During our trip to Cebu, we spent a day in the city. There aren’t a lot of tourist spots to visit in the city so the next best thing is to try the country’s only sky attraction, the Skywalk Extreme and the Edge Coaster at the Crown Regency Hotel & Towers.

The Crown Regency Hotel in Cebu is the tallest building in the city spanning 38 floors. On the 37th floor is the Sky Walk where you will walk around outside the building and get a view of the whole city. The Edge Coaster on the 38th floor is a ride around the edge of the building where you can tilt your seat downward for a vertigo-inducing view.

We took a cab to Crown Regency at Fuente Osmeña and entered the hotel. The receptionist told us to head to the 19th floor to inquire about the rates.

Rates

Since we went there after lunch, we didn’t avail of their buffet with rides rate. There’s also a 4D theater available but we only opted for the Sky Walk and Edge Coaster ride.

The rate for the two rides is Php600 per head inclusive of a light snack. Not bad I might say considering how expensive the sky walk in Macau is. For complete rates and packages, check out their site.

After paying, we head up to the 38th floor and went outside to check out the view of Cebu city first before doing the rides. You can already see Bohol from the hotel.

Skywalk Extreme

This is the first and only Sky Walk in the country so it’s something you might want to try when you’re in Cebu. You will go outside for a 10 to 15-minute walk around the walkway with a cord attached to the ceiling and into your harness.

You need to wear a flight suit and rubber shoes. No slippers nor any loose items. No cameras allowed as well! They will give you a locker for you to place your belongings. If you don’t have any rubber shoes on, you need to buy a pair of socks (Php20) and they will lend you the shoes.

Once on your suit, you will put on your harness. There’s also an instructor who will brief you on some safety procedures. He will also lead you during the walk and act as some sort of tour guide. There’s also another personnel who will be taking photos during the walk.

As you do your walk, your guide will make you stop at certain points for some photo op. You can walk near the edge and look over below if you want.

Make sure you ask the photographer to take lots of photos with different poses. Take your time at each stop. It’s probably going to be a once in a lifetime thing so make the most of it.

When you’re done, you have the option to buy your photos on a CD or have it printed.

Ok I’m going to take some time talking about claiming the photos. I was surprised when I learned that the CD costs Php550!!! It gets more expensive if there are more of you so splitting the cost won’t do any good. Unbelievable! The photos were amateurish despite using a DSLR camera (there were a big speck on the lens) and we only had 10 shots. You can’t say no because you want to bring home something from it. Having a photo printed costs about Php200+. What a rip off!

Ok that’s enough ranting… for now.

Edge Coaster

Back at the 38th floor is the Edge Coaster. This is a 3-minute motorized ride around the edge of the building so you can get a nice view of the city in all angles.

No need to get into any harness here, your seat will keep you secure. You can control how your seat is tilted. Backward if you’re afraid of heights and just want to enjoy the view from the top or forward until you’re literally facing the pavement below.

Just like the Sky Walk, you are not allowed to bring your camera with you. You can ask a friend to go outside and take photos of you while on the ride though.

I was hesitant in buying our photos because it’s another Php550 for a CD of amateurish shots. They won’t even put your Edge Coaster and Sky Walk photos in one CD so you have to pay more than the rides. Geez! We settled for a 6×8 printed photo for Php230 because Tia insisted on it.

Afterwards, we headed back down to the 19th floor for our included snacks. It’s just a choice of a donut, dimsum or sandwich and an iced tea for your drink.

It wasn’t really a thrilling experience especially if you’re not afraid of heights. If you are then it’s best that you go at night. You won’t see the ground but you’ll get to enjoy the city lights.

If I’m going to do it again, I’m just going to go for the Sky Walk and have more photos taken. If not for the absurd cost of the photos I would’ve enjoyed my time in the Sky Experience Adventure.

Wait, there’s more!: Send Money to the Philippines Remit2Home – it’s fast, easy and reliable.

The country’s biggest festival is set to take the center stage once again. The Cebu Sinulog Festival features scores of contingents coming from within and outside Cebu. Sinulog is prayer dance ritual characterized by the movement of two steps forward and one step backward imitating the rush of the river, hence, its name.

The grand parade of Sinulog Festival of Cebu is usually held on the third Sunday of January, but other activites are held prior to the grand highlight light the fluvial parade, search of the Sinulog Festival queen, the Sinulog sa Baranggay, Sinulog sa Lalawigan, the nine-day novena and a whole lot more.

