo and Davao-Cagayan de Oro.

So hurry, pick your destination of choice and kick off the ‘ber season at www.cebupacificair.com now!

30% isn’t a small discount one can ignore. Imagine that domestic fare could go as high as P5,000-P7,000 during peak days. If you want to travel around the Philippines before you retire (temporarily or permanently), now is the time to do it. Travel to Cebu and many key cities in Visayas and Mindanao has become easier. Airfares are becoming cheaper and cheaper. You might also wonder if there are latest PAL promo flights, too. Go check it out and compare.

P.S. October 31, 2009 Update!
Cebu Pacific Air’s One Peso Seat Sale promo is back!

Related posts:

1. Cebu Pacific Flight Promos and Discounted Fares
2. Cebu Pacific Air’s Peso (Piso) Seat Sale
3. Latest Fare Promos From PAL

When I spoke to my aunt in the phone while I explained the delay, she comforted me saying, “God has his own purpose for this delay. It’s raining here in Butuan and the plane might have difficulty landing in this bad weather”.

The coolheaded me prevailed. I just closed my eyes and slept while waiting for some miracles. They offered free food alright. Then they gave out free travel voucher to any destination of similar or lesser value as my flight. Free Cebu Pacific tickets did not make me jump for joy at that moment though. I lined up, got my free travel voucher, folded it and placed it in my wallet. Then I went back to my seat and took my nap.

Many weeks after that incident, the Lenten Season was knocking on the doors. I did not buy tickets in advance for my planned trip to Cebu for the long holidays as I was expecting an official trip to head office on those days. But as the holidays were nearing, ticket prices soared beyond my budget. And there was no call yet from head office. I decided I got to make a move since I promised my wife that I’d be home in those days.

So I remembered about my free travel voucher from Cebu Pacific. I took it out from my wallet, and called the numbers 70-20-888 to make a booking. The long wait for someone to pick up the phone at the other end of the line makes ones blood boil. As they say, patience is a virtue. Even at almost midnight, I still had difficulty getting in. No wonder a lot complained of their service, lousy or whatever.

The person at the other end of the line spoke to me in Cebuano, as he must have noticed my broken Tagalog. It made things easier for me. He asked details like my name, original flight number, origin and destination, flight date, issue date and airport representative who signed the voucher. I told him everything he needed and I booked for the last Manila-Cebu flight on a Holy Wednesday. He gave me my booking number and instructed me to fax or email them a scanned copy of my free travel voucher. Then I have to call them an hour later for confirmation and a copy of my ticket.

My joy was consummated when I finally got my ticket. Yeah, at least P4,000 of savings. Then Romans 8:28 flashed into my head: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” God is so good!

Another good thing happened to me on that morning before my flight. I got a call from my boss at head office asking me to go there the Monday after Easter to finish some works. That meant that my trip back to Manila will be shouldered by the company. It was another savings for me.

Looking back, there was nothing actually lost in that delay. I wanted to rant like the others, but I didn’t. “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God” kept repeating in my head.

Honestly, I hope that Cebu Pacific will offer more free travel vouchers to appease their increasing numbers of their disgruntled customers. Shouldn’t we be happy if we receive free plane tickets? Maybe not always! But we all deserve a much better service on top of the cheap price.

(Disclaimer: This is just my story and is not meant to endorse the airline.)

Related posts:

1. Cebu Pacific (CEB) vs Philippine Airlines (PAL): Travel Cheap or Travel Comfortably?
2. The Cebu Pacific Experience
3. Budget Travel: Manila-Cebu and Vice Versa

Terminal Fee – For the Manila and Cebu airports, terminal fee is P200.

Taxi fare – At the Cebu airport, you don’t actually have to ride a taxi. But if you have some extra money to spare, climb up to the departure area when you get out from arrival exit. Metered taxis are queuing there. To SM or to the Fuente Osmeña area, it will cost you between P150 to P200. If you want to ride a jeep, walk a little more to the drop off point of the departing passengers. Yellow multi-cab jeepneys are plying there but you have to wait a little longer. Then you drop off at the terminal and ride another jeep to SM. From airport and back to airport – budget is P400.

