CeBu CeBoom CeBlog

Sunstar just hold its Economic Forum 2005 in Waterfront Hotel today. The Theme was Investing in Cebu: Signposts for Success. Sandra Manuel, Assistant Regional Director of NEDA , Napoleon Nazareno, PLDT and Smart CEO as well as Dr. Ernesto Pernia were the featured speakers in the morning. Photo shows the afternoon Discussion Forum.

Photo shows (from left) Robert Joseph, Gus Palao, Lawrence Hughes, Fr. Roderick Salazar, Roberto Aboitiz, and Virg Espeleta.

More information and hour by hour account (including .ppt slides) in the Sunstar Blog.

I was raised in Cebu. For 21 years, I seemed to be quite content where I am. Oftentimes, acquaintances from different places always point me whenever there are places they want to spend and dont know where to go. Still, oftentimes, I cant figure out the exact location they must head to for I dont know, in the least, the demographical location of Cebu. They would end up disappointed. So, I resolve to show you …

…the Map of Cebu.

Whenever people approach you for the asking then it wouldnt be so hard for you to do the answering.Ü

I am an Ilongga from Bacolod City who got no interest of traveling in another city before, but not until the time when my life in Cebu started. I went with my mom to attend the Lorea’l seminar. It was my first time to travel outside the Negros Island, so I was pretty scared because I can’t speak the language. I was a total stranger in this city… More …

I am an Ilongga from Bacolod City who got no interest of traveling in another city before, but not until the time when my life in Cebu started. I went with my mom to attend the Lorea’l seminar. It was my first time to travel outside the Negros Island, so I was pretty scared because I can’t speak the language. I was a total stranger in this city…

But now, I am a stranger no more! Cebu City is my second home. Fortunately, the language did not hinder my interest even if until now I am not good at it. : ) I felt so comfortable quite easily. In just a week I was able to adapt the way of living here… WHY?

Cebuanos are people who are cool and outgoing. So, in case your lost around the city, feel free to approach them because they’ll tell you what to do. And the city itself is a place that is so accessible and it suits ones need. Is eating a big deal for you? So am I! Don’t you worry, because most of the restaurants here offers eat all you can that is affordable and fulfilling… That’s why I like Cebu so much… I’ve tried eating at AA’s barbeque and the seafoods here are so fresh and delicious. Also you can find the hanging rice (puso) and the delicious ngohiong. No need to worry about your expenses. It’s a place where you can enjoy and unwind plus it’s cheap.

Cebu is a busy city, yet you’ll enjoy what’s in store for you, lots of entertainment spots, beaches, malls, spa and a lot more. Cebu is the BEST city for me, since this is the place that opens an opportunity for me to enjoy my work and my life… Cebu City rules!

Cisco Philippines held its recent annual Philippine Partner Summit at Mactan Shangrila last week. Over the last 3 years, Cisco has consistently held its Philippine conference in Shangrila ( not even considering other destinations!) , and also once their Asia Pacific Summit. I guess it is not difficult to see why Cebu is a favorite conference destination. Photo shows the Cisco partners delegates amidst the lush tree settings in the hotel.

There are a lot of interesting specialty stores in Cebu and here are few of them. Please accompany me as I tour you to places I know and who have all the best products in town.

If you’re on a shoestring budget, you can contact Support Line perhaps to have a good credit and then you’re ready to go. But wait, in order to be comfortable while traveling around town, it’s best to go first @ 6R Mercantile where you can choose your own Multi Cab or any other kinds of vehicle. So you’re ready, now? When you don’t own a cell phone, I can guide you to where you can buy affordable ones. You can visit OPTUS Communication Gadgets Trading located across USC Boys High in Maxilom Street.

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Along the street, a group of three good friends were standing by the sidewalk as they watched a very rich man drove his BMW. One man was an American, one was a Chinese, and another was a Filipino.

After a while, the American said to the group: “I will work hard and soon I’ll have my own BMW.”

The Chinese said screaming: “No! no! no! All of his wealth are stolen. I don’t believe in that guy.”

And lastly, the Filipino said: “When is our plan to gang him up?”

I was part of the core group of 8 of the first McDonald’s store in Cebu before I could graduate from college. We were picked out of the more than 6,000 job applicants who were mostly students, wanted to work for the world’s largest fastfood chain’s first store in Cebu. As a core group, we were sent to Bacolod (yes, Bacolod beat Cebu for the distinction of having the first McDonald’s store outside Manila) for our six-week on-the-job training.

Upon our return from training, we were tasked to train the more than a hundred people who shall compose the first crew of McDonald’s Cebu.

While the store still under construction (on the ground level of EMSU building along Jones Avenue), we had to train the pioneering Cebu team in a mock-up fashion - mock-up store with mock-up equipment and mock-up foods and visual aids, and yes, mock-up customers too! Everything was done in mockery (Lol)!

