found this image on a foreign architect website, can't rememeber the name of the project but it's in cebu. anyone knows the project status?

http://edmundtanso.smugmug.com/photos/2703341-L.jpg

i don't. maybe others can help us out

thanks weirdo, where is sailor? =) maybe he would know =)

dunno. havent heard of him after the deletion of the entire flip forums.

yeah, he used to be very active here

He has posted once after the hack. Wonder where he went, he is the only one with Cebu info and pics.

anyways, those buildings are not bad.

we should find him =) i'll try to email him.

Cebu, Naga win U.N. award
ABS-CBNNews.com
April 14, 2004

The United Nations Human Settlements Program (U.N.-Habitat) announced Wednesday that Cebu City and Naga City were among the three cities which won the “Award for Women-Friendly Cities 2004” in the First Contest of Gender Responsive Local Governments in Asia-Pacific. The other winner is Visakhapatnam City in India.

The contest, cosponsored by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (Unifem), identified three gender-responsive cities, which are currently implementing governance principles that support women-friendly city management.

This aims to build on the work of numerous ongoing initiatives within the Asia-Pacific region, which tackle the issues of gender inequality and the continuing lack of women’s participation in social, political and economic issues.

A total of 24 applications were received from eight countries in the Asia-Pacific region. A panel of international jurors reviewed and evaluated the applications based on the following criteria:

• Legislative commitments toward women-friendly cities (e.g., municipal codes, acts, etc.);

• Institutionalization of mechanisms where women’s views are being integrated as part of urban-governance system, which continuously contribute to policy recommendations toward women friendly cities;

• Systems for promoting affirmative actions for equal representations;

• Budgetary allocation for such activities; and

• Partnership with stakeholders, participation of women, innovation, sustainability, replicability and monitoring components.

A cebu image i got from getty images although i don't think you could recognize anything. hehe. ;)

http://www.geocities.com/eipangan/images/cebu_0404418_01.txt

have we seen that communications towers before? don't remember seeing anything like that

Me too, i haven seen it before. Looks really tall, but i doubt it is:D

Is it really polluted or is that just fog/mist? But i do see some smoke stacks.

Images of Cebu from manalang.com:

The Fuente España:
http://gallery.cybertarp.com/albums/userpics/21784/cebumidtown.jpg

Magellan Marker:
http://gallery.cybertarp.com/albums/userpics/21784/Magellan.jpg
Punta Engaño, Lapu-Lapu City about 20 kms. from Cebu City. Encouraged by the success of Christianizing the people of Cebu, Magellan crossed the channel to Mactan Island in an effort to spread the faith. Before he reached the shores, he was killed by the chieftain of the island, Lapulapu and his men during the battle for supremacy and freedon on April 27, 1521. Efforts to retrieve the body of Magellan were futile inspite of the offer to trade jewelries and spices for his dead body. This marker was erected in 1866 to mark the spot where the great explorer died.

CHECK this out, Cebu LRT

http://www.neda.gov.ph/ODAPPM/ODAMON/ProjectProfile.asp?ProjectId=575

Cool pics...i remember seeing Cebu Midtown Hotel for the first time (when i was like 4 or 5, maybe 6) and i thought it was the tallest building ever....haha guess not:D

I havent heard anything about the Cebu LRT project for a long time. Any recent updates? Should be pretty cool if they build one.

Cebu LRT? Wow! Would be cool if they had one ... but I don't think they're economy can sustain it without gov't subsidy.

What about the much talked about Cebu Metrodome? It was supposed to be the most advanced sports venue in the country.

Infrastructure Development

Completed Projects:
Infrastructure developments rates high among the priorities of the Provincial Government's trusts and services since it will force the way to the much needed investments to come. Roads, bridges, buildings and others are among the infrastructure projects undertaken by the province for development. Largest of which is the Cuatro-Caminos Road project located in Tabuelan, Medellin, Naga and Badian started last December 1996 and completed in 1999 with a total project cost of Php 252,609,781.92. The province funded this project. Another road project that is already completed is the concretion of Sta. Fe to Bantayan Road that is 11 kilometers in length.

On-Going Projects:
The following are the on-going projects of the Provincial Government of Cebu under the governor ship of Honorable Pablo P. Garcia:

· Widening/Opening of the 54 kilometer vegetable highway in Mantalagan, Dalaguete - Guadalupe, Carcar worth Php 38 million. This was started in July 16,1999 and is targeted to be completed after 22 months of its implementation.
· Completion of PHO PH.III in Sudlon, Lahug for the amount of Php 1,620.905.52 which started in February 2002.
· Construction of PHO Warehouse in Sudlon, Lahug for the amount Php 1,504,562.34 which started in March 3, 2002.
· Perimeter fencing at Barili Farmers Training Center in Balse-balse, Barili, Cebu with the project cost of Php 2,194,706.45 which started in February 2, 2002.

Proposed Projects:
The following are the proposed projects:

· Construction of Farmers Market at the South Bus Terminal.
· Construction of Megadome in a province owned lot along Barilad, Cebu.
· Construction of Legislative Building at the Capitol, Cebu.

Tourism

Cebu is considered as a major tourist destination in the country because it is enriched with natural beauty spots such as lovely beaches, parks, mountain resorts and caves in the provinces, which are supported by facilities such as hotels. Pension houses and restaurants.

Projects For Development
Since there are still plenty of municipalities in the rural areas without electricity, it is the goal of the province to establish rural electrification.
The province is also rich with good water resources but the problem is how to tap and distributed this water so that it just won't be wasted to the sea. Hence, water project is another project for development.

Transport

The existing transport facilities in Cebu province are used mainly to support business entrepreneurship, industrial activities and tourism. Inter-regional and international transport systems have been developed. The phenomenal growth of investments, however, has stretched the province transport capabilities and efficiency to the limits. Generally, infrastructure facilities in Cebu province are adequate, but because of its strategic location as the country's center of trade and industry, further improvement and rehabilitation are needed.

Road: (Arterial/Sub-arterial)
The total span of provincial and national roads within Cebu province is 1,625.56 kilometers. Only 16.85% of these roads are concrete and 27.84% are asphalt-paved. The existing national roads have a total stretch of 647.81 kilometers while the existing provincial roads as maintained by Cebu province have a span of 977.75 kilometers.
The development category of the national road linking the municipalities is about 20.44% concrete, 51.63% asphalt-paved and 27.93% gravel. These roads are maintained by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). On the other hand, all provincial roads have the following development category: 14% concrete; 12.07% asphalt-paved; 68.6% gravel; and 4.79% earth or macadam road.
Most of the existing provincial roads of Cebu have minimum widths ranging from 6.10 to 8.10 meters. Projects for widening the existing national and major roads within Metro Cebu with a 30-meter maximum width are still in progress. However, traffic congestion within Metro Cebu occurs because of the low capacity design of these existing roads and the rapidly increasing number of new vehicles.
Travel time along concrete and asphalt roads is shorter as compared to that which is spending on gravel and macadam roads. The demand for more concrete and asphalt road is being considered as a key factor in improving the travel time from Level V communities to Level II, III and IV urban centers. Asphalt roads are highly suited for cities since they require less maintenance and can tolerate a high level of traffic load.
On health services, the District Hospitals are to be upgraded so that they can provide services those hospitals in the city provides.
On social services, sports and anti-drug campaign are to be strongly promoted.

What about the much talked about Cebu Metrodome? It was supposed to be the most advanced sports venue in the country.

The last i've heard about it was last year...It is supposed to be bigger than Araneta Colosium.

Cebu LRT? Wow! Would be cool if they had one ... but I don't think they're economy can sustain it without gov't subsidy.

i heard they implemented a bus system, since LRT is too expensive

What about the much talked about Cebu Metrodome? It was supposed to be the most advanced sports venue in the country.

Wish they built that earlier, for the SEA Games.

it's been awhile since the last time i posted. after our dear former philippine section had been hacked i think i have missed a lot of action already and posted just once in the forumers roll call thread to show my existence and that im still alive V(^_^)V . anyways, ill try to become active once more especially now that there are more interesting topics to discuss and more fellow filipino forumers to discuss with! btw, it took me only one day to read almost all the threads including the other sections i used to visit (im really impressed with the new projects and u/cs in ncr area). hehehe

this thread lacks representation so i thought of posting some pictures. (as usual, pixs are taken from www.daaaaa.com which is in japanese)

entry point: mactan cebu international airport
http://www.daaaaa.com/cebu/cebu001.jpg
aerial view: we can see that the skyline is yet to develop
http://www.daaaaa.com/cebu/cebu051.jpg
http://www.daaaaa.com/cebu/cebu052.jpg
resorts near the shore: fun fun fun in the sun, the real essence of cebu
http://www.daaaaa.com/cebu/cebu036.jpg
http://www.daaaaa.com/cebu/cebu039.jpg
http://www.daaaaa.com/cebu/cebu035.jpg
http://www.daaaaa.com/cebu/cebu032.jpg
http://www.daaaaa.com/cebu/cebu030.jpg

thanks for sharing those photos!!! nice

Ahhh...look at that pristine blue sea.:cool: Plantation Bay looks great!:)

The city is so sprawly... hehehe. Looking forward to see a small cluster of a skyline in the center.

The beach here is weird...kind of inconsistant. Maybe artificial.
http://www.daaaaa.com/cebu/cebu035.jpg

Whoa! I finally got approved. I have tried to register twice but I didn't get any approval, for whatever reason I don't know. This is my third time to register and I guess it's third time lucky. That should explain why there is a number 3 after my username.
Anyways, I'm glad that there is a thread about Cebu, my hometown. I'm based in LA now but I still feel this attachment to anything that pertains to Cebu.
Cebu's skyline is growing. Unfortunately the pictures that were posted did not show that. The number of tall buildings in Cebu especially in Cebu Business Park is growing. I hope somebody could post that.
Thanks.

CEBU! woo! Maayong Litrato! Gusto kong mobalik didto! Its so much more "fresher" than MM, but is totally urbanized! the infrastructure with the roads and transport is MUCH better than in MM. it looks so beautiful hwile landing in Cebu.. u can see the shift between the totally urbanized areas and the still rural mountains behind, with banca floating on the azul colored sea near the city's end.. its WOW! :D:D i saw a big development area near the SM Cebu City.. does Neone know what plans or u/c's are currently in Cebu City??

more pics ppl :D

btw: welcome to the Phils forums on SSC edifice_complex3 :D:D go to this thread (http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=96199&page=16&pp=20) and announce ur arrival to all the pinoy forumers n get ur name added to the roll-call thing.. LOL make sure u brought sum pasalubong ;) LMAOLMAO

wow!!! never knew cebu was so nice...!!!

Thanks, lumpia for the warm welcome.
Regarding the development around SM, I guess you were referring to Sheraton SM Hotel. The last time I was there it was still under construction. But I heard from a friend that Henry Sy is no longer interested in finishing the hotel. It would have been a fitting addition to the list of international hotels opening in Cebu recently.
Again, I'm really happy to be a part of this group. I thought I'm the only person in the world who is fascinated by skyscrapers or any edifice for that matter. Now, everyone would know why I chose edifice_complex as my user name.

CEBU won the bitterly contested May 10 election for President Gloria Arroyo and the city expects her new six-year term to usher in better times after years of uneven rivalry with the Philippine capital.

In a break from tradition, Arroyo held her inauguration in this central city instead of Manila and Cebu appreciates this, Mayor Tomas Osmena told reporters.


"In a way, she is telling us it is not only Manila that is the Philippines," Osmena said.


He has declared inauguration day a public holiday and is holding a massive street party after the president elect takes her oath of office at the provincial capital at noon, despite opposition criticism and calls by Arroyo herself for austerity.


"I promised this to the urban poor (of Cebu), and no one in Manila is going to tell me what to do," Osmena said.


Arroyo credits Cebu, the country's number-two city, with giving her victory in the election over opposition candidate Fernando Poe, the country's most popular movie star.


This new status also gives Cebu a chance to one-up Manila, whose dominance of the country's over-centralized business and political spheres has long bred provincial resentment.


"Manila, eat your heart out," boasted Osmena as he outlined plans for the celebrations in this metropolis of more than two million people.


Although Arroyo lost in the northern half of the archipelago including in Manila, she got 1.18 million votes from Cebu, more than a million more than Poe.


The Cebu vote was effectively Arroyo's overall winning margin.


The opposition has charged that such a lopsided vote is proof of massive cheating in Cebu but Osmena and other residents say it simply shows that Cebu residents will choose competence and qualifications over show business flash.


"People in Cebu are more intelligent than people in Manila. (They) are not razzle-dazzled by movie stars," Osmena said. :bash:


Taxi driver Danny Benabay showed similar sentiments, saying "in Manila, they (the Poe camp) would win but the mentality of people in Cebu is different. A lot of people ask me, 'What's going to happen if we elect movie stars?"'


Cebu, capital of an island of the same name with a population of more than three million, has reasons to feel confident.


Its furniture, electronics, light industry and seaweed exports as well as its thriving tourism sector, have made it one of the country's premier growth centers.


Osmena boasted that Cebu produces more exports and tourist dollars per capita than Manila although he did not give details.


Robert Go, president of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce, said the Arroyo inauguration, which will draw foreign dignitaries, would help establish the island's image as an investment and tourism destination.


He told AFP he expects Arroyo to come up with a "more cohesive and integrated plan for Cebu," including traffic and transport infrastructure.


High on the business community's list is getting foreign financing, possibly from Japan, for a coastal road project that will cost some 1.4 billion pesos (25 million dollars).


Cebu business is also looking forward to the establishment of a deep water port that can take cruise liners and other large ships.


This led Cebu to go for Arroyo over Poe, a high-school drop-out with no experience in public service.


"The people of Cebu put more of a premium on leadership," rather than fame, said Go.


Go said Cebu was moving into the information age with more call centers, computer software and graphic design and electronic parts design firms being set up.


Japanese company Tsuneshi, which has a ship-building operation in Cebu island, has even branched out into ship design for foreign markets.


"We're fighting hard to make Cebu an IT (information technology) hub," Go said, adding Arroyo was helping in this regard.


One major Arroyo promise Cebu folk are counting on is to move the tourism department headquarters from Manila to Cebu. Osmena has already had designs for the new department building drawn up.


But he denies that Cebu residents voted for Arroyo mainly on the prospect of more spending.


"We don't want anything served on a silver platter. We will do our share of sacrifice," the mayor said.


Arroyo's inauguration will be celebrated with a party of live bands, dancing and free barbecue dinners for some 30,000 shantytown dwellers. Osmena said it would cost a mere one million pesos well within the city budget. AFP
________________
yea right. :jk: lang

from
http://www.journal.com.ph/msn/news.asp?type=headline&id=388

im reading this Bluprint magazine, dates from last year, has a small photo of a proposed Cebu water front by a firm DASA. quite cool, has around 6 scrapers in the model

I found this site an the internet. Anybody have any more information on it?

http://www.interthemepark.com/projects/cebu.htm

My wife and I are from Canada and plan on visiting Cebu for the first time next January. Any tips would be appreciated. WE've been to Manila/Baguio/Marinduque on our past trips but Cebu has always had some appeal.

"People in Cebu are more intelligent than people in Manila. (They) are not razzle-dazzled by movie stars," Osmena said.

That is true in a way. I was listening to the radio telecast of the inaguration in Cebu last June 30 and during the mass at this Cebu Catheral, people were very orderly and quiet. Let us compare that with Manila's. :)

I have visited Cebu last December and for me, it was just like Manila. It has something to offer though. Go to the tourist spots like the Fort San Pedro, Magellan's Cross, etc.