Lodging and Accommodation – I suggest you try the hotels near Fuente Osmeña like Shamrock Hotel, Sampaguita Suites, Apple Tree Suites, Cebu Pensionne Plaza, Palladium Suites, and the others. Budget is P800-P1,500. Or you may also try Sugbutel. Bed and Bath at P250/day.

Meals – The easiest to budget are the fastfood meals which you will spend at P100-150 per meal. In a 6-meal budget, that’s at most P900. I suggest you try Larsian, some barbecue stalls very near Fuente Rotunda. Your 100 goes a very long way.

Let’s make a recap. Plane fare – P1,000, Terminal fee – P400, Taxi fare – P400, Lodging – P1,500, Meals – P900. Only P800 is left for your other expenses. But some tourists’ attractions are a jeep ride away from Fuente. Of course if you travel in a group of three or four, the individual expenses go lower. Let your adventurous side drift you while in Cebu. You won’t get lost in translation, and you’ll always end up in your desired destination.

But just a caution here: Don’t get late for your flight. Penalties are higher than your ticket’s original cost.

Related posts:

1. Cebu Pacific (CEB) vs Philippine Airlines (PAL): Travel Cheap or Travel Comfortably?
2. Day Trip in Cebu: A Quick Guide
3. The Cebu Pacific Experience

The Good Experiences

Remember their previous motto of “being on-time 95% of the time”? The airline used to pride itself with that. Aside from the low fares, they are on time 95% of time. At least, that was what I remembered then.

I usually take the early morning flight (6am or 640am) out of Cebu. No hassles, no traffic. I normally arrive at the airport 50 minutes prior to the estimated time of departure (ETD). But there was one time when I arrived 25 minutes prior to ETD. My heart beat so fast and my head was still aching from lack of sleep. I skipped the long queues and went directly to the open counter even if the signboard says it’s for some other destination. Good thing I was still accommodated. I almost missed that flight. (As a hint, you can go directly to any open counter. They’re online, so why suffer the long queues at the Manila or Cebu airport.)

In all my Cebu to Manila flights, I’ve not encountered many delays. In fact, there were many times when we arrived 5-15 minutes ahead of time. Of course, I’m referring to the 640am flights and earlier. Maybe this is the time of the day when there are no delays due to late arrival of turnaround aircraft.

For airport transfers, I found no hassle in a connecting flight from Cebu to Palawan via Manila. The airport personnel was helpful enough to assist me. Again, that was for an early morning flight.

The delays I encountered were mostly in my flights from Manila to Cebu, especially the last flight out. Delays happen 70% of the time. They reasoned that it’s because of the late arrival of the turnaround aircraft. But it’s only for a few minutes or at most an hour. It also gives me more time to relax, read magazines, or do nothing at all.

Cebu Pacific’s edge is its low price. It is even cheaper to ride a plane than on a slow boat. For a thousand bucks, you can now ride a plane from Cebu to Manila and vice-versa. A lot of people had their first plane ride on a Cebu Pacific plane. I know of people who get yayas and househelps from the Visayas and Mindanao. Instead of paying for a boat or a bus fare, they just buy them Cebu Pacific tickets. It comes out cheaper.

The Bad Experiences

I arrived at the T3 airport at 530 am, 2 hours earlier than my ETD to Butuan City. As I checked in the freshly cut flowers I bought in Dangwa for the family occasion in Mindanao, I was told that my flight was delayed and the new ETD is 145 pm. That’s 6 hours off the schedule! All I did was shake my head in disbelief. I lacked sleep so I just rushed to the passenger’s terminal and slept there.

