If these region(s) would like to have these bridges built then they ought to have the backbone to shoulder the expenses, not the national government.

This is just like the case of a grown up child who incessantly complains that he is not getting any respect and after a while would ask his dad for some money.

If Luzon has LRT, railways, NLEX, SLEX and Mindanao also plans to have modern railways to connect major cities then Visayas deserves this project. If the feasibility study comes out favorably and NEDA approves the project then there's a good chance that this project will materialize thru "BOT". Anyway, the feasibility study worth P50 million is free. It is not mentioned however if it covers Iloilo to Guimaras then to Negros, Cebu and Bohol. They said 8 governors approved of the plan.

Just recently, I saw a picture of a span bridge that's supposed to built by German entities for the Guimaras Strait. Very nice bridge. I just can't remember the website. All I just did was type "Guimaras Strait Bridge."

Bridge project: Two birds with one stone!

by Valeriano S. Avila
July 6, 2005

I'm sure that our readers would like to know why the so-called "Friendship Bridges" have already made the front-page news in our local dailies, as if it was already an ongoing project. Actually, this idea originally stemmed from the dreams of those who cross the Tañon Strait connecting the island of Negros to Cebu, where at its nearest point near Bato, Santander and Amlan in Negros Oriental is only seven kilometers wide. If you've traveled there, at one point you too must have asked yourself, "Why not build a bridge to cross the Tañon strait?" I too have asked that question many times.
This stretch may be too long for a bridge, (the famous Golden Gate Bridge is 4,200 ft long, while the longest Bridge in the World, the Akashi Kaikyo in Japan is 6,670 ft long) but we won't know that until we have a feasibility study ranging from the depth of the strait to the strength of the current. If not a bridge, perhaps a tunnel? If you imagine that the Chunnel Tunnel linking France to England is about 26 miles long, a tunnel across the Tañon strait would be a piece of cake! That's if we have the money to buy a cake… right now we just can't afford it!

This idea ended up in the Regional Development Council (RDC) because often, dreams like the 1st Mactan Bridge became a reality because once upon a time, Sen. Sergio "Serging" Osmeña dreamed of it and made his dream come true. When traffic across the Mactan channel became unbearable, we too dreamed of a 2nd bridge and because a lot of us dreamed of this… 10 years later, the bridge was there!

As for that "bridge" linking Cebu to Bohol, let me point out that this is not really a bridge (I hope you saw the photo I sent to The FREEMAN which appeared on page 5 yesterday) in the strict sense of the word, rather this project looks more like a causeway that would bring Bohol closer to Cebu. You can see this in many American movies, which links Florida to the Key West islands. But first we have to find out at what point Cebu is closest to Bohol and where we can find shallow areas where a causeway can be built and where the water is too deep, a bridge can be constructed.

A feasibility study would determine whether if at all this project is feasible or doable? There is a deep gorge between Olango and Mactan Island, which is impossible to link with a bridge but it can be a combination of causeway or even a tunnel. This is something that already exists between Sweden and Denmark and if they could do it there, it can also be done here, except for one very small problem… they have the money to do that project while we're flat broke!

However, let me point out a better reason why we should do this project, a reason why this project can pay for itself… water. Remember those old plans to link Cebu to Bohol so we could get fresh water from Inabanga, Bohol? Well, that should be more than enough motivation for us to give this project serious consideration. As we all very well know, the fresh water river in Inabanga flows out into the sea, throwing precious water into waste and if only we could harness that, Cebu would have water and Inabanga could develop from a sleepy town into another metropolis!

The project calls for constructing a water pipeline along the causeway and as we get to the closest part, the pipeline can go underwater. But unlike the old plan, perhaps this time the underwater pipeline will only take less than 10 kilometers to Cebu. As for the project cost, since we in Cebu are willing to pay so much for every liter of water, all the more that this project becomes viable and it should be our best motivation to push for this project. You can say that we are hitting two birds with one stone in this project!

Incidentally, one of the reasons why this project suddenly has resurfaced is due to a joint meeting at the newly opened Hilton Hotel last June 21-22 by the political leaders, not just in Region 7, but Region 6 and Region 8 which included Gov. Salvacion Perez of Antique, Gov. Rahman Nava of Guimaras, Gov. Rosette Lerias of Southern Leyte, Gov. Jericho Petilla of Leyte, Gov. Ben Evardone of Samar and Gov. Milagrosa Tan of Western Samar, Gov. George Arnaiz of Negros Oriental, Gov. Gwen Garcia of Cebu and the various municipal mayors of Negros Oriental.

That unprecedented meeting ended up with a Joint Declaration for the Development of the Visayas, which now resulted in the cooperation by the chairmen of the Regional Development Council (RDC) of Regions 6,7 and 8 to identify high impact projects that would benefit the Visayas. Oh, did I tell you that this was not the only issue placed on the table… that someone blurted out a Visayas Independence idea? Hmmm, that too is a thought!
* * *

Apparently, there seems to be no communication going on between Central Visayas and Western Visayas. This report concerns only the Central part, no mention of Panay and Guimaras.

Check this:

http://www.buglas.com/news/2005/june/inv/news2.htm

This cooperation by the chairpersons (not chairmen, there are some women there) of the RDCs is a welcome news. It's high time for our regions to flex their muscles and start to be more proactive instead of just relying on the national government to do the job for them. Independence? Can we settle for broad autonomy?

Shangri-La Mactan opens $4M Chi Spa village, Asia's Largest
by Ehda M. Dago-oc
July 7, 2005

Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort has officially opened its US $4 million spa facility in Cebu—the largest spa facility in Asia called Chi Spa Village.

The opening of this facility in Cebu is seen to further put Cebu’s name in the international map, as the Spa destination is Asia, said Department of Tourism (DOT-7) regional director Patria Aurora Roa.

The over one-hectare Spa facility of Shangri-La is the first huge spa investment done by the company in all its worldwide operations, thus, its grand opening recently was attended by the President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Although operated by an international resort chain, Chi Village is highlighting the traditional Filipino massage called “hilot” to add a Cebuano or Filipino ingredient in the facility, said Shangri-La Mactan general manager Timothy Wright.

Located adjacent to the hotel property, the Chi Spa Village features extensive spa gardens and treatment pavilions; six luxurious villas measuring 135 square meters complete with private patios, sunken bathing tubs and relaxing lounges, and eight garden suites.

“We want to be at the best of the Asian region. The opening of this Spa Village is expected to boost Cebu’s attractiveness to international tourists,” he stressed.

According to the resort’s director for communication Neil Rumbaoa, the Chi Spa Village is not just a mere Spa facility, but it caters to Spa enthusiasts who really know what Spa is.

With the luxury of space is one of the defining characteristics of CHI, the Grand Spa Villa measures 200 square meters replete with an open air tea house and a treatment suite that can accommodate up to four people.

Incorporating CHI’s signature “spa-within-spa” concept, all the villas feature private bath, shower, steam and changing areas.

Currently, there are already few dozens of Spa facilities in Cebu. These are attracting foreign customers like the Japanese, Korean, Europeans, and also domestic patrons.

But, the Chi Spa Village of Shangri-La Mactan offers a more sophisticated Spa concept with equipment facilities and services are at par with the international standard.

Rumbaoa said if the Resort would utilize its worldwide marketing promotion for Chi Village facility through its international networks of Shangri-La resorts and hotels around the world, to attract large number of foreign tourists here.

This upscale and full-blown Spa facility Chi Spa Village in Shangri-La’s Mactan property is the second Chi spa to open since the brand was launched in 2004. The first Chi spa opened in Shangri-La Hotel, in Bangkok, in 2004.

However, Rumbaoa stressed that the Chi Spa in Shangri-La Mactan is the largest facility among the other nine Chi Spa’s located in different Shangri-La properties around the world.

Cebu Association of Travel Operators (CATO) president Alice Quiblatin said the Chi is another very important tourism asset in Cebu especially that the province is positioning to lure high-end or quality tourists.



http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/cebupics/SSC/skyscrapercity-cebu.jpg

hi sloid,
can you post the link to the google maps of the philippines for all of us to enjoy ?
salamat !

^ maps.google.com

then just type manila on the search bar. though it says manila, it actually includes most parts of the philippines.

you're welcome =D

http://maps.google.com/

Type: Cebu Philippines

Bridge project: Two birds with one stone!

by Valeriano S. Avila
July 6, 2005

I'm sure that our readers would like to know why the so-called "Friendship Bridges" have already made the front-page news in our local dailies, as if it was already an ongoing project. Actually, this idea originally stemmed from the dreams of those who cross the Tañon Strait connecting the island of Negros to Cebu, where at its nearest point near Bato, Santander and Amlan in Negros Oriental is only seven kilometers wide. If you've traveled there, at one point you too must have asked yourself, "Why not build a bridge to cross the Tañon strait?" I too have asked that question many times.
This stretch may be too long for a bridge, (the famous Golden Gate Bridge is 4,200 ft long, while the longest Bridge in the World, the Akashi Kaikyo in Japan is 6,670 ft long) but we won't know that until we have a feasibility study ranging from the depth of the strait to the strength of the current. If not a bridge, perhaps a tunnel? If you imagine that the Chunnel Tunnel linking France to England is about 26 miles long, a tunnel across the Tañon strait would be a piece of cake! That's if we have the money to buy a cake… right now we just can't afford it!

This idea ended up in the Regional Development Council (RDC) because often, dreams like the 1st Mactan Bridge became a reality because once upon a time, Sen. Sergio "Serging" Osmeña dreamed of it and made his dream come true. When traffic across the Mactan channel became unbearable, we too dreamed of a 2nd bridge and because a lot of us dreamed of this… 10 years later, the bridge was there!

As for that "bridge" linking Cebu to Bohol, let me point out that this is not really a bridge (I hope you saw the photo I sent to The FREEMAN which appeared on page 5 yesterday) in the strict sense of the word, rather this project looks more like a causeway that would bring Bohol closer to Cebu. You can see this in many American movies, which links Florida to the Key West islands. But first we have to find out at what point Cebu is closest to Bohol and where we can find shallow areas where a causeway can be built and where the water is too deep, a bridge can be constructed.

A feasibility study would determine whether if at all this project is feasible or doable? There is a deep gorge between Olango and Mactan Island, which is impossible to link with a bridge but it can be a combination of causeway or even a tunnel. This is something that already exists between Sweden and Denmark and if they could do it there, it can also be done here, except for one very small problem… they have the money to do that project while we're flat broke!

However, let me point out a better reason why we should do this project, a reason why this project can pay for itself… water. Remember those old plans to link Cebu to Bohol so we could get fresh water from Inabanga, Bohol? Well, that should be more than enough motivation for us to give this project serious consideration. As we all very well know, the fresh water river in Inabanga flows out into the sea, throwing precious water into waste and if only we could harness that, Cebu would have water and Inabanga could develop from a sleepy town into another metropolis!

The project calls for constructing a water pipeline along the causeway and as we get to the closest part, the pipeline can go underwater. But unlike the old plan, perhaps this time the underwater pipeline will only take less than 10 kilometers to Cebu. As for the project cost, since we in Cebu are willing to pay so much for every liter of water, all the more that this project becomes viable and it should be our best motivation to push for this project. You can say that we are hitting two birds with one stone in this project!

Incidentally, one of the reasons why this project suddenly has resurfaced is due to a joint meeting at the newly opened Hilton Hotel last June 21-22 by the political leaders, not just in Region 7, but Region 6 and Region 8 which included Gov. Salvacion Perez of Antique, Gov. Rahman Nava of Guimaras, Gov. Rosette Lerias of Southern Leyte, Gov. Jericho Petilla of Leyte, Gov. Ben Evardone of Samar and Gov. Milagrosa Tan of Western Samar, Gov. George Arnaiz of Negros Oriental, Gov. Gwen Garcia of Cebu and the various municipal mayors of Negros Oriental.

That unprecedented meeting ended up with a Joint Declaration for the Development of the Visayas, which now resulted in the cooperation by the chairmen of the Regional Development Council (RDC) of Regions 6,7 and 8 to identify high impact projects that would benefit the Visayas. Oh, did I tell you that this was not the only issue placed on the table… that someone blurted out a Visayas Independence idea? Hmmm, that too is a thought!
* * *

Really nice article ... I hope Region 7 will have their dreams realized and I also hope Region 6 will share the same enthusiasm in the project ^^

Kung sa totoo lng, magandang idea yung Visayan Independence. Just look at our current political situation mainly brought about by protests in Luzon (mainly in Manila) Magulo!. Dito the government is loved and supported, we feel somehow isolated from the "Nation" because MetroManilans want GMA out yet it is not truly of National Concern.

kung sa totoo lng, we have power, we have food, we have a very educated and hard working work force, we have history and culture, we may have oil (Palawan), we have the best tourist spots in the world, we have modern conveniences, we have natural resources (marine and forest) we have everything there is to need of an independent country!

Really nice article ... I hope Region 7 will have their dreams realized and I also hope Region 6 will share the same enthusiasm in the project ^^

Kung sa totoo lng, magandang idea yung Visayan Independence. Just look at our current political situation mainly brought about by protests in Luzon (mainly in Manila) Magulo!. Dito the government is loved and supported, we feel somehow isolated from the "Nation" because MetroManilans want GMA out yet it is not truly of National Concern.

kung sa totoo lng, we have power, we have food, we have a very educated and hard working work force, we have history and culture, we may have oil (Palawan), we have the best tourist spots in the world, we have modern conveniences, we have natural resources (marine and forest) we have everything there is to need of an independent country!

the same sentiment with mindanaoans. mindanao can also stand on its own. i read it somewhere that 65% of philippines' GDP comes from mindanao. or why not a combined force... lets make it a federal republic of vismin. just a thought.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/peejay_domek/pinkhilton.jpg

freshest fic of hilton, taken just a few hours ago....

the same sentiment with mindanaoans. mindanao can also stand on its own. i read it somewhere that 65% of philippines' GDP comes from mindanao. or why not a combined force... lets make it a federal republic of vismin. just a thought.
I think 65% is exaggerated ... but yeah that could be a possible reality if our political situation gets even worse.

one cold morning at cebu CBD

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/peejay_domek/cbd4.jpg

same cold morning, hehe

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/peejay_domek/cbd.jpg

Its very foggy :) Thanks for the pics ^^ Hilton is really nice

nice pictures...! haha! I never thought cebu could look like that. I always thought it was always nice and sunny... haha!

and the pink Hilton cluster actually looks pretty good!!

one cold morning at cebu CBD

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/peejay_domek/cbd4.jpg

wow, nice shot fundraiser! :bow: looks too un-philippiney... feels like ur in freezing seoul. hehe

where'd u take this photo? i'd like to see a sunny and clear version from where you took this! :D

tnx, actually i was on a boat nung kinuha ko yang pic na yan.... yang foreground is part na ng pier, ganda lang ksi ng backdrop na mountain tapos may fog, hehehehe, medyo nabw*s*t nga lang ako when it started to rain kasi i was hoping to shoot a bright, sunny pic... kaso ganyan nga, pero ok lang naman kinalabasasan eh

another shot... (panorama) w/ cebu plaza in the middle (soon to be managed by the marco polo group) citylights garden at the right and the CBD at the left

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/peejay_domek/now2.jpg

cebu harbor

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/peejay_domek/now3.jpg

PLEASE I NEED HELP... does anyone know if there is an existing COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN for CEBU CITY??? i need it badly.. please... please.... :bash:

awesome pictures fundraiser =D. I didn't remember that cebu was that mountainous. with addition of more tall skyscrapers, i can see cebu looking like hong kong in the future.

my favorite building is Cebu is the GLOBE TELECOM-INNOVE' PLAZA.

LEXMARK'S RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT HEADQUARTERS FOR ASIA I THINK IS LOCATED IN THAT BUILDING.

which one is the Globe Telecom Innove Plaza in those pictures? and I never knew Lexmark did R&D stuff here in the country. I thought they just manufactured their ink here. cool... haha!

which one is the Globe Telecom Innove Plaza in those pictures? and I never knew Lexmark did R&D stuff here in the country. I thought they just manufactured their ink here. cool... haha!

Lexmark has been operating in Cebu for quite sumtime... AFAIK, they also have a lab in MEPZ mactan.

Globe Innove Plaza is the Blue and Beige bldg beside the dark red office tower (Keppel Bldg). :D

City wants to lure Manila investors to Cebu

Banking on the sound political climate here, Cebu City officials will ask investors to do business in Cebu instead of Manila, where political unrest dampens investment opportunities.

Acting on orders of Mayor Tomas Osmeña, City Hall’s Public Information Officer Nagiel Banacia said they will publish an ad in a national daily urging investors to come to Cebu.

It will be more advantageous for businessmen to invest in Cebu rather that in Manila “because there is so much chaos and rallies there and it may affect businesses.”

“Unlike Manila, we have a good political situation and it’s a good place to invest in. Like what the mayor said, this is the time when Cebu will soar, when Manila is facing many problems,” Banacia told reporters yesterday.

Taking the lead of the City’s elected officials, 25 City Government department heads and some 400 rank-and-file employees at City Hall signed yesterday the manifesto supporting Arroyo.

Banacia said they hope to get the majority of the City’s 5,000 employees to sign the manifesto, copies of which were posted in bulletin boards at City Hall.

He said the signing of the manifesto is purely voluntary and no one will be forced to join the call to rally behind the beleaguered President.

Additional security measures will be in place at City Hall during the City Council’s regular session this afternoon.

Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem said he requested for police personnel in case militant groups hold their rally there.

“Security at City Hall will be beefed up because we will have the session and they might go there. Local anti-GMA groups know that members of the council support the President. But of course, maximum tolerance will be observed,” he told Sun. Star Cebu.



http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/cebupics/SSC/skyscrapercity-cebu.jpg

Echaves: Responsible tourism
By Lelani P. Echaves

His lecture presented the hardware; I`ll present the software.”

So began my good friend Alice Kintanar-Queblatin, president of the Cebu Association of Tour Operators and president of her own outfit, the Southwind Travel and Tours, Inc. The occasion was the annual Alumni Institute of the UP Alumni Association–Cebu chapter on the theme “Mainstreaming Responsible Tourism.”

Ambitious, impressive and financially demanding, to say the least. How else to describe the roadmap? Springing from Cebu’s twin-thrust of being the tourism center for the Visayas region and even the country, and being the ICT hub for Southeast Asia, Cebu will have built a second passenger terminal building, linked Consolacion to Talisay via the Cebu LRT, put up the regional tourism congress, and constructed friendship bridges connecting Cebu, Negros Oriental and Bohol.

In that future just five years away, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) president Robert Go said the Mactan International Airport would be operating 24/7, have two runways, and two world-class terminals. More 5-star hotels, resorts and pension houses will emerge. Local access will have improved tremendously via airports, seaports, even major malls. And a culture of tourism will have forged the best cooperation between the tourism sector and the Department of Education.

With all these in place, bringing in 5 million tourists by 2010 would be easy. Of these, 3.5 million would be multinationals while 1.5 million, local tourists.

In her response, Cebu Provincial Board Member Agnes Almendras-Magpale referred to Phuket, Thailand and Bali, Indonesia as models for the Philippines, not just for their quality as tourist destinations but also as models of cooperation. Developing Phuket was government-initiated while Bali was initiated by the private sector. As chair of the Cebu provincial committee on tourism, and as an advocate for the protection of women and children, Magpale looked forward to that time when sex tours and “hubo-hubo” will have totally disappeared from tourism and marketing brochures and promos.

great news...! it's nice to see how the private sector is so involved in Cebu!

the news about the airport expansion is pretty exciting stuff!! haha! if that really does happen within five years, those five million tourists will for sure bypass Manila and head straight for Cebu... unless Manila too carries out its own improvements.