I saw a picture of the building which would be renovated to be the Malacañang of the South in today's Inquirer, I'm gonna try to post the pic later.

here's a picture of the Malacañang extension in Cebu City (taken from www.inq7.net)

http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home2003/tu0001es/cebu/zoom.jpg

There you go. :)

Cebu is sort of held with "high regard" in my family....
If the Philippines starts to get more tourists then Cebu will probably be at the forefront
of it all,(just a guess...meh)

http://www.interthemepark.com/projects/images/Cebu1.jpg
http://www.interthemepark.com/projects/images/Cebu2.jpg
http://www.interthemepark.com/projects/images/Cebu3.jpg
http://www.interthemepark.com/projects/images/Cebu4.jpg
http://www.interthemepark.com/projects/images/Cebu4.jpg
http://www.interthemepark.com/projects/images/CEBU5.jpg

I found this site an the internet. Anybody have any more information on it?

http://www.interthemepark.com/projects/cebu.htm

My wife and I are from Canada and plan on visiting Cebu for the first time next January. Any tips would be appreciated. WE've been to Manila/Baguio/Marinduque on our past trips but Cebu has always had some appeal.


Robville:
Thanks for the goods comments about my city.
Have you chosen a hotel to stay yet? Try booking one as early as today because January is usually the busiest month in Cebu because of Sinulog, a celebration in honor of the Child Jesus, Cebu City's patron saint. I can recommend to you the following:
1. Waterfront Hotel -www.waterfronthotels.net
2. Plantation Bay in the island of Mactan-www.plantationbay.com
3. Marriott Cebu-no website but you can go to www.marriott.com and search
Cebu
4. Shangrila-no website but you can go to www.shangri-la.com and search
Cebu
5. Hilton-the newest hotel in Mactan beside Shangrila. A friend of mine told
me that they had a soft opening just recently.
Food is not a problem in Cebu. There are countless restaurants to suit your taste, be it European or Asian. Try Cebuano delicacies which are yummy.
You might want to go to Magellan's monument marking the spot where the explorer Ferdinand Magellan was killed by a local chieftain. The monument is located in the island of Mactan, where the airport is. There are also old churches in Cebu City that are worth a visit. Near these churches is Colon Street, the oldest street in the country.
For shopping you might want to go to Cebu Business park where there is the sprawling Ayala Center. A few blocks from Ayala is the Cebu SM Mall. In these 2 big malls you can find local souvenirs that you might want to bring back to Canada.
If you are into diving, you can ask the hotel that you will be staying more info about this but I can recommend Moalboal in the western side of the island.
I hope this gives you a bit of info about Cebu and I hope you enjoy your stay there.

muzic - lover
those renderings looks good, a new planned themed park in cebu?

ang ganda. parang mas maganda pa sa Fantasy World.

ang ganda. parang mas maganda pa sa Fantasy World.


off topic lang: is that fantasy world project in tagaytay still on?

ah =)

off topic lang: is that fantasy world project in tagaytay still on?

I dunno. I'll ask my friend. :)

Thanks for all the tips. Cebu looks like a great place to enjoy urban pleasures, relaxation, leisure and experience the culture of The Philippines. I might extend my time in Cebu by a couple of days to take in more that it has to offer.

found this image on a foreign architect website, can't rememeber the name of the project but it's in cebu. anyone knows the project status?

http://edmundtanso.smugmug.com/photos/2703341-L.jpg


This is the Citylight Garden condominium close to Cebu Plaza Hotel on top of Nivel Hills. This condominium is already operational.

http://www.islandsproperties.com/rentals/condos-townhs/ceb-ceb-rcd-4002/images/ceb-rcd-4002-fr.jpg

wow, ganda ng mga water front sa cebu....kaya pala yun yung pangalan ng isang hotel dun...

kaya pala dun nag va-vacation palagi pinsan ko.

wow, ganda ng mga water front sa cebu....kaya pala yun yung pangalan ng isang hotel dun...

kaya pala dun nag va-vacation palagi pinsan ko.




I'm posting images of the 2 waterfront hotels in Cebu. Hope you like it.

Cebu City Waterfront Hotel
http://www.waterfronthotels.net/images/cebuhtml_10.gif

Mactan International Airport Waterfront Hotel
http://www.waterfronthotels.net/images/cebuindex_05.gif

Sorry this did not come out.

Mactan Int'l. Airport Waterfront Hotel
http://www.waterfronthotels.net/images/mactanindex_05.gif

Wow!!!!!!!!

waterfront looks pretty grand!! and that condo looks as good in reality as it does in the rendering. in the pics in the last page, what are those round, small twin towers near the bayfront? they look quite good...

waterfront looks pretty grand!! and that condo looks as good in reality as it does in the rendering. in the pics in the last page, what are those round, small twin towers near the bayfront? they look quite good...


The towers that you were referring to are part of the roof. I saw the original plan of this hotel when I was back home and this was supposed to be a hotel with a theme park but this did not push through. So I guess that would explain why the hotel looks like a castle. My friends and I used to joke to somebody new in Cebu that that is where the king of Cebu lives.
If you're facing the hotel, the building to the right is Casino Filipino and to the left is the Cebu International Convention Center.

Though in its infancy, Cebu's skyline is growing. Below is the Cebu Business Park where the Ayala Center is located.


http://www.cebubusinesspark.com/images/location1.jpg

ok na rin.

I got this from the website of Sunstar, Cebu's leading newspaper. The article was dated 1/29/04


Bigfoot owner to open film school in Mactan
By Jessica B. Natad

VENTURE capitalist Michael Gleissner, owner of communications powerhouse Bigfoot, has again showed his confidence in Cebu, by investing in $5 million for an international film school, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia.

The International Academy of Film and Television (IAFT), which will be based in Mactan island, will not only help the Philippines attract large movie producers in Hollywood to shoot here, but bring in more tourists to the country as well.

According to IAFT president and chief executive adviser Kacy Andrews, one of the school’s objectives is to attract film students from all over the world to study in Cebu.

This is one of the reasons why Gleissner and his advisers decided to put up the film school in Cebu.

“Cebu (with its tourist attractions) is a good place to start to attract people from all over the world to come and study in our film school,” Andrews told a press conference at the La Gondola restaurant, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino Tuesday.

She said the prices of the courses of the film school, which is patterned after the Los Angeles film school, are one-third of those of other international film schools.

The courses are also short term, unlike in a film school in Singapore that offers four-year courses.

She said Cebu’s scenic spots will also help IAFT achieve one of its visions of encouraging Hollywood films to be shot in the country, once the school produces graduates.

Andrews said some reasons international films are not shot in the Philippines are the lack of highly competent and skilled talents and technical people, and the unavailability of technical movie equipment.

Expensive

“Because of the lack of human resource and the equipment, shooting movies in the Philippines is very expensive because producers will have to bring their own pool of talents and equipment here. If we have these ready for them, then they will want to shoot here,” she said.

Andrews is a producer on Miramax’s “Playing by Heart,” starring Sean Connery and Angelina Jolie. She has been actively involved in the entertainment industry for over 16 years.

The IAFT will begin offering short-term courses in April, at the office of its sister company Bigfoot located on Ramos St., Cebu City.

But it will fully operate as soon as the construction of its campus situated on an 8,200-square-meter facility in Mactan will be completed.

The facility will include a Dolby surround sound-equipped movie theater, recording studio, Foley stage, six digital editing suites, a computer laboratory with animation and sound design software and a 600-square meter soundstage.

After Cebu, IAFT hopes to open branches in Vietnam, France and the US, Andrews said.

I went online and searched for the IAFT in Cebu and came up with this (http://www.study-film.com/main/). it actually materialized! the U/C campus looks nice!! great addition to Cebu.

Here's a better picture of Cebu City. It does not show Club Ultima which is u/c along Jones Avenue. When finished this will be the tallest building in Cebu with 35 floors.
http://www.guardorealty.com.ph/photos/photo_02.jpg

I could be wrong but at present the Windland Tower could be the tallest building in Cebu City. A few more years this will be surpassed by Club Ultima.

http://www.islandsproperties.com/rentals/condos-townhs/ceb-ceb-rcd-4001/rcd-4001-01.jpg



http://www.islandsproperties.com/properties/condos-townhs/ceb-ceb-cd-801/images/cd-801-01.jpg

http://www.guardorealty.com.ph/photos/photo_02.jpg

Hmm....Cebu looks spread out....I'm predicting urban sprawl in the not-to-distant future.

wow.. Cebu looks nice from there... I hope that higher structures and more businesses open up in the area.... so that we can have 2 major financial centers... like NY and Chicago in the states...:D

MCIAA execs hit supervision of Manila International Airport

by Rene U. Borromeo
September 16, 2004

Officials of the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority described as “awkward” an executive order that would now put MCIAA under the administrative supervision of the Manila International Airport Authority.

The executive order that President Gloria Arroyo issued on August 4 empowers the Manila International Airport Authority to review, approve, reverse, and modify acts and decisions done by the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority.

The executive order further grants the Manila International Airport to intervene, supervise and act directly on matters involving management, operations, maintenance, and even priorities in the execution of plans and programs in Cebu and in six other airports in the country.

The president believes that in giving the Manila International Airport powers to intervene and supervise provincial airports, there would be unity in policies and programs.

But unity seems to be the last thing that the executive order will achieve. Just now MCIAA officials are questioning how unity can be achieved by the distortion it will create on executive powers.

The DOTC Secretary heads or is the chairman of the MCIAA board and since the executive order empowers the Manila Airport Authority to supervise the MCIAA board, it then puts the DOTC secretary under the Manila Airport Authority.

MCIAA public affairs manager Ahmed Cuizon, who is aspiring for the position of airport general manager, also described the order as very awkward because the MCIAA board is chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications.

“Kataw-anan kaayo nga ang MCIAA Board kon diin ang chairman mao ang DOTC Secretary mahimutang na lang nga under sa general manager sa Manila International Airport nga ang MIAA under man gani sa DOTC,” Cuizon said.

They also found it awkward that the Manila Airport Authority has intervened into the MCIAA when it has acquired and developed its own expertise in the daily grind of airport operations and maintenance.

The Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority was created under RA 6958 for it to be the policy making body of the airport. It also takes charge of daily operations. The DOTC Secretary sits as chairman to the 11-member board while the airport manager is vice chairman.

Other members of the Board are the assistant Secretary of the Air Transportation Office, the Secretaries of the Department of Justice, Department of Finance, Department of Tourism, four private sector representatives recommended by the governor and the governor, himself.

What has also ignited disunity in policy is that the August 4 executive order would appear as though it superseded RA 6958 creating the MCIAA. They believe that RA 6958 cannot be amended or altered by a mere executive order.

thanks for the pics edifice_complex3, you say there's an under-construction building in Cebu City to be the city's tallest, what does it look like?

found this image on a foreign architect website, can't rememeber the name of the project but it's in cebu. anyone knows the project status?

http://edmundtanso.smugmug.com/photos/2703341-L.jpg


I think it's the Citylights Garden. For more information check:

http://cebu-online.com/realty/citylights/

hi there edifice, well i havent gone to cebu yet, but i really wana get there soon! i know it's such a great place to stay! ur skyline however still needs alot of improvements, well, blame metro manila for being too imperial, hehe...

how many cities does cebu province presently comprise of? are they situated next to each other or quite apart? what are ur other business parks there aside from cebu business park of the ayala's? i also heard not so long ago that ur also planning to build an lrt there? what happened to all these plans?? kulit kono...

I think its the Citylights Gardens. For more information check:

http://cebu-online.com/realty/citylights/

Sorry

thanks for the pics edifice_complex3, you say there's an under-construction building in Cebu City to be the city's tallest, what does it look like?


No problem renell. I'm based in LA right now and I'm still trying to get hold of a picture of the building which is u/c. I've been asking some of my friends back home to send me pictures but they are not cooperative. I'll try to post pics of Club Ultima when I found one.

hi there edifice, well i havent gone to cebu yet, but i really wana get there soon! i know it's such a great place to stay! ur skyline however still needs alot of improvements, well, blame metro manila for being too imperial, hehe...

how many cities does cebu province presently comprise of? are they situated next to each other or quite apart? what are ur other business parks there aside from cebu business park of the ayala's? i also heard not so long ago that ur also planning to build an lrt there? what happened to all these plans?? kulit kono...


Hey there! You're right. During the martial law we were neglected by the Marcos regime and we had to survive on our own. That was the price we had to pay for being an opposition country then.
About LRT, I've also heard about it but I don't see it materialized just yet.
Ayala is developing another industrial park close to Watefront Hotel in Lahug. If I'm not mistaken it is called the Cebu Informationa park something. They are also constructing the cebu boardwalk along Mactan Channel. I guess there are a lot of things to see when I'm back home.

http://www.clubultima.com/index_02.html

Cool, Fuente Tower (building club ultima is in) is looks pretty good. And its in the famous Fuente Circle in Cebu...good location:okay: So this will be the new Cebu's tallest?

Found this article before but never got the chance to post it until now.

*********************************************
Cebu Boardwalk strengthens province’s tourism potential


IN less than a year from now, the complete tourism, leisure, and shopping destination in Cebu called Cebu Boardwalk will open for commercial operations.

The Cebu Boardwalk is a 14-hectare anchor development of the 101 (sellable) hectares of the Mandaue Reclamation Area.

Developed by the Mandaue Reclamation Area part owner, F. F. Cruz & Co., Inc. this project is the first full-blown tourism and leisure hub destination in Cebu.

The company’s property management director Yvonne C. Gomos said this multi-million project, would support the potential of Cebu as a preferred tourism and business destination in the Philippines.

The total development will soon house a Family Theme Park, Retirement Village, Internationally owned educational institutions, Medical School, among others.

The company she said will officially start the construction this month, and expects to turn over to the leases in the first semester of 2005.

By June, she said Cebu would expect business activities in the Cebu Boardwalk.

According to Felipe F. Cruz, president of the F.F. Cruz & Co., Inc., the company decided to pursue this project which was conceptualized already in 1986, because of Cebu’s vibrant economic and tourism potential.

The project is envisioned to be a tourism and business estate where entertainment, arts, and culture, dining, relaxing, unwinding, and shopping will be enjoyed at the uniquely designed novel setting, fronting the Mactan channel.

This means, that by June of next year, Cebu will be showcasing another destination alternative for visitors, and locals.

Gomos confirmed that the Gokongwei-owned Robinson’s Department Store and Supermarket would be the anchor store of the Cebu Boardwalk.

The project will build a 8,000 square meters Amphitheater Park, high-end cenimas, Marina Promenade, Zen Center, Tourist Center, Restaurant Strip, Coffee Shops, National Fastfood chains, mini food court, techno shops, retail shops, Duty Free, pharmacies/drugstores, banks and ATM centers, Hobby Shops, Novelty shops, appliance store, and Theme Flea market.

Gomos said the company would also build a 2,000 square meter trade and Exhibition Center.

“We have already received letter of intents from interested tenants, we are still negotiating with the potential tenants,” Gomos said during the Cebu Boardwalk’s formal presentation held at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel.

She said the project has attracted number of interested tenants from all over the country, as well as international brands.

“This would be a venue for true recreational shopping for tourists, and also Cebuanos. We are working with the Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board for new traffic routes that would bring people to the area,” Gomos said.

The Mandaue City government owns 52 percent, while F.F.Cruz owns 48 percent of the Mandaue Reclamation Area.

I found this pic in a japanese website. It's the Cebu City sports complex located inside the Cebu Business Park. At the back of the sports complex is the Ayala center. Marriot Hotel is to the right (with the green roof).

http://bridge-cities.cside.com/xoops/uploads/photos/62.jpg

5-star hotel to rise in Mandaue reclamation
A FIVE-star hotel and casino will soon rise at the Mandaue Reclamation Area, where the unfinished Uniwide building now stands.

According to Mandaue Investment Board (MIB) vice chairman Jose Ng, the hotel is part of a multimillion investment, which include a chain of international restaurants and an international trade and convention center, a Korean company will put in on the 14-hectare Uniwide area.

