BLOGGED PHILIPPINES

If you want to explore South East Asia, this is probably the best chance you had this month to get a cheap fare for next year. Cebu Pacific, Philippines' larges airline announces a flash sale offering as low as 294 Pesos base fare. Here are the destinations under this seat sale promo: Kota Kinabalu, Brunei, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur,  Incheon, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Bali, Hanoi,  Siem Reap, Jakarta Note: Except for Hong Kong, all the rest are from Manila. Hong Kong promo is for flights coming from Cebu. The seat sale is open for booking until October 6, 2018 while the travel period is from January 1 to March 31, 2019 . To avail, just key in the word "VISA" in the promo code section. The promo poster is shown below. Base Fare Only Please take note that the figure shown above is just the base fare. Cebu Pacific began showing base fares recently in contrast with their previous practice of showing the all-in fare. On top of base fare, the passenger will need to pay tax...

Cebu Pacific announces a new promo offering as low as 199 pesos base fare on selected destinations, particularly several Cebu routes. The lowest fare is from Cebu to Tacloban or Kalibo but promo fares are also offered in other destinations such as Tandag, Davao and Iloilo. The fares for flights to China via Xiamen, Hong Kong and Shanghai were also discounted significantly. The travel period is from October 15, 2018 - January 31, 2019 for domestic and October 26, 2018 - January 31, 2019 for international flights. Promo is open until August 31, 2018 or until promo seats last. The complete list of promo fares can be seen in this link: https://www.cebupacificair.com/pages/seat-sale-promo Tickets can be purchased online via www.cebupacificair.com or via their ticketing office. No Credit Card? No Problem The biggest concern for many who wanted to avail of the promo fares is the absence of a credit card. While it's true that credit card payment is the best option out ...

Cathay Pacific and Citibank offers discounted fares to international travel next year. The promo slashes international fares of flights from Cebu to as low as 175 USD round trip exclusive of taxes and other charges. Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong's flag carrier airline The travel period is from February 1 to August 31, 2018 while the promo period starts November 27 and will be open until December 3, 2017 subject to the availability of promo fares.Additional information such as the list of destinations and their corresponding discounted fares under this promo can be found in this link  -  https://www.citibank.com.ph/global_docs/pdf/TCs_CX_November_Holiday_Sale.pdf Tickets can be booked online using this link bit.ly/CITISALECEB or via phone using these numbers  1800-1441-1011 (PLDT/Smart) 1800-8739-5117 (Globe) or at Cathay Pacific ticketing offices. *Note that promo is only valid if you book/pay using a Citibank Credit card. Also, it i...

It's a huge restaurant! Me and my friends arrived around 630PM one Saturday early October this year. I was really worried that we won't find a seat. To my surprise though, the area is so big that it can accommodate a weekend evening crowd. We easily found a place for our group. I'm taking about Buffet101 International Cuisine, a buffet restaurant located in City Time Square Mall, Mandaue City. The facade of Buffet101 International Cuisine in Mandaue City, Cebu So here's a quick review for those deciding whether to eat there or not. Oh by the way, the review is relative to other buffet restaurants I have tried in the past 10 years that I have been here in Cebu City. I have tried Marco Polo Hotel Dinner and Breakfast, Radisson Blu Dinner, Harolds Hotel Dinner, Yakimix Lunch, and Tokyo Table Lunch to name a few. I would review the restaurant in these criteria: Food Quality, Food Choices, Ambience, Service, Location and Parking and Value for Money. Five stars i...

Grab announces the arrival of Grab Car 6-Seater service in Cebu! Previously only available in Metro Manila, today, the service expands its coverage to Cebu. And as indicated by its name, this service is good for up to a maximum of six passengers.  Of course, this would be a little bit more expensive than the regular Grab Car service. Please see the table below to see how does it compare with other grab services. Grab Taxi Grab Car Grab Car 6-Seater Booking Fee 10 Flag Down Rate 30 Base Fare 45 60 Waiting time (Per 90 sec) 3.5 Per Minute 2 2 Succeeding KM 3.5 Per Km 12 18 Notes:  - Rates in Pesos.  - Except for Grab Taxi, rates changes depending on demand (e.g. heavy traffic or rush hour) The service is now available on all Grab apps. Once it detected that you're in Cebu, the feature will appear as an additional option alongside Grab Taxi and Grab Car. (see image above) FAQs Answered Grab also released...

It's official! President Rodrigo Duterte declares Thursday, October 26, 2017 as a special non-working holiday in the province of Cebu including Cebu City, Mandaue City and Lapu-lapu City. The announcement was made via Proclamation No. 333. The purpose of the holiday according to the document is "to give people of the province of Cebu the opportunity to remember, honor and show respect, and join the interment of the late Archbishop Vidal". The popular Roman Catholic religious leader died last October 18 due to complications from pneumonia. He was 86. Since this is a special non-working holiday, those who will be required to work by their employers will receive a premium of 30% on top of their daily rate.

