Sponsors are one of the reasons football in Cebu has been on a steady growth.
Cebu football officials say one patron stands above all: Aboitiz.
“Without Aboitiz sponsoring (us), there would be no cornerstone for building football in the city,†Cebu Football Association board member and Cebu International School supervisor Mark Bretherton said during the launching of the 9th Aboitiz season yesterday.
Tonight all roads lead to the Pacific grand ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel for the much-awaited, much-talked about concert of Mr. Pure Energy, Gary Valenciano, dubbed Soul Full.
Gary, at one point or another, will be sharing the limelight with his good-looking and talented sons, Paolo and Gabriel. The Powerplay Band will also be performing with him.
The concert is presented by Citichurch. This is a rare chance for you to be part of an exhilarating musical experience.
Hightened your diving experience!
Sharks, mantas, wrecks, macro, corals…name it, Malapascua Diving Sites have it all!
Curious enough? Here’s the Breaking news! Come and take part in the first ever proper scientific study of thresher sharks in Malapascua, only at Thresher Shark Divers’ 16-day program starting October 3rd 2005.
ULTRA-ENDURANCE action returns to Cagayan de Oro City when the CDO Triathlon Gop hosts the sixth leg of the Speedo National Age-Group Triathlon (NAGT) series at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Cebuano Jerry Calinawan enters the sprint distance race as the series leader with a total of 400 points, already assuring him of the year’s top honors. His young teammate in the RP Team, Rowan Fernandez, is only racing his second event in the series and carries only 55 points (No. 33 out of 75 overall).
Aside from Cebuanos, triathletes from Davao City, Bukidnon and other provinces are expected to flock to CDO.
Mail and More recently opened its 10th store at the Banilad Town Center (BTC).
A franchise of Multitask Bznz Center Corp., this outlet is targeted towards the upscale subdivision residents, office employes and students in the area.
This is the only outlet in the Philippines which has a 30-square meter conference room with a 20-30 person capacity. At P200 per hour, the conference room can be used for business meetings, review classes and group studies.
Buhok mo
Labong pa sa lasang
Ngi-ob pa sa ngitngit
Diin ang sidlak sa adlaw
Gipalong.
Mga pulong mo
Hilum pa sa saba
Saba pa sa hilum
Kanus-a naggakos ang langit ug yuta
Sa imong baba.
Imong gunit
Hugot pa sa balaod
Lu-ag pa sa hangin
Ug gikuptan mo akong daw ako na lamang
Ang kaabyan.
Nagpitik
Ang kasingkasing mong naglibog
Linibong kabayong nagkaratil
Diha sa dakong lunhaw nga hawan
Sa imong dughan.
(This beautiful poem courtesy of Elmer F. Montejo’s website. Click here to find out more of his works.)
DESPITE losing his last match, 12-year-old prodigy Yves Fiel showcased his impending greatness besting a field of veternas in topping the September edition of the Cebu Executives and Professionals Chess Asssociation (Cepca) Monthly Handicapping Tournament last Sunday.
Fiel, the Visayas kiddie champion of the Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship, strung together four straight wins and held the solo lead a full point ahead of the field entering the final round.
Daw usa ka labong ug si-ut nga lasang
Ang dalan Escario sa mangitngit nga gabii,
Diin ang mga mayang himsog nanago–
Mga mayang sa gabii lamang mobukhad sa pako.
Kining mga mayang dili sarang,
Dili mahadlokon sa bisan kinsang moduol,
Inay mo-uk-uk nga nagkurog sa salag,
Mopatuyhakaw man hinuon nga mapasigarbohon
Sa ilang kaagning batan-on.
Niining gabhiona nangayam ako sa maong lasang.
Nakasabot ko ang mayang misugot pagsulod sa akong laang.
Ug gipadayon ko siya sa akong tangkal.
Ug gipas-an ko ang tangkal paingon sa akong puy-anan.
Ug gisulod ko ang maya sa akong lawak
Ug didto ko siya himulboli sa iyang mga sapot.