Many dance troupes have actually started their dance rehearsals as early as now. Last year’s Sinulog Festival Free Interpretation Category Champion, Lumad Basakanon have actually confirmed that they are now rehearsing their dance routine for the Sinulog Festival 2009

Check the Sinulog 2009 Schedule for details

Upcoming Events

Wait, there’s more!: Get cheap domain & hosting from plogHost Powering this blog since 2005.

At least 34 festivals will be joining the upcoming Pasigarbo sa Sugbo street dance competition to be held this August 9 in Mandaue City Cebu Philippines.

Continue Pasigarbo sa Sugbo here.

Upcoming Events

Wait, there’s more!: Get cheap domain & hosting from plogHost Powering this blog since 2005.

Dalaguete: Pueblo Antigo

As the music of the wind plays, passing by the scenic coastal road and lush vegetation of southern Cebu, we passed by the siloy (a black bird endemic to Cebu) town of Alcoy on our way to Dalaguete. The town known for being the Vegetable basket of Cebu and melodic way of speaking Sugbohanon (perhaps quite to Hiligaynon).

Seeing the casa real (municipal hall) of Dalaguete, I’ve noticed that it has quite a number of old houses, mostly of bahay na bato architecture or as popularly stated as “Antillan” by some. It was quite hot and humid by that time, so we decided to buy bottled water. Inita pud oi! As we went deeper to the poblacion, there’s our main destination: Iglesia de San Guillermo el Hermitanio. Another church fortress with a watchtower. Its more like a twin of Argao’s Iglesia de San Miguel but quite minimalist in nature. It has also a watchtower in front of the plaza and along side the church is the convent.

After having a relaxing time by the town’s seaside promenade, its time to move on towards our next destination: Argao. And we’re quite hungry and the sky has started to be gray.

Argao: Viaje Comida y Herencia

Gutum na gyud mi nya kapuya na dyutay. Our stomachs are grumbling in disgrace as we rode the bus going to Argao. Its a 15 minute ride from Dalaguete though, so its quite near than Boljo-on to Dalaguete. The sky dimmed in grey and we disembarked on the town’s designated waiting shed.

We were searching for a place to eat, and found a lechonan along the highway. Gees, the lechon for half a kilo was just around P140! Thats already good for 4! And boy, the lechon was tasty! Sulit! Finished our Lechon de Cebu comida, then its time to go visita iglesia again.

La Iglesia de San Miguel de Arcangel is one of the most impressive church structures in Cebu island. Oozing its baroque and rococo aspects, the facade is intricately carved and the belltower that is imposing. Surrounding the “walled town” is the Civil Government buildings of Argao, which sits across the plaza. As usual, the convent sits beside the church. But what is saddening though is that what the priest did to the beautiful retablo. Someone has just have this urge to paint all the retablo saints into gold! Ano ba yan! Walang art! The rest of the church interior was awesome except for the tragic fate of the retablo-altar.

It was already drizzling and I was seeking for Argao’s famous delicacy, torta. We passed by Chingays and bought some pasalubong for just P30 per torta. Its more like a sweet bread with sugar, cheese and raisins, raised by cocunut wine or tuba instead of yeast, making its distinct aroma and flavor.

We’re tired already, we’re heading for our last destination: The heritage city of Carcar.

Torta

Carcar City: Destinasyon Ultimo de Herencia

Noticing Carcar’s narrow streets and age-old houses along the highway signifies the wealth that this town posseses. Carcar has numerous old structures in its poblacion area but endangered due to urban traffic encroachment. We set foot from the marketplace, crossing the Carcar rotunda and went to the church plaza immediately. Oh my! Nahutdan na battery ang camera! So I bought batteries while Arnold and the rest of the gang waited.

After a few minutes, we set off to Carcar’s Plaza. Surrounded by vintage houses, P Del Corro Building, the Convento and the uniquely Moorish-Orthodoxic architecture of Iglesia de Santa Alexandria. It was a Sunday so the plaza was busy. The design of the church is quite unique in our country. It looks more of a Russian Orthodox church rather than a Roman Catholic church, some believe that it made the marauding Moros thought that this was a mosque in order for them to evade invasion of the town.

The church still maintains a beautiful interior altar and the walls still intact. The ceiling with its antiquated azure paint signifies its majestic past yet what destroyed this beautiful edifice was the screen doors in the main door. Unsa man na oi, morag canteen! (What the heck, its look like a canteen!) The reason: to prevent birds from entering the church. Susmio!