Restaurants

He said the construction of the restaurants, which will showcase international cuisines, has already started and will be completed by the end of the year.

Ng is however more excited on the hotel as this will partially answer the immediate need for hotel rooms for Cebu’s tourism industry.

Department of Tourism 7 Regional Director Dawnie Roa earlier said Cebu needs to immediately augment the availability of hotel and resort rooms in preparation for the surge of tourists in the city especially with the transfer of the DOT national office to Cebu.

Incentives

Ng said the Mandaue City local government is now actively attracting investments into the city in line with its thrust of making Mandaue one of the investment, tourism and information technology destinations in the country.

He said Mandaue created the MIB to study incentives that can be offered to prospective investors.

Ng said MIB is also talking with a group of businessmen from Manila who are interested to establish a building for call centers also at the 200-hectare reclamation area.

The board has already come up with incentives such as tax perks. It is also studying what other special incentives it can grant to future investors on a cast-to-case basis

hi there edifice, well i havent gone to cebu yet, but i really wana get there soon! i know it's such a great place to stay! ur skyline however still needs alot of improvements, well, blame metro manila for being too imperial, hehe...

how many cities does cebu province presently comprise of? are they situated next to each other or quite apart? what are ur other business parks there aside from cebu business park of the ayala's? i also heard not so long ago that ur also planning to build an lrt there? what happened to all these plans?? kulit kono...


I forgot to answer your question regarding the number of cities in Cebu.
There are 6 cities as far as I know. There is Cebu City, the capital city. Beside Cebu City is Mandaue City where San Miguel brewery is located. Lapu-Lapu City is the city located in Mactan Island where the airport is. There is also Danao City up north which is famous for "paltik". The only city located in the western part of Cebu is Toledo City and the newest city is Talisay just south of Cebu City.

do these cities form something like Metro Manila, or are they clearly separated by a mass of water or something? i know Lapu-Lapu City is.

Yes..It is like Metro Manila so its "Metro Cebu"!!:D Mandaue, Cebu, Lapu-Lapu,etc all make up MC.

Great stuff you got there, edifice! Thanks! Nice pic and glad to see Cebu's development.

I find Cebu very clean and the it's citizen very disciplined... I want to go there someday. Ironic though coz my father is a Cebuano and I've never seen his homeland. :bash:

its the best place for those who are laidback, coz cebu is just moderate, not too big, not too modern, not too crowded, & not too noisy & busy...yet evrrythin is there

i find Cebu's people very friendly and hospitable. On my trip last time, I noticed people don't care whether your're dressed nicely or what... They'll give you service whethere you're rich or poor. In Manila, when you look like a squatter sa mall, sungit ng saleslady...

One thing I just don't like about Cebu is the CBD... it's so small! Only a few buildings at Ayala Center....

http://www.ads234.com/adView.aspx?requesturl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.angel.ne.jp%2F%7Enisikori%2Fceb%2Fpic_cebu2000b.jpg&mac=48ebd605&Segment=1


This the SM Sheraton Hotel in Cebu beside SM City. It is just unfortunate that Henry Sy decided not to open this hotel. It would have been a welcome addition to the international hotel chains opening in Cebu recently. I wish the DOT can do something to finally open this hotel.

http://www.ads234.com/adView.aspx?requesturl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.angel.ne.jp%2F%7Enisikori%2Fceb%2Fkita%2Fkita_Hilton2.jpg&mac=48ebd605&Segment=1



The Hilton Resort in Mactan, Cebu sans landscaping. This photo was obviously taken many months ago because from what I heard they will have a soft opening end of Sept. or early October. This hotel is expected to give Shangrila a stiff competition.

http://www.ads234.com/adView.aspx?requesturl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.angel.ne.jp%2F%7Enisikori%2Fceb%2Fpic_cebu2000b.jpg&mac=48ebd605&Segment=1


This the SM Sheraton Hotel in Cebu beside SM City. It is just unfortunate that Henry Sy decided not to open this hotel. It would have been a welcome addition to the international hotel chains opening in Cebu recently. I wish the DOT can do something to finally open this hotel.

so it was abandoned by SM? that sucks, this one didn't look too shabby

is that the "unfinished Uniwide building" in that article in post #72 that the DOT is planning to turn into a 5-star hotel?

what's up with the Hilton Resort in mactan? i thought it was opened a long time ago... haha.. is it up and running now?

is that the "unfinished Uniwide building" in that article in post #72 that the DOT is planning to turn into a 5-star hotel?

what's up with the Hilton Resort in mactan? i thought it was opened a long time ago... haha.. is it up and running now?



Absent-minded, no, that's not the unfinished uniwide building. The uniwide building is in Mandaue and this hotel beside SM city in Cebu.
The Hilton resort will have a soft opening I think on October because I haven't read anything about it yet. Full operations will take place end of this year.

Just got back from Cebu & Manila, stayed at the Shangrila-Mactan which was quite impressive. The Hilton project is right next to shangrila and looks more massive but not yet finished based on what I saw. Will certainly give shangrila competition

I was also quite impressed with the Ayala center and surrounding areas as well as the Cebu Waterfront Hotel, in particular.

Wow...i'm glad you like Cebu. Thats one of my favorite cities (in some ways, its better than MM). A more developed skyline will surely make it better than MM:D
But yeah, Shangri-la Mactan is awesome. I havent checked-in that hotel, but we almost did.

I think these were taken from Sheraton, Cebu

http://img85.exs.cx/img85/9066/Image043.jpg
Cebu Sports Club

http://img85.exs.cx/img85/8148/Image468.jpghttp://img85.exs.cx/img85/1958/Image045.jpg
Dunno what these two buildings are

I think these were taken from Sheraton, Cebu

http://img85.exs.cx/img85/9066/Image043.jpg
Cebu Sports Club

http://img85.exs.cx/img85/8148/Image468.jpghttp://img85.exs.cx/img85/1958/Image045.jpg
Dunno what these two buildings are




Thanks tilstshift for the pictures.
The pictures though were most likely taken from Marriot Hotel not Sheraton.
The white building was the first building built in cebu business park and this is where the Cebu Ventures hold office. The other building is the Abacus Financial Center. Gee, I'm glad I still remember the names of the buildings.
Tiltshift, can you post more pictures during your visit to Cebu? I haven't been home for quite some time.

edifice_complex3 indeed those were taken at the Marriot. Been months since I've been to Cebu. I'll try to accomodate but so far those are the only photos of Cebu I've found on my phone.

Thanks for those pics...Cebu still has a young skyline that can only get better:)

Just got back from Cebu & Manila, stayed at the Shangrila-Mactan which was quite impressive. The Hilton project is right next to shangrila and looks more massive but not yet finished based on what I saw. Will certainly give shangrila competition

I was also quite impressed with the Ayala center and surrounding areas as well as the Cebu Waterfront Hotel, in particular.

It would seem like the Hilton project is taking way too long to finish. I guess the market uptake is still slow. How long has this projuect been going on? 5 years?

hey there! im from cebu but now in alabang. i would like to share some cebu hotel pics which i got somewhere. :D

http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL496/2290612/5615129/71988404.jpg
http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL496/2290612/5615129/71989787.jpg
Plantation Bay Resort, Mactan

http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL496/2290612/5615129/71988351.jpg
http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL496/2290612/5615129/71988364.jpg
http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL496/2290612/5615129/71988377.jpg
Shangri-La's Mactan Island Resort
(Where Pres. Gloria & company stayed after her Inaugural speech in Cebu Provincial Hall on July 2004)

http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL496/2290612/5615129/71988417.jpg
Marriott Hotel, Cebu Business Park

http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL496/2290612/5615129/71990802.jpg
The Fuente Osmeña Towers I (Club Ultima 25-floors) & II (Crown Regency Hotel 40-floors)
Tower I completion is set on December 2004.
Tower II is still under construction.

http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL496/2290612/5615129/71988300.jpg
Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino

http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL496/2290612/5615129/71988649.jpg
Cebu Hilton Towers & Resort (Commercial operations will start on December 2004)

It would seem like the Hilton project is taking way too long to finish. I guess the market uptake is still slow. How long has this projuect been going on? 5 years?

hey there... :) yeah its kinda 5 years already, i remember the construction started when i was in highschool hehe... 90% of the buyers are cebuanos and i think there are 10 units left (i read it in a newspaper but that was a long time ago)...

the hotel facility will be operational next month, adding another 250 5-star resort rooms in metro cebu. cebu has been suffering of hotel-room shortage amid swelling tourists... well, its the country's top tourist destination and recently recognized as one of the best islands in Asia/Indian Ocean (Travelers' Magazine Nov. 2004 issue)... the only island in the country who made it to the top ten and third in the asia pacific region. cool huh! :)

Cebu looks like Miami Beach! Is there a "downtown" in the city, without the resort-type hotels? :)

City Sports Club, Cebu
Cebu Business Park

http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL496/2290612/5615129/71990829.jpghttp://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL496/2290612/5615129/71988654.jpg
http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL496/2290612/5615129/71994531.jpg

Cebu looks like Miami Beach! Is there a "downtown" in the city, without the resort-type hotels? :)

yup! most resort hotels are in lapu-lapu city, mactan and the rest are in cebu city. we've got colon st., the country's oldest street downtown where you can find souvenirs, specialties and weird stuff. its kinda' crowded though, u might get lost. :D the last time i got there i saw a calesa/kalesa, its a horse-driven carriage thingy or whatever. it wuz once the basic mode of transportation (during the spanish times actually, a century ago hehe)... there u can find the magellan's cross, fort san pedro and other popular tourist spots. :D

CEBU Boardwalk

CEBU would soon have a Singapore-like development once the proposed Cebu Boardwalk, an integrated commercial and leisure project in Mandaue Reclamation Area, will be completed in the middle of next year.

FF Cruz & Co. Inc., which owns about 48 percent of the total land area of Mandaue reclamation, starts this month the site development of a portion of the company's share in the reclamation.

The proposed Cebu Boardwalk is the anchor development for the 50-hectare area it owns. It is envisioned to become a tourist and business estate.

The Cebu Boardwalk project would surpass other developments in the country. The 14-hectare anchor development would jump start economic activity in the area.

The development would include an 8,000 square meter open area with spaces for family leisure and a grand stage. The proposed amphitheater park would be an ideal venue for concerts, theater productions, cultural presentations and huge expositions.

In addition, Cebu Boardwalk would also have four cinemas and an art gallery. The other features include a family theme park, a marina and yacht club, marina promenade, Zen center, dining areas, national food chains, mini food courts and retail areas for fashion and shopping.

A Korean-based company has already submitted a letter of intent to undertake the construction of the one-hectare family theme park. Another group from the United States has also signified intention to construct a retirement city on a four-hectare area.

Recognizing that tourism is among the bright spots in the Philippine economy, The company has decided to target the tourism market. FF Cruz is also negotiating with the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board for the creation of new routes that would pass by the project.

The building construction will start in October 2004 and is expected to be completed by March 2005 while the site development is expected to be completed by April 2005. The project will be completed by June 2005.

wheeew, cool spot...para kang nasa ibang bansa ha...its really nice and very clean surrounding....thanks for sharing those picture..

why do we always have to say "parang sa ibang bansa"... it is really annoying. why don't we just say "ang ganda talga ng bansa ko" or "meron din sa ibang bansa nyan, pero this is much better", yah, something like that.

hey there... :) yeah its kinda 5 years already, i remember the construction started when i was in highschool hehe... 90% of the buyers are cebuanos and i think there are 10 units left (i read it in a newspaper but that was a long time ago)...

the hotel facility will be operational next month, adding another 250 5-star resort rooms in metro cebu. cebu has been suffering of hotel-room shortage amid swelling tourists... well, its the country's top tourist destination and recently recognized as one of the best islands in Asia/Indian Ocean (Travelers' Magazine Nov. 2004 issue)... the only island in the country who made it to the top ten and third in the asia pacific region. cool huh! :)

Thanks for that update. So Mactan Shang will now have a worthy opponent in Cebu Hilton.

Are you talking about Conde Nast Traveler magazine? I wonder if Manila Peninsula is still in the Top 100 ranked hotels in the world. Last year it scored a perfect 100 points for service, one of only 5 in the world (Peninsula and Regent, both in Bangkok, Rajvilas and I think Le Sirenuse in Italy). I just realized Asians truly have perfected the art of serving and pleasing their hotel and resort guests.

Thanks for that update. So Mactan Shang will now have a worthy opponent in Cebu Hilton.

Are you talking about Conde Nast Traveler magazine? I wonder if Manila Peninsula is still in the Top 100 ranked hotels in the world. Last year it scored a perfect 100 points for service, one of only 5 in the world (Peninsula and Regent, both in Bangkok, Rajvilas and I think La Sirenuse in Italy). I just realized Asians truly have perfected the art of serving and pleasing their hotel and resort guests.

i got this from a brochure...
The Cebu Hilton Resort and Towers makes the Queen City's allure even more mesmerizing. A destination in itself, it offers a wide array of water sports and leisure facilities and five-star residential and condotel units managed by Hilton International, the most prestigious hotel company in the world. Cebu Hilton Resort and Towers shares this picturesque setting with Shangri-La's Mactan Island Resort ~ whose bold venture in the island has opened doors for developers to enhance Cebu's grandeur and make it one of the leading tourist destinations in Asia and the Pacific.

yep ure right and its not just a competition between hilton resorts & shangrila. cooperation is what we need to strengthen the tourism industry. :)

about the travelers' magazine, im not sure but the mag cover says sumthin like "THE WORLDS TOP 100" and one of the categories is the Indian Ocean/Asia's best Islands. :)

1. Bali, Indonesia
2. Phuket, Thailand
3. Maldives
4. Seychelles
5. Koh Samui
6. Mauritius
7. Cebu, Philippines
8. Zanziba
9. Borneo
10. Lombok, Indonesia

nice to hear that cebu ranks #7. :)
@amras, parang naaalala ko si weirdo sau, may pagka-nationalistic..hehe. peace.

yeah... and about the SM Sheraton Hotel...

i think Sheraton abandoned the hotel project but it is still owned by SM's Henry Sy. they are just waiting for the right time to finish it. i hope it wont take 'em a decade hehehe

why do we always have to say "parang sa ibang bansa"... it is really annoying. why don't we just say "ang ganda talga ng bansa ko" or "meron din sa ibang bansa nyan, pero this is much better", yah, something like that.
i agree. :D

about the travelers' magazine, im not sure but the mag cover says sumthin like "THE WORLDS TOP 100" and one of the categories is the Indian Ocean/Asia's best Islands. :)

1. Bali, Indonesia
2. Phuket, Thailand
3. Maldives
4. Seychelles
5. Koh Samui
6. Mauritius
7. Cebu, Philippines
8. Zanziba
9. Borneo
10. Lombok, Indonesia

If it says World's Top 100 then that would be Conde Nast Traveler. I don't buy as many magazines as I used to. Too expensive. If your copy is still lying around, kindly check on the rankings and update us if any Philippine property made it to the list.

why do we always have to say "parang sa ibang bansa"...

to give a rational answer, i believe this expression is used frequently in the definition of Makati or the modern areas of Manila because balikbayans or locals see a lot of the developed world and our media often associates Metro Manila with crap, garbage, negative images, and such is the influence of the people in the boob tubes that pinoys in turn believe we are such a backwards country. and so when we get something like LRT-2, someone might say "parang sa ibang bansa" (like in another country), when it is very filipino in look, and while its trains might be made overseas, but it's not like other mass-transpo systems in the world haven't done that. i agree with rico that this is putting the country's achievements down.

Airline officials complain of poor infrastructures, facilities at MCIA

CEBU CITY (PNA) — Poor facilities and infrastructure at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) have discouraged officials of foreign airlines to open direct flights to Cebu.