Top Wi-Fi hotspots of Globequest in country found in Cebu
July 14, 2005

Nine out of the top 15 of Globequest’s hotspots in the country are in Cebu.

Innove Communications Inc.’s wireless service Globequest has rolled out 50 wireless fidelity (Wi-fi) hotspots nationwide, 20 percent of which are located in Cebu.

Hotspots or hot zones are areas that provide clients with Internet access over a wireless local area network via Wi-fi, a facility that connects a computer to the Internet without using telephone lines.

Globequest’s hotspots in Cebu are in the Ayala Entertainment Center, Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, and City Sports Club Cebu, among others.

In a press conference, Innove Communications Inc. head for corporate business group Jesus Romero said Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino has contributed the highest revenue in the use of its Wi-fi facility. This was attributed to the various travelers and hotel guests that need to gain access to the Internet.

“If not the number one nationwide, Waterfront Cebu is consistently in the top five hot zones nationwide every month,” he said.

More hotspots

Romero revealed that Globequest will roll out more hotspots in the next few months. Soon to have Wi-fi access in Cebu are six Supercat terminals, all outlets of Bo’s Coffee, and Gloria Jeans Coffee in Banilad Town Center.

In an interview last week, Earl Versoza, manager of Supercat for Central Visayas, said enabling the Supercat terminals with hotspots gives its mobile market the convenience and availability of getting an Internet connection while traveling.

“We (Innove and Supercat) share the same A and B market. It doesn’t just benefit Supercat travelers but also those taking SuperFerry and Cebu Ferries,” he said.

Innove’s Romero said the company supports the Arroyo administration’s 10-point agenda that includes the creation of six to 10 million jobs by 2010, decentralization of development and decongestion of Metro Manila, “with special focus on Cebu, the home of Innove Communications’ corporate headquarters,” a statement said.

“We are creating business in the country, and part of this effort is putting up infrastructure in different areas not only in Metro Manila but also in Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, Cagayan de Oro.... That’s our contribution,” Romero said.

Romero also said the pace of growth in Cebu is faster than in the other cities in the country.

“Some two years ago, our sales team in Cebu generated only about less than five percent of our revenue. Now it has grown four times higher,” he said. (ALC)



http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/cebupics/SSC/skyscrapercity-cebu.jpg

From the Philippine Star

Big, indeed
By Jessamine Villareal
The Philippine STAR 07/11/2005

CEBU–It’s the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. The $5-million International Academy of Film and Television in Mactan has a Dolby studio, Foley stage, six digital editing suites, a computer laboratory with animation and sound design software plus a 600-square meter sound stage. All in all, that’s 8,200 square meters that local filmmakers and international film students have access to.

"Cebu is the pilot. We hope to open IAFT branches in Vietnam, France, and the United States," said John Joseph Mercado, chief executive officer of Bigfoot Global Solutions, Inc. and five other companies under the Bigfoot Group based here.

In the $8-million Bigfoot Center, 25 flat screens are casually placed in the common areas. All employees have free access to a coffee shop called BigBucks and to a spa. The gym occupies one whole floor and boasts of a hip-hop instructor brought in from the United States.

"The whole management team regularly meets at the gym," said Mercado, who works out twice a day, either by lifting weights or boxing, for an hour and a hour. "Even hallway conversations are very productive."
Growth
Bigfoot is the brainchild of its chairman Michael Gleissner, who made his money from handing over the biggest book-selling company in Germany to Amazon and from investments in internet companies.

The company started as an e-mail forwarding and directory search company in 1995. Since then, it has invested $25 million in the country to become a one-stop shop for the communication needs of over two million clients all over the globe.

Bigfoot Global is the outsourcing company for both Bigfoot Communications, which offers fee-based telecommunication services , and CleverLearn, which teaches English and Mandarin online. Last year, Bigfoot Comm generated revenues of $2.3 million; this year, the projected revenue is $3 million.

Started as a 15-man operation, Bigfoot Global’s manpower has grown to over 500, consisting of software developers, marketing officers, administrative and creative staff, customer service personnel, and English language content creators from at least 10 countries.

In 2004, the company established a contact center with 100 agents to give email support and handle calls of portfolio firms to and from the United States and the United Kingdom. United Internet, a 25-billion euro firm listed in Germany and the biggest web hosting company in the world, is among its clients.

The Cebu operation is connected to Belgium and New Jersey, USA by international private leased circuits provided by GlobeQUEST, the corporate business group of Innove Communications.

"The business is growing. We are hungry for data. We have 65 servers in Korea and 47 servers in Los Angeles," said Mercado. "We intend to expand our call center business and marry it with out other services. We will teach Mandarin and English to people in Germany, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and Taiwan over the phone. We’ll have technology- sharing applications and add more value. We love the language learning space."
Language
CleverLearn has built tools for learning English in non-English speaking countries, the fifth biggest business in the world.

For one, its Clicktionary–a tray application that allows users to click on words and get an instant translation–has 130,000 users in Germany alone.

For another, it has married brick and mortar with technology, opening premier English language centers in China, Vietnam, Germany, and Korea. This month, the company will be offering its new concept, Mandarin language for non-Chinese. The price is steep at P65,000 for 32 hours of one-on-one training, but the results are guaranteed.

Already, the company has established a factory for language learning content on various platforms from flash animation on personal computers, web tools, testing facilities, and games on PDAs and mobile phone, animation, and movie DVDs.

Bigfoot has also developed a 25-megabyte program called MovieLearn, which automatically divides a movie into chapters with corresponding subtitles in English. It provides the meaning and pronunciation of every word and sentence uttered in the movie. It also determines the kind of speech of every world while the meaning of a sentence is presented with cartoon graphics.

"It’s a real kick-ass application in the United States and we are launching it in Asia with the movie, ‘Pretty Movie," at HK$320," said Mercado.
Management Style
Despite its many projects, the Bigfoot organization is lean. No member of the management team, for example, has a secretary or assistant.

"We don’t pay the highest salary. To work for us, you have to want to work for us. But we have people who left us to work for others only to come back in four months. They say they missed the environment. We are very informal here. We dress the way we want. Everyone’s on first name basis. We know what we’re responsible for. We combine the creativity of American dot-com with the structure of regular company," said Mercado, who, at 40, favors jeans and the casual shirt rolled to his elbows but who fully intends to grow his hair much longer when his kids graduate from university.

hi guys. I was in Iloilo last July 13 and proceeded to Cebu on the 14th. Well of course when in Cebu that was the most opportune time for me to check all those on going constructions unfortunately 12 noon kami umikot and its too hot. Di na ako bumaba sa taxi kasi baka iitim ako and avioded direct sun exposure. I managed to take some shot thru my cellphone kaya lang di maganda. Also ang laki ng nabayaran ko sa taxi sa kakaikot. Anyway here's un update. Nakarating na rin ako ng Elizabeth Mall (e-mall) para syang cleaner and of course newer version ng isetann recto most especially with all those students roaming around. Fronting e-mall in the corner of leon kilat at del rosario (if im not wrong) i saw an on-going demolition parang former abs-cbn area yata yun and an announcement "on this cite will rise the A.C.T. and I.T. Mall para syang 18 storey buliding. Then I proceeded to Club Ultima skeleton pa rin yung isa and i haven't seen the structure of Regency hotel yet.
Regarding the Park Lane Hotel, construction is in full swing nasa 5th level na. It is located pala just beside the newest flyover on archbishop reyes street. From a distance para syang part ng cebu business park because of its close proximity. I have also noticed that there is a print showing "on this site will rise the Union Bank regional headquarters" located within the Cebu Business Park.
About the Cebu Boardwalk when I passed the area i havent seen the vertical structure yung perimeter fence lang yung nakita ko showing the Cebu Boardwalk logo. Maybe they're still busy doing the underground construction.
Nagpahatid din ako sa Banilad Town Center, but i was a bit disappointed with the place. Maliit lang pala sya. Much smaller then the Metrowalk in Pasig pero parang ganun ang style. Robinson's Supermarket ang anchor dun which had its grand opening last friday (July 15). Dapat dito ako maglunch kaya lang few choices kaya di na ako bumaba at nagpahatid na lang ako at the nearby Gaisano country mall.
On the way to the airport last Thursday I was scanning the place about Lancaster, too bad di ko sya nakita.
Well I guess that's my short Cebu sojourn, Im sorry its not accompanied with pictures. Next time I'll try my best to get some.
Thank You.

Asiana Airlines makes it Cebu

by Ruth G. Mercado
July 18, 2005

Slightly after midnight of Sunday, Asiana Airlines completed its maiden flight to Cebu making its A321 the first aircraft to touch down on the newly renovated Mactan runway. The touch down signals the runway is now fully operational after five months of overlay work.

Seoul-based Asiana Airlines serves the Inchon-Cebu-Inchon route four times weekly on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Flight schedules are in the evenings leaving Inchon airport at about 10 and arriving Mactan at dawn of the following day. Inchon is a four-hour flight to Cebu.

With increased inbound Korean tourism in recent months plus Asiana’s entry in Cebu, tourism regional director Patria Aurora Roa sees an upsurge in Korean tourists that is outpacing Japanese arrivals. Roa described Korean tourists to be “holiday seekers and honeymooners” with preference for resorts.

Even with blazing headlines of political friction in the country, Koreans are unaffected. They continue to have strong preference for the Philippines as their Asian vacation destination. “Korean tourists arrive on schedule,” Roa said. Asiana’s A321 that touched down on midnight of Sunday had close to 200 passengers onboard including children.

The multi-awarded Korean national carrier serves some 17 countries, 54 cities and 63 routes on passenger international flights and 14 countries, 19 cities and 16 routes on international cargo. In Korea alone, Asiana serves 12 cities and 17 routes as of July last year.

Regional manager Hyun Il Kim said Asiana has served the Philippine travel market since 1994 flying Manila to Seoul 11 times weekly afternoon flights and four times weekly evening flights. The carrier also serves Manila to Pusan twice weekly and five times weekly on the Clark-Seoul route.
Best runway, best manager.

Korean transport attaché Park Jong Heum and Asiana’s regional manager Kim said what bolstered optimism and reinforced confidence in flying to Cebu is the dynamism and partnership with Mactan airport general manager Adelberto Yap. Korean transport and airline officials had apparently known Yap during his stint as general manager at Clark and Subic before his Cebu assignment.

Yap is responsible for initiating renovation and rehabilitation of the runway subverting senseless court battles that plagued and blocked rejuvenation work for 15 years. It took Yap some five months for the runway makeover to get done, making this fully operational in time for Asiana’s maiden flight.

The airport authority board admires Yap as “the best general manager the airport authority has ever had.” While Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Robert Go who fondly calls Yap an action man said, “we have the best runway, the best airport, the best general manager.” Asiana Airlines knew where they had landed.




http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/cebupics/SSC/skyscrapercity-cebu.jpg

ei, @dominique, thanks for the updates. next time, we'll wait for your pictures ok? :)

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/peejay_domek/pinkhilton.jpg

freshest fic of hilton, taken just a few hours ago....

wooh....what a color!

cool... so the runway rehabilitation at Cebu-Mactan is already complete. that's pretty fast!! with the MCIA's new GM, I'm sure the expansion plans for the airport there will push through as necessary. and hopefully with the improved runway, the airlines that are contemplating on entering Cebu will decide to open up services there too...

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/peejay_domek/pinkhilton.jpg

freshest fic of hilton, taken just a few hours ago....


wow that's really pink.

are the facilities 5 star, is room size big.

where is it exactly , on mactan near shangrila?

PLEASE I NEED HELP... does anyone know if there is an existing COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN for CEBU CITY??? i need it badly.. please... please.... :bash:


I've not done a project there. BUT for sure there is. As cebu is a regional administrative center plus the 2nd largest metro area, I'm sure the functions there are devolved, try the city planning office, am not sure if they have it online, like the other cities here in MM but down there they should have it. The other Place would be HLURB but as it's devolved it may actually be an extension of city hall. IN any case either of these two institutions would have it.

Nice Article here. pls. read...


East Visayas: The Queen Reigns
By Jasmin Suma-oy in Cebu
NEWSBREAK Contributing Writer




For all its grumbling about economic and political matters being decided by “imperial Manila,” the province of Cebu has been the object of similar resentment from adjoining provinces in Central Visayas and, to a certain extent, the next-door region of Eastern Visayas. The jealous neighbors, however, will have to come to terms with the realities of an “imperial Cebu” if the proposed merger of Regions 7 and 8, to form the East Visayas state under a federal Philippines, is to work.
Although its natural resources are not rich enough, Cebu—the city and the province—has what it takes to shepherd the region to economic progress.
Cebu province, home to more than half of the Central Visayan population, accounts for 80 percent of the region’s industrial output. Although the province depended on its share in the national government’s tax collection for 67 percent of its 2003 budget, that dependency on the internal revenue allotment (IRA) was the lowest among provinces in the region. The IRA supported 85 percent of Negros Oriental’s expenditures, 89 percent of Bohol’s, and 96 percent of Siquijor’s.
Cebu City, the provincial capital known as the Queen City of the South, operated on a budget of over P2 billion, but only 36 percent of that came from the IRA.
Five of the eight special economic zones in Central Visayas are located in Metro Cebu and produce electronics, other industrial goods, electrical equipment, and furniture for export. The factories at the Mactan Economic Zone manufacture the bulk of the first three products, but Cebu City might be able to double that output when investors start setting up on the city’s 300-hectare South Reclamation Project.
Ninety percent of the country’s shipping companies are based in Cebu, while the capital city hosts offices of national government agencies and branches of all the Metro Manila banks.
In other words, Cebu City and the local government units surrounding Metro Cebu have all the infrastructure that propelled Metro Manila into becoming the country’s economic hub.
“If the other areas agree and acquiesce to the economic primacy of Metro Cebu and consider complementation and integration of their economies with Metro Cebu, then advances can be made,” says Paul Villarete, formerly an economic development specialist with the National Economic and Development Authority in Region 7 (Central Visayas).
“Whether we like it or not, economic output is generated by urban areas. The moment a ‘suburb’ recognized itself as such and contributed to the whole [regional economic exchange], its own development is likewise imminent,” Villarete says.
Villarete, now Cebu City’s planning and development officer, doesn’t see much difficulty in the recognition of Cebu’s supremacy within Central Visayas. The economies of the other provinces have been linked with Cebu’s for some time, he says. The difficulty—and unacceptability—might come from the proposal of federalism advocates to annex Region 8, one of the poorest regions, to Central Visayas.
Joel Mari Yu, managing director of the Cebu Investment Promotions Center, points out that Cebu’s economic growth has not been hampered by its lack of certain natural resources, like water. This is because the investors who come to Cebu, particularly those that locate in the Mactan Export Zone, are not resource-seeking investors. These are efficiency-seeking investors, who come because Cebu has the basic infrastructure and workforce to support their kind of operation.
He says Cebu may be a small island, but it does not lack the space for the kind of investment that it is looking for. Cebu’s biggest development opportunities are in foreign investments, tourism, and information and communication technology (ICT), he says. “Cebu will generate the money to buy the resources that it needs, even water.”
Indeed, Cebu is showing more potential. Foreign investments, mainly responsible for the so-called “Ceboom,” continue to come in. Fast ferries and bulk carriers have become important export products of the province after the West Cebu Industrial Park, which houses two shipbuilding companies, started operations in Balamban in 1993.
Mitsumi Cebu Inc., a manufacturer of electronic parts located in Danao City, is one of the largest single manufacturing enterprises in the country in terms of employment, having around 17,600 workers.
ICT-related enterprises are on the rise, too. Cebu has over 30 Internet Service Providers and has the highest density of Internet users in the country. IT-enabled services providers like call centers, medical transcriptions, and data digitizers also abound in the province.
The tourism- and agriculture-based economies of Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor have complemented Cebu’s industry- and technology-based economy. Between these provinces is easy access by sea.
Home-based industries, mostly of the micro and cottage types, play a vital role in Bohol’s economy.
But what is increasingly gaining influence on Bohol’s economy is tourism. Famous for its Chocolate Hills and white beaches, Bohol is fast growing as a destination of both domestic and foreign tourists.
Bohol, a major food source of Central Visayas, devotes around 45 percent of its land area to agriculture. The Ubay Stock Farm is the largest livestock-breeding center in the country. The Philippine Starch Industrial Corp. and the limestone from the Philippines Sinter Corp. export their products to Taiwan.
Negros Oriental is the leading producer of sugarcane and coconut. Thus, among its major export products are copra and sugar molasses.
Tourism is also a growing industry in Negros Oriental. Dolphin and whale watching, scuba diving, mountain trekking, and world-class golf courses are among its tourist attractions.
The province has identified two sites for special economic zone development, which if proclaimed by the President would be the first special economic zones outside Cebu. One is the Bais City Ecozone in Bais City; the other is the Polo Ecocity Special Economic Zone in the adjacent city of Tanjay.
Siquijor, the smallest province in Central Visayas, has very limited arable land. As a result, it depends on neighboring provinces for food.
Fishing and tourism, which are still underdeveloped, are the potential economic drivers of Siquijor.
The varied but complementary economic activities of these provinces have made the region the third largest contributor to the country’s trade output.
The economy of Central Visayas is dominated by services and industry, which account for not less than 29 percent and 52 percent of the region’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP), respectively. Industrial and consumer goods are the region’s top dollar earners.
From 1990 to 2002, the regional economy grew at an annual rate of 3.9 percent. This is higher than the national economy’s average annual growth rate of 3.2 percent for the same period. In absolute terms, Central Visayas’ GRDP increased from P47.2 billion in 1999 to P74.9 billion in 2002, or almost double in 12 years.
The 2000 Census puts the population of Central Visayas at 5.7 million, making it the country’s fifth most populous region.
The growth of the per-capita GRDP in the last 10 years is an indication that the regional economy grew faster than its population.
For Cebu’s success to be replicated in the neighboring provinces, Villarete says political leaders in these provinces should recognize their people’s entrepreneurial potentials. Cebu province is ahead economically because Cebuanos are entrepreneurs, he says.
The other factor, he says, is that Cebu’s growth is primarily led by the private sector and not by the public sector.
This is where the difficulty of merging Regions 7 and 8 comes in. “The structure of their economies is so different that we cannot transplant what is in Cebu to Region 8,” says Yu, who also served as director of the Department of Trade and Industry in Central Visayas.
He says that to try to disperse Cebu’s development to the other provinces would mean “re-engineering the entire development process” because Cebu’s potentials are different from those of Region 8’s.
Villarete notes that in the past decade or two, the poorest regions in terms of level of poverty of its population, percentage-wise, have always been Regions 5, 8, 6 and 7, in that order.
“Knowing that, we come to a realization that Region 7 itself does not place high in the ranking of richness and is even at the lower rungs in spite of the fact that it has Metro Cebu within itself. So adding a fellow ‘poor’ region to make a state will surely make it less viable economically,” he says.
Geographically, he sees that the difficulty of sustaining this part of the state will be aggravated by the fact that the economic activities of the Samar provinces have never been linked with those of Metro Cebu.
Villarete observes, however, that there could be a way of linking the two regions should it become necessary. He says Region 8’s potential is in the fact that it has a far better road transport network than Region 7—actually an unutilized asset, he says. If sea transport is improved such that economic produce can be easily transported within the Region 8 provinces and the Port of Cebu, which is an international port, then there will be improved economic activity and better output levels.
But, he says, Eastern Visayas should first concede that, in the meantime, it would have to be one of Cebu’s suburbs.

