Manila Guide Online

My ancestors are descended from Bohol and during the war they transferred to Cebu. In Car Car to be exact. I have always liked Car Car, and my childhood memories always remind me of how peaceful and beautiful it is. There are a number of things that can be done upon reaching Car Car. Lately, a new small resort has been added to please tourist and locals alike. There are also shoe makers in Car Car that are very devoted in promoting Filipino products.

Carcar is a municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 100,632 people.

In 2005, Metro Cebu’s definition was expanded to include Danao City in the north and the municipality of San Fernando and the city of Carcar down south.

Carcar became a city on July 7, 2007. On November 19, 2008, The City of Carcar was demoted along with 2 other cities in Cebu and 13 other cities in the Philippines. The Supreme Court ruled that the 16 cities did not pass the requirements for cityhood.

My Cebu Photo Blog’s testimonial

“ CARCAR is a municipality-recently-turned-city-then-turned-municipality about 60kms South of Cebu. Carcar is a booming district during the Spanish era which explains why its streets are filled with Spanish Architecture. Carcar is known for sweets like Bucarillo and tasty snacks like Ampao and Chicharon. Carcar is also known as the Shoe Capital of Cebu.”

Car Car offers different delicacies and one of my favorites are chicahron and Bucarillo. They are sold near the Jolibee Car Car. This are one of the things I will never forget about my second hometown. And lastly, Car Car made the largest shoe that was placed in the Guinness Book of Records.

North of Cebu holds one the beautiful spot to stay. They say that a lighthouse is set to guide ships and people. Like in Liloan, a light house is set ages ago. Now, it has been dubbed as one of the favorite attraction to most people. This Lighthouse stands at a towering height of 72 feet in an uphill area overlooking the splendid Mactan Channel. It sits on an elevated 5,000-sq m government property, 22 km from the main road.

From Wikepedia:

“The Tower has an active focal plane of 146 feet. The Present tower built in 1908 is white, octagonal and concrete made. The landmark was built in 1904 by virtue of an executive order issued on July 28, 1903 by William Howard Taft, who came to the country in 1900 as president of the Philippine Commission and later appointed US governor general. This light point was originally established in 1857. The Light point flashes white light source at every 5 seconds. For the past 101 years, this white octagonal tower has provided guiding light to mariners, navigators and fishermen from coastal towns in northern Cebu.

The lighthouse has been a favorite subject of many painters and photographers for its magnificent architectural design. Named after its home — Bagacay subvillage, Catarman village in Liloan which is known for its brown sandy beach, pottery and delicious delicacies.

The present use for this light point is for Navigational aid and is managed by the Philippine Coast Guard.

This tower is approximately located 11 miles North East of Cebu City in the Town of Liloan, Cebu, Philippines.”

The lighthouse has now been featured in different ads, and has been visited by many.

Just an hour from Cebu would allow people to witness the spectacular the Imperial Palace at Mactan. It is filled with different pools and long slides. The entrance fee which is 1500 allows tourist and locals to have a buffet and enjoy the beach and pools.

The Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa, located in Lapu-Lapu City, is confident it will perform well this year despite the declining number of Korean tourists in Cebu.

The P3-billion project, developed by Philippine BXT Corp., will be operated by Korean hotel chain Imperial Palace. The hotel and resort is registered under the Philippine Economic Zone Authority as a tourism economic zone.

Amando Huh, general manager-designate of Imperial Palace, told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday that the waterpark will allow the resort to attract not only the leisure travel market, but also local and foreign water sport enthusiasts.

mperial Palace sits on an eight-hectare property in Barangay Maribago. It will have 557 rooms, including 48 pool villas.

Its fitness and wellness facilities include the Caracalla Spa that has nine spa suite rooms, 11 treatment rooms, separate sauna for men and women, steam room and a plunge pool. Meeting facilities and function rooms will also be available.

Visit Cebu and enjoy Imperial Palace and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Right at the Center of Cebu, was an old cross that stands between religion and people. Right outside the Basilica of Sto. NIno is the Magellan’s cross. It was planted by Magellan upon his arrival on the island. Although the original cross is inside the huge cross which now stands at the Basilica. This was done to preserve the original one. The cross is a symbol of Cebu, and a symbol of our faith and religion. Mostly today, tourist come and visit the site to take pictures of the cross and ask the candle sellers to sing them a song of prayer.

Magellan’s Cross is a Christian cross planted by Portuguese and Spanish explorers as ordered by Ferdinand Magellan upon arriving in Cebu in the Philippines on April 21, 1521.

This cross is housed in a chapel next to the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño on Magallanes Street (Magallanes being the Spanish name of Magellan), just in front of the city hall of Cebu City. A sign below the cross describes the original cross is encased inside the wooden cross that is found in the center of the chapel. This is to protect the original cross from people who chipped away parts of the cross for souvenir purposes or in the belief that the cross possesses miraculous powers.Some people, however, believe that the original cross had been destroyed or had disappeared after Magellan’s death, and the cross is a replica that was planted there by the Spaniards after they successfully colonized the Philippines.

