Blog From Cebu To The World

The whalesharks (tuki or butanding) are now in Cebu! I know this isn’t news anymore as thousands have already personally witnessed these wondrous and friendly sea giants after photos and videos floated in the internet late in 2011.

I first saw a blogpost of a friend and she posted pictures of these whalesharks. She did not divulge the name of the place as it was not yet on the media at that time. But a few days later, an article from the local daily came out identifying the old and sleepy town of Oslob, Cebu. Here is my friend’s pic and a link to her site:

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Razon’s Halo-halo, the famous halo-halo from Pampanga, will open its first outlet in Cebu City this March 26, 2010. They are located at Juan Luna Ave. Extension, just outside SM City Cebu (remember CNT Lechon?).

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.

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Perhaps you’ve been a Manila boy or girl for as long as you remembered. And you have not really stepped outside Luzon, but heard of the beautiful of places in the islands south of where you are. Do you want to travel from Manila to Cebu but not sure if it is within your budget? This is your quick guide for a budget travel to Cebu on P5,000 budget for an overnight trip.

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This is not about Cebu and the Pacific Ocean. It’s far from that. What I will post here is about my experience flying with Cebu Pacific, the Philippines’ leading low-fare airline. I’ve read lots of rants posted by bloggers who had experienced delays and other inconveniences. I had mine too. I’d been flying with this airline for more than 10 years now. Basically, it is because of the low fares as compared to the country’s flagship airline. But let me just share with you the good and the bad personal experiences I had with Cebu Pacific.

The Good Experiences
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MISS CEBU 2009: Who will be the 25th loveliest Cebuana?
By Ariel Allosada Allera (ariel_allera@yahoo.com)

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.
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To those of you who are planning to come to Cebu and watch or join the Sinulog 2009 festivities, below is the Sinulog 2009 Schedule of Activities. For the religious, the important dates are January 9 and 17, and any day in between, at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño. For those who are after the parade and street dance only, and has a very limited time to spare, Sinulog Sa Kabataan will be on January 10-11, and the Grand Parade is on the 18th.

Sinulog 2009 Schedule of Activities

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I haven’t updated this blog for more than 10 days. I was so busy that I even had less time for sleep, and no time to blog or hop around. It’s been more than a month since I was officially transferred in Manila. There are so many things to be done and so many plans for 2009 hovering in my head. But one thing I’m looking forward to this Christmas is my trip back to Cebu.

How is Christmas celebrated in Cebu? It’s still the Christmas that you and I celebrate. There are parties and family celebrations. The famous lechon of Cebu is always present at the table. (Despite the many lechon I ate here in Manila, I still could not find the familiar taste of Cebu. No sauce needed.) The Christmas trees, kris kringle, singing, and the games are always part of the program. It is such a merry Christmas in Cebu!

The parties I attended here in Manila are nothing compared to being with my dear one back in Cebu. So, despite the steep plane fare price, I booked a ticket just to be with my love this Christmas Day.

Merry Christmas, friends! As you enjoy the holidays, remember Jesus Christ and what He has done for you more than 2,000 years ago!

photo credits: kevinworld. This is Fuente Osmeña every Christmas.

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How to explore Metro Manila with its vastness, long highways, big and small streets, traffic rules and crazy traffic? This question bugged me since 15 years ago when I first set foot here (Manila). Then in 1996 when I came back here for a three-weeks training and in 2001 with a three-week audit assignment and an impending transfer to the Makati Office.

I transferred job late in 2001, in a company whose head office is in Cebu, but with a large Manila branch. Since then, being an HO guy, I’ve been a regular visitor to Manila mostly on a two or three-day visits. To explore Manila with an experienced driver is easy. We have that in our office. You get to avoid crazy traffic and insane drivers. In some cases, we ride a taxi. Riding a taxi is also convenient but you have to be wary of overcharging with fast meters, or fixed fees. Public utility jeepneys, V-hire (or what they call FX, even if it’s a Mitsubishi adventure) and buses are also available. Then there is the MRT and the LRT. But I never got to ride on those when in business trips.

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Air travel in the Philippines is getting cheaper. Going to your favorite vacation destination, or going to the province this Christmas Holidays, is now very affordable, especially with the latest EconoLight Class of Philippine Airlines (PAL). One-way fares are as low as P488, inclusive of all fees and surcharges.

Here’s the full text of their announcement in their website: Read the rest of this entry »

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Do you want to spend a single day in Cebu but don’t know how and where to go? This post is for you. I first got this idea from a conversation I overheard while waiting for a flight from Cagayan de Oro to Cebu. This balikbayan guy, after a night of partying in Manila, decided to proceed to the airport and booked a round trip flight from Manila to Cagayan de Oro. In Cagayan, he simply hired a taxi for 4 hours before proceeding back to the airport for the flight back in Manila.

Since there are more flights between Manila and Cebu, one can really cover more places when visiting Cebu. For those wanting to go on a day trip in Cebu, this is a very quick guide.
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