A few months ago, Grab released the feature enabling passengers to add extra stops to their Grab Car rides. This feature worked so great I had to use it several times, mostly to drop friends to their houses before going home. As you may have know, to use the feature, you just tap the "+" button in the destination box to add the an extra stop. Recently though, I haven't been using that feature and at the same time, the Grab app has been updated several times. Early this week though, I need to use it but to my surprise, I can't find it. Tapping the "+" button allows you to add extra stop to your Grab Car journey.

A passport is one of the most useful documents you could ever have.  So here's the steps to follow in getting a passport for yourself if you're here in Cebu. Note: This procedure may change anytime. Please take note of the date this article was written. 1. Gather the necessary documents. Here's the list. Duly accomplished application form . Here's the link to the downloadable blank form . Birth Certificate (BC) in Security Paper (SECPA) issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) or Certified True Copy (CTC) of BC issued by the Local Civil Registrar (LCR) and duly authenticated by PSA. Transcribed Birth Certificate from the LCR is required when entries in PSA Birth Certificate are blurred or unreadable. (PSA-authenticated report of birth for those born abroad) At least 1 valid picture ID and at least 2 supporting documents to prove identity List of Acceptable IDs Government-issued picture IDs such as the following: Digitized SSS ID Drive...

The view is breathtaking! And the view is well complemented by the food. With reasonable price and friendly staff, you definitely should try this restaurant. This restaurant -Lantaw has three branches at the time of writing. One in Day-as Cordova, the other one was in South Road Properties, a reclaimed area in the coast of Cebu and one in Busay, an elevated portion of the city. In my opinion, the one in Busay offers the most spectacular view as shown in the picture below. For both local and international tourists, this place is a must-see. Here's some information. The view from Lantaw Busay Filipino Restaurant How to Get There? Car or taxi is typically the way to get there. Because of the location and the uncertainty that the driver will pick a passenger in return, he may charge double the metered fare. Better discuss this with the driver before pushing through. Nowadays, GrabCar and Uber are also very good options. From JY Square Mall, the trip will take you around ...

Celosia Flower grows like weeds in Sirao due to its cool weather. Way above the city, Sirao Flower garden offers stunning view. Sunflower is also dominant in Sirao Flower garden. The photos shown above is taken at Sirao Flower Gaden in Barangay Busay, Cebu City. High upon the mountain and close to the Transcentral Highway that traverses the island of Cebu, this beautiful garden is the new destination for both local and foreign tourists in Cebu. The site is also frequented by photographers for different purposes but mostly for prenup shots. The cool weather up in Busay is conducive to the growth of many flowers such as Celosia, the most dominant flower in Sirao Flower Garden. But aside from Celosia, Sunflower is also one of the prominent flowers in the area. What to do in Sirao Flower Garden? Obviously, take pictures, a lot of it! But aside from that, you can bring food for lunch or snack and rent out one of the cottages inside. Entrance fee is just 50 pes...

First and foremost, let me give a little background of myself. I was born in Bulacan, studied college in Manila for five years, graduated in  2007, moved to Cebu the same year and stayed in the city for about nine years now. Every year, I travel to Manila and Davao at least twice. I'm also a long time user of Waze App. What I'm trying to establish here is: I know what I'm saying. Driving in Cebu. So, there's this latest buzz about a report from Waze tagging Cebu City (or likely Metro Cebu) as the worst city to drive at. Looking closely at the published report, the famous Google traffic app uses the following indices to rank the cities: Traffic – Density and severity Quality – Road quality and infrastructure  Road Safety – Density of accidents, road hazards and weather  Driver Services – Access to gas stations and easy parking  Socio Economic – Access to cars and impact of gas prices  Wazeyness - Happiness and helpfulness of the Waze community (as...

First and foremost, this article is not intended to compare Uber with GrabTaxi, GrabCar, EasyTaxi etc. I just want to share my experience with Uber here in Cebu City. Uber Technologies started operating here in Cebu in the beginning of December last year. I'm one of the early adopters. One reason is that I want to see how good it is in person. I downloaded the app, registered and viola! I'm ready to roll.

Traveling to Cebu City but is either short of budget or just don't want to spend lavishly for expensive hotels? Well, here are some relatively inexpensive inns, hostels, and hotels in the city that can give you just what you need - a place to sleep for a couple of days.

This is curious considering the looks and services provided by the second busiest airport in the Philippines, the Mactan - Cebu International Airport (MCIA). Last year, the MCIA Authority, upon the approval of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) imposed an increase of 20 Pesos to the domestic terminal fee bringing the amount from 200 pesos to 220 pesos. This is soon to rise to 300 peso s starting January 1, 2016. The international terminal fee also increased last year from 550 Pesos to 750 Pesos.