Ug, malampuson nakong pagpangayam sa Escario,
Gisugba ko ang akong bihag nga maya,
Gitungtongan nako sa akong uwag nga nagbaga.
(This beautiful poem courtesy of Elmer F. Montejo’s website. Read more of his works here)
Cebuanos love to eat and I think everyone will agree with this. From eating out in the most exquisite and fine restaurants to eating out in the busy streets of Colon and Carbon, Cebuanos just can’t get enough of every food they can chomp on. If you happen to be a true-blue Cebuano then you surely have an experience or at least heard of pungko-pungko . It’s hard to trace its history though, but one thing for sure it must be of Cebuano origin.
Pungko-pungko as we fondly call it (or if you’re a bit classy, ‘dirty food’ or if you’re a bit radical and funny ‘cholera’), is a term for eating on a squat. The vendors simply hawk their wares in a basket along crowded neighborhoods such as near big schools and busy streets where pedestrian traffic is heavy. The term ‘pungko-pungko’ came into being because the customers simply squat while they consume their food. No utensils or cutleries or even plates, save only for a knife which is used to cut the ‘puso’ (essentially, a cooked rice stuffed in small baskets made of young coco leaves).
A smorgasbord of delectable finger foods are the usual fare which are often cholesterol-laden items such as ngohiong (a kind of Chinese spring roll stuffed with exotic meat), lumpia (a regular Chinese spring roll usually stuffed with mung beans), dila (pork tongue), bola-bola (meatballs), longanisa (a Filipino-style smoked sausage), nokos (dried squid or cuttlefish), tongol (pig tripe), buwad (dried fish), tinai sa baboy (pork intestine) and of course everyone’s favorite bulaklak or ginabot (deep-fried fat-laden pork omentum).
The flavor of these mouth-watering delicacies is even more enhanced when complimented with the tangy homemade sauce, a special concoction of vinegar and a slew of spices that give its distinctive taste. Eating in kinamot (using bare hands), makes eating pungko-pungko an even more wonderful experience. After such sweaty and sinful experience, one can easily order an ice-cold locally made soda pop Sparkle. Whew! I now begin to drool as I recall every pungko-pungko experience that I went through.
A lot of people, especially those who are too concerned about the health hazards that the street foods may bring, warn us not to patronize this eating habit. But who can stop us? It’s a way of life. For us, eating in this manner is just another risk that we are too willing to take just to satisfy our own cravings!!!!! Yummy!!!! As they would say, Once tasted always wanted!!!
If you are an out-of-towner and happen to be in Cebu for some reasons, you may find this article a bit of help to you.
Without having to go through a long litany of dos and donts, you can actually make your brief stay in this magical island more enjoyable than you can imagine. While most good things about Cebu are true as written in most travel literatures, there are a lot of things that you want to discover. It is always a great experience if you try not to tread on the well-beaten path, literally and figuratively.
If you are an out-of-towner and happen to be in Cebu for some reasons, you may find this article a bit of help to you.
Without having to go through a long litany of dos and donts, you can actually make your brief stay in this magical island more enjoyable than you can imagine. While most good things about Cebu are true as written in most travel literatures, there are a lot of things that you want to discover. It is always a great experience if you try not to tread on the well-beaten path, literally and figuratively.
Cebu can be overwhelmingly a pleasant surprise to many visitors. Where else in the country can you find a cosmopolitan city brimming with business activities yet a few minutes away, a more relaxed atmosphere prevails - rustic quaint towns seem to withstood the test of time, lush mountains and verdant hills and valleys are postcard perfect, bustling coral reefs teeming with spectacular marine life, unhurried life in farming communities and fishing villages.
To make the most out of your brief stay in Cebu, try to skip the overly-advertised tourist spots for the moment. Take yourself away from the usuals, I should say. Although historical relics and other vestiges of the past seem too irresistible, you should teach yourself not to be taken away by your lust, as yet.