From the terminal windows, I saw the checked-in luggages of my co-passengers. My box caught my eye. Though it was on top of the heap, the direct sunlight would hasten wilting of my flowers. It was already past 9am when they transferred the cargoes to I don’t know where, which I hoped was a covered area.

For breakfast, we were given a 1-piece chicken joy and a bottle of mineral water. I thought that was the only freebie. But when they gave me a free travel voucher, it made me forget that we were delayed. I called my wife, and I also talked to my aunt. She reasoned that God has a purpose for this delay. It was raining that morning in Butuan and in such a weather condition, flights will be redirected to Cebu. The real reason was that, one of their planes was in Singapore for repairs. When a plane is out, they have to do a lot of rescheduling as it would affect many flights.

It was 230pm when we finally took off. I arrived in Butuan at almost 4pm. A nephew who accompanied my wife and father-in-law, complained. They were waiting for me since 9am. As to the flowers, we revived them by cutting the stems and putting them in a bucket of water.

The return trip wasn’t any different. If I had booked the Sunday flight, that would have been a full day of delay. Their plane had to be repaired in Butuan. My Monday flight back to Manila was delayed by almost two hours. It also meant that I’d miss a meeting at work. (Though I was on leave for the whole day, I promised my boss that I’d catch up when I arrive.) I was hoping for another free travel voucher. But there was none.

Compared to the experience of a friend who swore never to ride Cebu Pacific again, mine is nothing. Her group cancelled their vacation because of the delays in the departure from Cebu, and they were not even accommodated in their connecting flight, which would have been the only flight of the day. It also affected their hotel bookings, etc…

But then, delays do not just happen in this airline. Other airlines had delays too. It is just a matter of customer service, explaining the real reason for the delay, and perhaps assistance in case one misses a connecting flight. Freebies are mostly welcome. More free travel vouchers, please!

Related posts:

1. Cebu Pacific (CEB) vs Philippine Airlines (PAL): Travel Cheap or Travel Comfortably?
2. Free Cebu Pacific Airlines Tickets and Travel Vouchers
3. Budget Travel: Manila-Cebu and Vice Versa

Here is a portion of what they said in their website (April 24, 2009):

CEB offers all-out sale for June, July, & August travel
For as low as P249 for domestic and P599 for international flights

Cebu Pacific (CEB) is offering a seat sale from all of its hubs – Manila, Cebu, Clark, and Davao – starting April 25 to 30, 2009 and valid for travel from June 1 to August 31, 2009.

Domestic fares are all-inclusive; international fares are exclusive of government taxes. Promo fares are non-refundable.

…CEB is offering a P599 one-way ‘Go Lite’ fare for its Manila-Kota Kinabalu and Manila-Taipei services. This is also extended to services from Clark to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Macau, and Singapore.

…a one-way P1,099 ‘Go Lite’ fare for its Manila-Hong Kong, and Manila-Macau services. One-way ‘Go Lite’ fares for flights from Manila to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, and Singapore are sold at P1,599.

…one-way ‘Go Lite’ fares for CEB services from Manila to Shanghai, Jakarta, Guangzhou; Cebu-Hong Kong, and Cebu-Singapore are sold at P2,299. The P2,799 one-way ‘Go Lite’ fare is available for flights to Kuala Lumpur, Incheon and Busan (Korea).

…one-way promo fare to Osaka, Japan is sold at P2,999.

…For domestic flights, CEB offers a P249 one-way ‘Go Lite’ fare for flights from Manila to Busuanga, Cebu, Iloilo, Laoag, Legaspi, Naga, and San Jose.

…One-way ‘Go Lite’ fares for Manila-Bacolod, Manila-Dumaguete, and other Visayas destinations at P449.

…One-way ‘Go Lite’ fares from Manila to Mindanao destinations are sold at P1,349 except for Manila to Davao priced at P1,149.

Promo fares for other domestic routes are available at www.cebupacificair.com or through CEB reservations at 70-20-888 (Manila) / 230-8888 (Cebu).