After an exiting day of traveling south, we have nearly traveled more or less 200 kilometers already. Quite exhausted but the tour was unforgettable. We were stuffed with amazing vistas of the sea, the aroma and the grandeur of the antiquity, savoring the delicacies and embraced by the warm Cebuano hospitality, the suroy-suroy that we had that one Sunday was truly an experience.

Wait, there’s more!: Get cheap domain & hosting from plogHost Powering this blog since 2005.

Pictrure: Oslob Church (by Arnold Sancover) 

Maybe out of boredom, there is this crazy idea that comes out. It is one of the few places that I’ve never been to in Cebu and I’m already a year here in this island paradise. I’m tired of hearing car honks and breathing smoke in the city streets. I want to find a respite for a day….and poof! An idea. Makadto ayhan ko sa south? (What if I go south?) Its jam packed with sights that Governadora Gwen has been promoting on media.

Along with my friends Arnold (the heritage buff of Cebu), James & Phil (computer wiz in our barkada), we set off early at 5:30 in the morning, riding a Ceres Bus bound for Bato via Oslob, our first stop in this leg of the journey. Its a 2 hour 30 minutes ride south, the second to the last town in south Cebu. We’re planing also to make stop-overs to towns of Boljo-on, Dalaguete, Argao & Carcar City along the way back to Cebu City. The fare for non-aircon bus is about PhP115.00. Makit-an na lagi ang Siquijor, my beloved Balicasag, Sumilon og Dumaguete! (You can easily see Siquijor, beloved Balicasag, Sumilon and Dumaguete!)

Oslob: Fuerza Paradiso

As we approached our first destination, we were greeted with a great vista of a seaside cliff and sea road. It was romantic. Wow! And I can see easily the diver’s paradise from a distance. Anyway, our first pit stop is Oslob. Sumilon Island’s hometown.

The second to the last town in southeastern Cebu, it is rustic and surrounded by barren hills and the blue sea. Its main attraction however is the Fortress Church of Immaculada Concepcion. This massive church was most likely served also as a fortres due to its thick butresses and massive walls and tall bell tower, much similar to those back in Iloilo and Ilocos. One of the legacies of Fray Bermejo, (who is famous for creating a security network of watchtowers and fortress churches in south Cebu to protect the residents from marauding Moros of the south) it is one of the few churches that has a seal of the King of Spain. 

Surrounding its vicinity is the age-old church walls and a ruin of a Spanish-era establishment. Probably a tribunal, cuartel or casa real (tribubal, prison/guardia civil HQ or town hall). Go to the beach and you’ll see a massive ruin of a bantayan sa hari or a watchtower, decayed by nature’s awesome power. Several meters away, another heritage site for the paranormals, the cemetery. It features an arch with a skull and a crossbone.

Whew! It was quite a hot morning (we arrived there by 8AM), so off we go to an eatery besides the highway and drank Sparkle lemon softdrink. The lady told us that: “Bag-o ko ra kamo kakita diri.” (Your new faces here). She gave us a cool serving of the drink and offered for us something to eat. Oslobnons are very hospitable to their weary visitors. I’m sure we’ll get back here I told the lady and thanked her.

If given time and resources, we will opt to go to the diver’s paradise of Sumilon, just 10 kilometers further south from the town proper.

So, off we waited for a Ceres Bus bound back north. Next stop, Boljo-on!

Boljo-on: Fuerza Iglesia Antigua

Arnold has been counting old watchtowers at the coast along the way. The military genius of Fray Julian Bermejo created these numerous watchtowers, similar to those of relay torch towers of Lord of The Rings. We passed by another old church of Nueva Caceres, it is now just a barangay of Oslob.

After a few minutes of travel, we reached our second destination. The cliff and sea town of Boljo-on. I was so awed seeing just the coast line itself. It was so scenic! Ninduta oi! And this small rustic town is proud of their heritage, the church complex of Nuestra Señora de Patrocino. This 200 year old church has been under renovation through the efforts of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc (RAFI). The blockhouse on the southern edge of the complex was made as a church belfry, a prison with ancient sketches of galleons and as a watchtower. With an old catholic school, a convent with its teja roof still intact and a church ceiling painted in its azure glory. War and urbanity must have rarely touch this town! Almost every Spanish stone establishment hasn’t been touched by modernity.

The church is one of the few who were nominated as a new batch for the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List. Truly, if kept in tact by its citizens, this is a treasure they’ll cherish with.