Nice Article here. pls. read...

East Visayas: The Queen Reigns
By Jasmin Suma-oy in Cebu
NEWSBREAK Contributing Writer

But, he says, Eastern Visayas should first concede that, in the meantime, it would have to be one of Cebu’s suburbs.

I guess Imelda Marcos will concede so she could run as State Governor.

Mactan runway is A380-capable
by Ruth G. Mercado July 21, 2005

Mactan may be the only airport in the country with a runway capable of accommodating superjumbo, the Airbus 380 and other new generation aircraft. Mactan beats airports in Manila and Subic on A380-capable runway.

Adelberto Yap, general manager of the Mactan Cebu Airport Authority, said A380 capabilities of the renovated runway allows the superjumbo jet to land and maneuver where distance is not a problem.

The 600-ton Airbus 380 is the world’s biggest and the first aircraft to have two decks. Hailed as a triumph in design and engineering that took 11 years to prepare and an overshot budget of $13 billion, the Airbus 380 can accommodate 555 people and up to 840 with the size of its hull.

With length of 73 meters, wingspan of 79.8 meters and height of 24.1 meters, the A380 offers spacious in-flight shopping and houses a lounge, bar, showers, gymnasium, libraries and an onboard waterfall. The behemoth jet promises to be fuel-efficient and quite when flying with minimal noise emissions.

The renovated Mactan runway has a length of 3,300 meters and width of 45 meters with full parallel taxiways of 23 meters in width. The 316-meter centerline distance between runway and taxiway allows the superjumbo to maneuver in its 80-meter wingspan.

Yap said runway length is no problem for the A380 as it can land and take off on short distance. The former air force pilot who was once manager of the Subic airport said the rehabilitated Mactan runway can accommodate two approaching aircraft without touching each other’s wings. It has capabilities for other new generation aircraft like Boeing’s 777.

In comparison, runways at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport were configured for DC 8s and DC 10s, while Subic runways are short. Yap said that what restricts the Airbus 380’s landing and take off is that “Subic has maneuvering and space problems.”

US logistics giant, Federal Express announced last week that it was pulling out its Asia-Pacific hub in the country and moving it to China. Though FedEx did not explicitly explain why it was closing its operations in the country, there were heavy insinuations that it may have been due to runway limitations. Yap said Subic has shorter runway than Mactan and there are no expansion areas for cargo hangars.

The logistics giant is also purchasing Airbus 380s where the Subic runways are not big and long enough to accommodate these.

Yap said the only limitation for the A380-capable Mactan runway is docking the aircraft. He said configurations of the Mactan terminal are incompatible with double decker jets. “We don’t have double decker aero bridges, unless we fashion one.”

Plans to build terminal facilities configured for double deck aircraft are in the pipeline. Certainly for Cebu, having an Airbus 380 on its airport is no pipe dream.

nice articles dominique & kiretoce!

I'm dying to see this babe roaming around Mactan airport someday! :drool:
http://www.linternaute.com/savoir/diaporama/airbus_a380/images/decollage.jpg

tsk tsk...that's bad news for subic...i thought they're relocating to clark?
but yeah, would love to see those giants flying philippine airspace and landing on our airports. good for mactan! they have the runway and hopefully the double decker aero bridges!!

Firms upbeat on prospects at Banilad Town Center

BANILAD Town Center (BTC) formally opened last Friday, with its locators optimistic about business there.

The opening was done in tandem with the opening of Robinsons Supermarket’s second outlet in Cebu.
Robinsons Supermarket is BTC’s anchor store.

BTC will face competition from other malls in Cebu City, including the Gaisano Country Mall, located just a few meters away, Ayala Center Cebu, SM City Cebu, JY Square Discovery Mall, Raintree Mall, Coco Mall and Elizabeth Mall. But its locators are unfazed.

Krua Thai Inc. president Anthony Ballreich said the company has put in a substantial investment in its biggest Krua Thai restaurant so far, at the BTC.

Showing her optimism, Gloria Jean’s Coffees franchisee Lalaine Espiritu, in a separate interview, also said the Gloria Jean’s Coffees-BTC branch has added breakfast to its menu to meet the demands of the BTC market, mostly the A-C crowd.

Bo’s Coffee has also transferred its Banilad branch to BTC to capture the market in the area.

According to Ballreich, Krua Thai-BTC is the fourth company-owned restaurant of the Thai food chain. It has six other branches, which are franchised, in other areas in the country.

Krua Thai’s two-story BTC branch, which has a floor area of 460 square meters, has function rooms on the second floor that can accommodate 160 persons. Its ground floor area can seat 140 persons.

Ballreich said the function rooms were meant to cater to the needs of the restaurant’s corporate clients, which comprise 40 percent of its market in its three existing company-owned branches located in Mactan, SM City Cebu and Crossroads mall.

michaelsinjin:Yes, the Ayala SouthMall Cebu will be in the South Reclamation Project, a km or 2 away from SM City Cebu...


Ayala Southmall would be in South Reclamation Project while the Boardwalk mall is gonna be on the opposite side, in the North Reclamation Area.


Updates, well... 2 new worldclass dining spots have opened recently in the lagoon area. They are TABLE7 and CAFE HAVANA...which adds up to STARBUCKS COFFEE... Opening Soon are GLORIA JEAN's COFFEE, MERK's ENTERTAINMENT, SEGAFREDO, SUBWAY, GLORIA MARIS, SEATTLE's BEST COFFEE, etc... So they're kinda transforming the Lagoon Area into a somewhat Greenbelt in a Park...

michaelsinjin:Yes, the Ayala SouthMall Cebu will be in the South Reclamation Project, a km or 2 away from SM City Cebu...


From SM to Plaza about 2 km+
The tunnel component 0.97 km
Causeway Section 4.9 km

So if you sum up:
SM to SRP should be about 8 km.

I hope that in not so distant future, more buildings will rise in this part of the city.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/edifice_complex/cebu01_5.jpg

Could somebody confirm if this is the oldest house in Metro Cebu? The website where I found this picture says that it is located somewhere in Pari-an district.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/edifice_complex/Oldesthouse.jpg

I hope that in not so distant future, more buildings will rise in this part of the city.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/edifice_complex/cebu01_5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v653/olineil/cebu%20march/Picture034.jpg

one of my favorite shots... by olineil :cool:

Ang ganda! namiss ko tuloy ang cebu. Do you guys have pics on the south reclamation area? It's not fully furnished (parang bahay..heheh) nung pagpunta ko dun ehh.
Hope next year, I can go back to Cebu for a vacation. Although I have a bad experience there, nahold-up ako sa jeep..huhuhuhu. They got all my possessions, ni wla na ako pamasahe pauwi ehh, nanghingi na lng, kakahiya. But at that moment, parang ang kapal ko..hehe

Hope next year, I can go back to Cebu for a vacation. Although I have a bad experience there, nahold-up ako sa jeep..huhuhuhu. They got all my possessions, ni wla na ako pamasahe pauwi ehh, nanghingi na lng, kakahiya. But at that moment, parang ang kapal ko..hehe

did you go to cebu all by yourself? isama mo naman kami next time. hehe.

SUre bah..hehe. Yes, ako lng mag isa, ang laki-laki nga ng bag ko, wla ako tagabuhat.
I'm living with my aunt there, sa Talisay city, ang hometown ni Teban at Goliat..heheh :D

Hope next year, I can go back to Cebu for a vacation. Although I have a bad experience there, nahold-up ako sa jeep..huhuhuhu. They got all my possessions, ni wla na ako pamasahe pauwi ehh, nanghingi na lng, kakahiya. But at that moment, parang ang kapal ko..hehe
ha? na-hold-up ka? buti di ka sinaktan. hirap talaga ng buhay ngaun. critical times are hard to deal with.

Ang ganda! namiss ko tuloy ang cebu. Do you guys have pics on the south reclamation area? It's not fully furnished (parang bahay..heheh) nung pagpunta ko dun ehh.
Hope next year, I can go back to Cebu for a vacation. Although I have a bad experience there, nahold-up ako sa jeep..huhuhuhu. They got all my possessions, ni wla na ako pamasahe pauwi ehh, nanghingi na lng, kakahiya. But at that moment, parang ang kapal ko..hehe

Patay na segurado ang nang hold-up sa iyo. Inubos na ng mga vigilantes. Na salvaged na iyon.

http://img273.imageshack.us/img273/4571/jy18aa.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/8474/jy25vf.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/3725/jy30hg.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/2715/jy45iz.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Whoa! Isn't that too much!?

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/3585/jy61de.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/1215/jy54bw.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

and the point of this post:

Thanks to Jerry Yan, Cebu got tourists from Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and other parts from Asia. Haha.

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Credits: Prince Kangta of Solid07.net

Who's Jerry Yan? :dunno:

Cebu DOT office opens for business

by Wenna A. Berondo
July 27, 2005

Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano officially declared open the Cebu office of the Department of Tourism last week, designating undersecretary Phineas Alburo as point person or action man.

Alburo, also a Cebuano, is the former director of the DOT-7 office.

In an interview with The FREEMAN, Alburo said the office located at the ground floor of the Civil Service Commission in Sudlon, barangay Lahug, Cebu City had a soft opening last July 1.

“We want the public to know that we are already operational,” he said adding that, “we will be serving constituents in the islands of the Visayas and Mindanao and provide support to different regional tourism offices and local government units.”

The DOT Cebu office will also respond to special tourism concerns and issues as well as serve the Office of the Cabinet officer for regional developments for Region VII.

Shortly after his appointment as tourism secretary, President Arroyo also named Durano as cabinet officer for regional development in Central Visayas, automatically making him a member of the Regional Development Council.

“This is part of the decentralization of government offices to make them more accessible to the people. If there are concerns in the region, we will be there to assist. We welcome requests from local governments,” Alburo said.

While the construction of their office at the South Reclamation Project is stalled because of the dispute between Cebu City and Talisay City, they will hold office in Sudlon, he said.

The DOT also launched recently the “Cebu Plus”, a marketing strategy to promote Cebu as a tourist destination to meet the target of five million tourists by 2010.

The recent McKinsey report identified Bohol and Cebu as top tourist destinations in the country, chosen by both local and foreign tourists.

Who's Jerry Yan? :dunno:


Rico Yan's brother. LOL.

http://img273.imageshack.us/img273/4571/jy18aa.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


haha... di mo akalain nasa Cebu pala toh... galing :okay: compare mo kaya crowd ng Cebu from anywhere else in the country, parang ang laki ng difference? :? buti pa mga internat'l fans... may Jerry na sila, may sidetrip vacation pa.. :D

p.s. bakit pa kse pinagkakaguluhan kapatid ni rico yan? umabot pa ng hongkong.. :dunno:

ha? na-hold-up ka? buti di ka sinaktan. hirap talaga ng buhay ngaun. critical times are hard to deal with.

Yes, grabe talaga.. Kanya-kanya diskarte sa buhay, pati masama ginagawa para lng mabuhay. Di naman ako nasaktan, buti nlng, tinutukan ako ng baril, binigay ko agad bag ko. Because of that, one week din akong di lumabas ng bahay...hehe.Paranoid! Bahala na c Lord sa kanila..

Patay na segurado ang nang hold-up sa iyo. Inubos na ng mga vigilantes. Na salvaged na iyon.

If sa Davao nangyari yun, cguro,hehe. But infairness, Davao is a safe place to live in. May vigilantes group ba sa cebu? Cebu death squad (CDS) lol...hehe

Who's Jerry Yan? :dunno:

Jerry Yan, is one of the members of F4- a boy band from Taiwan. They were popular because of the Meteor garden fever... pero actually, di daw cla sikat dun sa Taiwan, sa Pilipinas lng..hehe. Jerry endorses bench, kaya ganun.

SUre bah..hehe. Yes, ako lng mag isa, ang laki-laki nga ng bag ko, wla ako tagabuhat.
I'm living with my aunt there, sa Talisay city, ang hometown ni Teban at Goliat..heheh :D

Teban & Goliat!!! i used to watch "Si Got Da Wanderpol" when I was a kid.

Nice transformation from "Teban & Goliat" to "F4". :)

San Pedro: A glimpse of Cebu
By Art R. San Pedro

LAST July 11 to 14, 2005, local officials of Bacolor headed by Mayor Buddy Dungca, Vice Mayor Diman Datu, Municipal Councilors Pogi Caballa, Ogie Dizon, Noel Serrano, Amable Bengco, Boy Alfonso, Joy Rivera, Bong Matic, SK president Jaycel C. Galura, ABC president Ric Galban, DILG officers Jackie Pelayo and Rose Camaya, together with this columnist-Municipal Council Secretary visited Cebu on a LAKBAY ARAL.

It was no junket but basically a learning experience. The resilience and political maturity of the Cebuanos is something we in Pampanga can learn a lot from. It has all the basic elements of a progressive and nearly self-reliant province. It is not surprising why Cebu was given the moniker Queen City of the South. With its facilities and disciplined people, I am not surprised why it is the favorite haven for seminars and conventions. Cebu may not have the cozy climate of Baguio, but the totality of its attractions make it a favorite tourist destination.

Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo


In our four (4) day tour in the different places in Cebu, I did not lose sight of the fact that I am a journalist with special interest in observing and writing about the political situation obtaining in the province. It is a complete contrast to Metro Manila. I have seen with my own eyes that GMA is well received and respected in Cebu. The situation presents a sharp contrast to the shouting and anarchy in Metro Manila. The million majority of the Cebuanos gave GMA in the last election is no fluke but real. There was no massive cheating in Cebu. If the province of Cebu was a microcosm of the whole country, there would be no doubt about the victory and legitimacy of GMA as president of the Filipino people.

Self-proclaimed messiahs of the opposition would be ashamed to call for the President's resignation if they feel the situation in Cebu. These lackeys of the opposition and those who have made protesting in the streets as their cottage industry would be taken aback by the fact that they are stopped from shouting for the President's resignation. The Cebuanos, just like the Kapampangans, gave the President a resounding mandate. So resounding is her mandate in Cebu and Pampanga that those who are against the President have absolutely no legal and moral right to impugn the exercise of our sovereignty. No one, not even from President Cory nor Senate President Drilon can impugn and trample our sovereignty.

Cebu is the picture of a house in order. It is a place where the people are pro-active. The policy of its leadership is well received and respected by the people. If you are a tourist you can board a taxi and be not afraid that the taxi driver will abuse you. Name your destination and he will deliver you safely, promptly and unharmed. You can walk the city streets and be comfortable that nobody will slash your pocket.

There are political dynasties headed by the Osmeñas, Garcias, Ramas, Duranos, Cuencos, etc. These politically powerful families also wield a big influence on the business climate. Their political families and their wealth bear a lot on the political and economic profile of the province and city. Yes, they have their vested interests to protect, but when the greater interest of their province and nation is at stake, they set aside these petty differences and act as one. This is the famous solidarity of the Cebuanos. Time and again, they have been put to a test that their unity made them overcome.

No offense meant to the people of Metro Manila, but I think the Cebuanos show more political maturity. They are not easily carried away by passions and instigation. They are capable of discernment. I am not surprised if the ugly face of poverty is not as prevalent in Cebu as in Metro Manila. The Cebuano blood that binds the people makes them easily manageable. The center of leadership wields a strong influence in the lives of the people. I find no obstructionism and rebellion in the fabric of their character.

The anarchy spreading in Metro Manila puts the metropolis in self-destruction. Its social, economic and political problems keep compounding with each passing day. The political leadership is only human. It tends to be sympathetic to those showing harmony and cooperation to its policies and leadership. The political leaders of Cebu are only too good in this department, reading the temperament of the times.

It was our first Lakbay Aral in four years under Mayor Buddy Dungca. We may not have seen everything in Cebu but it has given us the bird's view on how to manage our internal affairs and how we can support the National Government in good or in bad times.

In a brief discourse before Provincial Secretary Annie Pasaylo, my friend, I said "We in Pampanga have come to Cebu to observe how things are in the presidential province."

She got my message!

MARCO POLO PLAZA HOTEL

Foreign tourist arrivals in Cebu grew by 21 percent from January to May this year, proving the lure of Central Visayas destinations despite the political and economic crisis the country is facing.

Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 Director Aurora Patria Roa said the growth was also experienced even if tourism players in Hong Kong, Phuket in Thailand and Bali in Indonesia introduced cheaper tour packages.

Roa is also happy with the reported reopening of the Cebu Plaza Hotel, which she hopes will answer the room shortage problems in Cebu.

However, the Marco Polo Hotel Group, which will operate Cebu Plaza Hotel and which plans to rename it as Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, has postponed “indefinitely” the scheduled contract signing on July 25.

This was revealed yesterday by Investor Relations Global, the firm doing public relations for Metrobank, whose unit Asia Pacific Management Corp. owns Cebu Plaza.

Roa hopes, though, that the reopening will take place in time for the 19th Philippine Advertising Congress, which Cebu will host this November.

“We’re happy it’s going to reopen. The DOT and the tourism industry players, even the local government of Cebu City and Mayor Tomas Osmeña, are delighted about this,” she said.

Cebu needs an additional 2,000 rooms to cope with increasing tourist arrivals, especially with the entry of chartered direct flights from Incheon, Korea four times a week starting last weekend.

More jobs

Cecille Sa-a, president of the Cebu Travel and Tours Association, said the reopening of Cebu Plaza will not only help the industry and provide more rooms for guests but will also help generate jobs.

When sought for comment, Aissa dela Cruz, former press relations head of Cebu Plaza Hotel, said that if the new management decides to reopen only the high-rise building, they might need a workforce of about 300.

Roa, however, said she is optimistic that tourist arrivals will increase further, which is why she keeps egging hotel owners to put up more rooms.

“I hope the major players will come. (But) with what’s happening in Manila, nag-wait and see sila nga ma-settle na and the issues will be settled,” she said.

Still coming

However, she is glad that the political crisis sparked by allegations of electoral fraud against President Gloria Arroyo is not affecting tourist arrivals in Central Visayas.

Koreans still topped the list, DOT 7 records of visitor arrivals show, reaching a total of 46,818 during the first five months of the year. Last year, arrivals reached only over 38,000.

“Koreans apparently opted to come to Cebu after they had gone to the other countries. Cebu is also so near so it is a preferred destination for weekend trips and even during wintertime,” Roa explained.

Japanese tourists ranked second highest, with a total of 46,579 arrivals during the period. There was a 21 percent increase from last year’s figure of over 38,000.

The number of tourists from the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom also grew by two to 10 percent.

There were decreases in the number tourists from Hong Kong, Germany and China, though.

If sa Davao nangyari yun, cguro,hehe. But infairness, Davao is a safe place to live in. May vigilantes group ba sa cebu? Cebu death squad (CDS) lol...hehe

oo.. the toll was 71 or 17. pero i think it was 71 already.. it's been like months na since vigilante style killings occured. at least wala na masyadong fratwars.

oo.. the toll was 71 or 17. pero i think it was 71 already.. it's been like months na since vigilante style killings occured. at least wala na masyadong fratwars.

wow. i cant believe humahabol na pala sa Davao ang Cebu as to number of vigilante victims.