Starting off in the capital, explore the city’s inner neighborhoods. Just like any other cities around the world though, you should be careful enough from falling into bad circumstances. Don’t flaunt your riches. The only people who would appreciate your extravagance are the bad guys. Wear clothes appropriately. You’re not going to a cocktail party or to a wedding reception, so dress up casually. Walking shorts, a good pair of hiking boots and a sheer light-colored shirt will do justice. Pack up in a light small backpack (for your camera), a hand towel, a map, a pocket English-Cebuano dictionary, and a small amount of money.
Sample some of the local foods in streetside eateries. Don’t worry about getting an upset stomach after downing a serving of a recipe that rouses your curiousity. Just make sure the pots containing the food are properly covered. Drink only bottled water or soda pop with a straw.
Show a sincere interest in engaging a casual conversation with the locals but don’t get too comfy. If locals smile at you, reciprocate it with a warmer smile. Learn a few basic words from your handy dictionary such as greetings and other conversational words. Locals would certainly appreciate your effort to speak their tongue.
When you need to buy something, avoid the air-conditioned groceries or supermarkets inside the malls and head to the open flea market instead. The prices there are not fixed so you can haggle with the vendors and make friends in the process. Make sure though you stuff your money in front pocket of your shorts so as not to invite pickpockets.
If you want some cultural immersions in a totally unusual way, try the open-air disco or benefit dance events, local beauty pageants, or some sort of variety shows. In some places as it was before, these kind of events are still held outdoor, but recently though, such events are now held indoors such as covered ball courts. Or you can try a few minutes in a cockpit to watch cockfights. Cockfights are illegal though if held in makeshift cockpits and they are subject for random police raids. You wouldn’t want to find yourself scampering away in haste as if you’re playing cath-me-if-you-can from the police, do you?. So you should ask around and the locals would be glad to tell you where to find legal cockfights.
If you think you have enough in urban adventure, it’s time to leave the city fringes and explore the countryside and beyond. Cebu’s best bets would always be those palm-fringed shimmering white sandy beaches and glistening aqua blue waters in Bantayan, Mactan, Moalboal, and Malapascua. But try to veer off from the usual course this time and head off somewhere else to lesser-known destinations. You would be amazed at the small wonders you’d never expect along the way.
The small farming villages and coastal fishing communities around the islands are worth to visit. Experience the hospitality of the Cebuano rural communities and their simple way of life by staying overnight in their house. There’s no need for you to wait for their invitation to stay. Ask for it and they shall welcome you with effervescent smile and open arms. Be friendly and show your sincere feelings towards them and they would reward you with unconditional kindness like a pampered guest in a five-star hotel. Eat whatever is offered on the table. Your best bet is do what the locals do. Ask if you don’t understand.
Small farms planted to cash crops along undulating hills are a typical sight in the mountainous interiors where hinterland villagers make their living. Farmers tending their plots shall give you a hint on how life is lived in these farming communities. The sight of a stranger in such small villages would draw curiousity among locals but it should not send shivers down your spine. Instead, acknowledge them by waving your hand or nodding your head as a sign of congenial gesture. They would, in turn, appreciate it and may do the same.
If you care for a beach adventure, head on to some of the less-trodden places. Great pristine beaches still abound in Boljoon, Oslob, Alcoy, Pinamungahan, Santander, Samboan, Malabuyoc, San Remigio, Barili, Dumanjug, Ronda, and several other towns. Lazing under the sun all by yourself alone in the beach with nothing but the lapping waves upon the shore, the rustling of coconut palms as they sway through the gentle breeze, water gleaming like pearls strewn all over the surface, creates an imagery of a tropical paradise.
Traversing from coast to coast, east to west, passing through tall lush mountains, plateaus, deep valleys and ravines, are a great way to explore Cebu’s hidden wonders. The natural wonders that come along your way, however small they may be, may dazzle your inner soul, uplifting your spirit to great heights. You would realize that the minute details in nature may also give you heavenly pleasure.
As the site of the oldest Spanish settlement in the country, modern