This was presented by Sir Nigel Villarete during the BRT Seminar in Taptap a few weeks ago. I, however, was not able to get a copy of the photo. So, I would like to thank twIco of SSC-Cebu for finally posting it.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is what you should expect – when and if the Cebu City BRT proposal is given a go signal.

What do you think?

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Dedicated BRT bus lanes in Jones Avenue.

Last week, me, Satchmo, and some of our friends from Skyscraper Community of Cebu (SSC-Cebu) went to Mantayupan Falls in Campanga, Barili for our friend Rey’s last Cebu swim. Hahaha. He’s now in Manila preparing his papers for Malaysia. We’ll miss you, Rey and your great, great love for Cebu!

We gathered at the Elizabeth Mall at around 9 in the morning and we got on a mini-bus thirty minutes later. The bus ride was, as expected, mind blowing and nerve wrecking. What is up with mini bus drivers wanting to break their own speed records? LOL. Anyways, we arrived in Barili around eleven in the morning. We went to the town market where we got two habal-habal drivers who agreed to take us to the falls for 20 pesos each. I heard that it’s normally 25 pesos so I guess we got a good deal. There were lots of people when we arrived. Luckily, we found a good spot with a nice table and an excellent view of the first and second-level falls. We spent the whole day swimming and just having an awesome time. Around 3 pm, the people started leaving (most of them were probably from the city). And by 4:30, we were the only ones left. We grabbed the opportunity and just had a grand grand time. For one full hour, we felt like we owned Mantayupan Falls! Hahaha. Good times!

Total damage (without food): P195! Woohoo!

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The super gorgeous Mantayupan Falls! 98 feet, baby!

The mini-bus ride. You guys don’t look like you’re excited. Come on! Show some enthusiasm! LOL

Our nice spot with an excellent view of the Falls.

Of course, THE cow was there. Hahaha.

Sitting in his box and feeling like a rock star.

Rey taking photos of the falls.

The SSC-Cebu banner. Taking a swim. Hahaha.

Nalingaw mo? Hahaha.

Harry putting on his life vest.

Rock on, Rey! Rock on, SSC-Cebu! Rock on, Cebu!

Rey and Jan nag pictorial sa kanal. Hahahaha.

The kanal boys. LOL.

Pagdali kay ten seconds ra ang timer! Hahaha.

It was already dark when we left the place. We went straight to Fuente to have dinner and see the test run of the 2009 Fuente Christmas tree.

We had a blast!

Good luck in Penang, Rey! Cebu will miss you!

Last Tuesday, December 1, a short program was held at the Fuente circle to officially start the Pasko sa Sugbo 2009 celebrations and to light the 2009 giant Christmas Tree. Present during the event were Cebu City Vice Mayor Mike Rama, Michel Lhuillier of M Lhuillier and other city officials. The multi-awarded Lumad Basakanon was also there to perform one of their award-winning routines. Here are some shots of the Fuente Osmeña circle during the event.

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Merry Christmas, everyone!

The Pasko Sa Sugbo 2009 stage.

The nativity. Very nice.

Giant Christmas Tree sponsor – M Lhuillier

Nanaygon!

Guitarista! Hehehe.

The 2009 Christmas Tree. Sorry for the picture quality.

Another angle.

In case you forgot, this was  how the 2008 Christmas tree looked like.

Maayong Pasko!

When you hear the word Gaisano, you think of a popular chain of stores run by a very rich family. The stores, although usually lacking in any aesthetic merit, are almost always filled to the rafters from the moment they open til the salesladies are forced to act rude just to shoo shoppers away. LOL. When you go to a Gaisano store, people expect you to do your groceries, buy the relatively cheaper brand, or eat at a communal dining hall where you can get something to eat for just twenty pesos.

But times have changed, I tell you! And that’s exactly what I learned when I visited the spanking-fresh Gaisano Grand Mall in Basak, Lapu-Lapu City this afternoon.

You find it hard to believe? Check out the photos below.

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The Gaisano Grand Mall in Basak, Lapu-Lapu City.

The mall facade. Looking nice!

Ad board facing the main road.

Abalcony/terrace above the main entrance. I’m not sure if it’s just an open space or it’s for al fresco dining.

View from the side.

Mall entrance. Nice.

The central square and the escalators. Cool!

Elevator. Wow!

And look at that chandelier! Can you believe it? Hehehe.

The main walkways. Looking really nice.

The supermarket section. With some dancing sales ladies. Hehehe.

The department store.

Scenic elevator. How cool is that?

Giant Christmas tree!

The giant Christmas tree. Very pretty.

Some stalls are still to be occupied.

Soon to open – Pino! and Mooon Cafe! These two brands are not low-end, I tell you.

Motorcycle park space at the back. Nice!

What do you think of the new Gaisano Grand Mall?