During a tourisn forum here, Napoleon Doctor of Citadel Holdings Inc. (CHI) said many international airlines, including Continental Airways and Korean Airlines, are shelving plans of flying directly to Cebu due to the airport’s infrastructures that need improvement.

"International airlines wanted to come, but after finding out Cebu’s airport still needs improvements, they are holding off the plans," he said in the forum sponsored by Skal International, Cebu.

He added that bureaucracy involved in bilateral air talks also dampen the interest of foreign airlines to come to Cebu.

CHI serves international airlines, among them Continental Airways.

Doctor pointed out that Continental Airways and Korean Airlines had initial plans of coming to Cebu next year but had decided to reconsider.

Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) public affairs manager Ahmed Cuizon said the authority has continuing plans of improving the facilities at the airport.

He said these include asphalt overlay, ground support equipment, landside pavement markings, and storage building for aircraft recovery equipment.

According to Cuizon, Cebu’s premier airport is still capable of accommodating more international airlines since it is only 50 percent utilized.

He admitted that although the airport is capable of accommodating a total of five million passengers a year, it is currently accommodating only half of its capacity.

The airport is servicing a total of 676 commercial domestic and international flights weekly and transports and average of 7,480 passengers daily.

Wow....awesome pics and great news, rusty! Thanks for all that.

The Fuente Osmeña Tower II is pretty cool and tall for Cebu! And the boardwalk project sounds great.

Errr...that issue about poor infrastructure in Cebu's airport has been going on for years! They wont even resurface their rough runway! Authorities should just shut up and get the job done so that there will be no problems, and investment will actually come in.

CEBU Boardwalk

CEBU would soon have a Singapore-like development once the proposed Cebu Boardwalk, an integrated commercial and leisure project in Mandaue Reclamation Area, will be completed in the middle of next year.

FF Cruz & Co. Inc., which owns about 48 percent of the total land area of Mandaue reclamation, starts this month the site development of a portion of the company's share in the reclamation.

The proposed Cebu Boardwalk is the anchor development for the 50-hectare area it owns. It is envisioned to become a tourist and business estate.

The Cebu Boardwalk project would surpass other developments in the country. The 14-hectare anchor development would jump start economic activity in the area.

The development would include an 8,000 square meter open area with spaces for family leisure and a grand stage. The proposed amphitheater park would be an ideal venue for concerts, theater productions, cultural presentations and huge expositions.

In addition, Cebu Boardwalk would also have four cinemas and an art gallery. The other features include a family theme park, a marina and yacht club, marina promenade, Zen center, dining areas, national food chains, mini food courts and retail areas for fashion and shopping.

A Korean-based company has already submitted a letter of intent to undertake the construction of the one-hectare family theme park. Another group from the United States has also signified intention to construct a retirement city on a four-hectare area.

Recognizing that tourism is among the bright spots in the Philippine economy, The company has decided to target the tourism market. FF Cruz is also negotiating with the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board for the creation of new routes that would pass by the project.

The building construction will start in October 2004 and is expected to be completed by March 2005 while the site development is expected to be completed by April 2005. The project will be completed by June 2005.


Rusty 18, bai, if you go back to Cebu and get a chance to take pictures of this project, please post it here. I'm also from Cebu and haven't been home for quite some time.
I also read somewhere that an international group is building a 25 story hotel across Ayala Business Park and another hotel in Mandaue reclamation area beside the unfinished Uniwide building. Please confirm if these projects have already been started if you get a chance.

@greyx - ure welcome... the place is getting better everyday! :) and about the airport runways, i think the resurfacing has been completed long ago.

@edifice - bai kmusta? asa sa cebu? yeah, this christmas vacation i'm looking forward to go there! yup there's a construction going on beside the uniwide building... i think its a convention center and a hotel by a japanese company, i saw the billboard rendering thingy. there's even a (horse??) race-track. and about the hotel across cebu business park, i think its PARK LANE hotel. i read somewhere about that too though i don't know if the construction has started... next month i'll try to take some photos of these places :)

Traveling from Cebu to Maasin City. I get seasick. Should I worry about taking the boat?

Traveling from Cebu to Maasin City. I get seasick. Should I worry about taking the boat?

where is Maasin City? is that in Davao? we traveled from Cebu to Tandag, Surigao del Sur before and people said it's dangerous taking the ship coz the sea currents east of Mindanao are strong (i don't know if that was true) so we just took the plane from Mactan to Tandag.

Traveling from Cebu to Maasin City. I get seasick. Should I worry about taking the boat?

Maasin is in Leyte. This is a very short trip aboard a Roll-on Roll-off ferry so I wouldn't worry about it.

about the airport runways, i think the resurfacing has been completed long ago.


Really? I thought i heard about it just a few months ago... They've been saying that the rough runway is dangerous as it easily wears out the tyres of the planes.

Maasin is in Leyte. This is a very short trip aboard a Roll-on Roll-off ferry so I wouldn't worry about it.

ahh ok, kala ko sa mindanao :D thanks!

@greyx - ure welcome... the place is getting better everyday! :) and about the airport runways, i think the resurfacing has been completed long ago.

@edifice - bai kmusta? asa sa cebu? yeah, this christmas vacation i'm looking forward to go there! yup there's a construction going on beside the uniwide building... i think its a convention center and a hotel by a japanese company, i saw the billboard rendering thingy. there's even a (horse??) race-track. and about the hotel across cebu business park, i think its PARK LANE hotel. i read somewhere about that too though i don't know if the construction has started... next month i'll try to take some photos of these places :)

Salamat sa imong pagtubang. Taga Mandaue ko pero na-a ko nanimpad diri sa LA.
I hope you enjoy your vacation and please post pictures of the development that is going on in our dear little metro.
Thanks for the update. By the way, nagsugod na ug tukod ang Boardwalk. I look forward to this project because I heard this is huge.

haha. nice to hear someone hear speaking in cebuano (?)... by the way, how much it costs from Manila to Cebu? by plane? (Mactan Airport), by sea? :dunno:

i checked on PAL's online booking engine and it was around P5,600 for a roundtrip flight to Cebu on restricted economy... P7,000+ for Mabuhay class... which usually gets you into their First Class cabin if available...

Ok. thanks! My workmates plan to go there this year or on Q1 of 2005...I don't think I can come with them since I don't have money...poor me. :cry:

Cebu’s aviation market for int’l flight exceeds targets
by Ruth G. Mercado
November 10, 2004

For the first nine months this year, Cebu’s aviation market for international flights exceeded by an average of 36 percent. Traffic statistics from the Mactan Cebu International Airport showed that from January to September, international passenger arrivals and departures posted an average of close to 220,000 up by some 36 percent from its target of 161,000 for the same period. Close to 1,600 international flights were handled at the airport within a nine-month period.

In the domestic market, passenger arrivals dipped by 3 percent as it registered around 750,000 from January to September when the target is some 770,000. Movement picked up in passenger departures up by some 2 percent as it posted close to 790,000 from a target of 770,000.

In cargoes, international arrival cargoes increased by 11 percent while it slowed down on departures with minus 14 percent. It’s the opposite for domestic cargoes with arrivals dipping by 2 percent while departure cargoes rallied and exceeded targets by 15 percent.

The Mactan Cebu International Airport serves close to 700 commercial flights weekly, transporting some 8,000 passengers daily. There are close to 160 daily aircraft operations of landing and take-off where 80 percent are commercial carriers and 20 percent are military aircraft and general aviation operations.

As a major cargo airport, air cargo volume was at 52.9 million kgs. in 2003 where international cargo volume increased at an average growth of 63 percent a year and domestic cargo at 4 percent.

I got this from the website of Sunstar, Cebu's leading newspaper. The article was dated 1/29/04


Bigfoot owner to open film school in Mactan
By Jessica B. Natad

VENTURE capitalist Michael Gleissner, owner of communications powerhouse Bigfoot, has again showed his confidence in Cebu, by investing in $5 million for an international film school, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia.

The International Academy of Film and Television (IAFT), which will be based in Mactan island, will not only help the Philippines attract large movie producers in Hollywood to shoot here, but bring in more tourists to the country as well.

According to IAFT president and chief executive adviser Kacy Andrews, one of the school’s objectives is to attract film students from all over the world to study in Cebu.

This is one of the reasons why Gleissner and his advisers decided to put up the film school in Cebu.

“Cebu (with its tourist attractions) is a good place to start to attract people from all over the world to come and study in our film school,” Andrews told a press conference at the La Gondola restaurant, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino Tuesday.

She said the prices of the courses of the film school, which is patterned after the Los Angeles film school, are one-third of those of other international film schools.

The courses are also short term, unlike in a film school in Singapore that offers four-year courses.

She said Cebu’s scenic spots will also help IAFT achieve one of its visions of encouraging Hollywood films to be shot in the country, once the school produces graduates.

Andrews said some reasons international films are not shot in the Philippines are the lack of highly competent and skilled talents and technical people, and the unavailability of technical movie equipment.

Expensive

“Because of the lack of human resource and the equipment, shooting movies in the Philippines is very expensive because producers will have to bring their own pool of talents and equipment here. If we have these ready for them, then they will want to shoot here,” she said.

Andrews is a producer on Miramax’s “Playing by Heart,” starring Sean Connery and Angelina Jolie. She has been actively involved in the entertainment industry for over 16 years.

The IAFT will begin offering short-term courses in April, at the office of its sister company Bigfoot located on Ramos St., Cebu City.

But it will fully operate as soon as the construction of its campus situated on an 8,200-square-meter facility in Mactan will be completed.

The facility will include a Dolby surround sound-equipped movie theater, recording studio, Foley stage, six digital editing suites, a computer laboratory with animation and sound design software and a 600-square meter soundstage.

After Cebu, IAFT hopes to open branches in Vietnam, France and the US, Andrews said.

:eek2: A very big advantage for the Philippines! Imagine, great movies in Hollywood will produce worldwide films that show sceneries of Cebu! Future Filipino directors will enrich their talents by reaching the international taste and standard of filming at a full and competitive capacity, and young directors from all over the globe will come to Cebu to learn film making and might even be influenced the Filipino way of film making. Thumbs up!

Wow...now thats something! Awesome. In a way, Cebu is more promising then any other city in the country:D (along with Clark and Subic)

Salamat sa imong pagtubang. Taga Mandaue ko pero na-a ko nanimpad diri sa LA.
I hope you enjoy your vacation and please post pictures of the development that is going on in our dear little metro.
Thanks for the update. By the way, nagsugod na ug tukod ang Boardwalk. I look forward to this project because I heard this is huge.

silingan ra diay ta! taga lapu-lapu man ko, hehe... anywayz, im very excited about the IAFTV (internat'l acad of film and tv) which is still under construction. most of the mentors are from hollywood! sh*t they are soo cool...! im very excited to go there this xmas! :)

the IAFTV soon in Mactan
http://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_03.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_09.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_10.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_11.gif
http://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_12.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_13.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_14.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_15.gif
http://study-film.com/main/images/main/main_desc3.jpg

IAFTV is very nice and sprawling, I like the colors.

looks like a mall to me :D but hey it's a film school. no worries for me. i just like to see what it produces, not how it looks.

Nice!! I'm quite surprised they are building something like this in Cebu...

http://www.livinginthephilippines.com/real_estate/images/south_reclamation01.jpg http://www.livinginthephilippines.com/real_estate/images/south_reclamation06.jpg http://www.livinginthephilippines.com/real_estate/images/south_reclamation03.jpghttp://www.livinginthephilippines.com/real_estate/images/south_reclamation05.jpg

Is there an official website for the CEBU reclamation project?
Anybody have other pictures of the the reclamation area or other info?

nice pics! thanks a0055!

this is the South Reclamation Project (SRP) cebu now...

http://www.streetracingcebu.com/gallery/dragwars2004/raceday/30.jpg
http://www.streetracingcebu.com/gallery/dragwars2004/raceday/29.jpg
http://www.streetracingcebu.com/gallery/dragwars2004/raceday/16.jpg
http://www.streetracingcebu.com/gallery/dragwars2004/raceday/14.jpg
http://www.streetracingcebu.com/gallery/dragwars2004/raceday/13.jpg
http://www.streetracingcebu.com/gallery/dragwars2004/raceday/11.jpg
http://www.streetracingcebu.com/gallery/dragwars2004/raceday/04.jpg

Thanks for the pics, guys. Hehehe, wherever there's an open stretch of road, streetracers will always take advantage of it:D

What do they plan to build in SRP? A business district?

they don't seem to be too keen on a Makati-like district at the moment, therefore the reclamation for more ground space:(

http://pic14.picturetrail.com/VOL496/2290612/5615129/71990802.jpghttp://www.livinginthephilippines.com/real_estate/images/club_ultima_view.jpg
Club Ultima Cebu City (Headquarters)

Enjoy the very same standard and quality services, amenities and privileges in the company of quality distinguished at any and all of our upcoming Club Ultima Locations:

Club Ultima Baguio, Manila, Makati, Batangas, Iloilo, Bacolod,
King's Island Mactan, Cagayan de Oro and Club Ultima Davao


FACILITIES AND SERVICES
Chinese Restaurant
Bar Lounge
All-Day Dining Cafe
Healthy-Heart Restaurant

RECREATION
Viewing Deck
Game Room, Library
Swimming Pool

BUSINESS CENTER
Audio-Visual/Media Room
Conference Rooms
Consultants-on-Call
Communications/IT Network
Courier Services
Cybercafe, Lounge
Mail/Message Deck
Fully-furnished
Serviced Offices to Rent
Meeting Rooms, Secretarial
Services
Snooze Rooms
Tea cupboard
Videoconferencing
Translation Services Transfers (airport, seaport)
Travel Arrangements, Helipad
Laundry & Valet
Lockers and Showers
Wardrobe Management

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
338 Luxury Guestrooms and Suites
Orthopedic Mattresses
Individually-controlled Air-conditioning
NDD-IDD Telephone Fax and Internet Access
Cable Television, Mini Bar
Bedside Control Switching Systems
Safety Deposit Box

WELLNESS CENTER
Diagnostic Facilities
Spa Treatments
Full-service gym
Indoor Jogging Track
Body Contouring
Holistic Health Care
Surgical Aesthetics
Steam and Sauna Baths
VIP Rooms with hydrotherapy Tubs, Barbershop, Beauty Salon
Healthy-Heart Restaurant with Calorie-counted Meals

DIAGNOSTIC FACILITIES
MRI, CT Scan, X-ray, Ultrasound
2D echo EGG, ECG video Gastroscopy
Video Colonoscopy, Optha, ENT, Dental
Derma, Bedside Dialysis Equipment
Top-of-the-line Laboratory Testing Tools

i heard SRP is going to be the Silicon Valley of Asia (i hope so! we'll see). it wont be a Makati-like district but a commercial tourism center, information technology park, etc.. A group of American and local businessmen is already interested to put up an airstrip for seaplanes which is another tourist attraction to the SRP.

the Department of Tourism building is actually located within SRP. they are also constructing a theme park within. the SRP is quite huge and the gov't still has a lot of time to decide what to do with the reclaimed land.

That sounds good. An IT center is ideal for Cebu. Besides, the Makati-like district of Cebu is Ayala Center Cebu;)

Wow, I hope all these projects will push through! Tapos gaganda nang gaganda ang Cebu, uunlad, and the skyline will rise! Then we have 2 major cities here in the Philippines, Manila and Cebu!

wow...! Silicon Valley of Asia sounds real good...!

found this on Manila Bulletin

Construction of P1.6-B tunnel for Cebu subway starts 2005
Manila Bulletin | November 16, 2004

CEBU CITY (PNA) — Construction works at the kilometer-long subway component of the Cebu South Coastal Road project that is set to be bored by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under the historic Plaza Independencia will start by the first quarter of next year.