Magellan’s Cross is a symbol of Cebu, and the chapel’s image can be found in its city seal. It is also seen as the symbol of Roman Catholicism in the Philippines.

One of Cebu’s busisest street is Colon st. It is rich with numerous historical places and has the cheapest producst you can find in Cebu. Colon street  a bit run-down now, was the site of fashionable shops, offices and movie houses. It was once the heart of Cebu City’s shopping and business activity, but in recent years much of this activity has shifted inland to uptown areas.

Colon Street is a crowded street in downtown Cebu City that is often called the oldest street in the Philippines. It is named after Christopher Columbus. It traces its origins to the town plan by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the Spanish conquistador who arrived in the Philippines to establish a colony in 1565.

abeled as the center of commerce and trade, many universities were built near or along Colon Street such as University of Cebu, University of the Visayas, University of San Carlos, and University of San Jose-Recoletos.

From a tourist testiomonial. “Colon Street is now lined with many big commercial establishments. Investors believe that profit is halfway achieved once they invest in Colon. Jeepneys, taxis and buses as well have replaced the calesas (horse-drawn carriage) of long ago as the means of public transportation that move in and out of this street.

In 1990’s, the malling culture of America arrived in Cebu. Malls of various sizes began to sprout almost simultaneously all over the metro, leaving businesses in Colon threatened. Businessmen then observed an evident decrease of customers and shoppers in Colon. A number of business establishments were even closed then. Shoppers preferred an air-conditioned and more relaxing ambiance of a mall. However, in recent years, a surge of shoppers has been noticed. The main draw obviously is the cheap merchandise and reasonable price of goods from the many bargain stores. People from different walks of life visit this place in search of low-priced and economical goods. Business owners coming from nearby provinces of Cebu consider Colon as an ‘easy on the pocket’ spot for shopping.

Colon never lost its position as the bargain hunters’ paradise. Most old stores and even the newer shops on Colon offer much cheaper prices compared to their counterparts in the malls, making them the primary choice for most shoppers. Colon shops are a one-stop shop where you can buy everything with price tags assuredly lesser than other places in Cebu.

With so much places to visit in Colon, you’ll surely enjoy the cheap finds, and excotic foods.

If you’re in Cebu, never ever forget to try the Lechon Baboy. It is one of the best dishes Cebu could offer to you. One of the famous lechons are from CNT, Talisay and Car-Car. Others are made for chicharon. Lechons are usually present on fiestas, gathering, parties and birthdays. In Cebu, lechon completes any gathering.

In the Philippines, lechón is often served with vinegar, lechon sauce (made out of chicken livers or liver pate combined with vinegar, garlic, and pepper),^[6] plum sauce, or other sauces, or with other seasonings or accompaniments. The term lechón also came to mean any meat prepared by cooking on a pit, such as lechón baka (roast beef) and lechón manok (roast chicken). There are other Philippine versions of lechón. Lechón kawali involves chopping the meat into small pieces, boiling it, and then frying it. Lechón paksiw involves boiling lechón leftovers in a vinegar mix or lechon sauce, and then stir-frying it along with other ingredients.^[7] Another variation, known as Pritchon, consists of a deep-fried piglet chopped into small pieces and wrapped in pita wedges (a la Peking Duck), and served with an array of special sauces.

Lechon in Cebu is priced at Php 330 – Php 380 per kilo (as of this writing) depending on where in Cebu City you buy it.  In Carcar, it’s priced inexpensively low at only Php 250 per kilo.

So grab a kilo or two of Cebu’s lechon now!

One of my favorite place in the world is at Moalboal Cebu. They have a long powdery sand of beaches and offer numerous resorts to choose from. Aside from that, the locals are very welcoming and lot souvenirs to bring home after a nice bath at the beach. Parties are also help at night to keep tourist awake and entertained.

Club Serena speaks of a thousand square meters of poetry – breathtaking scenery, idyllic sea, sparkling sand, amazing dive sites, and awesome sunsets dipping beyond the shoulders of Tayasan, Negros Oriental.

Its very “exclusive” atmosphere could send one planting his feet in off-white grains of sand lapped endlessly by Tañon Strait’s translucent waters. Like most of Club Serena’s visitors, one could easily become captive of its surreal charms, or could be mystified by the splaying of vibrant colors on its stupendous skyline.

Apart from all this, there are also places in Moalboal which does not require you to rent a room. For those who are just vacationing for a day, cottages are provided that are around P 300.00 pesos. Cebu has a lot of cool spots to offer you and you would never regret if you drop by and take some vacation at Cebu.

Aside from the powdery white beaches, the colorful festivities, and scrumptious foods, Cebu also offers a wide variety of night life.

Sunflower City is a disco and resto-bar located in Lahug, Cebu City. It is one of the most popular destinations in the city as far as dancing and live entertainment is concerned, and is reputed to be the biggest disco in the city. Sunflower City also has a restaurant offering food, snacks, and the most refreshing wines and beverages.