Take note that you got to book your flight at their website at http://cebupacificair.com. Now my head is spinning as to what day I should fly. I planned to go to Cebu once a month and this is a perfect opportunity for me. I might also book a ticket to Puerto Princesa, Palawan and take a second look at the country’s last frontier.

P.S. October 31, 2009 Update!
Cebu Pacific Air’s One Peso Seat Sale promo is back!

Related posts:

1. Latest Cebu Pacific Seat Sale and Fare Discounts
2. Cebu Pacific Air’s Peso (Piso) Seat Sale
3. Latest Fare Promos From PAL

The Pacific Grand Ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino will experience an illustrious night of glitz and glamour, pomp and pageantry, as past Miss Cebu beauties witness the quest for their 25th successor, the young lady whose crown will be relinquished by reigning queen Sian Elizabeth Maynard.


Celebrating its Silver Anniversary, the Miss Cebu continues to search for no less than the most exceptional lady that best defines the authentic characteristic of what a lovely Cebuana is, and how she lives up to her platform to make Cebu an even more captivating city both to come by and to live in.

For 25 years, this pageant has maintained its world-class production that can allegedly never even be compared with any of the major national beauty contests in Manila, much less its high-end presentation of its official candidates to spectators walking on the red carpets ? consistently, quite a number of whom are members of Cebu’s elite. Because the event is one of the highlights of the annual Sinulog festivity, a lot of tourists from both overseas and other parts of the country are customarily expected to come and watch.

To be telecast live on Studio 23 at 8:00 PM on January 14 (Wednesday), the 2009 Search for Miss Cebu (spearheaded by Cebu City Tourism Commission) will likewise pay tribute to Cebuana beauties who, in their respective current fields of endeavor, have made an exceptional mark, thus giving us Cebuanos 25 years (and beyond) of reason to be proud of our heritage. One of these is Miss Cebu 2006 second runner-up Karla Henry, the very first Filipina to have captured the Miss Earth crown, so far the one and only Cebuana to have won an international beauty title.

This year’s roster of candidates holds a promise of another exemplary lady who will serve as an ambassador of goodwill, a spokesmodel for young Cebuanas, a voice of Cebu to the world.

Twelve equally smart and charming candidates are vying for this year’s Miss Cebu crown and the Silver scepter as a token of her being the 25th loveliest Cebuana.

Candidate # 1 Ana Coritha Desamparado
Birthdate: May 16, 1990 Height: 5?4? Weight: 108lbs. School: University of the Philippines
Candidate # 2 Sheda Lynn Dusaban
Birthdate: October 10, 1988 Height: 5?4? Weight: 110lbs. School: Cebu Institute of Technology
Candidate # 3 Christine Tan
Birthdate: December 1, 1983 Height: 5?4? Weight: 110lbs. School: Cebu Normal University
Candidate # 4 Nadia Claire Urbino
Birthdate: December 20, 1989 Height: 5?4? Weight: 90lbs School: University of San Jose-Recoletos
Candidate # 5 Tara France Oliver
Birthdate: October 5, 1988 Height: 5?4 1/2? Weight: 102lbs School: University of San Carlos
Candidate # 6 Ethel Bitoon
Birthdate: November 23, 1984 Height: 5?5? Weight: 109lbs. Company: LEXMARK Research & Development Corporation
Candidate # 7 Phoebe Kaye Fernandez
Birthdate: November 16, 1987 Height: 5?5 1/2? Weight: 105lbs. School: University of San Carlos
Candidate # 8 Kimberley Therese Burden
Birthdate: September 7, 1989 Height: 5?6 1/2? Weight: 120lbs. School: Cebu Doctors’ University
Candidate # 9 Michelle Iva “Isa” Eguia
Birthdate: March 28, 1988 Height: 5?7? Weight: 110lbs. School: Centre for International Education
Candidate # 10 Angela Grace Alibanon
Birthdate: April 26, 1988 Height: 5?8? Weight: 120lbs. School: Cebu Doctors’ University
Candidate # 11 Rizzini Alexis Gomez
Birthdate: August 29, 1990 Height: 5?8? Weight: 118lbs School: University of Cebu
Candidate # 12 Kris Tiffany Janson
Birthdate: December 21, 1989 Height: 5?8? Weight: 118lbs. School: University of San Carlos