At the same time, the Department of Tourism (DOT) will also undertake a major face-lift of the Plaza Independencia complex and integrate it with the Office of the President (OP)-Cebu now known as the Malacañang sa Sugbo.

DPWH 7 Project Monitoring Office Chief Gloria Dindin said that an ocular inspection had already been conducted on the park grounds by DOT Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, Cebu City Acting mayor Michael Rama and DPWH 7 officials.

The DPWH said that the 0.973-kilometer subway project was not included in the foreign-loan freeze ordered by Malacañang as part of its austerity measures.

It was reported that the government is just waiting for a notice from the Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) to wrap-up the pre-construction stage of the project, which had been estimated to cost R1.6-billion.

The project is financed by the 27th Yen loan facility through JBIC.

The subway — called Segment 3B-2 of the South Coastal Road — will connect the R8-billion highway and the South Reclamation Project (SRP) coastal road.

Boring of the tunnel will begin at the present gate going to the coastal road, then level off under Plaza Independencia and comes out of MacArthur Boulevard.

The 21-meter wide tunnel will include a four-lane road, with a dividing wall in the center. Construction is expected to last three years.

The Cebu City Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (CHAC) and the DOT are also mapping out plans on how the restoration and improvementof the park grounds would proceed.

Cebu City Acting mayor Michael Rama said that DPWH, DOT and the city government are preparing a master plan that would integrate all of the historical sites in Old Cebu, with the development of Plaza Independencia.

The master plan would then be presented to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Included in the face-lift are the old Compana Maritima building, Plaza Independencia, Casa Gorordo, as well as the City Hall grounds.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
hahaha.... yeah, I thought it was a subway too. like an mrt subway thing. then I read it... does anybody know about this project...? Cebu sounds like it really is progressing. I hope it does a better job than Metro Manila did though...

wow...! Silicon Valley of Asia sounds real good...!

found this on Manila Bulletin

Construction of P1.6-B tunnel for Cebu subway starts 2005
Manila Bulletin | November 16, 2004

CEBU CITY (PNA) — Construction works at the kilometer-long subway component of the Cebu South Coastal Road project that is set to be bored by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under the historic Plaza Independencia will start by the first quarter of next year.

At the same time, the Department of Tourism (DOT) will also undertake a major face-lift of the Plaza Independencia complex and integrate it with the Office of the President (OP)-Cebu now known as the Malacañang sa Sugbo.

DPWH 7 Project Monitoring Office Chief Gloria Dindin said that an ocular inspection had already been conducted on the park grounds by DOT Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, Cebu City Acting mayor Michael Rama and DPWH 7 officials.

The DPWH said that the 0.973-kilometer subway project was not included in the foreign-loan freeze ordered by Malacañang as part of its austerity measures.

It was reported that the government is just waiting for a notice from the Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) to wrap-up the pre-construction stage of the project, which had been estimated to cost R1.6-billion.

The project is financed by the 27th Yen loan facility through JBIC.

The subway — called Segment 3B-2 of the South Coastal Road — will connect the R8-billion highway and the South Reclamation Project (SRP) coastal road.

Boring of the tunnel will begin at the present gate going to the coastal road, then level off under Plaza Independencia and comes out of MacArthur Boulevard.

The 21-meter wide tunnel will include a four-lane road, with a dividing wall in the center. Construction is expected to last three years.

The Cebu City Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (CHAC) and the DOT are also mapping out plans on how the restoration and improvementof the park grounds would proceed.

Cebu City Acting mayor Michael Rama said that DPWH, DOT and the city government are preparing a master plan that would integrate all of the historical sites in Old Cebu, with the development of Plaza Independencia.

The master plan would then be presented to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Included in the face-lift are the old Compana Maritima building, Plaza Independencia, Casa Gorordo, as well as the City Hall grounds.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
hahaha.... yeah, I thought it was a subway too. like an mrt subway thing. then I read it... does anybody know about this project...? Cebu sounds like it really is progressing. I hope it does a better job than Metro Manila did though...

Holy crap?! MRT in cebu? WoW. I thought that Cebu needs more highways though but I guess mass-public transport is better for the environment and there will never be "traffic jams". It would be cool if cebu had an expressway with over 100km/h tho.

Padung mo lami ng mga infastructure sa Cebu. :)

Holy crap?! MRT in cebu? WoW. I thought that Cebu needs more highways though but I guess mass-public transport is better for the environment and there will never be "traffic jams". It would be cool if cebu had an expressway with over 100km/h tho.

Padung mo lami ng mga infastructure sa Cebu. :)

it's not gonna be an mrt...! hehehehe... sorry... haha... it's more like a tunnel. but the journalist for some reason decided to term it "subway"... still good development nonetheless, if it'll help traffic and stuff...

IAFT under construction in Mactan Island! The Hollywood of the Philippines...
http://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_03.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_09.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_10.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_11.gif
http://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_12.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_13.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_14.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_15.gif
http://study-film.com/main/images/main/main_desc3.jpg

IAFT under construction in Mactan Island! The Hollywood of the Philippines...
http://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_03.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_09.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_10.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_11.gif
http://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_12.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_13.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_14.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_15.gif
http://study-film.com/main/images/main/main_desc3.jpg
so will the movies produced there be in cebuano? :D

cebu is coming up with a CLEAN version of manila's EDSA. im sorry to say that EDSA looks so horrible. if we compare it with any country at least in Asia, our streets always look unpresentable. :(

so will the movies produced there be in cebuano? :D

its an international film (boarding) school. most students are from abroad.. it will also attract local film enthusiasts but i doubt if movies produced there are in cebuano :D

cebu is coming up with a CLEAN version of manila's EDSA. im sorry to say that EDSA looks so horrible. if we compare it with any country at least in Asia, our streets always look unpresentable. :(

is this reclamation area in cebu near the sm city cebu? coz that's the only place i can remember when i went there in 1996. sayang talaga i never had the chance to go around cebu that time. i only went to sm cebu and the famous supermarket in downtown cebu (forgot the name). anyway, i have an uncle there and some cousins living in mandaue and cebu city.

IAFT under construction in Mactan Island! The Hollywood of the Philippines...
http://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_03.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_09.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_10.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_11.gif
http://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_12.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_13.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_14.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_15.gif
http://study-film.com/main/images/main/main_desc3.jpg

So, we should kick name this Phillywood or what? ;)

My wife and I booked our trip to Cebu (Dec. 30 to Jan. 4) to escape the Canadian Winter for a short time. We are staying at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and plan to take in the sights of the city. When we visited Manila last year, we were impressed with places like Eastwood City, Greenbelt etc. that offered multiple dining establishments and other entertainment aside from shopping malls.

Are there any spots in Cebu similar to Eastwood and Greenbelt that have multiple dining options and bars? If so what is their proximity to our hotel?

Thanks for any input.

Some pics of the recently finished south road propertieshttp://images.ofoto.com/photos800/3/69/22/48/94/0/94482269306_0_ALB.jpg
http://images.ofoto.com/photos800/3/69/22/48/83/0/83482269306_0_ALB.jpg
http://images.ofoto.com/photos800/3/69/22/48/81/0/81482269306_0_ALB.jpg
http://images.ofoto.com/photos800/3/69/22/48/74/0/74482269306_0_ALB.jpg

hi robville, havent been to cebu ever, maybe our cebuano forumers may help u, or u can just hire a tourist guide as soon as u get there, or just search thru the net, it may provide u w/ wealth of infos, hehe...but if you're like more of an urban traveller, manila is way way better, cebu fits more for nature & laidback or countryside travellers...good luck

My wife and I booked our trip to Cebu (Dec. 30 to Jan. 4) to escape the Canadian Winter for a short time. We are staying at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and plan to take in the sights of the city. When we visited Manila last year, we were impressed with places like Eastwood City, Greenbelt etc. that offered multiple dining establishments and other entertainment aside from shopping malls.

Are there any spots in Cebu similar to Eastwood and Greenbelt that have multiple dining options and bars? If so what is their proximity to our hotel?

Thanks for any input.

hi there... beside waterfront cebu city hotel is the asiatown IT park. there are alot of dining/entertainment establishment in that area ("THE VILLAGE"). they also have CROSSROADS in banilad, just a few kms away from your hotel... its similar to The Village. Ayala Center and around that area has a lot of choices as well.. im sure ure gonna enjoy your stay there :D

hi robville, havent been to cebu ever, maybe our cebuano forumers may help u, or u can just hire a tourist guide as soon as u get there, or just search thru the net, it may provide u w/ wealth of infos, hehe...but if you're like more of an urban traveller, manila is way way better, cebu fits more for nature & laidback or countryside travellers...good luck

cebu isnt a laidback place anymore. that was perhaps 10 years ago hehe. the good thing is, the city can offer both urban and nature setting tourists can enjoy.. that is why there are more tourists going there.. :)

is this reclamation area in cebu near the sm city cebu? coz that's the only place i can remember when i went there in 1996. sayang talaga i never had the chance to go around cebu that time. i only went to sm cebu and the famous supermarket in downtown cebu (forgot the name). anyway, i have an uncle there and some cousins living in mandaue and cebu city.

the reclaimed area where SM is situated is the north reclamation project. the south project is of course somewhere south. hehe... to give u an idea, cebu 5 years ago is different from what it is now... the development is faster than u can imagine. i dunno how. :D

So, we should kick name this Phillywood or what? ;)

hahaha.. kick ass name :happy:

So, we should kick name this Phillywood or what? ;)

The city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania first came to my mind when I read "Phillywood."

Cebu ranks 7th in Conde Nast tourism survey!
INSIDE CEBU By Bobit S. Avila
The Philippine Star 11/19/2004

That President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (PGMA) has put her bets on Cebu as the nation’s premier tourist destination is bearing fruit, not from praise releases sent from our local tourism-related PR firms and tour publications, but from Conde Nast Traveler, a very prestigious travel magazine. Cebu apparently got a score of 72.8 and thus, was ranked seventh in Conde Nast’s Top Readers’ Choice Awards for the Top 10 Asian/Indian Ocean tourist destinations. All this began with the slogan "Cebu… An island in the Pacific!"

Here’s how the rankings and their respective scores went from the first to the last: (1) Bali, 86.4; (2) Phuket, 82.6; (3) Maldives, 81.1; (4) Seychelles, 80.2; (5) Koh Samui, 79.4; (6) Mauritius, 74.9; (7) Cebu, Philippines, 72.8; (8) Zanzibar, 72.8; (9) Borneo, 69.5; and (10) Lombok, Indonesia, 67.8.

Want to know the methodology used by Conde Nast to arrive at the results of its Readers’ Choice survey? Well, 241,000 subscribers received the questionnaires: 137,000 via mail, with each one getting one of several partial, 16-page editions of the survey, while 104,000 others were invited to a secure website which contained the complete 84-page questionnaire. I got all of this info from the Conde Nast website.

The final tabulation of the 20,167 responses was done by Mediamark Research Inc. of New York City. There were various poll categories (cities, hotels, etc.), with criteria for each. The questionnaires contained lists of candidates (particular cities, hotels, etc.), and a space was provided for write-ins. Only candidates that received a required minimum number of responses were deemed eligible for an award.

For the evaluation, each candidate was rated, criterion by criterion, as excellent, very good, good, fair or poor. Criterion scores, which represent the percentage of respondents rating a candidate excellent or very good, are averaged to determine the final score. For example, the 87.8 score of Sydney — rated the top Pacific Rim city — is the average of its scores for ambience, friendliness, culture/sites, restaurants, lodging and shopping.

The poll categories and their respective criteria: Airlines — ticketing/ground services, cabin comfort, cabin service, entertainment options, and food/beverages (international flights); car rental agencies — staff efficiency, reliability of fleet, vehicle selection/options, locations and rates; cities — ambience, friendliness, culture/sites, restaurants, lodging and shopping; cruise lines — itineraries, crew service, cabin design, food and dining, activities and facilities; islands — scenery, friendliness, lodging, restaurants and activities; hotels — rooms, service, food/dining, location and overall design; resorts — rooms, service, food/dining, location and activities/facilities; and safari — camps, rooms, service, food/restaurants, design/layout and activities/facilities.

I’m sure there are a lot of other tourism destinations in this country like Boracay that should have made it to that prestigious list, but having a great resort or beach is only one of the criteria. There are just too many other factors to consider and it is Cebu’s fortune that it tied with Zanzibar for the seventh or eighth place. Perhaps, the various tourism officers in the different provinces can check out the Conde Nast website and see for themselves the method used so they can use it to check and improve the areas where they are falling behind.

But as I told Tourism Secretary Ace Durano the last time we met, Cebu still needs a lot of work to achieve truly world-class status as a tourism destination. Our biggest dream today is for the Cebuanos to adopt a "culture of tourism" where cleanly dressed taxi and jeepney drivers smile to tourists and speak to them in English rather than take them for a ride, if you know what I mean. As elucidated by my good friend Joel Mari Yu of the Cebu Investment and Promotion Center (CIPC), Cebu is a pretty girl who needs new clothes, a facial, a manicure and make-up, and she would be very presentable to foreign tourists. After all, a happy tourist is the one who keeps coming back!

As it is, Cebu is getting world recognition as a tourist destination despite our almost insurmountable problems. I just hope that the political leadership in Cebu, with the support of Malacañang, gets its act together to improve on what we already have and bring Cebu as close as possible to the number one slot as the most envied tourism destination of the world and that is Bali! This alone shows that there’s no time for Cebuanos to bask in their laurels; it is time to roll up their sleeves and fix whatever that needs fixing in Cebu!

Continuation...

That our good friend Anos Fonacier began Cebu’s tourism experience in the 70s, packaging Cebu as an island in the Pacific rather than a part of the Philippines, is a success story told over and over. But tourism isn’t the only strength of Cebu. Direct foreign investments (DFIs), which today account for exports of some $3 billion annually, are also directly linked to Cebu’s tourism growth. Yes, a lot of the executives of Japanese companies that have set up shop at the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ) came to Cebu first as tourists, and when they realized that Cebu was very livable for foreigners, with good shopping malls, golf course and an international school, they convinced their top officers to relocate to Cebu and a lot of them did so.

Call us lucky that today, there’s still a lot of opportunities coming to Cebu and one of them is the call center industry which employs some 4,000 people working in shifts. Joel Yu of the CIPC has just arrived from an IT conference in Vancouver and New York and he brought the good news that the demand for call centers has not gone down and is even going up. Joel also learned that India is moving out of the call center business as it wants to focus on the higher end called "business process outsourcing." That means more opportunities for Cebu.

Que paso? What happened to the pictures of the south road projects I posted. The pictures were there yesterday.

hi there... beside waterfront cebu city hotel is the asiatown IT park. there are alot of dining/entertainment establishment in that area ("THE VILLAGE"). they also have CROSSROADS in banilad, just a few kms away from your hotel... its similar to The Village. Ayala Center and around that area has a lot of choices as well.. im sure ure gonna enjoy your stay there :D


Rusty, bai, the Asiatown IT Park you mentioned, was this the Cebu Civic & Trade Center before. I didn't know that they changed the name to Asiatown IT Park. I've seen the rendering of this project before and I was quite impressed. Are they still planning to build a civic and trade center inside the IT Park?

IAFT under construction in Mactan Island! The Hollywood of the Philippines...
http://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_03.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_09.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_10.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_11.gif
http://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_12.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_13.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_14.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_15.gif
http://study-film.com/main/images/main/main_desc3.jpg


The building looks so much like Universal Studios here in LA. I was there recently to try the Revenge of the Mummy ride and the film school building reminded me of the building of the said attraction in Universal Studios. Have they decided a name of the building? Could they name it Universal Studios Cebu instead? (he,he wishful thinkin)

cebu is coming up with a CLEAN version of manila's EDSA. im sorry to say that EDSA looks so horrible. if we compare it with any country at least in Asia, our streets always look unpresentable. :(


Is this the South Road Project you are talking about?

silingan ra diay ta! taga lapu-lapu man ko, hehe... anywayz, im very excited about the IAFTV (internat'l acad of film and tv) which is still under construction. most of the mentors are from hollywood! sh*t they are soo cool...! im very excited to go there this xmas! :)

the IAFTV soon in Mactan
http://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_03.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_09.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_10.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_11.gif
http://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_12.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_13.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_14.gifhttp://www.study-film.com/main/splash_images/iaft_15.gif
http://study-film.com/main/images/main/main_desc3.jpg


Silingan ra gyud. Keep on posting pics, bai!