International culinary congress to help promote Cebu to tourists

To help promote Cebu as a tourism hub in Asia, the Cebu Visitors and Convention Bureau (CVCB) will convene the first International Culinary Congress (ICCON) 2005 on Sept. 22 to 23 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

During a press briefing, ICCON 2005 project director and CVCB trustee Bernadette Jingco said at least 500 participants are expected at the “unprecedented culinary event.”

Expected to join the congress are participants from culinary schools and institutions from the Asia Pacific, students taking courses allied with hospitality management, food service practitioners, and representatives from local and foreign culinary clubs and food industry organizations.

In a statement, CVCB founding chairman Patrick Gregorio said the city government of Cebu and the Department of Tourism are its partners.

The congress aims to teach professionalism in food service. It will also give the message that Cebu is home to many culinary icons and can produce qualified food service professionals.

Jingco said speakers from abroad will ensure that the congress is “highly educational and interactive.”

A Kitchen Party will be a highlight of the congress.

“It will showcase the specialties of ICCON’s partners and show that … Cebu may just be the next culinary hub in Asia,” said Christopher Sagun, project assistant.

ICCON’s partners are Cebu Hilton Resort and Towers, Shangri-la’s Mactan Island Resort, Plantation Bay Resort & Spa, Laguna Garden Restaurants, Creative Cuisine Catering Services, Casino Español de Cebu, Dessert Factory, and the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.

Metrobank to invest P100M for ‘new’ Plaza
A P100-million air conditioning system and refurbished bedrooms are some of the features Cebuanos can expect when Cebu Plaza Hotel reopens under a new name and management in a few months.

The Marco Polo Plaza Hotel will open either late this year or early
next year and will be managed by the Marco Polo Group of Hotels of Hong Kong.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña announced yesterday the landmark hotel will undergo extensive renovation and will be one of the best hotels in the city.

“The owners said their budget for the renovation keeps going up and up but they will push through and it’s going to be one of the best hotels in Cebu,” he told a news conference.

Due to business losses, Pathfinder Holdings Philippines Inc. (PHPI) was forced to close Cebu Plaza Hotel in March 2003.

PHPI, which used Cebu Plaza as a collateral for its loan, turned it over to Metrobank in payment for a P900-million debt.

Also yesterday, the Philippine Stock Exchange reported that the board
of directors of First Metro Investment Corp. (FMIC), which is the investment banking subsidiary of Metrobank, approved the investment of P175 million, representing a 35 percent equity interest, in Cathay International Resources Corp.

Cathay International owns Cebu Plaza Hotel, FMIC told the PSE.
Last Thursday, Osmeña and Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia were in Manila to represent the local government in the signing of the memorandum of agreement with the Marco Polo group.

Cebu Plaza’s reopening would also translate to more jobs specifically for residents of the city.

“They will hire the best that they can hire. They are even considering hiring those currently working in the hotels,” Osmeña added.

The mayor said the new owners want to have the soft opening later this year but he doubts it can push through considering the amount of work that has to be done.

Aside from the refurbished bedrooms, the hotel will also have bigger swimming pools and its plumbing system will also be replaced.

Much as the owners want to retain the old name and logo of Cebu Plaza, considered to be one of the oldest landmarks in Cebu, Osmeña said they could not do so since they do not own the name.

When the hotel was mortgaged to Metrobank prior to its closure in 2003, the propriety rights and patent of Cebu Plaza were not included in the agreement, the mayor explained.

It looks like they changed the original design. Where in Mactan is this school located?


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/edifice_complex/InternationalFilmSchool.jpg

Below are photos of the actual building taken from the international film school's website.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/edifice_complex/Filmschool3.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/edifice_complex/Filmschool2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/edifice_complex/Filmschool1.jpg

Park Lane Int’l Hotel Cebu set to open 100 rooms by October

by Ehda M. Dago-oc
July 30, 2005

International hotel chain, Park Lane International Hotel Cebu will open up 100 rooms this coming October, as the construction of the P700 million hotel project of Cebu-based Five Power Venture Development is nearing completion.
The entry of Park Lane Cebu has brought good news to the tourism industry player in the province, as it is currently suffering from room shortage that hold off volume of tourists arrivals both foreign and domestic visitors.

Park Lane Cebu is the fourth international hotel chain to enter in Cebu, joining international names operating here, like Cebu City Marriott Hotel, ShangriLa Mactan Island Resort, and Cebu Hilton Resort and Spa.

Park Lane International Hotel Cebu general manager Mars Benitez said the hotel has to hasten the initial commercial operation of the 100 rooms before the holding of Advertising Congress this coming November.

The 26-story Park Lane Cebu is scheduled to be in full operation, and open up the total 220 business class hotel rooms early next year, Benitez said.

The four-star Park Lane Cebu is built in a 2,950 square meter area right across the Cebu Business Park. Benitez said the hotel building would be built to have a total room capacity of 400. However, it will initially operate 220 rooms in the next few years.

“Our long term plan is to open the 400 rooms, as the building is built to this capacity. But, in the meantime, we will be opening first the 220 rooms,” he said.

Currently, he said the construction is already touching off the interior finishing, so that it could already accept guests by October this year. Tentatively, he added that soft opening is set on the first or second week of October.

Park Lane Hotel in Cebu, will be the first hotel to be built in the last few years, after Hilton Resort in Mactan Island started its construction in 1998.

Tourism players welcome this development saying this is good news for Cebu, as the province is currently suffering from hotel room shortage amid the growing tourists.

Several efforts were initiated both by the private and government sectors to invite capitalists to invest in hotel project in Cebu, as business potential is very promising.

To date, Cebu can only offer a little over 6,000 hotel room accommodations. The room shortage is one of the barriers why Cebu can’t take off to achieve its target of 5 million arrivals in the next five years.

International tourism experts recently told Cebu tourism players that the five million tourist arrival target in the next five years is unrealistic and too ambitious considering that the province is facing room shortage problem.

“Five Power Ventures Development Corporation, has considerably contemplated on its purpose of constructing a Hotel and making sure that it shall provide a venue and facility that will make Cebu as another Hotel and Convention destination both for local and international markets. This is where the emergence of Parklane International Hotel Cebu,” Benitez said.

Park Lane Int’l Hotel Cebu set to open 100 rooms by October
International hotel chain, Park Lane International Hotel Cebu will open up 100 rooms this coming October, as the construction of the P700 million hotel project of Cebu-based Five Power Venture Development is nearing completion.
The entry of Park Lane Cebu has brought good news to the tourism industry player in the province, as it is currently suffering from room shortage that hold off volume of tourists arrivals both foreign and domestic visitors.

Park Lane Cebu is the fourth international hotel chain to enter in Cebu, joining international names operating here, like Cebu City Marriott Hotel, ShangriLa Mactan Island Resort, and Cebu Hilton Resort and Spa.

Park Lane International Hotel Cebu general manager Mars Benitez said the hotel has to hasten the initial commercial operation of the 100 rooms before the holding of Advertising Congress this coming November.

The 26-story Park Lane Cebu is scheduled to be in full operation, and open up the total 220 business class hotel rooms early next year, Benitez said.

The four-star Park Lane Cebu is built in a 2,950 square meter area right across the Cebu Business Park. Benitez said the hotel building would be built to have a total room capacity of 400. However, it will initially operate 220 rooms in the next few years.

“Our long term plan is to open the 400 rooms, as the building is built to this capacity. But, in the meantime, we will be opening first the 220 rooms,” he said.

Currently, he said the construction is already touching off the interior finishing, so that it could already accept guests by October this year. Tentatively, he added that soft opening is set on the first or second week of October.

Park Lane Hotel in Cebu, will be the first hotel to be built in the last few years, after Hilton Resort in Mactan Island started its construction in 1998.

Tourism players welcome this development saying this is good news for Cebu, as the province is currently suffering from hotel room shortage amid the growing tourists.

Several efforts were initiated both by the private and government sectors to invite capitalists to invest in hotel project in Cebu, as business potential is very promising.

To date, Cebu can only offer a little over 6,000 hotel room accommodations. The room shortage is one of the barriers why Cebu can’t take off to achieve its target of 5 million arrivals in the next five years.

International tourism experts recently told Cebu tourism players that the five million tourist arrival target in the next five years is unrealistic and too ambitious considering that the province is facing room shortage problem.

“Five Power Ventures Development Corporation, has considerably contemplated on its purpose of constructing a Hotel and making sure that it shall provide a venue and facility that will make Cebu as another Hotel and Convention destination both for local and international markets. This is where the emergence of Parklane International Hotel Cebu,” Benitez said.

That's really awesome. What does the building look like? does anyone have pictures of it? i hope in the future we'll see international chains such as Le Meridien, Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton. And oh A hyatt too.

hi rusty 18,
nice rendering with that A 380 taking off. say, is that really the new runway of mactan you placed the aircraft on ? does anyone have any similar pics of the newly renovated runway, possibly with an asiana or korean airline jet taking off or landing or taxiing on it ? maybe there were some in the papers during the inaugural flights ? or possibly at the terminal docking ? i can get nothing like that here in germany. any help someone ? SALAMAT PO !

good news! so Cebu's gonna be getting two new hotels within the next year! those should at least help in the hotel room shortage down there...

btw, what's Park Lane International? Is it a big international chain? can't seem to find anything on the internet. and, ummm, is this hotel going to be in a brand new building or is it a refurbishment sorta thing like Metrobank's Marco Polo Plaza? I wonder where in Cebu it's gonna be...

Park Lane is a regional player , the operate 5 star business hotels in general. Their flagship is ParkLane HK in Causeway Bay.

Anu-anong mga proyektong pinaplanong ipapatayo sa Cebu? Is that complete overhaul of the Ayala Center-Cebu's lagoon area true? I mean the rumors that Seattle's Best Coffee and Gloria Jean's Coffee is going to open shop there, is that true?

hi rusty 18,
nice rendering with that A 380 taking off. say, is that really the new runway of mactan you placed the aircraft on ? does anyone have any similar pics of the newly renovated runway, possibly with an asiana or korean airline jet taking off or landing or taxiing on it ? maybe there were some in the papers during the inaugural flights ? or possibly at the terminal docking ? i can get nothing like that here in germany. any help someone ? SALAMAT PO !

hi richard, sorry it wuz just a google image and not an actual photo taken in Mactan airport. the photo should give us an idea how big the mactan runway is. it would certainly look beautiful seeing that gigantic plane taxiing around the airport. :cool:

Anu-anong mga proyektong pinaplanong ipapatayo sa Cebu? Is that complete overhaul of the Ayala Center-Cebu's lagoon area true? I mean the rumors that Seattle's Best Coffee and Gloria Jean's Coffee is going to open shop there, is that true?

Greenbelt in Ayala Center Cebu soon

Getting a big chunk of revenue generation from its commercial and retail arm, Ayala Center Cebu (ACC), Cebu Holdings Inc. (CHI) is poised to expand the shopping mall before the end of this year, to embrace the improving retail trend in Cebu.

CHI chairman Jaime I. Ayala announced this move yesterday on the sidelines during the company's stockholders meeting held at the City Sports Club.

CHI reported a total of P641 million in total revenues last year, a 19 percent improvement over P538.2 in 2003. Consolidated net income increased by eight percent than the previous year.

Ayala Center Cebu, its shopping mall arm, reported consolidated revenues of P333.4 million, which is a 54 percent contribution to the CHI 2004 income.

"We are looking at expanding large area of the Ayala Center," Ayala said adding that this plan is going to start early next year, in order to accommodate more tenants.

However, Ayala did not give specific expansion plan details of the mall, only said that the company is willing to spend on the huge mall extension as CHI noted a brisk revenue performance.

"We are full already, we wanted to give additional spaces for interested retailers or tenants," Ayala stressed.

Currently, ACC is only capable of hosting at least a little over 300 tenants, excluding the kiosks, and smaller stalls usually located in the middle of the mall's hallway.

In his report before the company's shareholders yesterday, CHI president Rene D. Almendras said an effective mix of shopping and dining outlets, as well as successful marketing initiatives and response to customer feedback has been the key to the mall's continuously improving performance, increasing gross income revenue by 15 percent to that of the previous year's.

After 10 years of operating the Ayala Center Cebu, it is only now that the company confidently announced its plan to pursue huge expansion of its mall operations.

The original plan was to extend the mall stretching in the vacant lot, now utilized as the parking area of shoppers and Marriott Hotel guests, and designated entry-point of tourists.

Growing at 15 percent gross sales a year-on-year, the over-all revenues from mall operations were outstanding in all aspects; from building to land lease, entertainment center, cinema, food choices, and carpark.

Almendras also reported the good performance of other CHI operations, including the commercial lot sales in the 50-hectare Cebu Business Park (CBP), the sell-out of remaining Park Tower Two units, the sale of sportsclub shares, and the sterling performance of Marriott Hotel.

CHI's subsidiary Cebu Property Venture and Development Corporation (CPVDC) contributed 16 percent to the company's net income from revenues generated out of lot sales and eOffice building rentals, which will also provide recurring income.

Part of CHI's future plans is the transformation of the Ayala lagoon area to a world-class leisure, wining and dining destination in Cebu.

The Lagoon Area, Ayala Center Cebu
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y261/michaelsinjin/acc3.bmphttp://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y261/michaelsinjin/acc2.bmp

Opening Soon in the Lagoon Area are
GLORIA JEAN's COFFEE, MERK's ENTERTAINMENT, SEGAFREDO, SUBWAY, GLORIA MARIS, SEATTLE's BEST COFFEE.



http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/cebupics/SSC/skyscrapercity-cebu.jpg

'Most dynamic'
Cebu City's economy rated highly but…
By Regina Aguilar

A SURVEY conducted last year among businessmen nationwide shows that Cebu City has the most dynamic local economy in the country, but did not do as well in other categories that determine the overall competitiveness of cities.

In the survey conducted by the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in 2004, Cebu City ranked only 10th in quality of life, 10th in infrastructure, eighth in responsiveness of local government unit and seventh in cost of doing business.

Cebu City came in second both in linkages and accessibility, and human resources and training.

Cebu City officials begged off from commenting on the result of the survey, which is intended to be a guide for investors, saying they had not read it.

Two cities in Cebu province, Mandaue and Lapu-lapu, ended up worse compared to Marikina City and Davao City, the most competitive cities in the country, according to the Philippine Cities Competitiveness Ranking Project.

Marikina City outshone the other urban centers, emerging first in infrastructure, quality of life and responsiveness of the local government unit.

Davao was first in cost of doing business and accessibility and linkages.

Among the 50 cities surveyed, Mandaue City placed a high fifth in cost of doing business, but only 12th in dynamism of the local economy.

Lapu-Lapu City, on the other hand, was fourth in accessibility and linkages, but only 12th in infrastructure.

The survey result was presented Wednesday night in a local hotel, during a midyear economic briefing of CIBI Information Inc. by economist Cayetano Paderanga, Jr.

AIM's project assesses the capacity of cities to provide an environment that nurtures the dynamism of their local enterprises and industries, Paderanga said.

It also evaluates the general ability of the cities to attract investments, entrepreneurs, and residents and uplift the living standards of their residents.

The respondents included owners and managers of small and medium enterprises in 50 cities nationwide. Twenty-three of these cities were in Luzon, 11 in Visayas and 16 in Mindanao.

Paderanga said that the survey is usually presented to businessmen as their investment guide.

Asked for his comment on the rankings of Cebu City, he said the city "faired well."

"It's not really bad because there were several factors where Cebu ranked number one and two," said Paderanga.

He noted that Cebu City was ranked highest in dynamism of the local economy, "which means that the city can attract and foster inward investment."

Among the criteria used to determine economic dynamism are the city's share of the top 200 corporations, market size, vibrancy of the tourism sector, business access to financing, and business revenues.

Paderanga said Cebu City also ranked high in the quality of its human resource, "which determines how well equipped the population of the city is in building and taking advantage of opportunities."

In determining the cost of doing business, which Paderanga said investors "are most concerned about," the AIM study factored in the cost of power for industrial use, the minimum wage, informal fees and general profitability. Cebu City ranked only 7th in this category.

At Wednesday's briefing at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug, Paderanga also discussed the water and power crisis in the regions, particularly in Metro Cebu.

"Although the gross regional domestic product has been performing well, major cities are facing water and power constraints," said Paderanga.

Almost 50 percent of Cebu's towns and cities, for instance, have no access to potable water, he said. While demand is high, he said the potential for groundwater development "is quite low due to rapid forest cover decline and urbanization."

Paderanga also cited regulation problems in controlling water usage such as a lack of budget for groundwater monitoring.

On power, Paderanga said Metro Cebu lacks facilities for power generation. The power sector is not attracting enough large-scale investments, he said.

"Investments at present take four to five years to finish, not enough to avert the crisis," he said.

He said that these problems should be addressed immediately, with Cebu's growth in tourism and export industries highlighting an increased demand for water and power supply.

Cool ... the 2005 AIM Philippine Cities Competitiveness Report was already released. I wonder where I could get the full copy :) Cebu indeed has a dynamic economy ...

Visayan provinces among those with high market potential
Posted: 2:47 AM | Aug. 01, 2005

Carla P. Gomez
Inquirer News Service

BACOLOD CITY-Three Visayan provinces--Cebu, Negros Occidental and Iloilo--made it to the top 10 Philippine provinces with high market potential, according to a study of the School of Economics of the University of Asia and the Pacific.

The study, dubbed "Boomtowns and Gloomtowns (An Index of Marketing Potential)," which placed Laguna on the top spot, had Cebu in fourth place, Negros Occidental in sixth and Iloilo in 10th place in the ranking of 77 provinces as of June 2005.

Conducted by Cid Terosa of the School of Economics Urban Strategies Group, the study measured the market potential of the country's 77 provinces by establishing five dimensions. These are market size, 30 percent; market consumption capacity and intensity, 20 percent; market growth rate, 15 percent; and market attractiveness, 15 percent.

Also, indicators were chosen and used to construct an index for each dimension. The indexes of the five dimensions were added to form a composite index of market potential.

Considered as boomtowns, the provinces with the 10 highest index of market potential as of June 2005 are: Laguna, 0.7059; Cavite, 0.6884; Rizal, 0.6548; Cebu, 0.6430; Bulacan, 0.5581; Negros Occidental, 0.5544; Pampanga, 0.5300; Batangas, 0.4929; Misamis Oriental, 0.4443; and Iloilo, 0.4385.

According to the study, the cities of Bacolod and Iloilo are expected to hog the attention of businessmen and investors in Western Visayas.

In terms of regional market potential, Negros Occidental outshone Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Guimaras and Antique, the study showed.

Terosa said market potential is one of the key indicators that businessmen and investors normally keep track of. It is defined as the size or value of the total market should all those who are willing and able to buy various products actually purchase them. Hence, the market potential refers to the upper level of market demand, he said.

"Since market potential is an important criterion for business location and investment decisions, the creation of an index potential is a valuable task," Terosa said.

Of the high-potential provinces, Laguna topped the field in terms of market attractiveness and market and commercial infrastructure while Cavite closely followed.

Both Laguna and Cavite ranked among the top 10 in terms of market size and market consumption capacity and intensity. Rizal had the highest market consumption and intensity index while Bulacan, the highest market size index.

The study noted that although Cebu did not record the highest index in any of the five dimensions, it consistently ranked among the top 10 in market size, market consumption capacity and intensity, and market and commercial infrastructure.

