Cebu is, undoubtedly, the hotbed of contemporary furniture design, not only in the Philippines, but in the whole of Asia. Case in point is the furniture and furnishings exhibit held annually in Cebu City , the vibrant cosmopolitan provincial capital of Cebu, that draws hundreds of buyers (usually furniture-chain retailers) across the world.

Through the annual event, which is currently in its 17th year of showcasing Cebuanos‘ ingenuity and craftsmanship, the world has noticed the unique yet exquisite look of Cebu furniture that evokes inherent creativity of the Cebuano talents that make Cebu-made furniture become the world standard for avant garde and contemporary designs. The furniture world then coined the word Cebu-look to describe an elegant furniture that resembles the high quality standard of creative design.

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Malapascua, is a Spanish word for “Bad Easter”, not “Bad Christmas.” How it got its name then? It was so named by Spanish missionaries in 16th century after a stormy day that befell on Easter Sunday while they were approaching the island from Cebu mainland crossing the 8-kilometer channel that separates between them.

Today, Malapascua is a beautiful, sleepy island, with white sandy beaches, lush green palm trees and surrounded by clear blue waters and inhabited by charming and hospitable islanders. Strolling barefoot along its white powdery sand beach is a good exercise to see the island’s extensive beachfront. The clear turquoise water that surrounds the island is teeming with marine life. A WWII Japanese shipwreck that lies in the bottom but shallow water can be found near the northern tip of the island. A lighthouse stands tall on the promontory also near the northern reaches of the island.

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Danao City is becoming an emerging sports capital of Cebu. It has been a popular choice for local and national sports tournaments such as mountain bike and triathlons in recent years. In fact, the city hosted successfully the mountain bike event in last year’s SEA Games.

This time around, another exciting sports event is about to take place in this small industrial city located about 45 kilometers from the capital, Cebu City. Danao City is proud to host the second leg of the SPEEDO-National Age-Group Triathlon on March 26, 2006. The Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) and the Danao City Sports Commission (DCSC) have already designed a new route specifically for this leg.

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Cebu International Furniture and Furnishings Exhibition, popularly known as Cebu X, is a must-see furniture event in Asia held annually at the Cebu International Convention Center, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino in Lahug this city

Cebu X 2006 is a prestigious furniture event which showcases the Philippines’ modern, contemporary, classical & traditional furniture & furnishings. Considered as the grandest and premier furniture event in Asia, the four-day event has attracted, as of the opening day, more than 505 pre-registered buyers from 62 countries — an attendance double that of last year. But a lot of walk-in buyers are also expected to visit the show which will run until March 1, 2006.

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President Gloria Arroyo ended, on Wednesday, some speculations about the possible transfer of the hosting of the annual ASEAN Summit in December from Cebu to the capital. Mrs. Arroyo was in Cebu as an invited guest during Cebu City’s celebration of its Charter Day where she was awarded the rare “Anak sa Sugbo” (formerly Adopted Son of Cebu).

The president was grateful of the award the city has bestowed on her and thanked the Cebuanos for their continued support to her administration amidst the continuing political crisis that hounds her leadership. She was joined by three other prominent figures, the retired Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. and Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, both awarded Rajah Jumabon Awards (Lifetime Achievement Awards), and Manny Pacquiao who received a special award.

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Rustan’s came to Cebu in the early 80s by putting up its own building along Gen. Maxilom Ave., within the Mango Plaza complex. The building housed its flagship department store in the upper three floors and a supermarket in the ground floor and a retail strip in the basement.

After a little more than 2 decades in operation, its supermarket closed shop in January 2006 following the closure of its department store five years earlier. The closure of its property in the Mango Plaza was partly due to the competition in the industry that severely affected their business. The proliferation of big malls across the city has somewhat lured their customers away who prefer one-stop shopping concept offered by large malls. Rustan’s is one of the anchor stores in Ayala Center Cebu since the mall opened in the early 90s.

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Japan is one of the world’s biggest sources for outbound tourists. Japanese tourists travel overseas mostly for fun and leisure. Most of them stay in their host country longer than most other tourists although they are not among the biggest spenders. However, they are also the most generous in terms of giving tips for services well-rendered. Their most preferred destinations are Australia and Hawaii.

But why not so many Japanese tourists come to the Philippines, particularly Cebu, when it is nearer than any other popular destinations in the Asia Pacific region? Will Cebu remain to be just another island in the Pacific unpopular to mass tourism?

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In 18 months’ time another five-star resort hotel will open in Mactan Island, especifically in Marigondon, designed to be a world-class facility. The construction of the project is expected to start next month.

A group of Korean investors and some Cebuano partners are excited about the project which they hope will partly solve the hotel room shortage in Cebu. The facility will occupy the 7.5-hectare lot adjacent to EGI condotel and resort property in barangay Maringondon. It is designed to provide, not only hotel accommodations, but also high-end condominium units.

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Coffee Dream is a Cebu-based chain of coffee shops, often serving pastries, popular in Cebu especially among students and young urban professionals. It is one of Cebu’s successful home-grown coffee shop brands that has withstood strong competition with the entry of Manila and multinational coffee chains in the local market.

Instead of competing head-on with the giants, Coffee Dream has concocted a different formula that would capture a specific segment of the market untapped by these vehemoths. If Starbucks has American flavor, Coffee Dream is proud to offer the local flavor exotic enough to distinguish itself from the rest while not alienating the local tastebuds of the Cebuanos.

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The cart business in Metro Cebu has mushroomed since the advent of malling concept in the early 1990s. Before then, the only food items we knew that were mostly sold in a push cart were peanuts, ice cream, cotton candy, assorted fruits, squid balls, tempura, and fresh fish. Vendors had to trudge long distances in the city streets or country lanes pushing their carts to as far as 25 miles per day looking for customers.

Today, the push cart business is not exclusive for ambulant vendors anymore who crisscrossed the city streets for customers. If the cart business of yore was not a significant economic contributor, today, it is a big business and is even classified as a sub-industry of the food retail industry. Today’s cart business is now operated by small and medium enterprises or individuals who can afford to lease a few square feet of mall space.

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Marco Polo Plaza Cebu is now in the last stages of a total renovation of its property, formerly known as Cebu Plaza Hotel. The property has undergone a massive renovation after it was acquired by its new owner early last year.

Cebu Plaza Hotel used to be the most celebrated hub for Cebu’s social and cultural events when it opened its doors to the public in the early 80s and, being the only five-star hotel in Cebu then, continued to be the hub of high-society activities until the early 90s when newer posh de luxe hotels opened almost simultaneously, effectively snapping up Cebu Plaza’s decade-long dominance.

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Cebu is expected to see more tourists coming this year, due in part to the ASEAN Summit in December. Aside from the main summit, hundreds of ministerial-level meetings of the 10 ASEAN-member countries will also be held in Cebu starting this month so hotels in the metro, especially de luxe resorts, will see brisk business.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 is also anticipating for increased tourist arrivals from hereon particularly from Korea and Japan after its media blitz and its participation in travel expositions late last year in these countries. It also tied up with the major travel agencies in Japan to visit the country for its wellness tourism program.

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