7th place isnt too bad. But the govt really needs to work on promoting the Philippines and developing infrastructure to attract more tourists.

The philippines should not rely solely on cebu for tourism. Every province has a potential and I hope the current developments on tourism would reach out to other provinces. :)

i really feel sorry for the govt whove been neglecting this very promising indusatry... i mean vietnam is now being flocked more than us, coz they really put clear directions on the big potential of their country. imagine!! if the admin is really serious on this, more than anything else, they should have the will to implement the programs, in other words, invest-in infras, both in manila & the countryside, fix the rice terraces(w/c is now rotting due to frequent erosion & neglect from the natives), support the indegenous minorities like igorots & the mangyans, & provide adequate financial support too to diff. cultural orgs, like ccp (who iv heard is now on its very sorry state coz of rotting theater seats & balconies, falling marble slabs, very outdated musical instruments used by orchestras, etc...) they couldnt even fix the intramuros, i mean we couldnt anymore afford to lose another treasure just bec. of the 'fiscal crisis' alibi, hello!! were not really cash strapped in the first place, corruption lang talaga, it really boils down to it again....& again....pati tourism kasi napopolitica eh...matagal nah!

My wife and I booked our trip to Cebu (Dec. 30 to Jan. 4) to escape the Canadian Winter for a short time. We are staying at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and plan to take in the sights of the city. When we visited Manila last year, we were impressed with places like Eastwood City, Greenbelt etc. that offered multiple dining establishments and other entertainment aside from shopping malls.

Are there any spots in Cebu similar to Eastwood and Greenbelt that have multiple dining options and bars? If so what is their proximity to our hotel?

Thanks for any input.


Robville, I think this website will help you:http://www.wayblima.com
Enjoy your stay in the Queen City of the South.

Robville, I think this website will help you:http://www.wayblima.com
Enjoy your stay in the Queen City of the South.


Thanks. That is a great website. I'll be sure to post a few pictures from our Cebu trip. A lot of our friends here in Canada are very interested to hear all about Cebu when we return. They are more accustomed to taking trips to Mexico or Cuba for winter get-aways. I have a feeling that Cebu will put those places to shame. Maybe Air Canada will have to start flying from Vancouver direct to Cebu when we impress everyone over here. Just 33 days to go!

Robville, why did you chose Waterfront over Shangri-la Mactan or Plantation Bay resort? Waterfront is in the city and is more focused on business and casino while Shangri-la and Plantation Bay are more touristy beach resorts:) I'm just wondering, thats all.

^Great comprehensive website...gives lots and lots of info about Cebu.

But i must say, that the developer is very anti-Manila:D Its pretty funny...i especially like this one:

TAXI DRIVERS:
Manila - SATANIC DEMONS
Cebu - NORMAL HUMANS
:lol:

And they keep saying Manila is super chaotic. Well, compared to Cebu, maybe. But it isnt that bad.

Sorry for another post...but i just found this pretty cool:
Cebu has impressive road infrastructure including South Coastal Expressway
http://www.wayblima.com/scr.jpg

Finally i figured what it was...when i saw it last time in Cebu, i was pretty impressed by seeing a long bridge. Turns out, its an expressway.

omg, they have this? darn... all-elevated.... talong-talo Manila

I know...Its really impressive. Cebu is very promising...and if development stays up, it will surely beat MM in the future.

TAXI DRIVERS:
Manila - SATANIC DEMONS
Cebu - NORMAL HUMANS
:lol:

And they keep saying Manila is super chaotic. Well, compared to Cebu, maybe. But it isnt that bad.

IMO, there's not much of a difference when it comes to drivers taking advantage of innocent tourists, the only difference is that Cebu drivers are more friendly and talkative compared to Manila drivers and most Manila drivers who are friendly are cebuanos. :jk:

In terms of being chaotic, Manila is definitely worse.
Traffic + Rallies = Chaos. :bash:

But i must say, that the developer is very anti-Manila:D Its pretty funny...i especially like this one:

TAXI DRIVERS:
Manila - SATANIC DEMONS
Cebu - NORMAL HUMANS
:lol:

hahaha. :dizzy:

Sorry for another post...but i just found this pretty cool:
Cebu has impressive road infrastructure including South Coastal Expressway
http://www.wayblima.com/scr.jpg

Finally i figured what it was...when i saw it last time in Cebu, i was pretty impressed by seeing a long bridge. Turns out, its an expressway.


WHat, we have an expressway? Where, or going where? I've never been there or seem it! Is it new?

^yes, it is new. Its in the southern coast of Cebu City (hence the name South Coastal Highway;) ). It was only finished this year, 2004.

^Great comprehensive website...gives lots and lots of info about Cebu.

But i must say, that the developer is very anti-Manila:D Its pretty funny...i especially like this one:

TAXI DRIVERS:
Manila - SATANIC DEMONS
Cebu - NORMAL HUMANS
:lol:

And they keep saying Manila is super chaotic. Well, compared to Cebu, maybe. But it isnt that bad.
funny but i don't think we really have to put down another city (especially another filipino city) just to attract investors and tourists.

IMO, there's not much of a difference when it comes to drivers taking advantage of innocent tourists, the only difference is that Cebu drivers are more friendly and talkative compared to Manila drivers and most Manila drivers who are friendly are cebuanos. :jk:

In terms of being chaotic, Manila is definitely worse.
Traffic + Rallies = Chaos. :bash:

and may i add, not only the drivers are friendly, but everyone is. on my last visit there, the people treat those who are well-dressed (class A and B) and the normal people (C,D,E) the same way.... in malls, shopping places, etc.

in Manila, (SM for instance, when you are not good-looking or well-dressed, prepare to be snobbed)

funny but i don't think we really have to put down another city (especially another filipino city) just to attract investors and tourists.

I know...thats why the website developer was a bit to harsh and inconsiderate. Well, at least we got some laughs out of it.

^yes, it is new. Its in the southern coast of Cebu City (hence the name South Coastal Highway;) ). It was only finished this year, 2004.

how long is this highway and how many onramps does it have?

This ought to answer your questions:) (from the Japanese Embassy Website, Philippines)

Japan’s ODA Cebu Coastal Road and Reclamation Project Inaugurated

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo led the inauguration ceremony for the Japan-funded South Coastal Road and Reclamation Project of the Metro Cebu Development Project (III) last March 26.

The 6.45-kilometer coastal highway connecting Ludo Wharf to Tangke, Talisay City was formally opened to vehicular traffic by President Arroyo, assisted by Cebu Governor Pablo Garcia, Public Works and Highways Secretary Florante Soriquez, Counselor Makoto Kobayashi of the Consular Office of Japan in Cebu, and other local officials. The highway will later on be extended by 5.3-kilometers more along the coastlines of Talisay and is expected to be fully completed by mid-2006.

President Arroyo also visited the 180-hectare reclaimed land in Southern Cebu which offers an alternative location for Cebu’s high-end commercial and business establishments. This area is adjacent to the Cebu North Reclamation Project, providing harmony to the overall urban development strategy for Metropolitan Cebu. The City’s Reclamation Project, implemented by the Cebu City Government, is expected to boost Metro Cebu’s further development.

Financed by a 30.7 billion yen loan from the Government of Japan, the entire Metro Cebu Development Project was designed in response to the city’s rapid industrialization and growth. The continuing infrastructure development programs in Metro Cebu are also expected to benefit the City and improve its transport, power and communication capacities.

^yes, it is new. Its in the southern coast of Cebu City (hence the name South Coastal Highway;) ). It was only finished this year, 2004.


GreyX, from what I've read, they have already changed the name to South Road Properties. This is where the new Department of Tourism building will be located.

WHat, we have an expressway? Where, or going where? I've never been there or seem it! Is it new?


lotrfan55345, dugay na sab siguro ka wa sa ato no?
This project was just inaugurated middle of this year around the time Pres. Arroyo was inaugurated in Cebu as the Philippines' (?)th president.

funny but i don't think we really have to put down another city (especially another filipino city) just to attract investors and tourists.


I don't think the person who wrote that piece intended to put down another city for Cebu's benefit. I think he/she wrote that as a joke, just as some people from Manila would make fun of our Visayan accent or say "oy, taga probinsiya" when they learn that the person they are talking to is from Cebu or from other places in the Visayas & Mindanao. Nothing serious here.

I don't think the person who wrote that piece intended to put down another city for Cebu's benefit. I think he/she wrote that as a joke, just as some people from Manila would make fun of our Visayan accent or say "oy, taga probinsiya" when they learn that the person they are talking to is from Cebu or from other places in the Visayas & Mindanao. Nothing serious here.
maybe. :D

i see, 'way blima' as the name of the site suggests, means walang problema or "no problem", cute!! :colgate:

Anyone here knows about the status of Club Ultima in Cebu?

RP aviation market is under served
By Ruth G. Mercado, December 20, 2004

Despite increasing air passenger volume, aviation industry insiders think seat entitlements are under served and markets are in a standstill. The Civil Aeronautics Board said that even if the aviation industry adopts liberalized or open-sky policy, most airlines are unable to fill up seat entitlements for domestic and international flights.

The Mactan Cebu International Airport for instance was built and designed to accommodate five million passengers a year but its actual traffic is an average of 2.5 million. In just nine months Cebu’s aviation market soared by an average of 30 percent where domestic passenger traffic increased to 15 percent while international passenger traffic soared to 45.5 percent. But numbers are not meeting expectations. The Mactan airport remains underutilized by 50 percent. “It is a long way to fully optimize airport capacity,” an airport insider said.

CAB deputy executive director Carmello Arcilla confirmed insider observations saying that while there is no deficiency in authorizing airline rights, filling up seat entitlements is market driven. Denying an earlier report that seat restrictions have dampened the aviation market, Arcilla said, “slowing down markets is a business decision.” Nationwide there are 12 million seat entitlements a year but that only 6 million seats are actually filled up.

Bearish markets have been blamed on poor airport infrastructure, volatile and combustible security situation and expensive hotel rates. Said one industry insider, “Mactan airport is a functional airport. But compared to other airports in the region, it is not as glitzy.”

Another factor is that veritable and potential tourists are turned off with expensive hotel rates where these here are reportedly 20 to 30 percent higher compared than those in Bali, Indonesia and Phuket in Thailand.

What is also seen to undermine the local aviation market is lopsided distribution in international flights. Manila is the busiest gateway with the Ninoy Aquino International Airport accounting for 90 percent of all international flights nationwide while Mactan takes 8 percent and the remaining 2 percent are shared by Subic, Clark and Davao.

Still Arcilla denies the board has been withholding new gateways especially for international flights. He said the operation of flights is a market driven activity and a decision entirely of the airlines. In Cebu, 35 air carriers were granted traffic rights including direct international flights but like the proverbial, the harvest is many but the reapers few, there are no takers.

being a historical and resort city, Cebu City has a lot of potentials to open for more international air traffic. This damned government again! Qatar Airways used to fly to Cebu, but I don't know if its still in operation.

found this image on a foreign architect website, can't rememeber the name of the project but it's in cebu. anyone knows the project status?

http://edmundtanso.smugmug.com/photos/2703341-L.jpg

I think this is the two condominium towers in Nivel hills, Lahug. It looks similarly like it. :runaway:

I think this is the two condominium towers in Nivel hills, Lahug. It looks similarly like it. :runaway:

I don't know, how bout Tower 1, and Tower 2 (was it the name of the other tower?) in Cebu Business Park. The one on the right side that has been cut off, wouldn't that be Cebu City Sports Club? I'm not sure about it though.

Yes, these two towers are in Nivel Hills, in an upland Cebu City. I am not sure about the names of the towers, I think its Cityview. Actually, the original proposals of this project is to construct about 5 towers or more, but only 2 has been realized for the moment. Cebu City Sports Club is in Cebu Business Park, not the one that has been cut off in the picture.

Yes, these two towers are in Nivel Hills, in an upland Cebu City. I am not sure about the names of the towers, I think its Cityview. Actually, the original proposals of this project is to construct about 5 towers or more, but only 2 has been realized for the moment. Cebu City Sports Club is in Cebu Business Park, not the one that has been cut off in the picture.

yeah, its actually CITYLIGHTS GARDEN CONDOMINIUM... we used to hangout with my friend's condo unit and i really really love it! the view is very awesome and romantic. hehe

Thanks tilstshift for the pictures.
The pictures though were most likely taken from Marriot Hotel not Sheraton.
The white building was the first building built in cebu business park and this is where the Cebu Ventures hold office. The other building is the Abacus Financial Center. Gee, I'm glad I still remember the names of the buildings.
Tiltshift, can you post more pictures during your visit to Cebu? I haven't been home for quite some time.

Innove Plaza Bldg. is the new name of Abacus Financial Center.
And here's an aerial view of the new Mactan Bridge II that I saw in the web.
http://www.geocities.com/sualumnicebu/mactanbridge.jpg

It's beautiful!

another view of that bridge:

http://www.dpwh.gov.ph/img/dpwh_project_pics/Mactan_Bridge[1].jpg

from www.dpwh.gov.ph

nice! :okay:

what's with the killings in Cebu lately? definitely not good to the continued tourism growth in that region :no:

I think ginagaya nila ang style ng Davao City, salvage-style justice, thus pulling down the crime rate by striking fear in the hearts of all criminals. As long as only criminals are being killed I don't think the tourists will be too bothered.

I think ginagaya nila ang style ng Davao City, salvage-style justice, thus pulling down the crime rate by striking fear in the hearts of all criminals. As long as only criminals are being killed I don't think the tourists will be too bothered.

something like the Alex Boncayao (spelling?) Brigade or ABB? do they still exist?

something like the Alex Boncayao (spelling?) Brigade or ABB? do they still exist?

Well, the Mayor previously made up a group of SUPER COPS before the killings began. And now he's strongly denying any allegations concerning him to be a part of this menace.

Cebu looks to become the next Hong Kong

CEBU CITY - Cebu's business community is envisioning the transformation of Metro Cebu into the next Hong Kong, with the construction of an underwater tunnel, a new port and a monorail to attract more tourists.

Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) president Robert Go said the the group is finalizing the details and design of the master plan, which it hopes to present to the public next month. "We want Cebu to have a facelift to attract more tourists. We want it to be an investment haven of the country. It is a very ambitious plan," Go said.

Among the group's plan is the construction of an underwater tunnel that will connect Cebu to the municipality of Cordova in Mactan Island, which CCCI hopes will be the new site of an international port.

The group also envisions a monorail "smaller" than the trains used in the Light Rail Transit system, which will bring people straight to downtown Cebu City from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Lapu-Lapu City. With this, the CCCI board and the tourism core group, after consultations, proposed the transfer of the Carbon Public Market to the South Reclamation Project (SRP). "We want the SRP to be alive," Go said.

Aside from setting up a boardwalk from the North Reclamation Area to the SRP, the business group will also push for the construction of an international port in the municipality of Cordova so ocean liners and cruise ships doing tours in Southeast Asia could dock there. "We are envisioning that we will look like Hong Kong in 20 years," Go said.

He said they have "picked" many brains and hired architects to make the designs for the plan, which they hope will get government approval and an endorsement for funding by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Go said the CCCI has not yet consulted the mayors but he is optimistic that he will get their support since the project will highly benefit the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Talisay, as well as the town of Cordova.