On the other hand, the top 10 "gloom towns" or low-potential provinces are: Apayao, 0.1147; Sulu, 0.1346; Kalinga, 0.1374; Lanao del Sur, 0.1388; Basilan, 0.1421; Tawi-tawi, 0.1435; Batanes, 0.1505; Ifugao, 0.1559; Sultan Kudarat, 0.1584; and Biliran, 0.1610.

Cebu's top 4 ranking 'based on perceptions, not performance'
By Cebu Daily News

CEBU GOV. Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday said the marketability ranking of the province, fourth among the country's 77 provinces, was "encouraging" but "was not based on actual performance."

She said that her pronouncement that "Cebu is number one" was not refuted by the rankings released by the University of Asia and the Pacific School of Economics.

She said that the research "only presented perceptions" while her pronouncements "were based on actual figures from the Commission on Audit."

"You cannot compare these two measurements," Garcia said. "We are number one in terms of income, and assets and this data is based on performance and not on perceptions."

The marketability index, she said, is always based on perception and those that get the highest scores are often located near the capital - Metro Manila.

"Proximity to the capital is a huge factor (in the outcome of the study), because of infrastructure availability," she said.

Garcia told Cebu Daily News that the study that placed Visayan provinces at the top has proven to investors that key infrastructure projects are already in place in the countryside. "Manila is not the Philippines," she said.

Garcia explained that indicators such as market size, consumption, growth rate, and attractiveness that were used in the UAP study were subject to the choices of the researchers. "Selection of what indicators to use is also subjective," she said.



http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/cebupics/SSC/skyscrapercity-cebu.jpg

Best tourist destinations in Asia ?
If you wish to make it Cebu then
vote here many times as you like:

http://www.apmforum.com/travel/asia-tourism.htm

Hey guys, i found this pic on the net and it says it's a part of Cebu.
does anybody know what island this is?

http://www.sdocpac.com/cebu.jpg
Hm. I wonder if part of the small town ever gets buried during high tides.

Hey guys, i found this pic on the net and it says it's a part of Cebu.
does anybody know what island this is?
Hm. I wonder if part of the small town ever gets buried during high tides.

the house are probably built in stilt. pretty awesome island tho :sleepy:
well i was gonna say sipaway but that one is in sancarlos ct (lol) similar effect tho

Best tourist destinations in Asia ?
If you wish to make it Cebu then
vote here many times as you like:

http://www.apmforum.com/travel/asia-tourism.htm

Best Tourist Destinations in Asia (as of Aug. 3)

Langkawi, Malaysia 12.82 % (459)
Phuket, Thailand 12.49 % (447)
Cebu, Philippines 12.38 % (443)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 11.93 % (427)
Manila, Philippines 11.48 % (411)
Bali, Indonesia 6.54 % (234)
Hong Kong 5.81 % (208)
Ko Chang Islands, Thailand 4.92 % (176)
Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai Thailand 4.86 % (174)
Bangkok, Thailand 3.19 % (114)
Ko Samui Islands, Thailand 3.02 % (108)
Penang, Malaysia 2.07 % (74)
Singapore 1.68 % (60)
Hawaii 1.34 % (48)
Tokyo, Japan 0.89 % (32)
Shanghai, China 0.67 % (24)
Taipei, Taiwan 0.64 % (23)
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Cebu can get foreign loan
to build bridges - governor
By Cebu Daily News

Cebu Province could apply for a foreign loan to fund the Friendship Bridges if the national government refuses to build them, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said Tuesday.

According to Garcia, the proposal of governors to connect the Visayas islands with concrete bridges was a "serious plan."

"We are seriously talking about it because there are so many schemes on how to finance the project," she said.

"What is the most positive thing about it is the fact that (Visayas) governors are actually coming together and talking about it and thinking about a unified and collaborative effort," she added.

Garcia told reporters that there were many private firms willing to build the bridges on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme.

She said the huge vehicular traffic between Santander town in Cebu and Sibulan in Oriental Negros could entice firms to invest.

"You could collect a toll and it could be a toll bridge. Since this is going to make everything much easier, faster, the bridge could pay for itself," she noted.

National Economic Development Administration (NEDA) 7 Acting Director Sandra Manuel told provincial board members on Monday that the project was "a dream" because the government could not afford it.

Visayas governors had endorsed to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo a feasibility study on the bridges, envisioned to connect the islands of Cebu, Negros and Bohol.

Garcia admitted, however, that the plan requires more study to determine its financial viability.

She also said linking Oriental Negros and Cebu was more feasible than a Bohol-Cebu bridge because of proximity. :runaway:

Reporter Dale Israel

South Road Properties to conduct bidding for professional manager
By Irene R. Sino Cruz

The South Road Properties (SRP) remain an attractive investment site, but prospective investors require infrastructure in place and a professional property manager before they set up operations there.

Joel Mari Yu, managing director of the Cebu Investment Promotion Center (CIPC), said he has been conducting market sensing to determine what investors like to have at the SRP.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has designated CIPC as the marketing arm of the SRP.

Based on informal discussions with prospective investors, Yu said he learned that investors prefer professional administration of the property.

"They insist that SRP be managed by competent managers with track records," he pointed out.

Because of this, he said, the SRP will be conducting a bidding to determine which property management company would manage the industrial phase of the 300-hectare property.

The Cebu City government plans to lease out 60 hectares, which represents the industrial zone of the SRP, he said.

The average area requirement at the Mactan Economic Zone (MEZ), Yu said, is one hectare per locator.

This means that the SRP industrial zone will be able to accommodate about 60 companies.

The bidding will be opened to both domestic and international property management companies, he added.

In addition, he said, the SRP also plans to bid out the supply and distribution of water and power requirements for the industrial zone.

Yu maintained that water remains a major constraint in attracting investors to Cebu and to the South Road Properties.

However, he said, the SRP plans to conduct a bidding for a desalination plant.

While water supplied by a desalination plant is a little expensive, he said, investors have expressed willingness to pay more as long as there is a continuous supply of water.

MEZ companies pay the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) P38 per cubic meter while water from a desalination plant will cost P40 and above, depending on the desalination costs, Yu said.

At present, he said, MEZ locators have to buy water from other sources since MCWD has failed to provide adequate supply of water.

One company, Taiyo Yuden, told him they spend up to P1 million a month on their water requirement.

According to Yu, he does not see any difficulty over the water rates since there would be no political repercussions.

He maintained that the absence of households in the SRP would fast-track the setting up of the desalination plant.

At present, a desalination plant owned by Cebu City government is operating at the SRP.

Yu said the plant produces 500 cubic meters daily, which is enough only for the requirements of the SRP administration building.

He said it was also possible that the winning bidder for the desalination plant project would expand the existing desalination facility.

He said the SRP is working with the Build-Operate-Transfer Center, which is attached to the Department of Trade and Industry, in coming up with terms of reference for the bidding documents. The bidding is expected to start before the year ends. :runaway:

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/4792/13kc.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/1268/25pa.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
What buildings are those? It's pretty tall.

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/308/31kp.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/9548/43sf.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Check this site out. Click. (http://www.hellophotos.com/album52) His site has a lot of wickedly awesome Cebu Pics.

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/4528/50fs.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/1879/61kg.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/7189/87aw.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/6614/77nc.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=241398

theres a city trying to compete w/ cebu. shall we vote

reposting pics from tigidig

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/cebu47.jpg
The Department of Tourism building. This is in Kawit Island right? any updates regarding the project?

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/cebu65.jpg
looks really nice, one of the first office buildings in the north reclamation area. this is just across SM Mall, nice shot! :cool:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/cebu25.jpg
the Heritage monument something. was designed by a national artist (not sure if cebuano). beautiful! :bow:



http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/cebupics/SSC/skyscrapercity-cebu.jpg

The DOT building looks nice. It reminds of the japanese "otera" in some small islands in Japan or the temples dedicated to some deities in Greece. But the building is small. I was wondering if this the entire building or part of the DOT complex.
I'm also glad they used the historical word for Cebu, which is Sugbu.

what's that building in "tigidig"?

thats not the DOT building, its just the SRP's administration building, pero it will be constructed sa tabi ata nyan, if im not mistaken, the DOT building will resemble daw the banaue rice terraces, ewan ko lang kung pano nila irereplicate ang rice terraces into a building....that place where the dot building will be constructed was once an island bago na reclaim, they will transform that area into an "old town" kita nyo yang stone walls? they will replicate din daw the "old cebu" the stone walls daw is a replica of the fort san pedro, gagawa din daw sila ng "new" church w/in the area pero it will have an old look, they will brush the walls daw with spoiled milk to promote the growth of algae para magmukhang luma kaagad, near the "supposedly old" church will be a town plaza din, actually siguro gusto nila gumawa ng "bagong intramuros" w/in the area, where everything will have an old feel, hehehehe, nabasa ko lang to sa papers a few months ago

thats not the DOT building, its just the SRP's administration building, pero it will be constructed sa tabi ata nyan, if im not mistaken, the DOT building will resemble daw the banaue rice terraces, ewan ko lang kung pano nila irereplicate ang rice terraces into a building....that place where the dot building will be constructed was once an island bago na reclaim, they will transform that area into an "old town" kita nyo yang stone walls? they will replicate din daw the "old cebu" the stone walls daw is a replica of the fort san pedro, gagawa din daw sila ng "new" church w/in the area pero it will have an old look, they will brush the walls daw with spoiled milk to promote the growth of algae para magmukhang luma kaagad, near the "supposedly old" church will be a town plaza din, actually siguro gusto nila gumawa ng "bagong intramuros" w/in the area, where everything will have an old feel, hehehehe, nabasa ko lang to sa papers a few months ago

ah ic, thanks for the clarification fundraiser! and yup ur right, ive read it somewhere in a newspaper din. is this in Kawit island or the Shell island? i think this is where mayor osmeña planned to put up a theme park featuring historical landmarks of cebu. surrounding the DOT building will be a man-made lake or sumthing. the concept is that the future DOT bldg will be in a center of great walls protected by it from... corrupt officials? hahaha. i saw the renderings, very dramatic with lighting effects... elegant and u get to feel the old cebuano way of living several decades ago.. this project is very promising! :okay:

ah ic, thanks for the clarification fundraiser! and yup ur right, ive read it somewhere in a newspaper din. is this in Kawit island or the Shell island? i think this is where mayor osmeña planned to put up a theme park featuring historical landmarks of cebu. surrounding the DOT building will be a man-made lake or sumthing. the concept is that the future DOT bldg will be in a center of great walls protected by it from... corrupt officials? hahaha. i saw the renderings, very dramatic with lighting effects... elegant and u get to feel the old cebuano way of living several decades ago.. this project is very promising! :okay:

Rusty, can you post the rendering? Also, is Shell Island different from Kawit Island? I've always thought they are one & the same.

thats not the DOT building, its just the SRP's administration building, pero it will be constructed sa tabi ata nyan, if im not mistaken, the DOT building will resemble daw the banaue rice terraces, ewan ko lang kung pano nila irereplicate ang rice terraces into a building....that place where the dot building will be constructed was once an island bago na reclaim, they will transform that area into an "old town" kita nyo yang stone walls? they will replicate din daw the "old cebu" the stone walls daw is a replica of the fort san pedro, gagawa din daw sila ng "new" church w/in the area pero it will have an old look, they will brush the walls daw with spoiled milk to promote the growth of algae para magmukhang luma kaagad, near the "supposedly old" church will be a town plaza din, actually siguro gusto nila gumawa ng "bagong intramuros" w/in the area, where everything will have an old feel, hehehehe, nabasa ko lang to sa papers a few months ago


Can you please provide the link to the article? This is something to look forward to.

WHERE? or how can i see the renderings?!!!! pls.....

shell island is different from kawit island, yung shell island is still an island pa naman, hehehe, i think d nila pwede isali sa reclamation yung shell island kasi the area between kawit island and shell island is the main route ng mga barko going to cebu harbor, im not sure though.... i could be wrong

Rusty, can you post the rendering? Also, is Shell Island different from Kawit Island? I've always thought they are one & the same.

uhmm hehe i thought of that as well but im not sure. when i wuz a kid, i saw that shell island on our way to dumaguete thru a fast ferry. as far as i could remember, that island was kinda far from the mainland. is it part of the SRP? too bad, the rendering i found was in a local newspaper few months ago cant find it no more. :(

uhmm hehe i thought of that as well but im not sure. when i wuz a kid, i saw that shell island on our way to dumaguete thru a fast ferry. as far as i could remember, that island was kinda far from the mainland. is it part of the SRP? too bad, the rendering i found was in a local newspaper few months ago cant find it no more. :(


Thanks for the reply. I didn't know that you were still awake at this time.He,he.

WHERE? or how can i see the renderings?!!!! pls.....

shell island is different from kawit island, yung shell island is still an island pa naman, hehehe, i think d nila pwede isali sa reclamation yung shell island kasi the area between kawit island and shell island is the main route ng mga barko going to cebu harbor, im not sure though.... i could be wrong


Fundraiser, do you still have the article about the DOT building? Or the link to that article perhaps? Thanks.

hinahanap ko pa... il post the link pag nakita ko na, twas this year lang or last quarter last year na yun, me not sure.... pero sige, hahanapin ko....

hinahanap ko pa... il post the link pag nakita ko na, twas this year lang or last quarter last year na yun, me not sure.... pero sige, hahanapin ko....



Thanks. I appreciate it.

^^we're very much alive huh fundraiser? alkanse ta ni edifice sa iyang timezone tsk tsk tsk... looking forward for that article fundraiser! thanks!

sorry, cant find it na talaga, deleted na rin ata sa archives, tagal na din kasi nun eh

I've finally found a picture of this mall courtesy of a japanese website.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/edifice_complex/BanildTownCenter.jpg

Is this still the place to be after Banilad Town Center came into scene?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/edifice_complex/Crossroads.jpg
Crossroads in Banilad

reposting pics from tigidig
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b84/tigidig14/cebu47.jpg

This is NOT the DOT building. It's too small. I also thought before it was. Right, it's an SRP Administration building.

The temporary DOT head office is located at the ground floor of the Civil Service Commission in Sudlon, barangay Lahug, Cebu City.
http://www.thefreeman.com/local/story-20050727-32773.html

The new office will sit on an 8,000-sq.-m. lot with about 25,000 sq. m. in total floor area on a reclaimed property at Kawit Point on the South Reclamation Project of the city government.
Ms Arroyo had expressed her wish that the architectural design of the building would be reminiscent of the famous Banaue rice terraces. If this were followed, the design would be a far cry from the stately Roman architectural design of the DOT office at the Agrifina Circle in Rizal Park, Manila, with its stone columns and balustrades.
http://news.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=1&story_id=7221

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/cebuano/05.jpg
Not my photo

i hope in the near future this view will change(skylines).

If we change to federal....probably. Investors really admire cebu city as an ideal investment site, only if we have political and economic stability.

11 Cebu mayors agree to put up common landfill
By Jasmin Uy
The Philippine Star 08/07/2005

CEBU — Eleven mayors of Cebu have banded together to put up a common sanitary landfill and agreed to share the total expenses for the undertaking.

The cluster is composed of the cities of Mandaue, Danao and Lapu-Lapu, and the towns of Liloan, Catmon, Consolacion, Carmen, Compostela, Sogod, Tabogon and Borbon.

Provincial board member Victor Maambong said the estimated cost of a sanitary landfill is P400 million, including land clearing and excavation, collection and treatment, surface water runoff collection and disposal, methane collection and flaring, access road and monitoring wells.

Maambong said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has approved two areas in Danao City and Sogod town as possible sites of the sanitary landfill.

The Danao site is at least 20 big hectares with available space for expansion, while engineers have yet to check and measure the Sogod site.

Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, bans burning of trash and open dumpsites, and mandates the establishment of sanitary landfills, recycling centers in every barangay, and the formulation of a 10-year waste management plan.

RA 9003 took effect last year, ordering the conversion of all controlled dumpsites into sanitary landfills on or before January 2006. Local governments which fail to comply face legal action. — Freeman News Service

Legend group plans hotel in Cebu

THE Filipino-owned Legend Hotels International Corp. (LHIC) plans to put up six more hotels in the country in the next two years. And it is eyeing Cebu as one of the priority areas for its expansion.

“In fact, we already have a property in Cebu. We bought the 10,000-square-meter lot of Magellan Hotel,” said Joselito Felipe, general manager of Kabayan Hotel Pasay, one of the hotels owned by LHIC, which has properties in Metro Manila and Palawan.

Magellan Hotel, located on Archbishop Reyes Ave., closed a few years ago.

Felipe also revealed that the construction of a 140-room hotel in Pasay City would start next month.

Accredited by the Department of Tourism with a three-star rating as an economy standard hotel, Kabayan Hotels cater to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and travelers from the provinces, Felipe said.

Felipe said travelers from Cebu make up 12 percent of Kabayan Hotels’ occupants.

“Most of those who come from Cebu and other provinces are businessmen who want to get a good accommodation for a reasonable price,” Felipe said.

Kabayan Hotel Cubao, which has 79 rooms, caters to those who travel mostly by land to and from the northern part of the country. On the other hand, travelers from or for the Visayas and Mindanao who arrive and depart through the Manila Domestic Airport are the usual market of the 109-room Kabayan Hotel Pasay.

Felipe said the OFW and domestic traveler market is underserved.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration reported that the country deploys an average of 2,000 to 3,000 workers abroad daily, according to him.

For the first quarter of this year alone, the POEA recorded 270,264 OFWs deployed abroad, he said.

Manila is often the departure point for these workers

This is great news, on top of the Marco Polo management of the soon-to-be renovated (or is it under way?) former Cebu Plaza.

Was surprised to know that Kabayan is part of the Legends chain.

Just some comments on Kabayan:
1. They charge on average 1,500 for a very cramped room that's furnished like a 'short-time' room (minors close your ears!). Nothing affordable about that.
2. They levy 10% on top of your bill if you use a credit card. And I thought that the 4 or 5% surcharges of other establishments was already criminal! Nothing reasonable about that.
3. They harass you at the start of each day and ask you:"Sir, ma'am, mag-checheck-out na ba kayo ngayon? Magbayad po muna kayo kung hindi pa." Nothing about that says 'the-OFW-is-a-VIP'
4. If you book from abroad they charge you 300 to 500 pesos more
5. They demand that your visitors leave an ID with the front desk

The reputation of the Legends Hotels doesn't seem too bad. What went wrong with Kabayan?

Please do yourselves and your relatives a favor and tell them to avoid this (DOT awarded!) hotel.

3. They harass you at the start of each day and ask you:"Sir, ma'am, mag-checheck-out na ba kayo ngayon? Magbayad po muna kayo kung hindi pa." Nothing about that says 'the-OFW-is-a-VIP'
.
Natawa talaga ako dito. Paano pag masama gising nung customer, tapos ganyan ang greetings ng front desk people...

8 cities shine amid gloom of RP politics
Editor's Note: Published on Page A1 of the August 11, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

In a nutshell, here's how the mayors envisioned their cities in the near future.

San Fernando: The Botanical Garden City by 2010
Mayor Mary Jane Ortega aims to develop both its environment and its people, with equal focus on nurturing the locale's 20-hectare botanical garden, and providing skills training to constituents to make for a more economically viable city.

Tagbilaran: A Prime Eco-Tourism Hub by 2015
Mayor Dan Neri Lim drafted a plan to improve living standards in his city, where poverty continues to be an affliction. Foremost on the goal list are the creation of more employment, giving locals access to capital and better delivery of health services.