22 year old Kris Nimrod Cabigas of Zapatera, Cebu City was crowned Mr. Cebu 2009 last November 28, 2009 at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug, Cebu City. Kris, who stands 5′10″ tall, upstaged 14 other contestants during the pageant.

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Mr. Cebu 2009
Kris Nimrod Cabigas

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Mr. Cebu 2009 Top 5

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1st Runner-up
Jumar Andrew Bilocura

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2nd Runner-up
Siegfred Schmidt

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3rd Runner-up
Don Adlawan

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4th Place
Ricardo Flores

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photos by: Marvin Llanos Maning

pls do not repost without permission!

Two years ago, the first LED screen arrived in Cebu. A year later, two more ad screens were put up in the city (one in ACT tower and one in Ayala access road in Mabolo). Just before this year ends, a new one will be made operational by no less than the owner of the biggest mall in the island. Compared to the first three screens, this one is huge. I don’t know the exact dimensions but I’m pretty sure that it’s twice the size of the screen in Fuente and about four times the size of the screen in ACT tower.

I hope Metro Gaisano would realize that the facade of their store in Colon would look great with a huge ad screen like this one!

The huge LED screen in SM City Cebu.

Closer look. Anyone knows when this will start working?

The ad tower near the east entrance of the mall will soon be a thing of the past.

Closer look. In less than a month, this tower will be no more. LOL.

]]> http://mycebuphotoblog.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/yet-another-one/feed/ 10 leylander http://mycebuphotoblog.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/3-years-old/ http://mycebuphotoblog.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/3-years-old/#comments Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:53:39 +0000 leylander http://mycebuphotoblog.wordpress.com/?p=2369 ]]>

MCPB will turn three this Monday!

Thanks a lot, guys! Payt Bisdak!

We Filipinos can easily find something to fight about. We fight about TV networks, political figures, or just any random issue we find interesting. Strangely, whenever we see Manny punching or getting punched,  we become one and we forget our differences and misunderstandings. Hahaha. We’re funny like that.

The Pacquiao-Cotto fight was such a huge deal in Cebu City (and in almost all Philippine cities, I believe. LOL). Like all other Pacquiao fights in the past, this one, as expected, was a phenomenon. Non-gamblers were placing bets, the streets were empty, and people were huddled around their TV sets at home. And more importantly, for a few short hours, we were on the same side and were shouting one name. Don’t you just wish Manny’s fights were on primetime TV every single night? LOL.

Here are some photos that I took during the Pacquiao-Cotto fight telecast.

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Escario Street. Where’d everybody go? Hahaha.

Jone’s Avenue. Anybody home?

Fuente Area. Kamingaw. Haha.

Capitol area. This jeepney driver is not interested. Hahaha.

Gen. Max aka Mango Avenue. Kamingaw. Hahaha.

Happy Meals Plaza shuttle service. If you want to watch the fight PPV.

No. They’re not there for the food. Hahaha.

SM City Cebu Carpark. This was already around 1 pm.

Congrats to the main man! Mabuhi ka Pacman! We’re proud of you! (internet photo)

Last Saturday and Sunday, the Skyscraper Community of Cebu (SSC-Cebu), together with selected youth leaders of Cebu City went to the Cebu City Resource Management and Development Center (CREMDEC) in Baranggay Taptap for the Are you BRT Ready? Seminar. Representatives of five major youth groups - Clean Air Youth Alliance, Aboitiz Leaders of Excellence, University of Cebu Law School , UC Council of Presidents, and the JCI joined the said event which was organized to educate the youth sector about the benefits of the Bus Rapid Transit.  Together with the Mayor’s Management Team, the members of SSC-Cebu acted as faciliators.

SSC-Cebu posing outside the session hall in CREMDEC, Baranggay Taptap, Cebu City. Nice!

Two Kaoshiong buses were used to transport the participants to the facility in Baranggay Taptap.

The bus arrived at around 10 in the morning.

The sleeping quarters of the participants. Very nice.

Our bedroom. Hehehe.

Members of SSC-Cebu helping members of the Mayor’s Management Team set up the session hall.

After that, the members prepared the things needed for the team-building activities.

After the activity, the participants returned to the hall for the first talk of the day. Here’s Atty Cabrido, an environmental lawyer, talking about the effects of the BRT and the LRT on the environment.

City planner Nigel Paul Villarete presenting a certificate to Attorney Cabrido.

SSC-Cebu members.

After the talk, it was time to eat. Wow!

After the break, Mr. Sudhir Gota from India talked about air pollution and the major transport systems of the world.

Delight entertaining questions during the open forum.

One shot before dinner!!

After dinner, the participants returned to the hall for a talk on Sustainable Development for transportation by Engineer Madrona.

And after that, the participants gathered around a bonfire for a fun and unexpectedly emotional team activity.

The activity ended at around midnight. The next day, more members of SSC-Cebu arrived. Yeah!

Of course, Satchmo was there to welcome them. LOL.

SSC-Cebu members in action.

The beautiful members of the Mayor’s Management Team.