Sunflower City is very spacious and has a fully equipped stage where a live band plays dance music or sings the latest dance hits. Just below the stage is a wide dance floor where you and your friends can dance the night away to the beat of the entertaining disco music mix by the Sunflower’s resident disc jockeys. The dance floor has awesome light effects and other props to accompany you when you dance the night away.

The disco has a spacious setting area with tables and chairs where you can have dinner and drink cocktails and other beverages. Sunflower City has a courteous and friendly staff ready to serve and assist you..

Location

Sunflower City is located at Salinas Drive, Lahug, Cebu City. It is accessible by public transportation such as jeepneys and taxicabs. The disco is located in an area of Salinas Drive where there is a high concentration of restaurants and bars, cafes, convenience stores, supermarkets, and other business establishments. The disco is also near the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino and is just a few minutes ride from the malls such as the Ayala Center Cebu and the JY Square Mall. For any inquiries, you can call Sunflower City at this number: (+6332) 231-8413.

Try Sun Flower City and experience great music, cheap beers and a lot of dancing. Sun Flower City is also one of the best bar in Cebu, aside from the crowded Mango street which is jam packed with bars.

If your in Cebu you might as well pass the free way which starts in Carbon Market and ends in Minglanilla. I think that will be a 20 min drive, almost free from traffic lights. The project was made around 2005, which allows trucks, private cars to go on a shortcut instead of passing through the way. One of the highlight is the vast sea just beside the road. Sometimes, when we pass there around 7 am, you could actually see fisherman’s in their boats. At times, a large ship passes.

Although there might be certain problems that took about during the project.

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 has assured there are no more road right-of-way (RROW) acquisition problems in the ongoing Cebu South Road Improvement Project.

The project monitoring report of the Regional Development Council (RDC) 7 infrastructure development committee states that as of Sept. 25, packages 1 and 2 of the P785.17-million road project is still behind schedule at 22 percent and 17.87 percent, respectively.

Released

But DPWH 7 Director Juanito Abergas refuted the report, saying construction has been continuing and the notice of cash allocation for the RROW acquisition was already released.

Earlier, problems on RROW acquisition were blamed for the delays, which also resulted in an increase in acquisition costs from P10 million to P14 million.

Ahead of sked

Abergas also corrected the report that the Cebu South Coastal Road Project (CSCRP) has fallen 33 percent behind of schedule and that pre-construction activities were suspended “due to insufficient financial requirements.”

According to Abergas, pre-construction has been ongoing and works on the P2.53-billion tunnel segment of the project, which is aimed to be in place under the Plaza Independencia and McArthur Blvd. by 2008, is 1.6 percent ahead of schedule.”

Still, you need to visit this place and see the beautiful Cebu.

There are several reason why you should visit Cebu. This includes the powdery white beaches, the people, its culture, the churches and most especially the Sinulog Festival. Every year the Cebuanos celebrates Sinulog to thank Sto. Nino for all his blessings. This is done through dancing on the streets and prayers.

The Sinulog is an annual festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, Philippines. The festival honors the child Jesus, known as the Santo Niño (Holy Child), patron of the city of Cebu. It is a dance ritual that commemorates the Cebuano peoples Islamic and pagan origin, and their acceptance of Christianity.

The festival features a street parade with participants in bright colored costumes dancing to the rhythm of drums, trumphets and native gongs. Smaller versions of the festival are held in various parts of the province, also to celebrate and honor the Santo Niño. There is also a “Sinulog sa Kabataan” performed by the youths of Cebu a week before the parade. Recently, the festival has been promoted as a tourist attraction, with a contest featuring contingents from various parts of the country. The Sinulog Contest is usually held in the Cebu City Sports Complex.

The Sinulog festival is one of the grandest, most distinguished and most colorful festivals in the Philippines. The major festival is held each year on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City to honor the Santo Niño, or the child Jesus, who used to be the patron saint of the whole province of Cebu (since in the Catholic faith Jesus is not a saint, but God). It is fundamentally a dance ritual which remembers the Filipino people’s pagan past and their recognition of Christianity.

The festival features some the country’s most colorful displays of ceremony and pageantry: participants clothe in bright-colored costumes dance to the rhythm of drums and native gongs. The streets are generally lined with vendors and pedestrians all wanting to witness the street-dancing. Smaller versions of the festival are also held in different parts of the province, also to celebrate and honor the Santo Niño. There is also a Sinulog sa Kabataan, which is performed by the youths of Cebu a week before the Grand Parade.

Recently, the cultural event has been commercialized as a tourist attraction and instead of traditional street-dancing from locals; Sinulog also came to mean a contest highlighting groups from various parts of the country. The Sinulog Contest is traditionally held in the Cebu City Sports Complex, where most of Cebu’s major provincial events are held.

Visit Cebu on January and witness the color wonders at the streets with their dances paying tribute to their saint.