Calbayog: One City, One People, One Culture by 2015
The city aims to bring the government closer to its people to boost pride of place. At the same time, Mayor Mel Sarmiento said the city, with a thriving farming and fishing industry, would like to maximize commercial potentials through skills training and improvement of infrastructure.

Iloilo: Premier City by 2015
This Visayan city aims to be more attractive both as a business and cultural center in the region. Treñas laid out a plan to establish business facilities including a stock exchange, convention centers, manufacturing facilities, and an interconnected mass transport system, while preserving cultural heritage.

Naga City: Model City for Participatory Government by 2015
The thriving city of the Bicol region aims to bring together government, the constituency, the private sector and civic organizations toward city-wide multi-sectoral progress, said Mayor Jesse Robredo, a Ramon Magsaysay awardee for public service.

Samal: Island Garden City by 2015
Mayor Rogelio Antalan envisions his city to become an eco-tourism center at par with international standards, capitalizing on projecting the island-city as "a city of character" that is highly livable, with a "well-preserved and enriched cultural heritage."

Cebu: Most Livable City in Asia by 2015
In a presentation by City Administrator Francisco Fernandez, one of the Visayas region's best known business and tourism centers drafted a plan to make Cebu the most peaceful, cleanest and greenest city in the Asian region.

The city aims to give its constituents the most efficient delivery of basic services, transportation and communications systems, employment opportunities, and an internationally competitive quality of education.

Marikina: A World-class City by 2015
The only Metro Manila city among the ISA picks, Marikina presented its plan to become a "Little Singapore" someday soon. Banking on improvements initiated by former Mayor and now Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Bayani Fernando, the city, now ran by Fernando's wife Marides, aims to sustain a clean and green program that had turned the Marikina Riverbank into a bustling community park, maintain peace and order, and become "part of the international directory of business, sports, and the arts."

Binding commitment
The mayors present during the conference, including Sarmiento, Treñas, Robredo, Antalan, Ortega and Lim, were also recognized as the first batch of ISA fellows, binding them to the commitment of pursuing the plans they had laid out for their cities.

^^ Also posted in the Good News Thread II (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=241723). :colgate:

^^ stop graft and corruption and all these will become a reality before deadline.

Timex Corp. invests P720 million for Cebu-based distribution Center
The first and largest in the world

by Ehda M. Dago-oc
August 12, 2005

Prompted by the pool of creative and highly trainable workforce in Cebu, Timex Corporation poured in an additional investment of P720 million ($13 million) for the expansion of its Global Distribution Center here.
Compared to other investment sites in Asia, like China, expanding in Cebu has several advantages, especially on the ability of the workforce to speak efficiently in English language, creativity and fast learning abilities, said Timex Corporation president and chief executive officer (CEO) Joe Santana in a press conference.

Timex maintains a small plant in China, Santana cited that in terms of labor rate, the Philippines cannot compete with China, but the quality of workforce, China cannot compete with the Philippines.

Santana, who was in Cebu Wednesday to officially open the company’s Global Distribution Center, said the political uncertainty in the Philippines has not affected the company’s decision to put in more money here.

However, Santana did not divulge any planned future investment in the Philippines, he said if there is such a plan, the company would still prefer to invest in Cebu, rather than any other areas in the country.

Timex Philippines, with plant located at the Mactan Export Zone (MEZ-1) is the pioneering locator when the zone opened its arms to foreign investors in the late 70’s.

“We have been here (Cebu) for 26 years now, it’s just make sense to expand here. I don’t think we should consider other areas in the Philippines, if the company will decide to expand further our Philippine operation,” Santana said.

Timex’s Global Distribution Center’s launching on Wednesday was graced by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The center allows Timex watches to be shipped to the different locations worldwide.

The facility, which is located in a 4,300 square meter are, delivers 170,000 watches per day, to 5,000 multiple or bulk buyers around the world.

Eighty percent of Timex’s watches distributed worldwide is made and assembled in its Cebu plant.

In her speech, Arroyo said in today’s very competitive market environment logistics is the “name of the game,” And Philippines is very fortunate to be picked by Timex as the location for its first and largest distribution center in the world.

Timex’s Global Distribution Center, which now employs 200 people, is the first distribution center being established in the world’s watch industry.

Timex Philippines Inc. main charter is to assemble Timex watches and other watch products, and manufacture watch components. The company also performs the packaging operations and distributes the package products to the different Timex locations and customers worldwide. With the US$13 million investment and expansion into direct shipping, Santana said this could be done more efficiently throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia.

At peak, Timex Philippines employs about 4,600 people, (excluding the new 200 personnel for the Global Distribution facility), with varied labor pool ranging from the regular operators manning the labor intensive lines to highly automated product lines manned by highly skilled technicians and engineers.

The company in itself is technologically enabled running on Oracle database and state of the art supply chain and demand planning systems. Sitting on about nine hectares of land, the company has invested in fixed assets amounting to about US$30 million.

TMX Philippines, Inc. is a domestic corporation operating inside MEZ-1 and is 100 percent owned by TMX Ltd. NV, a company existing in Curacao, the Netherlands Antilles.

PEZA declares JY Square area as Information Technology zone

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) has declared the 10,000-hectare JY Square property in Lahug as Information Technology (IT) Zone.
This means that IT related companies that are planning to hold offices in the two infrastructure building located in the properly are bound to avail of the tax incentives and holidays.

Because of this declaration, the developer of JY Square commercial complex, and JY Square Discovery Mall, the Jovina Management and Development Corporation is set to build a seven-story commercial center to accommodate IT-related companies that wanted to take advantage of these tax incentives granted to declared IT Zones.

According to JY Square Discovery Mall Internal/External Affairs executive Elouiza G.

Sandalo, the construction of the third JY Square commercial complex will start soon, and is expected to host IT-related firms in the last quarter next year.

She said even as the building construction is still on the way, there are already a number of interested call centers, and other Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies, which signified interest.

In fact, the fourth to seventh floor of the upcoming building will be occupied by a 500-seat call center company.

The defunct Hotel La Nivel, which is used to operate in the JY Square Commercial Complex, is now converted into a Korean Language School, while the ground floor of the building is fully utilized for the expansion of the JY Square Supermarket.

The first three floors of the upcoming building will be served as an extension of the JY Square Discovery Mall.

“We are 90 percent occupied, we need to develop more spaces for interested tenants,” Sandalo said.

On the other hand, Cebuano developers are now taking advantage of Cebu’s position as the IT hub in the Philippines, aside from JY Square property, there are now several buildings, and developed commercial areas that are applying to become IT Zones to attract IT-based locators.

Aside from the official declaration of PEZA, for a property or building to become an “official” IT Zone, it still has to acquire a Presidential Proclamation, after which its IT-based locators can immediately enjoy of the tax holidays.

Early this year, Vicsal Development Corporation president Jack Gaisano announced that the company has developed another IT Park in Cebu, called the “Taft IT Zone”.

The opening of these smaller IT Zones answers the call of IT related investors like call center and BPO operators for the lack of building infrastructure facilities here to accommodate interested companies that wanted to set up operations in Cebu




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/edifice_complex/JYSquare.jpg
JY Square Mall

I think applicants for airport screeners at Mactan Airport will increase if this will push through. Please read.
*****************************************

MACTAN AIRPORT SECURITY UPGRADE: “Peeping Tom”scanners eyed

From bombs and bladed weapons to nipples to pubic hair, nothing will escape the new “Peeping Tom” scanners that the Mactan Cebu International Airport may install in the near future.

Mactan Cebu International Airport general manager Adelberto Yap told The Freeman last Friday that there are “ serious plans “ to deploy the virtual stripping machine but that only the prohibitive cost is holding the plans back.

“ We may deploy Peeping Tom Scanners in the future at domestic and international operations. But at the moment, these are too expensive, “ Yap said.

According to the airport manager, one Peeping Tom scanner currently costs $1.2 million.

Peeping Tom scanners can see beneath a person’s clothing, giving airport screening personnel the ability to see bombs or bladed weapons that may be taped, tucked or strapped on a person’s body without that person having to go through pat-downs.

Fortunately or unfortunately, however, the person being screened is also virtually stripped down, meaning the screening personnel will see his or her private parts.

Also called “ electronic strip, “ Peeping Tom scanners employ “ backscatter imaging “ where the technology of x-rays picks up and displays detailed body images, including breasts, nipples and clear outlines of genitals.

Privacy advocates who saw “ backscatters “ tested on some US airports have assailed the technology for its ability to erode privacy, calling it “ invasive and offensive. ”

But US transport security officials say the technology is effective and will ultimately have to be used globally in stepping up security. The tradeoff for the security, however, is that people will have to pay the price of losing their personal privacy.

The idea, however, bodes well with Yap, who is a stickler for safety and security.

This year alone, Yap has already deployed 18 regular scanners and has created Task Force Labrador for the new security measures.

The scanners he installed for domestic and international operations have the capability of detecting explosives, drugs, guns and metals that are viewed three-dimensionally.

As a security and safety watchdog, Task Force Labrador implements ground rules at the airside ramp while ensuring runways are free from foreign object damage.

“ Foreign object damage is a critical thing, ” Yap said. “ Any object moving around the runway can cause a multi-million-peso disaster. A mere cup or can that gets sucked into the aircraft can destroy a $15-million engine. We have issued a directive penalizing ground personnel who scatter foreign objects on the ramp or leave ground equipment on the runway. ”

Security does not spare anyone. Other than subjecting passengers to layers of checking, Yap stepped up requirements involving the profiling of individual maintenance personnel and everyone with direct access to an aircraft.

“ We just have to watch them, “ Yap said.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/edifice_complex/Table7.jpg
Table 7, Ayala Lagoon area

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/edifice_complex/CebuCitySportsClub.jpg
Cebu City Sports Club @ Cebu Business Park

Can the moderator merge all existing Cebu (city & province)threads? There was a thread on Cebu before that was closed. Can that be merged too?

Below is the rendering of Cebu Megadome. After the Cebu Boardwalk, this is the project that I'm most interested of. I hope construction would start soon.
I believe it's a sin if they don't push through with this project (at least for me).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/edifice_complex/Megadome.jpg

Thanks to Rodney Co for allowing me to use the rendering. Please visit his website: http://www.3dstormstudio.com

^^ That's awesome! What's the seating capacity of that arena?

OMG! that's indeed awesome! i hope it gets built....soon!

^^ That's awesome! What's the seating capacity of that arena?


I don't have that information but I could vaguely remember reading somewhere that the seating capacity is more than that of Araneta Coliseum's.
If Gov. Garcia will make good of her promise, then we'll see this structure rise during her tenure.

Speak out: Let’s have the ‘Peeping Tom’
By Dr. Aguido Magdadaro Wednesday, August 17, 2005

The reactions stirred by Mactan Cebu Iternational Airport general manager Adelberto Yap’s talk about “Peeping Tom” scanners were quite amusing, exaggerated. The issue here is public safety. Between life and death; between recognition of threats in the person of a potential terrorist boarding a plane, and survival.

In the practice of modern medicine, high technology allows one to see the minutest detail of the inside body parts in the diagnosis of serious diseases. Early detection means saving a life. What makes cancer curable today is early detection through high tech machines: CT scans, MRI, etc.

Terrorism is like cancer; it kills. Terrorists kill, themselves and others, if not found early enough.

What is the price? Nothing!

A person’s private parts are not necessarily the most interesting objects to see. What is there in the private parts that are not already known to science, the arts, the imagination, the Internet? Will an airport scan diminish one’s private parts if, in passing, they are visualized in the process of ensuring airport safety?

If a patient who comes to the doctor’s office is willing to bare all, allows the physician to touch, insert and cut, what makes it hard for a passenger to go through a scanner so that he can be sure he, and the other passengers, will reach their destination safely?

The human private parts have never changed in form and substance since time began. I am sure, the scanner technician will not be interested to find how new changes might have evolved.

Let’s have the “Peeping Tom,” and find out who are the malicious among us.

:eek: WOW, that megadome is awesome. And then, half the PBA teams can be "from Cebu" so their will be some rivalry between this and Araneta Coliseum based teams:D

Below is the rendering of Cebu Megadome. After the Cebu Boardwalk, this is the project that I'm most interested of. I hope construction would start soon.
I believe it's a sin if they don't push through with this project (at least for me).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/edifice_complex/Megadome.jpg


Thanks to Rodney Co for allowing me to use the rendering. Please visit his website: http://www.3dstormstudio.com

Hats off to Edifice for this rendering. :bow: A few millions of pesos were already spent for planning and design so there's no reason this project wont realize. Cebu isn't called the Queen City for nothing... It will make Cebu a greater province than it already is. I also see it as a landmark that will reinforce the Cebuanos’ sense of pride. :D

It's a 16,000 seater megadome by the way against Araneta's 17,000. But considering its size and design, no doubt the Megadome will soon be the country's biggest and most modern sports and entertainment facility. you can't find this in any other city in the Philippines and i'm as excited as Edifice. :okay:


P.s. by the way Ed, we're you aware of other proposals? there was an entry that looked almost like one of Magellan's ship. so huge but the obvious reason it wasnt chosen was the budget. hehe. if only i could find the renderings on the net. :(



http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/cebupics/SSC/skyscrapercity-cebu.jpg

:eek2: impressive megadome! one of the better (if not the best) designed arena in the philippines.

I think applicants for airport screeners at Mactan Airport will increase if this will push through. Please read.
*****************************************

MACTAN AIRPORT SECURITY UPGRADE: “Peeping Tom”scanners eyed

From bombs and bladed weapons to nipples to pubic hair, nothing will escape the new “Peeping Tom” scanners that the Mactan Cebu International Airport may install in the near future.

Mactan Cebu International Airport general manager Adelberto Yap told The Freeman last Friday that there are “ serious plans “ to deploy the virtual stripping machine but that only the prohibitive cost is holding the plans back.

“ We may deploy Peeping Tom Scanners in the future at domestic and international operations. But at the moment, these are too expensive, “ Yap said.

According to the airport manager, one Peeping Tom scanner currently costs $1.2 million.

Peeping Tom scanners can see beneath a person’s clothing, giving airport screening personnel the ability to see bombs or bladed weapons that may be taped, tucked or strapped on a person’s body without that person having to go through pat-downs.

Fortunately or unfortunately, however, the person being screened is also virtually stripped down, meaning the screening personnel will see his or her private parts.

Also called “ electronic strip, “ Peeping Tom scanners employ “ backscatter imaging “ where the technology of x-rays picks up and displays detailed body images, including breasts, nipples and clear outlines of genitals.

Privacy advocates who saw “ backscatters “ tested on some US airports have assailed the technology for its ability to erode privacy, calling it “ invasive and offensive. ”

But US transport security officials say the technology is effective and will ultimately have to be used globally in stepping up security. The tradeoff for the security, however, is that people will have to pay the price of losing their personal privacy.

The idea, however, bodes well with Yap, who is a stickler for safety and security.

This year alone, Yap has already deployed 18 regular scanners and has created Task Force Labrador for the new security measures.

The scanners he installed for domestic and international operations have the capability of detecting explosives, drugs, guns and metals that are viewed three-dimensionally.

As a security and safety watchdog, Task Force Labrador implements ground rules at the airside ramp while ensuring runways are free from foreign object damage.

“ Foreign object damage is a critical thing, ” Yap said. “ Any object moving around the runway can cause a multi-million-peso disaster. A mere cup or can that gets sucked into the aircraft can destroy a $15-million engine. We have issued a directive penalizing ground personnel who scatter foreign objects on the ramp or leave ground equipment on the runway. ”

Security does not spare anyone. Other than subjecting passengers to layers of checking, Yap stepped up requirements involving the profiling of individual maintenance personnel and everyone with direct access to an aircraft.

“ We just have to watch them, “ Yap said.



I'm just curious about this PEEPING TOM scanner edifice. How intrusive is it really? Will it appear like those of a negative copies of an X-ray or is it more of a picture perfect type where everything is really clear and bold? I have never heard any of this before here in the US, maybe I must have missed the news reports on it, but, if it's true and is very intrusive. I for one would rally against it until they would do a certain modifications where the screen would not appear as bold and vulgar. It's the metals, sharp objects and weapons are the things they would be looking for anyway. I don't think I would appreciate it if my woman would be the one passing through that type of contraption knowing fully well that men are fiesting their eyes looking at my wife or more so my teenage daughter if I have one.. I'd be rasing hell on them one thing for sure, I bet women would be the 1st one in line to rally against it.

xDieselJockx, honestly I have no idea how intrusive this new screening device would be. Unfortunately, we live in a time where airport security cannot be taken for granted. But I just hope that the passenger's privacy would still be respected.
And I agree with you bro, when you said that they better use this device into good use or people would raise hell. Let's just hope that airport scanners won't use this as a substitue for watching x-rated tapes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/edifice_complex/Megadome.jpg



Hats off to Edifice for this rendering. :bow: A few millions of pesos were already spent for planning and design so there's no reason this project wont realize. Cebu isn't called the Queen City for nothing... It will make Cebu a greater province than it already is. I also see it as a landmark that will reinforce the Cebuanos’ sense of pride. :D

It's a 16,000 seater megadome by the way against Araneta's 17,000. But considering its size and design, no doubt the Megadome will soon be the country's biggest and most modern sports and entertainment facility. you can't find this in any other city in the Philippines and i'm as excited as Edifice. :okay:


P.s. by the way Ed, we're you aware of other proposals? there was an entry that looked almost like one of Magellan's ship. so huge but the obvious reason it wasnt chosen was the budget. hehe. if only i could find the renderings on the net. :(



http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/cebupics/SSC/skyscrapercity-cebu.jpg

Thanks for your comments, rusty.
No, I haven't seen the other entries. I wish I did. Let me ask Rodney Co, the owner of that photo, if he has 3d renderings of the other proposals. He's a very nice guy although I haven't met him personally. He allowed me to post the rendering in this forum. He sent thru e-mail more photos of cebu megadome but he told me I couldn't post it because the architect wouldn't allow it. He has a website:http://www.3dstormstudio.com
I also invited him to join this group para managhan ta diri.

I was just about to ask about the Megadome project, I remember seeing it in an issue of Bluprint magazone. i really like the gesign, very impressive.

^^ evidently, University of San Carlos archi grads are one of the best in the country! :okay:

the original plan was a 25,000 seater megadome but later shelved to 16,000. there was already an assurance that Gov. Gwen Garcia will not give up the megadome project so i think that's still good news. :D

in contrary to that, Governor Gwen has already approved the re-asphaltation and re development of over 100 kilometers of roads in cebu city and some areas of the province....

I am really seeing great updates in the Ayala Center Cebu...
1. They have opened two new carparks to accomodate the growing number of shoppers. (As what ive researched...Ayala's average customers per day was 70,000 in 2003 and now it sprawls up to 200,000) Just visited Ayala last weekend and gosh, its like a stampede of people, I just don't know why...I just remember when Ayala opened on 1994, I could have tango along its corridors but now i think its more than impossible...
2. They have fenced part of its west side (near the basement entrance)...From the hearsays, probably it would be a cinema or a mall expansion.
3. The old jeepney terminal has also been fenced for the expansion.