———-

note: Thanks Ariel for this article. Pictures are taken from Miss Cebu 2009 website. Everybody can vote for their Miss Cebu 2009 candidate. Here’s how:

To vote through Globe, text VOTE(space)FOR(space)MSCEBU(space)(nickname) and send to 2278. To vote using the internet, kindly go to http://www.cebucitytourism.com/ms_cebu_2009. There are voting booths at SM City and Ayala Center Cebu.

Click here for Cebu Sinulog 2009 schedule of activities

Update: MISS CEBU 2009 WINNERS!

4th Runner Up: Tara Frances L. Oliver – Candidate No. 5
3rd Runner Up: Michelle Iva G. Eguia – Candidate No. 9
2nd Runner Up: Kimberley Therese A. Burden – Candidate No. 8
1st Runner Up: Rizzini Alexis C. Gomez – Candidate No. 11
Miss Cebu 2009: Kris Tiffany M. Janson – Candidate No. 12

Related posts:

1. Beautiful Cebuana Wins Miss Earth 2008
2. Cebu Sinulog 2009: Travel to Cebu
3. UP Cebu High School Grand Reunion

Sinulog 2009 Schedule of Activities

January 9, 2009 (Friday) – Sinulog 2009 Kick off / Launching (Sinulog Through the Years photo exhibit at Ayala Center Cebu, SM City Cebu and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport)
2:00 – Solemn Mass (Basilica del Sto. Niño)
3:00 – Launching Parade (from the Basilica del Sto. Niño to the Cebu City Sports Center)
7:00 – Opening and Launching Program featuring the Mandaue City Children’s Choir, Dancesports Team Cebu, and Dance Troupes from participating schools and universities in Cebu (Fuente Osmeña)

January 10, 2009 (Saturday) – Sinulog sa Kabataan – Lalawigan
1:00 – Parade of Participants (from the Cebu Provincial Capitol to the Cebu City Sports Center)
2:00 – Event Proper: Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan (Cebu City Sports Center)
4:30 – Awarding of Winners (Cebu City Sports Center)
7:00 – Cultural Show by the Department of Education, Cebu Province (Fuente Osmeña)
9:30 – Concert by Street Party Bands (Fuente Osmeña)

January 11, 2009 (Sunday) – Sinulog sa Kabataan – Dakbayan
1:00 – Parade of Participants (from the Plaza Independencia to the Cebu City Sports Center)
2:00 – Event Proper: Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan (Cebu City Sports Center)
4:30 – Awarding of Winners (Cebu City Sports Center)
7:00 – Cultural Show (Fuente Osmeña)
9:30 – Concert by Street Party Bands (Fuente Osmeña)

January 12, 2009 (Monday)
7:30 – Cultural Show (Fuente Osmeña)
9:30 – Concert by Street Party Bands (Fuente Osmeña)

January 13, 2009 (Tuesday)
7:30 – Cultural Show (Fuente Osmeña)
9:30 – Concert by Street Party Bands (Fuente Osmeña)

January 14, 2009 (Wednesday)
9:00 – Airport Welcome for Balikbayan Flights (Mactan-Cebu International Airport)
7:30 – Cultural Shows (Fuente Osmeña)
9:30 – Concert by Street Party Bands (Fuente Osmeña)