The support of government leaders is needed since the project will be implemented using a loan. Go, who sits as vice chairman of the Regional Development Council, or RDC 7, said he will endorse the project to the infrastructure development committee of the RDC 7 to get their opinions and suggestions.

i have read a lot of ambitious and ambitious projects for the city, i just hope this one will be realized. i will be very amazed for cebu's development.

Yeah it would be cool if Cebu will resemble Hong Kong in a few decades, that's one accomplishment that we Pinoys can be really proud of. :)

Cebu got what it takes. Tourist spots for added attraction of foreign investors, skilled and educated workers, strategic location being in the center of the country, export processing zones, shipbuilding industry, IT hub, international airport, and oil mining potential. All it takes is a conducive overall business climate in this country.

Cebu got what it takes. Tourist spots for added attraction of foreign investors, skilled and educated workers, strategic location being in the center of the country, export processing zones, shipbuilding industry, IT hub, international airport, and oil mining potential. All it takes is a conducive overall business climate in this country.

Hi Mr. Michael Rey Diputado! Nice seeing you here in the forum! So how's work? :runaway:

Cebu got what it takes. Tourist spots for added attraction of foreign investors, skilled and educated workers, strategic location being in the center of the country, export processing zones, shipbuilding industry, IT hub, international airport, and oil mining potential. All it takes is a conducive overall business climate in this country.

Hi Mr. Michael Rey Diputado! Nice seeing you here in the forum! So how's work? :runaway:

Huh? You two know each other? That's cool by the way! :okay:

Hi Mr. Michael Rey Diputado! Nice seeing you here in the forum! So how's work? :runaway:

Hello Mr. Romulus Torres. See you on the 16th.:) Atay ka, imo man kong gibisto.:bash:

Huh? You two know each other? That's cool by the way!

Yup kiretoce, I know this humanoid. We're good friends even way back in college. And it still baffles me why I have wasted my time all these years. :drunk:

Sa tanang mga Sugbuanon, hapit na ang Sinulog. Pit Senyor!!

Pit Senyor! :horse: it's on january 15th, right? coincidentally, it's also our town fiesta ;)

yeah, the 15th I mean. In honor of Senyor Sto. Nino.

:okay:

Cebu is ranked no. 7 on that list (I read it too!), but we all know it doesn't end there. There's so much potential it's not even funny.

This is kind of old but ...

NO MORE TRAFFIC FOR CEBU CITY


In a few months time, the busy main streets of Cebu City will be free from traffic.



Department of Public Works and Highways Region VII Director Juanito Abergas reported that they are now fast-tracking the implementation of the 2nd Archbishop Reyes Ave Flyover located at the corner of Escario Extension and Mindanao Ave. in Cebu City.



Dir. Abergas said that based on the directive of DPWH Secretary Florante Soriquez, they are strictly monitoring the implementation of the project to assure the quality of work, in support of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s 10 point agenda of improving the country’s infrastructure facilities.



This P61.9 Million flyover project involves the construction of a two lane, 157.50 meter flyover, implemented by the DPWH Region VII Office under contract by WTG Construction and Development Corporation.



Last August 25, 2004, the project is 34.9% complete, ahead of the targeted 22.9% schedule accomplishment for the month of August. As to date, concrete pouring in all of the piers are complete, while fabrication of rebars and installation of tendons for the four remaining girders are on-going.



Project Engineer Nicodemes Leonor said that they are positive to finish the project by the end of November 2004.

SM Cebu to expand, put up new building

SM City Cebu is planning to expand, and this will involve the building of a new structure within its premises.

“We are looking into expansion plans, probably a new structure, but not within the year,” said Marissa Fernan, senior assistant vice president for mall operations, during a press conference yesterday.

Sherry Tuvilla, mall manager, said this expansion is targeted for 2006.

If the plans are realized, a five-level building will be constructed, of which three levels will be for parking.

The two levels for stores and common areas will measure around 40,000 square meters.

Provisions may be made to transfer the Travelers’ Lounge there, where it will occupy a bigger space, since more and more people are now using it.

The mall officials also revealed plans to renovate the Cebu mall as well as to put up additional malls in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Fernan said all the cinemas will be upgraded, including the chairs, the sound system, and even the lobbies of the cinemas.
The renovation of the food court will follow.

Tuvilla said the department store will be renovated this quarter, except for the third floor, because this was already done last year.

Including the short-term leases of the big spaces by the Government Service Insurance System and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration for their satellite offices, the SM City Cebu mall is already “98 percent occupied,” Fernan said.

“We experienced growth (in rental revenues) despite the difficulties (in 2004). The essential goods and services sector didn’t really suffer. And the non-essential sector was also propped up by the influx of tourists,” she said.

Asked to comment on the retail sales of the tenants, she said the rental revenues of the mall already reflected the retail sales of tenants because the rental is pegged to sales.

The rental tenants pay is a percentage of their sales.

Outside Metro Manila, the Cebu mall ranks the second highest in sales among all the other SM malls in the country, after the mall in Pampanga.

Within the next two or three years, SM will be putting up a mall in Bacolod. A mall in Tacloban will follow.

There are also plans to expand the mall in Cagayan de Oro.

As for the hotel within the SM Cebu complex (SM Sheraton International), Fernan said: “We are aggressively looking for a partner. We’d like to open it as soon as possible. We prefer having a management company because we’re not in the business of running a hotel.”

She described the hotel as a “well-built building. The only thing that needs to be done is the finishing work.”

She said SM would embark on this once a management contract is finalized. The finishing work will take only four to six months. (CTL)

it's amazing how sm pampanga earns more than sm cebu.

Hello Mr. Romulus Torres. See you on the 16th.:) Atay ka, imo man kong gibisto.:bash:



Yup kiretoce, I know this humanoid. We're good friends even way back in college. And it still baffles me why I have wasted my time all these years. :drunk:

Sa tanang mga Sugbuanon, hapit na ang Sinulog. Pit Senyor!!

Pit Senyor sa tanan nga Sugbuanon sa tibuok kalibutan.
Ug Miguel, ayaw pamalikas diha yawa-a ka ha (he,he).
Please post more pictures of our dear little metro.

it's amazing how sm pampanga earns more than sm cebu.

yeah... haha... I was wondering how that happened too.

what's a Travelers' Lounge...?? is the planned SM hotel a new building? or is it something they renovated...?

mas mahilig atang mag-shopping mga Pampagueño kaysa mga Cebuano. :jk:
topic lan namin yang sa boarding house last sunday. sabi ng landlord ko, andami daw talagang namimili jan sa SM Pampanga, kahit ordinary day, parang laging payday.

mas mahilig atang mag-shopping mga Pampagueño kaysa mga Cebuano. :jk:
topic lan namin yang sa boarding house last sunday. sabi ng landlord ko, andami daw talagang namimili jan sa SM Pampanga, kahit ordinary day, parang laging payday.
yeah. i went there december 30 and it WAS JAMPACKED! considering robinson's star mills was just across the street. lots of people from manila though. i hear tagalog more often than kapampangan, which is good for me. hahaha. :D

when i went there it was considerably a "normal" crowd. Though most people I saw didn't seem to be shopping. Eating, but not a lot of going in the shops. It's also very easily accessible. It can cause hell a lot of traffic, but on a normal weekday, it's just right on the exit of San Fernando. It's amazing how SM keeps on building malls but never runs out of mallers.

mas mahilig atang mag-shopping mga Pampagueño kaysa mga Cebuano. :jk:
topic lan namin yang sa boarding house last sunday. sabi ng landlord ko, andami daw talagang namimili jan sa SM Pampanga, kahit ordinary day, parang laging payday.

mganda rin kse location ng sm pampanga. cebu is just an island plus competition with other bigger malls.

sm cebu hotel beside the mall (i think 30-storey) is 100% complete on exterior. it was called sm-sheraton back then but sheraton pulled out or sumthin. currently they are still finalizing stuff with another hotel operator to open the damn thing. :bash: :)

Tourist groups book visits to Cebu in 2005

CEBU is expecting good things for 2005, beginning with the first two months of the year when groups of both local and foreign tourists are expected to descend on the island-province.

Cecile Sa-a of Blue Horizons Travel and Tours Inc. said she is expecting a group of 70 people to come in from Manila on Jan. 28.

She told Sun.Star that the group, handled by A International Travel and Tours, will comprise both international and domestic tourists.

In February, another group of 29 people are expected from an international school in Manila, the Mahatma Gandhi International School. They will spend about three days in Cebu. They will also make a day trip to Bohol.

Earlier, she already revealed that about 120 British tourists will arrive from a cruise ship, the ms Minerva, on Jan. 24.

Sa-a, who is also president of the Cebu Travel and Tours Association, expressed optimism about the prospects for tourism in 2005, saying, “I hope the Boardwalk will be finished right away.”

The 14-hectare Cebu Boardwalk is the anchor development of the as-yet-unnamed 50-hectare central business district that FF Cruz & Co. Inc. is developing in the Mandaue reclamation area. The project is expected to boost the tourism potential of the province.

Tourist center

The Cebu Boardwalk will contain a family theme park, mall, amphitheater park, marina and yacht club, marina promenade, tourist center, restaurant strip, and national fast-food chains. Among the features of the mall will be cinemas, an art gallery, Zen center, mini food court, retail shops, and a trade and exhibition center.

Department of Tourism Regional Director Patria Aurora Roa said the biggest festival of the province, the Sinulog, is also boosting tourism arrivals in January.

“There are charter flights—one each from San Francisco and Los Angeles—by PAL (Philippine Airlines),” she said.

These are in addition to the four charter flights mounted by the flag carrier from Japan this month.

To encourage more visits by the Japanese, Roa flew to Manila in the middle of this month to finalize the marketing program for Japan.

Roa explained that efforts to draw tourists from the United States and Europe will take a back seat for now, as the Philippines is targeting the short-haul routes.

Japan has traditionally been Cebu’s biggest source of foreign tourists.
But lately, Korea has been giving Japan stiff competition for the top post after local airline companies mounted direct flights from Korea to Cebu.

The tourism official said 2004 has been a better year than last year, with Cebu drawing 27.8 percent more foreign tourists in the first 10 months of this year compared to the same period last year.

She was hopeful about the prospects for 2005, saying: “As long as we have no incidents … no bird flu, Sars, we should be doing better in 2005. ”

On the other hand, the Hotel Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu (Hrrac) has also done its part to promote Cebu as a tourism destination.

The group launched this month a cookbook containing recipes by the top chefs of hotels and restaurants in Cebu.

“We’re looking at it as a marketing tool to promote Cebu as a culinary destination,” Marita Arambulo, Hrrac vice president for resorts and assistant general manager of Costabella Tropical Beach Resort, has said.

Seat in coach

Lyndon Angan, Hrrac vice president for industry partners, also revealed initiatives to improve the experience of tourists already in Cebu.

Hrrac, together with local tour operator groups, launched the “seat-in-coach” tours, which offer tour services all year round rather than only during particular seasons. This consists of a daily tour in either of the two most requested areas—Cebu City and Mactan.

Angan said the group has also upgraded security in its properties, as well as trained security people, including the airport police, in customer service.

Flood of inquiries, but no rooms for tourists
Monday, January 10, 2005
By Jessica Banzon-Natad

* Even before tsunami diverted tourists, Cebu
already turned down tour operators: DOT

THE recent tsunami tragedy in South Asia and
Africa, which claimed more than a hundred
thousand lives, has raised the interest of tourists in
Cebu.

Resorts and hotels in Cebu are now receiving
more inquiries for room accommodations from
Japan and Korea, according to a memorandum for
DOT Secretary Joseph Durano prepared by the
Department of Tourism (DOT) 7.

But DOT Regional Director Dawnie Roa stressed
that the increasing interest of tourists in Cebu is
not mainly due to the tsunami, which damaged
Phuket, Thailand, Cebu's closest competitor in the
international tourism market.

In fact, even before the tsunami last Dec. 26,
Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and the Cebu City
Marriott Hotel had already turned down a tour
operators booking requests due to the tight room
situation in Cebu.

Johnson Cheng, president of tour operator
Philippine Strait, had planned to bring in charter
flights to Cebu for the Chinese New Year.

Cheng is still on the waitlist for his booking
requirements101 rooms for Feb. 11, 132 rooms
for Feb. 12, 125 rooms for Feb 13, and 115 rooms
for Feb. 14.

The report furnished Sun.Star said the inquiries
had to be turned down due to the heavy bookings
of the resorts and hotels for the months of January
and February because of the 25th anniversary
celebration of the Sinulog Festival and the Chinese
New Year.

But according to the report, five-star resort hotels
Shangri-las Mactan Island Resort and Plantation
Bay got inquiries for possible bookings that were
originally bound for Phuket.

Shangri-las booking inquiries were for 100
persons for Jan. 8, while Plantation Bay denied
bookings for 25 rooms of two tour groups, as they
were already fully booked.

Meanwhile, Alegre Beach Resort marketing
director Yuji Kobayashi said he did not confirm
bookings, for they have only 40 rooms. But he
advised the groups to come during the lean
season.

Metropolitan tours manager Elizabeth Hauser
confirmed the diversion of a group of 19 divers
from Thailand to Bohol.

ATJ travel manager Maritess Tatara also reported
inquiries, but these people later opted not to travel
to Cebu due to the high cost. The cost of Cebu
accommodation is already the cost of the whole
package, including transfer, tours and
accommodation, in Hawaii.

An industry source also said the $100 average
cost a tourist spends in Cebu is very high
compared to the $30 cost in Phuket for the same
amenities.

To address the room shortage problem, the DTI 7s
Roa has said hotels and resorts in Cebu are
expanding.

By this year, Plantation Bay will have 30 more
rooms. Costabella Tropical Beach Resort will have
44 more rooms, while Mari-bago Bluewater Beach
Club Inc. will have 70 more rooms. When Hilton
Cebu Resort and Spa opens, it will have 320 rooms.

what's a Travelers' Lounge...?? is the planned SM hotel a new building? or is it something they renovated...?
i've heard of this lounge from cebu friends. they say it's a place where travellers hang out. lockers. showers. sofas. i heard it's pretty nice and popular.

it's amazing how sm pampanga earns more than sm cebu.

Just because the malls are evenly distributed in the different areas of Metro Cebu and people prefer to do shopping in the nearest mall from where they are living. In the South (Talisay City), there is Gaisano Fiesta Mall. In Mactan Island, there is Gaisano Mactan Mall. In the city itself, there are 4: Gaisano Country Mall, Robinsons Place and finally, Ayala Center which is the closest competitor of SM Cebu. The markets are largely divided by SM Cebu and Ayala Center. Without Ayala Center, SM Cebu would undoubtedly has the largest earning outside Manila.

Just because the malls are evenly distributed in the different areas of Metro Cebu and people prefer to do shopping in the nearest mall from where they are living. In the South (Talisay City), there is Gaisano Fiesta Mall. In Mactan Island, there is Gaisano Mactan Mall. In the city itself, there are 4: Gaisano Country Mall, Robinsons Place and finally, Ayala Center which is the closest competitor of SM Cebu. The markets are largely divided by SM Cebu and Ayala Center. Without Ayala Center, SM Cebu would undoubtedly has the largest earning outside Manila.
Cebu has Ayala Center. Pampangga has Robinson's Star Mills, which is an equally huge mall sitting right in front of SM Pampangga.

any pics (old or new) of Cebu? :sleepy:

Cebu has Ayala Center. Pampangga has Robinson's Star Mills, which is an equally huge mall sitting right in front of SM Pampangga.

So, Pampanga has 2 huge malls, right? Cebu as also 2 huge malls, plus the other mid-sized malls in the other parts of the city (3 Gaisanos and Robinson Place), each targeting customers in their own area. This still excludes the other "unpopular" malls like the JY Square Mall in the uptown Cebu and the Elizabeth Mall in the downtown. Probably, 50% the market is shared by both SM and Ayala Center Cebu, and the remaining 50% are shared by the others.