SM City Cebu updates
1. They have now closed part of their gravel parking area and I think they would now be starting the construction of their annex building (a 5 level building wherein 3 levels will be for parking and 2 for shops)

^^ so great to hear that mike! nice job. :cool: about the ayala mall, there's supposedly a couple of outdoor/garden scenic escalators/elevators from the entertainment center straight to the cinemas right? i also heard aside from the SM Mall, SM Sheraton will also be in the works of finishing the hotel! :D

http://photos23.flickr.com/26006641_6146328c4b.jpg?v=0

^^
Where the heck is that? :dunno:

looks like mactan to me (hilton?)

Below is the rendering of Cebu Megadome. After the Cebu Boardwalk, this is the project that I'm most interested of. I hope construction would start soon.
I believe it's a sin if they don't push through with this project (at least for me).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v696/edifice_complex/Megadome.jpg

Thanks to Rodney Co for allowing me to use the rendering. Please visit his website: http://www.3dstormstudio.com
KUDOS to edifice :) Cebu never ceases to impress me :)

^^
Where the heck is that? :dunno:

Hilton Hotel Resort and Spa. Punta Engaño, Mactan Island.

NEW UPDATES:::
1. The oldest mall in CEBU CITY (the 7 level Metro Gaisano in Colon) is facelifting itself to suit the market of the new generation.. Now they feature adholes in their exterior... Recently, there are press releases that Metro Gaisano is going to undergo a major renovation of its interiors. This will utilize the use of the spaces of the 7 level mall... The Supermarket in the Basement level will also have a phase-to-phase renovation so that it will not effect the routine of its shoppers. 15 check-out counters would also be added to the current 35 due to the long queues in the supermarket....

2. Metro Ayala Center (Ayala Center Cebu) is on its final phases of renovation of its supermarket...Now it boasts of its new fish and meat section... The 50+ check out counters will now also be refurbished and sponsored by POS (POS, I think is also the software used by SM Supermarket.) After this major renovation, the department store would also be facelifted.

3. Cebu Boardwalk mall's columns for the 1st floor are already set-up so I believe that they will begin the construction ASAP.

4. SM City Cebu's gravel parking space (part of it) has been closed recently and cranes are moving about. I believe that these are the initial steps for the construction of the annex building.

5. 300 additional parking spaces have been opened in Ayala Center Cebu to accomodate the parking vehicles.. The old jeepney terminal and a lot beside the west entrance of the mall has been fenced. I am not sure if this would be part of the expansion mall.

6. more updates to come.

http://photos11.flickr.com/14027293_d448790725.jpg?v=0

I like this building in Cebu. Innove' Plaza I think is the name of the building.

http://photos11.flickr.com/14027293_d448790725.jpg?v=0

I like this building in Cebu. Innove' Plaza I think is the name of the building.

yes you're right...its the innove plaza and it really is beautiful and grand. not so tall but appealing

Can anyone post a picture of Parklane International Hotel? Heard that they are opening this november? I want to check this hotel out, heard that it's 26 story edifice in Escario St.. Correct me If I'm wrong.

http://photos11.flickr.com/14027293_d448790725.jpg?v=0

I like this building in Cebu. Innove' Plaza I think is the name of the building.



I like this building, too. It's not the typical box-like structure. If this were a lady, it has curves.

Can anyone post a picture of Parklane International Hotel? Heard that they are opening this november? I want to check this hotel out, heard that it's 26 story edifice in Escario St.. Correct me If I'm wrong.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/hurtyp/13-08-05_1834.jpg

I got this shot of the on going construction of the Parklane Int'l Hotel last sat through my phone going to Ayala...not so clear but it is still in its 5th or 6th floor... It can't start to operate this November I think...

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/hurtyp/13-08-05_1834.jpg

I got this shot of the on going construction of the Parklane Int'l Hotel last sat through my phone going to Ayala...not so clear but it is still in its 5th or 6th floor... It can't start to operate this November I think...


Slerz, I don't mean to be dumb but asa gani nang Escario? Is that the street across Ayala Center going to Lahug?

Its the street from Capitol building crossing the street intersection to lahug then straight to the fly over sa Ayala Business park. I got my position fronting the flyover ahead.... this building is just beside the flyover.... looks like it will look tall coz it's constucted in an elevated portion....

Its the street from Capitol building crossing the street intersection to lahug then straight to the fly over sa Ayala Business park. I got my position fronting the flyover ahead.... this building is just beside the flyover.... looks like it will look tall coz it's constucted in an elevated portion....


Thanks. It's all coming back now. For a while my sense of direction was distorted. But there's a flyover in Ayala? When was it constructed? I never knew about it until now.

yup, just newly opened to traffic just this year I think or the last quarter of 2004 if im not mistaken... just beside the Pag Ibig tower plaza.... wen was ur last visit sa Cebu diay?

Slerz, 2001 was the last time I was there. I bet daghan nang kausaban sa atong pinalanggang Sugbu.

Slerz, 2001 was the last time I was there. I bet daghan nang kausaban sa atong pinalanggang Sugbu.

Daghan na gyug kausaban sa pinalanggang Sugbu..labi na sa mga malls, mga kalsada, etc...

Hahayyzzzz...AT least i am getting updates that Sheraton Hotel will now be looking for a sponsor to support the P1B remaining finances for the interior design... (may untag maablihan na ning hotel!)

Guys im putting in a story I heard....

the canadian ambassador was in cebu a few months ago... and he attended a meeting with some of cebu's top leaders in shangri-la mactan,.. they were discussing the current political crisis... in jest one cebuano asked the entire table of who among them would like to separate the province from the country,.. to the diplomat's surprise everybody raised their hand.....>>>> true story

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/hurtyp/13-08-05_1834.jpg

I got this shot of the on going construction of the Parklane Int'l Hotel last sat through my phone going to Ayala...not so clear but it is still in its 5th or 6th floor... It can't start to operate this November I think...

I thought that they will be able to open this november in time for the Advertising Congress. I read it in a newspaper. Thank you very much for the picture and the update.

dont worry about power... an ethanol plant is being built at san carlos city, negros occidental,.... target is by 2010 ten percent of the nation's fuel will come from sugar.....

Guys im putting in a story I heard....

the canadian ambassador was in cebu a few months ago... and he attended a meeting with some of cebu's top leaders in shangri-la mactan,.. they were discussing the current political crisis... in jest one cebuano asked the entire table of who among them would like to separate the province from the country,.. to the diplomat's surprise everybody raised their hand.....>>>> true story


Wow, this is kinda shocking to hear. Every region wants to separate it seems like, to build their own empire or state.. To be a leader here and there, how sure are these people that when the philippines segregated from one another, each and every new state will not be lead by a corrupt leader as it seems like everywhere in every corner of the philippines it's rampant, corruptions are everywhere, there are very few who are genuine and true but which one are they? UNITY and oneness is what the philippine needed and reflect back of how the philippine was back in the glory days of innocence and pride. This may sound so negative but it can happen...

The CURT has already been approved by the local and national government... Now, Cebu City with the help of Mayor Tomas Osmena is looking for investors, specifically Japanese investors to fund this project... This very ambitious projects aims to provide a mass transportation alternative for the city. Phase 1 would include the Minglanilla to Liloan (via the SRP and NRA).

On the other hand, The Friendship Bridges proposal (suspension bridges) that would link Santander town (southernmost tip of Cebu) to Bais City in Negros and Cordova to Jetafe, Bohol (via Olango Island) have been realized... This project is included in the 1st priority projects of PGMA.. When operational, these bridges would be as beautiful or more beautiful than Golden Gate and London Bridge...

Wow, this is kinda shocking to hear. Every region wants to separate it seems like, to build their own empire or state.. To be a leader here and there, how sure are these people that when the philippines segregated from one another, each and every new state will not be lead by a corrupt leader as it seems like everywhere in every corner of the philippines it's rampant, corruptions are everywhere, there are very few who are genuine and true but which one are they? UNITY and oneness is what the philippine needed and reflect back of how the philippine was back in the glory days of innocence and pride. This may sound so negative but it can happen...


-because the visayas is growing faster than the north,... manila may be good now,.. give us ten years ... well outpace...

Its just the fact that we have a centralised government... all the funds sift through there... it is not distributed equally .... but the fact is... we are tired of the mob rule... reports say that GMA has a very low approval rating up there, down here we say: hu cares.... GMa the TV station may be no.1 in manila,... but then abs-cbn is still no. 1 in the phils (and is owned by a southern clan) ... too much difference and the only reason why we haven't gone 1st world is because were being dragged down.... look at our achievments.... down here....

-because the visayas is growing faster than the north,... manila may be good now,.. give us ten years ... well outpace...

Its just the fact that we have a centralised government... all the funds sift through there... it is not distributed equally .... but the fact is... we are tired of the mob rule... reports say that GMA has a very low approval rating up there, down here we say: hu cares.... GMa the TV station may be no.1 in manila,... but then abs-cbn is still no. 1 in the phils (and is owned by a southern clan) ... too much difference and the only reason why we haven't gone 1st world is because were being dragged down.... look at our achievments.... down here....

yes, that's why FEDERALISM is the key...madali na ring mahuhuli ang kurakot kc ang funds ay distributed na down to the CITY LEVEL.... so i'd conclude that FEDERALISM is the KEY to the present Philippine Problems

Okay, I didn't catch everything what you guys said although i had a good grasp of it, I thought you guys wants a totally different state/country, like what I have read in a column before or it may also been here in skyscraper for a mindanao, cebu and luzon republic. Federal Gov't makes more sense alright.... US is a federal type of government and it worked, hopefully it is still working, it seems like it's still is working..
I've asked this Q before, why are they proposing Parliamentary type of Gov't instead of just a federal ? US is federal ljust like what i've mentioned but we are still being run by a President and not a Prime minister.

Okay, I got what you meant...Me too, I'd rather push through Federalism rather than Parliamentary. But it would be better, if both of these would push through.

nice updates guys, whole lotta stuff to expect from Cebu. viva Republic of Cebu! :rock:

@mike: thanks for all the info's. u sure are a great help in this wonder thread. hehe... btw what cities will consist Metro Consolacion? with regards to Metro Mactan, it will only be possible if the island be declared a separate province. there was actually a proposal to separate Mactan from Cebu province but of course it didn't realize. imo, any new cities in Mactan island will still belong to the great Metropolitan Cebu which i am in favor. :okay:

aqua adventure will be in SRP right? you forgot to mention the Fisherman's Wharf which is near the Cebu Boardwalk Complex in North Reclamation. asa man na ang Enchanted Kingdom? is it the same thing with the proposed theme park in Cebu Boardwalk Complex? :D

Marco Polo Hotel (Cebu Plaza) will open this October! :cool:

Ayala Center positions itself as a 'tourist friendly' mall
By Ehda M. Dago-oc
The Freeman 08/20/2005

Shopping and leisure mall Ayala Center Cebu (ACC) is intensifying its position as a "tourist friendly" mall through crafting new offerings to draw in more tourists to shop.

ACC is consulting the Cebu Association of Tour Guides (CAT-G) on what more it can do to satisfy every tourist, both domestic and foreign visitors, who visit the mall.

ACC, led by its marketing manager Joy Polloso, met with the members of CAT-G recently to consult its plan to offer more attractions and convenience facilities for tourists, and asked CAT-G members' suggestions how the mall could be a full-pledge tourism friendly facility.

Through the president Rafael Tura, the CAT-G members mentioned several suggestions or "wish list" how the mall could attract tourist-shoppers by putting up accessible lounge; smoking area, WiFi area for tourists or business center; proper directions or signage; mall map upon arrival of a tourist (multi-lingual); offering shops with quality fashion accessories; proper drop off and pick up area; proper waiting area; more visible toilet signage among others.

Polloso also consulted with the tourist guides the spending habit of tourists, not only the foreigners but also the domestic visitors.

Whenever there is a big group of tourists handled, upon arrival to Ayala Center, they are given a kit that will give them information on the mall's offerings, shop locations, restaurant, and other important details.

"We want to get a glimpse how foreigners or local tourists spend, their average spending, and their favorite shops," Polloso said.

Through ACC's constant consultation with CAT-G members the mall could fit in its offerings to that of the interests of tourists.

According to Polloso, the mall is improving its existing tourist related facilities and services, through the consultation of tourists guides.

The introduction of a shopping card for tourists that may give them special discounts or perks was also suggested.

ACC is capitalizing on the increasing number of tourists to Cebu, it has been positioning the mall to be more "tourists friendly". In fact, signage have been placed inside and outside the mall written in Chinese, to cater the Chinese-speaking tourists.

Aside from the foreign visitors, Tura said there are also an increasing number of domestic tourists, especially the "educational trips" groups. He said ACC is also offering perks for this kind of visitors.

Despite the economic difficulties in the country, the retail industry in the Cebu has remained upbeat because of the province's position as the tourism center in the Philippines.

Shopping is the next thing that a tourist will engaged in, in a destination, this already includes food, pasalubong items, among others.

Polloso said although ACC had already been addressing the need of tourists in the mall, but there is still a need for ACC to intensify its effort in order to draw in more tourists to shop at ACC.

Here's more about the Parklane Int'l Hotel and the nearby flyover para kang edifice_complex3.... I think this building will look like Cebu Plaza. btw, Got this pics ganihang hapon...hehehe

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/hurtyp/20-08-05_1749.jpg

from Escario st.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/hurtyp/20-08-05_1807.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/hurtyp/20-08-05_1803.jpg

the flyover that I said and the on going construction of parklane
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/hurtyp/20-08-05_1755.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/hurtyp/20-08-05_1757.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/hurtyp/20-08-05_1815.jpg

Here's more about the Parklane Int'l Hotel and the nearby flyover para kang edifice_complex3.... I think this building will look like Cebu Plaza. btw, Got this pics ganihang hapon...hehehe

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/hurtyp/20-08-05_1757.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/hurtyp/20-08-05_1815.jpg

what tha?! cebu roads are too clean! :? ok, so i miss cebu so much. great job slerz! thanks for the pics... :D

Here's more about the Parklane Int'l Hotel and the nearby flyover para kang edifice_complex3.... I think this building will look like Cebu Plaza. btw, Got this pics ganihang hapon...hehehe

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/hurtyp/20-08-05_1749.jpg

from Escario st.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/hurtyp/20-08-05_1807.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/hurtyp/20-08-05_1803.jpg

the flyover that I said and the on going construction of parklane
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/hurtyp/20-08-05_1755.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/hurtyp/20-08-05_1757.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b337/hurtyp/20-08-05_1815.jpg


Slerz, thank you very mucho. Know, I have an idea where the flyover is. I'm sure it helped in easing out traffic in that area.

Got this article from http://www.wayblima.com
It's kinda long but interesting.

DEVELOP A WORLD-CLASS ATTRACTION


by Jason Gonzales
The creation of a world-class attraction is important for Cebu's future as a major tourist destination in Asia. A suggestion of what can be done.
Clearly, tourism is an important component of Cebu's economy and identity. Cebu has thrived to the degree that it has largely as a result of a good stream of arrivals from Japan and other countries. In order to close the gap between our living standards and those in developed countries, tourism must be encouraged and promoted further. To this end, doing well in the competition against other tropical destinations - such as Phuket, Guam, Hawaii, the Maldives - is critical to Cebu's success.
Cebu continues to score well in surveys of tourist spots in Asia. This is actually somewhat surprising, because Cebu lacks a world-class tourist attraction. Our past success is perhaps due to good balance: the infrastructure is reasonably well-developed, tourists can enjoy the sea as well as the malls, and our workers perform fairly well.

However, to remain competitive in the long run, and to become a world-famous tourist destination on par with the Bahamas, Hawaii, and Tahiti, Cebu needs to do much more. Spefically, we need a world-class attraction, which we currently lack.

Some might say that our white-sand beaches and good weather are enough to keep the arrivals coming. Perhaps. But there is a risk that arrivals, instead of increasing, will gradually drop off, and Cebu will become yet another seedy town that has seen better days, the hotels dilapidated, the economy stagnant, and the city riddled with drugs.

Why? Because of competition from better-prepared rivals. As far as the most important markets of Japan and Korea are concerned, our closest competition currently comes from Guam, which is a similar distance from both countries, and equally economical compared to more expensive destinations such as Hawaii, Tahiti, or the Maldives.

Guam has a world-class aquarium. It is not only one of the largest aquariums in the world, but it has also been creatively designed with tunnels and multiple tanks; moreover, the tanks do not look like tanks, having been crafted to mimic the natural environment. An expert staff of scientists is on hand to look after the numerous rare and magnificent specifies of fish, sea snakes, custaceans, and mollusks. The aquarium is home to not one but dozens of manta rays, and other majestic creatures are in abundance, too. Guam's aquarium is as good as, if not better, than the best aquariums in the US, Japan, or Australia.

It is interesting that Guam has this aquarium, because Guam, like Cebu, is an island blessed with warm, tropical waters, abundant nature and a sun-drenched climate. Clearly, the natives of Guam felt that being a paradise island was not good enough. Tourists had to be offered something more than nature and God gave the island. By offering its visitors added value, Guam increased its competitiveness in the region.

Cebu's best aquarium, meanwhile, continues to be a fish tank in a Chinese restaurant in Lahug.

Not surprising then, that Guam received 1,102,873 foreign visitors in 2004, while Cebu got a total of only 351,209. Guam has a Sheraton and Hyatt, while we have neither; adding insult to injury, the Cebu Plaza Hotel, our pride and joy for many years, has been ignominiously shut down.

So is it the case that Cebu should also build a world-class aquarium?

Without a doubt, this would a monumental fallacy. It would be senseless to try and repeat what the island of Guam has already done much better than we ever could. The capital investment required alone would make the building of an aquarium difficult. Moreover, merely aping the Guamanians would be an insult to Cebuano pride. What Cebu needs is a world-class attraction other than an aquarium.

What exactly can Cebu do to develop a major world-class tourist attraction? Let us consider some options.

A major amusement park such as Disneyland is out, since Hong Kong is already building one. In fact, Cebuanos have been lining up at travel agencies to get their tickets to the opening scheduled in September.

An underwater hotel, while an imaginative idea, is also out, since Dubai has already built one, five stars no less.

What about the world's tallest building? Not only would that cost far too much, it has already been done by several cities in Asia - Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, Taipei - who keep completing skyscrapers a few meters higher than the last in a mad vanity race to squander billions of dollars.

The Great Barrier Reef, being a divine rather than human creation, is impossible to replicate, and so are the Niagara Falls. And it is a bit too late to start building something on par with the Taj Mahal or Angkor Wat.

How about capitalizing on Cebuanos' penchant for gambling, and developing a whole bunch of Las Vegas-style casinos, replete with shows, over-the-top decor, and luxury accommodation facilities? That might have been a good idea five years ago, but nearby Macao has just embarked on this path, with investments from two Las Vegas corporations totaling several billion dollars.

Is there nothing, then, that Cebu can do? Well, actually there is one world-class attraction we could build that is guaranteed to attract tourists not just from Japan and Korea, but also the US and Europe. It would be unique in the world, it would cost very little to develop, and it would put Cebu on the global tourist map once and for all. At the very least, it would make Cebu more competitive by giving our visitors something to do on a rainy day other than malling.

What we need to do is build a museum of modern art.

There has been massive global surge of interest in modern art in recent years, and the major modern art galleries in Europe and America continue to draw record numbers of visitors. England's Tate Modern alone drew 22 million visitors last year,

Now, you might be thinking that it is beyond Cebu's financial means to fund a world-class museum of modern art. Indeed, all the major modern art museums - the Tate Modern, Pompideau, and MoMA - have lately been spending serious first-world money. The Tate Modern spent $245 million (PhP 13.6 billion) on a recent renovation. New York's famous MoMA was rebuilt and expanded for $858 million (PhP 47.7 billion) last year.