January 15, 2009 (Thursday)
9:00 – Airport Welcome for Balikbayan Flights (Mactan-Cebu International Airport)
7:00 – Miss Cebu Coronation Night (Cebu City Waterfront Hotel and Casino)
7:30 – Cultural Shows (Fuente Osmeña)
9:00 – Concert by Street Party Bands (Fuente Osmeña)

January 16, 2009 (Friday) – Visual Merchandising Contest (Department Stores and Malls in Cebu)
7:30 – Cultural Shows by the Department of Education, Cebu City (Fuente Osmeña)
7:30 – Handumanan “The Concert” (SM City Cebu)
8:00 – Balik Cebu Welcome Party for Balikbayans and Guests (Ayala Center Cebu)
9:00 – Concert by Street Party Bands (Fuente Osmeña)

January 17, 2009 (Saturday)
6:00 – Fluvial Procession of the Miraculous Image of Sto. Niño together with Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mactan Channel; starting point: Ouano Wharf, Mandaue City)
9:00 – Re-enactment of the Baptism of Queen Juana and Rajah Humabon (Basilica del Sto. Niño)
2:00 – Solemn Procession of the Miraculous Image of Sto. Niño)
6:30 – Sinulog Festival Queen 2009 (Cebu City Sports Center)
7:00 – Street Party (Fuente Osmeña and Plaza Independencia)
8:00 – Kasadya Nite Mardi Gras (Ayala Center Cebu hallways; culmination at the South Surface Parking Area)

January 18, 2009 (Sunday) – Sinulog 2009 Grand Parade
9:00 – Sinulog 2009 Grand Parade Carousel Kick Off
7:00 – Grand Fireworks Display (Cebu City Sports Center and Plaza Independencia)
7:30 – Concert by Street Party Bands (Fuente Osmeña)
8:00 – Grand Fireworks Display sponsored by the Mitsumi Group of Companies (Ayala Football Grounds)

January 19, 2009 (Monday)
1:00 – Awarding Ceremonies (Cebu City Sports Center)

January 31, 2009 (Saturday)
1:00 – Awarding Ceremonies for the winners of the Sinulog 2009 Photo Contest and Sinulog 2009 Video Documentary Contest

Febuary 1-10, 2009 (Sunday to Tuesday)
Photo Exhibits: “The Winning Photos taken during Sinulog 2009? (SM City Cebu)

Tips When Coming for the Parade

When you come to Cebu, don’t forget to bring your cameras and extra batteries. It would be a very colorful parade and lots of celebrities and personalities are coming. But just some safety tips when you watch or join the parade:

1. Watch for your belongings. Despite efforts of the local government to keep the known thieves in jail for the weekend, there are out-of-towners.
2. Avoid the gangs and stay away from their hangouts. There had been frat brawls in the past.
3. Stay fit, use comfortable footwear and bring bottled water with you. There will be long walks. At the end of the day, you may find yourself fatigued and dehydrated.

Where to stay in Cebu for Sinulog 2009

First and foremost, consider staying with your relatives. This is a fiesta and most pinoys welcome relatives to their homes. If you’re not invited or not welcome at their homes, consider your friends and classmates. But mind you, they also have their visiting relatives.

If you have a little money to spare and don’t want to bother your friends and relative, or in just a backpacking mode, there is a newly-opened bed and bath hotel at the Reclamation Area. It is called Sugbutel, with 350 beds and fully airconditioned. The new facility offers individual beds or bunks equipped with curtains, electrical socket and a safety box to secure hand-carry bags at P250 per person per night. Very affordable, right?

If you have a bigger budget, there are plenty of hotels around Fuente Osmeña (P800-P2,000 per night). Most of the party actions are within the vicinity. But by this time, I guess they are fully reserved already, but just try making a reservation. You may explore around and visit also the resorts in Mactan. Cebu is really a beautiful place to visit.

Related posts:

1. Budget Travel: Manila-Cebu and Vice Versa
2. Day Trip in Cebu: A Quick Guide
3. Miss Cebu 2009: Beautiful Cebuanas