My second trip to Davao was not as long as my first one. But I was able to have a good time during that trip too. During that time, we did not stay at an acquaintance's house but in St. Camillus Dormitel  located inside the Davao Doctor's Hospital Compound. The Dorm is quite nice because it is clean and it is not very expensive. The price is 200 to 250 pesos per person per night. The rooms are air conditioned and although the bathroom is shared, you do not have to wait for your turn because there are plenty of bathrooms and the water supply is plenty. Related: List of Cheap Inns, Apartelles, Hostels, Pension Houses, and Hotels in Davao City My second visit to Davao was the time when I acquired the taste for Durian . It was September 2010, a  Durian season so the fruit was very cheap, around 20-30 pesos per kilo. There was one night during my stay there where we went to a Coffee shop that serves Durian fruit and Durian flavored Coffee and drinks. Th...

The sun is still about to rise when we arrived in Barangay Tan-awan, Oslob, Southern Cebu. It was 5:30AM. In the recent years, the whale sharks of Oslob Cebu have become popular to both local and foreign tourists. We thought that we are too early but upon arrival, we found out that there's another group who came before us. A friend volunteered his car to accommodate me, him and three others. We just agreed about the trip last evening. The decision was swift. We knew from blogs that it would be best to be there early because of the long lines of tourists excited to mingle with these "sea monsters". So we left the city at around 3:30 AM. Still dark, no heavy traffic, almost no vehicles on the road, the travel was fast. One could also go to Oslob by riding public bus from the South Bus Terminal. Just look for the signboard "Oslob". The fare is less than 200 Pesos.

Here's a list of few Filipino foods that you should never fail to try when you are here in the Philippines . Lechon Lechon is a whole pig seasoned and charcoal roasted. The skin is the best portion of Lechon. It is crunchy and very tasty. Another best part of the lechon is the "belly" part. It is the tastiest part, specially the meat clinging to the bones, skin aside of course. Here in Cebu is where you could find the best tasting Lechon. CNT lechon is one of the most famous lechon vendor . On the next post I will tell you about where you could find CNT lechon here in Cebu . Lechón (Photo credit: enggul ) Crispy Pata Crispy Pata is a pig's leg tenderized and deep fried to make it crispy. The best part of it is the skin and the knuckles and it is best dipped in a sauce which is a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, and calamansi with hot chili peppers and onions. Crispy pata (Photo credit: Wikipedia )

Life in the city can accumulate stress on us. The everyday routine of waking up early, preparing to go to work, battling the heat of sun and the crowded traffic jammed streets will tire us out eventually. So from time to time, we need to take off and go to a vacation. But if you're going to crowded beaches, you may end up stressed as well due to the noise of the busy coast. At times, what you really need is solace or probably just a company of few friends or family in a place where only few people are there. Well, there's lot of choices when it comes to that criteria but in this article, I would recommend Larville Pool Garden Resort and Restaurant in Alcoy, Cebu. What's with that resort? Well, read on. Larville Pool Garden Resort and Restaurant in Alcoy, Cebu

One of the most memorable places you could ever visit in Cebu is Taboan . And it is not because of the beauty of the scene but because of the smell that lingers on your nose and sticks to your clothes down to your underwear. Why? Well let me give you a brief description of Taboan. Taboan Market - Dried Fish, Squid etc Taboan is located around Pasil in Cebu City, a known fish port where fishermen sold bulk of freshly caught fishes. In Taboan, you can find a lot of different kinds of indigenous food stuffs, from Otap to piyaya , to banana chips, chicharon , tablea , masareal , even the chorizo , which Cebu is famous for. But Taboan is not famous for those. Taboan is famous for its dried fishes and squids, particularly, the ' danggit '. And you won't find it like how you see it in the big groceries and  supermarkets. No, they can be seen in mounds, bare for all to smell and see, thus, giving Taboan it's famous smell.

Exquisite food and stunning view. That's the offer of Lantaw floating restaurant . Located in the southern tip of Mactan Island, in Day-as, Cordova, this restaurant offers a view of the skyline of Cebu City and the sea separating it from the island of Bohol. To give you a glimpse, check the images below. Cebu Skyline visible from Lantaw Lantaw Floating Restaurant Mactan Cebu View Lantaw Floating Restaurant - Mactan in a larger map Lantaw Food to Delight You Lantaw Floating restaurant is an affiliate of Moon Cafe, a popular chain of restaurant in Cebu City. They offer meat, chicken, vegetables, and sea food dishes. Among their specialties are Cordoba Express, Spicy Scallops, and Squid Calamares. Lantaw Menu