And that's just the buildings. With a single painting by a popular Impressionist retailing for well over a million dollars, it takes the equivalent of a Philippine national budget to build an impressive collection. Even the best museums in Europe slowly built up their collections over many decades, one painting at a time.

There's a neat little solution to this, however, and I present it to the Cebu and the world on this 20th day of June, 2005.

It so happens that the primary attractions at the museums of modern art continue to be the great painters of the Impressionist movement: Van Gogh, Cezanne, Matisse, Gauguin, Picasso, Degas, Monet, to name a few. And the copyright for their works has long since expired.

The solution would thus be to build a fairly nice shell, for about 50 or 100 million (pesos!) and fill it with reproductions of the real paintings. A crop of our talented local artists could be dispatched to the major museums of the world to produce the material. (It is common practice to copy paintings while studying art, and art students busily copying paintings are often seen in museums.) In fact, we could even save on air fare, commission the copies via the Internet, and have them sent to Cebu via Federal Express.

The quality of the paintings should not be a problem. The interesting thing about paintings is that it is usually very hard to tell an original from an expertly produced fake. In fact, because counterfeiters often try to pass of fakes as originals, a whole branch of science has evolved around the task of verifying the authenticity of paintings. Often, a painting will have been identified as an original, and then reclassified as a fake, or vice versa. To 99.99 percent of the art viewing public, the reproduction is as good as the original and the difference is impossible to tell.

A major benefit would be that the Cebu Modern Art Museum (CMAM) would be able to display paintings from disparate collections around the world, and even those in the hands of private collectors. Thus, in Cebu, art lovers would be able to view Van Gogh's entire works at once - in addition to those of every other Impressionist.

The whole project would not cost an insubstantial amount, but still far less than a megadome, or, for that matter, a world-class aquarium. Fifty or a hundred million pesos is not a high price for gaining entrance into the elite club of true world cities.

CMAM would be more than just a tourist attraction; it could potentially turn Cebu into a genuine hub of the art world. Local art talent would flourish, Cebu would become the mecca of the Asian art scene, and local creativity in related fields - architecture, fashion, design - would blossom. Juan Luna would be proud.

If successful, the project could be expanded to include fine art. It goes beyond saying that the museums of fine art continue to be the greatest attractions in their cities. How many visitors would Paris and Madrid get if it were not for the Louvre and the Prado? Significantly less, if the itineraries of city tours in those cities are any indication.

In conclusion, the Cebu Modern Art Museum, if implemented well, would boost our tourist arrivals and spark the surging boom that will take our economy to the next level - and that much closer to first-world status.

SINULOG 2005
Cebu City

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Amanda Griffin
Cebuana Mestiza
yeah amanda griffin she's a beauty.

Slerz, thank you very mucho. Know, I have an idea where the flyover is. I'm sure it helped in easing out traffic in that area.

yup, coz traffic gets congested there during weekends where most of well known restos are located in Banilad area and also in IT park together with ayala.....

nice updates guys, whole lotta stuff to expect from Cebu. viva Republic of Cebu! :rock:

@mike: thanks for all the info's. u sure are a great help in this wonder thread. hehe... btw what cities will consist Metro Consolacion? with regards to Metro Mactan, it will only be possible if the island be declared a separate province. there was actually a proposal to separate Mactan from Cebu province but of course it didn't realize. imo, any new cities in Mactan island will still belong to the great Metropolitan Cebu which i am in favor. :okay:

aqua adventure will be in SRP right? you forgot to mention the Fisherman's Wharf which is near the Cebu Boardwalk Complex in North Reclamation. asa man na ang Enchanted Kingdom? is it the same thing with the proposed theme park in Cebu Boardwalk Complex? :D

Marco Polo Hotel (Cebu Plaza) will open this October! :cool:

the Metro I meant is not a province... It's a mall... (like Metro Gaisano, Super Metro Mandaue) okay?

This thread is already at it's 421st post and 80+ more it would be full... So, the other Thread Metro Cebu (Cebu City and Province) would serve as the 2nd thread for this thread. :runaway:

the Metro I meant is not a province... It's a mall... (like Metro Gaisano, Super Metro Mandaue) okay?

ah sorry, my mistake. hehe :D

Peza names new IT park; 10 applications pending

CEBU’s vision to become an information technology (IT) hub in the country and in Asia has resulted in the development of more IT parks and buildings all over the province.

In fact, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) has recently proclaimed another IT zone, the JY Square IT Center, located on Salinas Drive in Lahug, Cebu City, in addition to the Asiatown IT Park, the first IT park outside Luzon and the HDWF-WTCI IT Tower in the Cebu Business Park.

Ten more developers of IT buildings and areas are now applying with the Peza.

These are Kimhee Realty Corp., developer of KRC IT Zone in Mandaue City; Arcenas Development Corp., developer of Arcenas Estate IT Building in Banawa Hills, Cebu City; First Centro Inc., developer of Cebu Cybertown IT Park in Lapu-Lapu City; FAFCCC, developer of Innove IT Plaza in Cebu Business Park; Keppel Center Condominium Corp., developer of Keppel Center in Cebu Business Park; Ludo and Luym Development Corp., developer of Mango Square on Gen. Maxilom Ave., Cebu City; Mira Nila Development Corp., developer of Mira Nila Economic Zone in Barili, Cebu; Mitsumi Realty Inc., developer of MRI Ecozone in Danao City; Wenmar Development Corp., developer of Polambato-Bogo Economic Zone in Bogo, Cebu; and Taft Property Venture Development, developer of Taft IT Park in Mandaue City.

Tax perks

According to the Peza website, these economic zones and buildings are open to locators who are in the IT, IT-related and tourism enterprises, among others.

Businesses located in IT zones and economic zones are entitled to tax perks, such as income tax holidays.

The newly proclaimed IT center, JY Square, stands on an 8,800-square-meter lot and has a 10,341-square-meter floor area.

The 100 percent Filipino-owned building, developed and operated by Jovima Management and Development Corp., is now accepting locators in IT-related enterprises.

Earlier, Asiatown IT Park managing director Francis Monera said the first IT park outside Luzon, developed and operated by Cebu Property Ventures and Development Corp., has one more building that will be ready for occupancy by the end of the year.

Asiatown’s locators include Dash Engineering (Philippines) Inc., Epson Precision (Philippines) Inc., NRC-Cebu Development Center Inc., NEC Telecom Software (Philippines) Inc., People Support (Philippines) Inc., Tsuneishi Technical Services (Philippines) Inc. and Versagrafx Design Philippines Inc.

Got this article from http://www.wayblima.com
It's kinda long but interesting.

DEVELOP A WORLD-CLASS ATTRACTION


by Jason Gonzales
The creation of a world-class attraction is important for Cebu's future as a major tourist destination in Asia. A suggestion of what can be done.
Clearly, tourism is an important component of Cebu's economy and identity. Cebu has thrived to the degree that it has largely as a result of a good stream of arrivals from Japan and other countries. In order to close the gap between our living standards and those in developed countries, tourism must be encouraged and promoted further. To this end, doing well in the competition against other tropical destinations - such as Phuket, Guam, Hawaii, the Maldives - is critical to Cebu's success.
Cebu continues to score well in surveys of tourist spots in Asia. This is actually somewhat surprising, because Cebu lacks a world-class tourist attraction. Our past success is perhaps due to good balance: the infrastructure is reasonably well-developed, tourists can enjoy the sea as well as the malls, and our workers perform fairly well.... and bla bla bla



Hm. I never though a modern art museum could attract so many people.

Just by saying that this country has a Hyatt and Cebu doesn't, it's really evident that Cebu is being treated like a country considering that the Philippines has 2 Hyatt's. hehe. I wish Cebu would get one soon. lol.

wow!!!! i wish it would be a new thriving city. hope to be as advance as metro manila or makati.cant wait to see more high-rise Buildings!!!!

as advanced as metro manila??? cebu is...or i'd say more liveable than metro manila.

if panglao international airport (bohol) will really be built, cebu mactan airport will not only loose newly attracted airlines, but will also loose money and it's newly gained image as THE airport of the south. a bridge to bohol would be a lot better, cost equivalent, would sevice the population of both islands much more and then cebu would have it's world class attraction !

if panglao international airport (bohol) will really be built, cebu mactan airport will not only loose newly attracted airlines, but will also loose money and it's newly gained image as THE airport of the south. a bridge to bohol would be a lot better, cost equivalent, would sevice the population of both islands much more and then cebu would have it's world class attraction !

I don't think that Cebu's airport will loose the airlines operating there. First most of the people who use the mactan airport are businessmen. These people shuttle from Manila and Cebu most of the time and they compose 50% of the market. Bohol doesn't have a very dynamic business climate that can compare to Cebu and most of the people going to Bohol are tourists who most of the time prefers staying in Cebu and have daytrips to Bohol. Most Japanese and Korean tourists even identify Bohol as part of Cebu. Regarding the bridge going to Bohol, I am not sure if it will be realized in the next 10-20 years considering that it will take almost a hundred kilometers of road construction and interconnected bridges and aside from that Hilutungan Channel is one of the deepest of part of the sea in that area and is considered as bio reserve.

any good but affordable hotels in cebu... I'm backpacking there in a week or so( make takas, so can't stay wd relatives) ,... and no I'm not staying again at cebu grand hotel...

I don't think that Cebu's airport will loose the airlines operating there. First most of the people who use the mactan airport are businessmen. These people shuttle from Manila and Cebu most of the time and they compose 50% of the market. Bohol doesn't have a very dynamic business climate that can compare to Cebu and most of the people going to Bohol are tourists who most of the time prefers staying in Cebu and have daytrips to Bohol. Most Japanese and Korean tourists even identify Bohol as part of Cebu. Regarding the bridge going to Bohol, I am not sure if it will be realized in the next 10-20 years considering that it will take almost a hundred kilometers of road construction and interconnected bridges and aside from that Hilutungan Channel is one of the deepest of part of the sea in that area and is considered as bio reserve.

very well said. mactan airport II blueprint was already laid and there's no reason why airline companies will move to somewhere else. it's the southern phils hub and has long been established so its kinda hard those airlines pulling out from the airport. imo, bridge linking to bohol isnt feasible but definitely i wont stop them from building it. :D

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Crown Regency Hotel & Club Ultima Cebu Headquarters

J. King's Co., Cebu based developer of the soon tallest bldg outside MM will also be building another world-class hotel called King's Island in Mactan. it will have two suspension bridges connecting to the man-made island, will also have an underwater bar and resto... another first in the country. :cool: the development of Cebu is unstoppable! actually, J. King is building a chain of leisure membership club [ www.clubultima.com ] throughout the country like in Makati, Baguio, Manila, Davao among others. all of them are high-rise buildings. apparently, the 24-storey Ultima Tower (beside the 40-storey Regency hotel) will be their flagship project, their headquarters. :D





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Here it is....
Crown Regency update as of 4:30pm Aug 22, 2005

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the building with circular window and it's not part of Crown Regency
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I don't think that Cebu's airport will loose the airlines operating there. First most of the people who use the mactan airport are businessmen. These people shuttle from Manila and Cebu most of the time and they compose 50% of the market. Bohol doesn't have a very dynamic business climate that can compare to Cebu and most of the people going to Bohol are tourists who most of the time prefers staying in Cebu and have daytrips to Bohol. Most Japanese and Korean tourists even identify Bohol as part of Cebu. Regarding the bridge going to Bohol, I am not sure if it will be realized in the next 10-20 years considering that it will take almost a hundred kilometers of road construction and interconnected bridges and aside from that Hilutungan Channel is one of the deepest of part of the sea in that area and is considered as bio reserve.


i was thinking of mandarin(charter), far eastern(charter), asiana, korean. all airlines booked primarily with tourists to cebu. korean and asiana booked approx. 50 % with tourists. they may not withdraw completely, but cut frequencies in favor of panglao. ok, the bridge might be too long (didn't know that) what's wrong with expanding tagbilaran to international standards(save money) and keep it as upgraded domestic airport with international flights still comming into cebu. lets leave some income left for asian spirit and SEAir, pacific air for the short hopp, like to caticlan from cebu and manila.

slerz, i like that CEBOOM ! of yours, nice thinking, congrats ! well look here. now ceboom is comming international, isn't it ! great !
philpal

thanks, CEBOOM! coz for me Cebu is gaining back its ceboom scenario inspite of our political crisis.... and I think it will be a stable scenario for Cebu.

The Empire City strikes back! Cebu will have 10 more I.T. zones

A boom in the information technology (IT) sector is expected to happen in Cebu with 10 upcoming IT zones located in the province.

While some of the companies with pending applications to become IT zones are still being developed, some establishments, like the Mango Square mall, are just waiting for the proclamation from the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) on their IT zone status.

Mango Square said Peza has already issued a board resolution classifying the mall, located on Gen. Maxilom Ave., as an IT building.

“We are just waiting for the certification, which is the formal proclamation from Peza,” Mango Square operations manager Conrad Ding said.

He told Sun.Star Cebu that the mall, developed by Ludo and Luym Development Corp., has more than 2,000 square meters of contiguous space that it can immediately offer to prospective locators.

Mango Square is currently housing Xlibris, a company that offers book publishing as a consumer service. The mall is also in talks with two companies in IT-related businesses.

Meanwhile, JY Square IT Center has more than 3,000 square meters to offer to IT and IT-related companies, preferably call centers, in the JY Square Discovery Mall.

The company said it plans to build a five to seven-story building on the 4,000-square-meter lot within the 10,000-square-meter JY Square IT Center in Lahug, Cebu City. This building, an addition to the mall, will be devoted to call center operations.

JY Square Discovery Mall now has one call center locator, the Call Tek International.

Others

Other IT zones awaiting Peza proclamation include Keppel Center in the Cebu Business Park with a 29,434- square-meter floor area; Mira Nila Economic Zone in Barili, Cebu with a lot area of 3,030 hectares; Polambato-Bogo Economic Zone in Bogo, Cebu with a lot area of 41.71 hectares; Taft IT Park in Mandaue City with a floor area of 9,515 square meters; Arcenas Estate IT Building with a floor area of 5,241 square meters and Cebu Cybertown IT Park in Mactan with a lot area of 11.551 hectares.

Locators of IT parks enjoy tax perks, such as income tax holidays for four years for non-pioneer IT enterprises or six years for pioneer IT enterprises.

They also have the option to pay a special five percent tax on gross income earned in lieu of all national and local taxes, except real property taxes, on land owned by developers aside from being exempted from payment of import duties and taxes on imported machinery and equipment and raw materials.

On training expenses, IT park locators can charge 50 percent of their training expenses against the three percent share of the national government in the special five percent tax on gross income.

Foreign investors, who initially invest 150,000 on IT projects, will also be granted permanent resident status in the country. (JBN)



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thanks, CEBOOM! coz for me Cebu is gaining back its ceboom scenario inspite of our political crisis.... and I think it will be a stable scenario for Cebu.

thanks a lot for those great pics slerz! last time I heard about Ceboom was in pre-school. me and my family went to a dolphin show in a carnival (i think it was Big Boom sa Sugbu! in Ayala business park). their names were ding and dang. im pretty sure of it since one of those kissed me! haha those were the days. there was a circus, i remember that silly german clown who loves to play his clarinet or was it a saxophone?... and all those carnival stuff! And it was also when the Keppel Centre bldg, Innové Plaza, Waterfront hotel, Shangrila expansion and the north reclamation project were constructed. Ayala mall then rivaled SM mall. few years later, Cebu gave birth to Marriott hotel and the ever magnificent Plantation Bay. now we have Hilton et al. alright! i just realized that in roughly 20 years of my existence, Cebu has been growing rapidly. from a Queen City to an even greater empire. in 2015, Cebu will grow three to five times from what it is today. where else in the country can a city grow such like this? :speech:

cool @ twenty, you really love Cebu! Me too, I liked Cebu more in my 22nd years existence in this planet....hehe

Wow! I was never able to post the whole day yesterday so babawiin ko today
1. why will that Bohol International Airport ever rival Cebu? It can't!, we're established! Instead of rivaling, maybe it could even help Cebu in boosting it's tourism mandates because international tourists bound for Bohol might as well visit the world class Cebu...

2. Many are arguing why Cebu is considered as the Queen City of the South... First, because we are the second biggest city outside Metro Manila. Second, MALACANANG of the SOUTH is located in Cebu... Malacanang is the place where the president stays during vacation and important appointments and visits. There are a lot more of reasons but I could not just state them all because they are obvious. They are seen and heard.

3. Curtis, a world renowned illusionist will visit Ayala Center Cebu on Sept. 2-4 for mall shows. For schedules, please visit www.ayalamalls.com.ph

another thing...
4. Cebu is home to the BIGGEST, MOTHER, WORLD FAMOUS Sinulog Festival... Kahit ilakip ang lahat ng Dinagyang, Atiatihan, Masskara, etc..., it will never beat Sinulog

Another thing, Ayala Malls has done a very decisive move recently. Ayala Center Cebu opened with 6 cinemas at first...In the new millenium, ACC decided to upgrade 5 cinemas and close 1 because according to them, they do not get much income from cinemas in addition, converting the cinema into RETAIL SPACES/ STORES would give the mall more income.

Recently, Market!Market! also closed 2 cinemas...

Nice Move Ayala! I think it was best to close the cinemas, anyway, more people choose to watch pirated DVDs since they won't miss any scene for they can pause it when nature calls them... Converting it into retail spaces was great, it would give more choices to the shoppers

2. Many are arguing why Cebu is considered as the Queen City of the South... First, because we are the second biggest city outside Metro Manila. Second, MALACANANG of the SOUTH is located in Cebu... Malacanang is the place where the president stays during vacation and important appointments and visits. There are a lot more of reasons but I could not just state them all because they are obvious. They are seen and heard.



Do people in Cebu even care about the Queen City status?

Do people in Cebu even care about the Queen City status?

I think not. I also would suggest that kaysa sirain ng smaller cities ang Cebu, they (including Cebu too), should just improve the quality of life in their specific regions. The declaring of Cebu as Queen City of the South would also pose a challenge to other provinces to improve and stabilize their economy.

We definitely lack Cebuano forumers to take and post pictures of our beloved Cebu..I, too, have a digicam here but I just can't take pictures because I still have classes... (To those who don't know, I'm still 3rd year High School of the University of San Carlos)..So, as for now, for those who are looking for pics of Cebu, please visit this website...

http://www.myislandsphilippines.com/showgallery.php/cat/568/page/2

Do people in Cebu even care about the Queen City status?


Cebu does not really depend on the title Queen City infact here in Cebu, bihira kang makarinig ng mga Cebuanos na magsasabing 'welcome to the Queen City of the South' but instead just a simple "welcome to Cebu" coz the word CEBU is more popular than the phrase The Queen City of the South....Cebu is only defined as a Queen City of the South by those people from outside Cebu specifically from Manila, Cebu City mayor is not proud of that title at all... He said it's just a phrase written next to the word 'Cebu'.....Just let them say that their city is the Queen City....kawawa naman eh... anyway Cebu is already proven.

I'm just using my phone in taking pics of Cebu and its infras kaya nga it is not so clear coz if I'll use digicam, it is very clear that I'm really taking a pic of that building, mahirap na they might say that I'm a terrorist spying on their building....hehe. Where as kung celfon, they could just say that, that person is txting..hehe

Nice Cebu shots:
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