So, Pampanga has 2 huge malls, right? Cebu as also 2 huge malls, plus the other mid-sized malls in the other parts of the city (3 Gaisanos and Robinson Place), each targeting customers in their own area. This still excludes the other "unpopular" malls like the JY Square Mall in the uptown Cebu and the Elizabeth Mall in the downtown. Probably, 50% the market is shared by both SM and Ayala Center Cebu, and the remaining 50% are shared by the others.

There is also Mango Square. IMO Ayala Cebu have larger market and more attractive to shoppers than SM because it got more places to hang out with the presence of bars and cafes and bigger entertainment center. Plus to the fact that it caters mostly to the upper classes.

I hope I could get my list right.

MALLS IN METRO CEBU

1. Ayala
2. SM
3. Gaisano Country Mall
4. Gaisano South
5. Gaisano Main
6. Gaisano Metro
7. Robinsons Place
8. e Mall ( Elizabeth Mall)
9. Mango Square
10. JY Square
11. Fiesta Mall
12. Marina Mall
13. Raintree Mall
14. Coco Mall
15. Colonnade

I think under construction right now is another and much bigger Elizabeth Mall in Banilad, Cebu.

You are right Miguel. That's what I was also thinking before---Ayala Center is more attractive to shoppers than SM for many reasons.

I never been to Mango Square. Gaisano Main, Gaisano Metro and Gaisano South are not malls, they are purely department stores along with Plaza Fair and White Gold Club. Colonnade Mall is not a mall also, but a place to shop only for grocery items. I would not consider Coco Mall and Raintree Mall as malls. They are just places to hang-out, very, very small (likely miniatures), with few shops like boutiques, internet cafe, study center, etc.

You are right Miguel. That's what I was also thinking before---Ayala Center is more attractive to shoppers than SM for many reasons.

I never been to Mango Square. Gaisano Main, Gaisano Metro and Gaisano South are not malls, they are purely department stores along with Plaza Fair and White Gold Club. Colonnade Mall is not a mall also, but a place to shop only for grocery items. I would not consider Coco Mall and Raintree Mall as malls. They are just places to hang-out, very, very small (likely miniatures), with few shops like boutiques, internet cafe, study center, etc.

But does't Collonade have cinemas and few boutiques and stalls also?. There's a Jollibee also and other fast food chains but it is mostly noted for its grocery, although it is more of a "pang masa" type. Mango Square is located in Gen Maxilom beside Rustans.

Yes, Colonnade Mall has 3 cinemas and no boutiques. It's very, very hard to consider it as a mall, I would call it as an "air-conditioned flea market" except that there are also few specialized shops there like photos, etc.

Cebu 1st in S. East Asia to be Wi-Fi ready: Tom O

CEBU City has again played an important role in history—this time in the history of information technology (IT)—being the first city in Southeast Asia to be Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity)-ready.

Wi-fi is a facility that enables a computer to connect to the Internet without using telephone lines.

Victor Law, director for Asia Pacific of Tropos Networks, said the Cebu City local government’s cooperation and the Cebuanos’ openness to new technology, convinced the company and its partners to invest P300 million to install the facility in Cebu City.

“Mayor Osmeña’s thrust in the city of leaving the enterprise on its own is one of the reasons that encouraged us (to pick Cebu as the pilot area). Cebuanos are also known to be open to technologies,” he said on the sidelines of the press conference on the Metro Scale Wi-Fi network for Cebu City project at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel yesterday.

During the press conference, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña assured the proponents of the project that the city government will help them solve any business-related problems they might encounter with government agencies, such as the Bureau of Customs and the National Telecommunications Commission.

He also said the Wi-Fi network confirms that Cebu really has a big edge over Metro Manila. “This is not an opinion anymore. It is a fact,” Osmeña said.

The Metro Scale Wi-Fi Network for Cebu City is a joint undertaking of Cebu-based ASA Enterprise Corp. and Manila-based Protocol Century Inc. in cooperation with US-based Aperto Networks Inc., Tropos Networks and Intel.

The project is also supported by the Cebu Investment Promotions Center and the Cebu City government.

The network will enable business establishments and people in public places in Cebu City to access the Internet through Wi-Fi ready devices, such as laptops or personal digital assistants, minus telephone lines.

On Jan. 16, the day of the Sinulog Grand Parade, anybody in the hotspots from Fuente Rotunda to General Maxilom Ave., will be able to access the Wi-Fi network for free.

After Sunday, the facility will be available to subscribers only.

Protocol Century Inc. president Sam Alamani said they will start marketing the facility to those interested to become hotspots after Jan. 16. Hotspots are areas that provide clients with high-speed Internet access over a wireless local area network via Wi-Fi for a fee.

Mayor Osmeña said the city will be one of the first subscribers of the Wi-Fi network for surveillance purposes in the South Road Properties (formerly South Reclamation Project).

Tropos Network director of sales-Southeast Asia said some of the cities in the United States, such as Cerritos, California; Chaska, Minnesota; San Mateo, California; and Christi, Texas; are subscribers of their Wi-Fi network to report crime, increase public services and public safety, monitor traffic and address the digital divide

woah...! I never would've thought metro-scale wi-fi would be implented in the Philippines this soon. I checked out Tropos' site and tried to look for a press release on it though, but I couldn't find anything on Cebu yet. one of their other articles listed a few of their more than 125 metro-scale wi-fi enabled cities though, and KL, Malaysia was on it. so maybe Cebu isn't first in SEA, but still...

I want to see how this works out in Cebu.

whow! I hope this would be a success :bow:

World stage for Sinulog
By Cebu Daily News


VIGOROUS dancing, elaborate costumes and full-hearted performances by a cast of thousands in Sunday's Sinulog Grand Parade placed Cebu on the map again.

First-time visitors were amazed.

"It was spectacular! It's even better than those (shows) we have in Las Vegas or Rio," said Cortney Lawrence of Manhattan, New York. The retired airline employee was among 30,000 watching the non-stop, foot-stomping performances from bleachers of the Cebu City Sports Center.

But the sights and sounds of the extravaganza for the 25th anniversary of the Sinulog reached far beyond the stadium. ABS-CBN live television coverage was beamed to audiences abroad in the United States, Middle East and parts of Europe, aside from national viewers. Other TV network and cable stations broadcast portions of the whole-day event to varied audiences in Cebu and other parts of the country.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña was impressed by the outcome. "He is now asking what we can do to internationalize the Sinulog," said Joel Mari Yu, executive director of the Cebu Investment Promotions Center. "There are more out-of-town dance contingents now. I wouldn't be surprise if up ahead, there will be overseas delegations coming here to perform and participate."

Organizers had expected at least one million visitors for the event, billed as the single biggest Philippine festival. The turnout "surpassed our expectations" said Vice Mayor Michael Rama, overall Sinulog chairperson. After roving the streets most of the day checking on logistics and the parade flow, he said he noticed an increase "of at least 30 percent" from last year's usual attendance of one million visitors.

He said there were thick crowds in parts of the city not previously populated in past Sinulog parades such as the terminal area in N. Bacalso Ave., P. del Rosario St. and bleachers in Imus Ave.

"I kept wondering -- where did all these people come from?" he told Cebu Daily News.

Asked about the mayor's desire to "internationalize" the Sinulog or bring it more prominently to audiences abroad and thereby invite more visitors and investments to Cebu, Rama said some concerns had to be addressed to avoid "overheating" the city.

Rama said Cebu would "have to prepare" by "augmenting the shortage of hotel rooms" to handle the surge in visitor traffic.

"If we are dependent on the Sinulog only for visitors," he said "there would be a problem." Rama pointed to the need for a well-planned calendar of tourist events spread throughout the year instead of relying solely on the Sinulog to bring in visitors.

An out-of-town crowd favorite, Tribu Sinadulong of Tangub City, won the judges' nod and a P500,000 prize in the Sinulog-based category of the dance competition.

They had won the grand prize before four other times in previous Sinulog contests.

Inspired by the Carnival of Cebu in the 1920s and 1930s, the performance featured white long gowns, canes and top hats for dancers who twirled in front of floor length mirrors carried on stage.

The choreographer, Jojin Pascual, said it was designed to "end with a pause to reflect on who the festival is for." In the closing scene, a giant Sto. Niño burst from behind the dancing phalanx.

The bigger crowd of spectators, livelier contingents and more sophisticated choreography added to the impact of the Sinulog's silver anniversary.

Among the performers were Margot Osmeña, the mayor's wife, who led the Cebu City delegation and Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia who danced with Sinulog's Hall of Famer, the Sandiego dancers, who represented Cebu province.
From eight tribes in 1980 when the Sinulog began, the number of participating groups this year increased to 43.

Mayor Osmeña said he was happy with the celebration. "I have also seen that the crowd is very manageable," he said. Next year, Osmeña said he was planning to start the Sinulog later than usual "because the presentations looked better at night on TV."

The 10-hour celebration was capped with a 10-minute firework display that lit up the sky at 7 p.m. at the sports complex, Plaza Independencia and Fuente Osmeña, and a bigger 45-minute display at the Cebu Business Park (Ayala).

Sinulog founder David Odilao Jr. said the activity had gone way beyond his expectations when he first started it in 1980. "I urge everyone, especially the organizers, the media, and all the Cebuanos, to protect the gains that we already have in the Sinulog," he said.

yea.. Cebu seems so more progressive. hell I even read something that in 2005 or 2006 or something Cebu Is already Banning Overhead Powerlines which is the one problem with all phil metros

Robville, why did you chose Waterfront over Shangri-la Mactan or Plantation Bay resort? Waterfront is in the city and is more focused on business and casino while Shangri-la and Plantation Bay are more touristy beach resorts:) I'm just wondering, thats all.

Hi. We wanted to experience the city as a whole instead of a secluded "walled city" and our budget liked the $65 per night compared to over $200 per night. We have nice beaches here where we live in the summer so the cultural aspects of our destinations appeal to us more. We just got back from a week in Cebu and a week in Manila and 5 days in Marinduque so I'll post some nice shots of Cebu for the group. Stay tuned...

My wife and I just returned. Spent Dec. 30 to Jan. 4 in Cebu. Enjoy.

1. Waterfront Hotel (Lahug)
http://www.robtrent.com/cebu/waterfront.jpg

2. Shangri La with New Proposed Hilton in background
http://www.robtrent.com/cebu/shangrilaandhilton.jpg

3. Fuente Osmena with Midtown Hotel
http://www.robtrent.com/cebu/midtown.jpg

4. Club Ultima (under contruction)
http://www.robtrent.com/cebu/clubultima.jpg

5. SM Mall with the "never opened" Sheraton
http://www.robtrent.com/cebu/sm.jpg

Here are a few shots of the two nice residential towers near Ayala Center.


http://www.robtrent.com/cebu/res1.jpg

http://www.robtrent.com/cebu/res2.jpg

http://www.robtrent.com/cebu/res3.jpg

http://www.robtrent.com/cebu/res4.jpg

From our Hotel Room I took these shots.

http://www.robtrent.com/cebu/cityview1.jpg

http://www.robtrent.com/cebu/cityview2.jpg

http://www.robtrent.com/cebu/cityview3.jpg

And one while walking near Ayala Center

http://www.robtrent.com/cebu/ayala.jpg

From our Hotel Room I took these shots.

http://www.robtrent.com/cebu/cityview1.jpg

http://www.robtrent.com/cebu/cityview2.jpg

http://www.robtrent.com/cebu/cityview3.jpg

And one while walking near Ayala Center



http://www.robtrent.com/cebu/ayala.jpg


nice pics... awesome... :eek2:

Cebu's skyline is underrated. It's rarely mentioned in our discussions, even though with those photos there's roughly about 10 of them. What's the tallest?

Very nice pictures. I think the tallest building in Cebu now are the twin towers of Winland condominium. They are about 20+ stories. But when Club Ultima finishes, that will be the new highest in Cebu

wow....! great shots!! thanks, robville. I wanna go see cebu again soon. I went there once when I was like 5 or 6, and I hardly remember anything now. haha... were there a lot of tourists when you went there?

those condos look good... pretty simple but nicely designed. the resorts and hotels look very good too. especially Waterfront from that view. umm, that Osmena Fuente Tower UC, does anyone know if that's the taller or smaller of the twins...?

the watefront hotel looks nice! and cebu looks very clean! :eek2:

wow....! great shots!! thanks, robville. I wanna go see cebu again soon. I went there once when I was like 5 or 6, and I hardly remember anything now. haha... were there a lot of tourists when you went there?

those condos look good... pretty simple but nicely designed. the resorts and hotels look very good too. especially Waterfront from that view. umm, that Osmena Fuente Tower UC, does anyone know if that's the taller or smaller of the twins...?
That Club Ultima tower is the smaller of the two. The other will be 36 stories. There is a large banner with a picture hanging in front showing what it will look like.

There were lots of tourists from Korea and Japan in Cebu. A few Europeans on Mactan. A large portion of the tourists were N. American and European men returning with their wives who were from Cebu. I did not meet any other N. Americans in Cebu, although we arrived and left before the big Sinulog Festival.

I attempted this shot from the Mactan Island Bridge while driving. Did not turn out well but you can see the skyline of Cebu and the mountainous backdrop.

http://www.robtrent.com/cebu/frombridge.jpg

That Club Ultima tower is the smaller of the two. The other will be 36 stories. There is a large banner with a picture hanging in front showing what it will look like.

There were lots of tourists from Korea and Japan in Cebu. A few Europeans on Mactan. A large portion of the tourists were N. American and European men returning with their wives who were from Cebu. I did not meet any other N. Americans in Cebu, although we arrived and left before the big Sinulog Festival.

There are many Europeans in Cebu who flocked to Mactan's resorts most especially in Maribago Bluewaters. But a huge number go out-of-town and enjoy the diving paradise of Moalboal and Badian, in the south. Most of the diving and beach resorts in these area are European-owned--- Germans, Italians, French, Spanish, etc. This diving paradise is a haven for the Europeans. Actually, while Boracay has the best beach and Siargao Island is the top spot for surfing, Moalboal is the best diving spot in the Philippines.

@ Robville, you took that while driving? galing! nice shot! :okay:

@ Robville, you took that while driving? galing! nice shot! :okay:
Truthfully I was a passenger. Even Cebu's traffic (although better than Manila) is a little more than this Canadian can handle. It amazes me how little road rage there is in The Philippines.

Still a nice shot though, right?

at last!!! whew! i am so glad. You know what guys? i've been searching for such site that will gratify my enthusiasm about skycrapers and buildings. I found Emporis Database but it is absolutely unreliable source, coz they are not upated. They don't have datas about some of our strcutures. But then, at last i found this site and it got what all it takes. Para akong nakumpleto. Since i was a child i love to draw buildings and even into their designs, unfortunately i wasnt able to show with you guys. This is my first time to join the forum and i am so thankul for those who shared their awesome pictures of Cebu. I never heard or rather...read before, that there's such building called Club Ultima which is the tallest in cebu as what others claimed to be or just the Emporis is quiet unknowledgable about this, or nevertheless these two buildings are the same??? Could anyone tell me???

(sorry, still don't know how to post an image)

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=131329

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=131329

this is the Emporis data about Park City Central Hotel in Cebu. Is Park City and Club Ultima are one?

You might wanna check my website (check my sig) to keep feed your skyscraper enthusiasm:)

@robville, man that's a great photo. There really is a cluster developing in Cebu. Having a 36 storey building would help a lot give it recognition

park city central hotel? cool. i think that hotel was mentioned in an article that i read somewhere. they say cebu will be transformed into a global city patterned after hongkong/singapore in 10 years time. hmm...