Our mock-up store was the immaculately clean Mormon Church in Zapatera. Our mock-up burgers and patties were made of styropor, so were our equipment. It was tiring but we had a lot of fun. It was really hard to simulate a training with mock-ups especially for an international fastfood chain like McDonald’s which is known to have the highest standard in quality, service, cleanliness, and value in fastfood industry!

The first McDonald’s store in Cebu finally opened in September 1993! And it was raining hard!

I was part of the core group of 8 of the first McDonald’s store in Cebu before I could graduate from college. We were picked out of the more than 6,000 job applicants who were mostly students, wanted to work for the world’s largest fastfood chain’s first store in Cebu. As a core group, we were sent to Bacolod (yes, Bacolod beat Cebu for the distinction of having the first McDonald’s store outside Manila) for our six-week on-the-job training.

Upon our return from training, we were tasked to train the more than a hundred people who shall compose the first crew of McDonald’s Cebu.

Read more

There are a lot of interesting specialty stores in Cebu and here are few of them. Please accompany me as I tour you to places I know and who have all the best products in town.

If you’re on a shoestring budget, you can contact Support Line perhaps to have a good credit and then you’re ready to go. But wait, in order to be comfortable while traveling around town, it’s best to go first at 6R Mercantile where you can choose your own Multi Cab or any other kinds of vehicle. So you’re ready, now? When you don’t own a cell phone, I can guide you to where you can buy affordable ones. You can visit OPTUS Communication Gadgets Trading located across USC Boys High in Maxilom Street.

So refreshing when you taste the palatable fresh fruit shakes from THIRSTY, owned and managed by PAGES HOLDINGS, Inc. You can buy them from any outlets in different malls in Cebu. If you’re bringing your kids with you, you can hire an instant caregiver at Playhouse and enjoy shopping. You can also enroll your children at Bright Academy situated at Banilad, Mandaue City.

When you’re a fan of Japanese products & accessories you can shop at Windy’s Merchandise located across Gaisano Country Mall in Banilad. Friendly and beautiful saleslady will entertain and guide you thru out the store. A walking distance from the mall is the newest Banilad Town Center (BTC) where you can access Premium Concepts, famous for their beautiful imported handcrafted novelty items. Indian Summer, a nature at its best, is an exporter company where they engage in the manufacture of fashion accessories. The owner is the designer, take note ;-). And when you go shopping and become tired you can have a relaxing place like Maanyag Parlor, which is situated along Archbishop Reyes Avenue (They also have a branch at Ayala Center). Different spa services such as hair, foot, face, among others are available. You can also stay at their Pension House if you want to.

And did you know that, LACTO PAFI is in Cebu and they are selling lacto bacillus in a bottle in very affordable prices. Their office is located at Guadalupe, Cebu City, where the famous Miraculous Virgin of Guadalupe is located. Oops, I bet you’ve logged quite a distant and you need to fill your tank, you can drop by Petron where Southern Philippine Trucking is the supplier.

Whew, Cebu is really nice place to stay and to travel.

Did you think it’s time to go home and you need to buy ticket, go to E.B. Aznar Shipping Lines, located along T. Padilla Street.

But before going home maybe you want to buy some electronic gadgets, you can place your order by calling ITE Phil’s office at 345-2429.

The companies I’ve mentioned above are partial list of the existing users of our Pastel Accounting Software, HRIS, & Rush Hour. You can contact Esprint Software anytime if you need one and look for Maffey at 345-8212.

Alcoy is a small picturesque coastal town, some 90 kilometers down south. Its rugged mountainous interiors are covered with lush vegetations and home to unique wildlife you never think they exist in this part of the world. Its underwater spectacles include an amazing kaleidoscope of tropical marine flora and fauna, coral reefs, shoals, and submarine caves.

Among its beautiful attractions and probably some of the most popular natural wonders are the white sand beaches and beautiful coves and craggy shores. If there is one beach in Alcoy that stands out from the rest, it is Tingko Beach. Tingko Beach, I shall say, is such a beautiful piece of art ever painted on this side of the earth.

I was not born in the place and I was not raised there either so don’t call my views about Tingko bias. Yes I used to live in Alcoy but in a different barangay. I even finished my high school there but had never gone to Tingko Beach until my college days. Tingko Beach has endeared me so much since my first visit to the place back in college days with my Fine Arts buddies.

The beach is actually a small cove situated below a low cliff forming an arch stretching almost a mile long. What makes this beach a real magnet is because of its white sand beach and its beautiful deep lagoon. A few hundred meter offshore across the lagoon lie a cay, an insular reef of coral that is completely submerged during high tide and come into view on a low tide. The area itself is a fish sanctuary so fishing is regulated.

With its fine white sand beach, Tingko draws beachgoers from as far as Cebu City. On summer months, busloads of foreign and local tourists flock to the place.

Click here to learn more of Tingko and the town of Alcoy.

Want to see Cebu in pictures? Come to Cebu Pictures Gallery.

check out more Ayala Center Cebu Mall Events.