Cebu

I went here Dec 10-15, stayed at Shangri-la Mactan, plane fare and accomodation free (for two) – got it as a raffle prize from Shangri-la’s stamp rally promo… lucky me!

Went there straight out of college to work for NEC. I’ve worked there for almost 4 years. I’ve been fortunate to have worked in a place surrounded by beautiful beaches, one of the best beaches in the world.

i’ll be back there next year!!!this is the place for me..

Visit this blog to learn more about where to get really inexpensive but beautiful bracelets and necklaces, and dried fish!

http://wats0n.blogspot.com/2007/07/i-smell-something-fishy.html

I’ve been to Cebu 4 times already. Plus, I have friends in Silliman University who are Cebu City residents. It’s beautiful place.

Nalusuan

we went to Nalusuan island for our team building activity last year. it was a small island (you can walk along its entire perimeter in just a few minutes!) with white sand and aquamarine waters.

when we went there, most of the guests in the island resort were Koreans, with a handful of Japanese mixed in the crowd. the number of Filipinos other than our group can be counted using one’s own fingers. i think the reason why the number of foreign guests outnumbered the local ones was because the island resort did command an exorbitant price for their food and drinks, not to mention their cottage. i think this was intended by the owners since they see the foreigners as their primary market. i just wish they will lower their prices a little bit so that other Filipinos can also enjoy the beauty that the island offers. as for me, if not for the team building, i would not have probably been able to set foot in the place.

oh, did i also mention that there were only two dogs in the island? they were black Labradors, i think. these dogs amazed us because they were able to skillfully swim in the water and with little encouragement, they even frolicked with the guests. they made very adorable pets and playmates, if only for a while.

Sumilon

this year, we went to Sumilon island for our team building activity.

Sumilon is a very beautiful island—so picture-perfect with white sand (it has a rotating sandbar!) welcoming the azule waters.

an officemate even exclaimed that he would certainly consider Sumilon among the places where he would spend his future honeymoon. hehe.

enjoyment of its beauty comes at a price, though.

a part of the budget for our trip came from the prize we received as one of the recipients of the Presidential Award (weeeeeeeeee ^_). were it not for that, we wouldn’t have been able to afford the expenses entailed by our Sumilon escapade.

from what i recall, the day tour costs around Php 1000 per head. this is already inclusive of the buffet lunch (be quick to line up when lunch is served lest other guests will beat you to the food and nothing will be left for you) and use of the pool (they have this round infinity pool whose water flows down to the other pools, and regular pools as well), canoe on the mangrove-laden lagoon and the snorkel gears. aside from swimming, canoeing and snorkeling, one might also take a leisurely hike from the bottom of the rugged hill (there are carved steps for your feet) to the top. at the top, one can sit on the tower that overlooks the entire island. we weren’t able to try this, though, since it was drizzling when we went there.

the drizzle did not dampen our enthusiasm though as most of us still went ahead with swimming, canoeing and snorkeling.

Sumilon is indeed a beautiful place. its friendly staff and various amenities make it even more unforgettable.

Cebu is a Roman Catholic Archdiocese and has several major churches, including the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino, the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, the San Carlos Church, the Sto. Rosario Parish Church, San Jose-Recoletos Church, Sacred Heart Church, etc. as well as several other non-Catholic churches and temples.       

Forty-four years after Magellan first set foot in Cebu, in 1565, conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi and his 500 armed soldiers together with several Augustinian and Franciscan friars arrived and declared that the Spanish crown succeeded in colonizing the islands. Legazpi and his men then marched through Zugbo and bombarded the palisades of chieftain Rajah Tupas and destroyed the village. He and his men, later rebuilt it and called it Villa del Santíssimo Nombre de Jesús (Village of the Most Holy Name of Jesus). Thus, in 1569, it became the first Spanish settlement established by the Spanish Cortés in the Philippines.       

i’m kinda new to this site just wodering how to make a page layouts? anybody who would like to help me?

I go to Cebu at least once a year for business trips. I went on vacation there a few years back but there are still a lot of places to go to!

1. visit Bantayan Is. again
2. explore Mactan Is.
3. Malapascua Is.
4. Camotes Is.
5. and, visit an old friend, Leah Guia