Mr. Gota and Engr Villarete.

Engr Villarete giving Mr. Gota a certificate of recognition.

Before the day ended, a surprise guest arrived.

It was none other than Mayor Tomas Osmeña. He gave a short but very powerful talk. Then, he signed our certificates. Cool.

SSC-Cebu members with their certificates.

SSC-Cebu with Engr Madrona and a speaker from Manila (help! I totally forgot his name)

One last shot before the bus leaves.

Additional photos by rusty, slerz, joseph, and jarenz.

An OOC (Out of Cebu) Post

A few weeks ago, my good friend Ramesh of Davao Photo Blog announced that he was finally tying the knot. And he said that he hoped to see me and his other friends (Vet of VetLongWalks, Yum of Bored&Crafty, and Line of Gastronomic Adventures) during that very special day. I told Ram that we wouldn’t miss it for the world. We’ve put off all plans of visiting him in Davao in the past and we thought that this was the perfect moment that we’ve all been waiting for. We’d be hitting three birds with one stone, I realized. We’d be able to visit him, check out Davao City, and attend a traditional muslim wedding. In other words, Ram made us an offer we couldn’t refuse. Hahaha.

The couple and the entourage. Congratulations Ram and Jeehana!

All set for Davao City!

We’re finally in Davao City!

We left Cebu at 4:30 am last October 31. By 6, we were already in our hotel trying to get some sleep. LOL.

 We were all so hungry, however, so we decided to go out and grab something to eat. We found a small restaurant right beside Ateneo de Davao. Chicken Hotdog with egg and prawn crackers!

After breakfast, we toured downtown Davao a little.

Jeeps in Davao City.

The Marco Polo Hotel. I believe this is Davao City’s current tallest.

When we came back, we were no longer sleepy. So, we spent our time watching Shake, Rattle, and Roll. Hahaha.

We went to the Venue (Royal Mandaya Hotel) a few minutes before the start of the ceremony. The venue was lovely!

Wedding cakes. Wow. There were 5 of them!

 I think this guy is hungry. Hehehe.

The mood inside the venue before the start of the ceremony was very festive.

At the start of the ceremony, young muslim men marched down the aisle carrying containers covered with colored baskets. These men are called ‘damak’.

A damak with his food container.

Then, they removed the cover and placed the food on the tables.

Inside was a plate filled with different kinds of pastries and sweets. They are made just for the occasion by the groom’s family. According to the host, these young men walk from the groom’s house to the bride’s house carrying these treats a day or night before the wedding.

The guests were allowed to taste the pastries as well as the appetizers placed on the tables. Wow.

Satchmo waiting for his glass of water. Hehehe.

Mixed fruits and some chocolate cake. Yummy.

Yum, Line, and Vet posing for the camera.

For the couple!

The groom and his entourage.

This was the actual ceremony. Traditionally, the bride is never seen until the vows are made and the wedding is declared legal and binding by the officiating priest. Also, a muslim wedding can never be considered valid if one or more of its basic components are missing. If you take a close look, Ram is standing in front of a man who is the representative of the bride. The groom will say his vows to this representative in front of witnesses. When the ceremony is completed, the bride is presented together with her own entourage.

The witnesses.

Bridal entourage.

Escorted by the groom’s men.

The bride and the groom.

The ceremony lasted for almost an hour. Congratulations once again, Ram and Jeehana!

I’m so thankful that Ram invited us to his wedding. It was such a nice experience.

After the ceremony, we went back to the hotel and slept the whole afternoon. Around 6 pm, Ram told us to go to SM City Davao. There, they picked us up and brought us to one of Davao’s most famous BBQ joints – LUZ’s Kinilaw Place.

A huge slice of fish. Yummy!

The next day, we woke up early to check out Davao’s nice spots.

A street in Davao City.

Projector Under Repair! Hehe.

We reached People’s Park at around 10 AM. However, we learned that the park opens at 1. Dang!

Live, Yum, and Vet with their nice cameras.

Satchmo. Posing lang sa gate. Hahaha.

Take photos of Satchmo.

Ngisi ang baka! Hehehe.

 WHAW – a nice restaurant fronting the park.

A park ranger saw us taking pictures and asked if we were ‘visitors’. We said yes and he allowed us to get in. He, however, asked us to answer a comment sheet.

Tree-lined jog path. Nice.

The dome inside the park.

Rainbow oval! Nice!

City Ordinance. No Smoking!

Can you spot Satchmo?

A young woman carrying a basket filled with local fruits.

The Davao Eagle!

One-leg trick!

This look nice.

Satchmo at the Sunken Garden.

The next day, we woke up early for our flight back to Cebu. Satchmo excited to go home.

At last! There’s our ride back home!

 It was an awesome trip! Ram, and Jeehana, thanks for the invite! Davao is a lovely city!

thanks to yum and line for some of the photos! dull-colored photos are mine. hahaha.