CeBu CeBoom CeBlog

THE Cebu City Niños surged ahead to the top of the standings in the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association following a gold medal rush in the swimming and athletics events yesterday in Bohol.

In athletics, the elementary and high school division collected 6 golds, three silvers and a bronze medals, while the swimmers came up with 17 gold medals.

Winning the gold medals at the track and field in the elementary division were Jezreel Cabatino in the high jump event, Melissa Abellanosa in girls shotput and Carl Malazarte in the boys 1,500 meter run. SunStar

A private firm is expected to start construction of a 60-hectare golf course project on an islet in Cordova town on Mactan Island in January 2009.

Cordova town Mayor Adelino Sitoy said the private firm will initially invest P300 million for the golf course project, which has high-end amenities.

Sitoy said the golf course is seen to attract more tourists to the town. Continue…

American Rock Band Toto will be live in Cebu.  Known for their hitsongs like Africa, I’ll Be Over You, Rosanna to name a few. Catch them at the Cebu Waterfront Hotel on April 2, 2008. For ticket sales and reservations, call +63(32)232-6888 / +63(32)412-4512 / +63(32)254-6460.

Cebu’s position as an international gateway will be strengthened with plans to open more direct flights to various international tourist destinations.

Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano said officials are hoping to see direct flights from Osaka, Japan and Chiang Mai, Thailand to Cebu and vice versa.

Durano said Cebu flights to Nanning, China will also be implemented between May to June 2008. Continue…

With Cebu’s fast-paced development, real estate developers have seen huge growth potential for their operations especially with the high-end segment of their projects such as condominiums.

And for one is the home-grown company Commonwealth Estate, Incorporated, one of the leaders in Cebu’s real estate sector. After seeing the positive reception of the Cebuano market to their two existing condominium projects: East Aurora and North Singzon Flats, Commonwealth will soon be launching their newest mid-rise residential condominium project called as Woodcrest Residences to be built in Guadalupe, the most desired residential destination in town.

The project they said is set to provide its dwellers with cosmopolitan lifestyle. With selling prices starting at less than a million, Woodcrest Residences is said to be the “least priced fully furnished, amenities-filled residential condominium” in the market today. The Freeman

Going green is the new trend for Cebu’s furniture industry to penetrate more international markets.

“There have been a lot of changes in paradigm for Cebu this year. Going green is one of them,” said Eric Vincent Casas, president of Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation Inc. (CFIF).

Casas said companies are encouraged to create furniture pieces made of indigenous materials. More…

With its cool climate and its 1,000 meter elevation above sea level, barangay Mantalongon in the municipality of Dalaguete has been known as the “Summer Capital of Cebu.”

But Joe Canton, a former tourism attaché from Mantalongon, said much infrastructure is still needed to make the place live up to the title. The provincial government recognized Mantalongon in a 2006 resolution of the Provincial Board.

“We wanted to promote our place as a tourism destination, but first we need infrastructure to accommodate visitors,” Canton said. More…

MAN Nutzfahrzeuge, a German brand of trucks and buses, reputed for its breakthroughs in vehicle technology defined by cutting edge technology, style and durability is poised to expand its market in the Visayas and Mindanao with Cebu as its base area.

Fernado Lu, managing director of MAN Automotive Concessionaires Corp. (MACC), said that Cebu opens a big potential for the trucking industry attributing the phenomenon to the still escalating real estate and other pheriperal industries. More…

IT IS about time that a big-scale beach volleyball competition be held here in Cebu.

Cebu Volleyball Association and the Cebu Provincial Government want to showcase the beaches that are perfect for the sport as they host the first Beach Volleyball Tournament Mayor’s Cup in Malapascua Island this coming Black Saturday and Easter Sunday.

“We want to show everyone that Malapascua has beaches that are fit for beach volleyball competitions,” Catipay said. More…

The country’s flag carrier is planning to open flights from Cebu to Los Angeles (LA), California in late 2009 or early 2010 in response to the clamor of Cebuanos for direct flights to the US.

“We are still looking into the possibility of having a stopover (in Korea) or a non-stop flight to the US,” Jaime Bautista, president of Philippine Airlines (PAL), said in a press conference in Cebu City.

But Bautista said the Cebu-LA flight will only be possible if the Philippines’ aviation safety rating will be upgraded to Category 1. Continue…

While the peso continues to gain strength, a new business process outsourcing (BPO) company expressed optimism about the industry as it opens a 20-seat operation in Mandaue City today with plans to expand in three months.

“I’m not very concerned about it,” said Live2Sell, Inc. chairman and CEO Chris C. Ducker, referring to the peso’s appreciation against the dollar.

He said that compared to huge contact centers operating in the country, being a minor player, Live2Sell Inc. operates with minimal overhead costs, which can allow the company to maximize on internal growth. More…

A housing developer recently launched its newest 30-hectare American south inspired residential resort project called Riverdale in Talamban.

Eyeing Cebu’s growing population as new investments in the area kept coming in and as migrants from neighboring islands flood the city, Riverdale is deemed as another bankable project from real estate developer Communities Philippines which operates under Vista Land and Lifescapes Inc., said its Cebu manager Jasmin Alviola.The Freeman