Whoa! Time was really running slow in the countryside! Too early to go back to the city but we waited, and waited and waited for the next bus to come within 15minutes. Hay abaw kadugay ah! Lucky for us, a multicab bound for our next destination approaced us at the roadside. Next stop: Dalaguete!

To be continued…

Wait, there’s more!: Get cheap domain & hosting from plogHost Powering this blog since 2005.

It was definitely my first boat ride in Cebu and my first time meeting some strangers that would become my ultimate barkada in the Queen City. A balikbayan forumer came home and promised a treat that the forumers based in Cebu would never forget. Island hopping from Mactan Island to Olango Island and back and hitting the big waves of the southerly wind also known in the Philippines as habagat.

It was a year ago.

Shangri-La Paradiso

And it was also clealy my first time entering Mactan Shangri-la Resort, a top-end hotel located in the eastern portion of the Island of Mactan in Cebu, Philippines. Itself the beaches are exclusive for hotel guests only. Sayang! Although I’ve got a glimpse of its beach. Anyway, this hotel became the official residence of the 12th ASEAN Summit which was held earlier this year.

Paris’ Pink Sister and the Port

So we went off to Punta Engaño Port, the main entrypoint for Olango-bound passengers and tourist. We rented an outrigger boat for P2000 for the whole day. The port is located just behind the posh Mediterranean-inspired Hilton Resort and Spa which is a condotel (condominium and hotel) and a resort in one package. It is the tallest skyscraper in Mactan Island and can be seen as far as Carmen in mainland Cebu.

Back to the banca, i noticed that the sea between Mactan and Olango islands were choppy. At first, I’m having doubts of cruising with this kind of situation. No, there are no typhoons at that time nor rain, its just windy. After the negotiation, we went off to Olango island hitting gargantuan waves.

Korean Stilt Colony

Why Korean colony? We were hungry and searching for a community that has fresh bountiful harvest from the sea. The banca operator told us that there are restaurants on stilts in the northern Olango shores and guess what, they are choosy. And they choose Korean citizens to dine in. And also, the price: it was immensely dollar rated! You might spend more than PhP10,000!

After crossing the choppy waters, so we have no choice but to take a rest, dine and enjoy the strong habagat wind. Fresh seafood that is but with a price that is too steep for a local tourist.

Cruising Olango

We planned to go to the bird sanctuary but it was not the season, so we just went cruising on the shore of Olango Island and yes, we were hit by those whitecap waves again. I just imagine that scenario in the Perfect Storm! It was a rocky one hour ride beside the western coast of Olango facing Mactan and seeing Cebu in the distance.

Now, we were at the end of the southern tip of the island, its time to cruise back to Mactan, this time, its already mid-afternoon and the waves were stronger then ever.

Crossing the treacherous waters

We have no choice but to go back to the Maribago area of Mactan island with the waves strongly hitting against the banca. As we head to Mactan, our banca is already slanting towards the right side since the waves were hitting us on our left portion (starboard, port, someone help me here!). There is one wave that hit us so hard that I was panicking. Boy, it was so close, and still Mactan is 30 minutes away!

Cruising Mactan

The waves subsided as we approach the Mactan shores. We saw a lot of tourists in jetskis and banana boats and resorts were jampacked despite it being a weekday. Mactan’s eastern shore is lined up with high-end to low-cost resorts. It is one of Metro Cebu’s assets since city living is accompanied by island living. Plantation Bay in the south all the way to Hilton Resort in the northern shore, the beaches and the sea was full of Asian tourists.

And so we cruised slowly along the coast. It was relaxing rather than having an adrenaline rush earlier, so we took pictures.

We ended up our day tired and so, after that 5 hour cruise, we went back to Punta Engano port.

It was an experience that I could never forget. It was one July Tuesday. It was the start of the friendship that I had with my barkada in Cebu. It was the time I realized what Enya sang in the Orinoco Flow… “From Peru to Cebu, sail away!”

Wait, there’s more!: Get cheap domain & hosting from plogHost Powering this blog since 2005.

I’m experiencing problems with my life in Cebu during these times. At times like these, I just wanted to get out of everything, therefore I went home, to Iloilo. The sudden decision that I made affected the schedule of my whole week for I wanted to escape the urban jungle the soonest time possible, under the cover of the night. Crossing the seas and the mountains in the cover of the night and the shade of morning dew. In less than 12 hours.

For the faint-hearted and non-risk takers, this is not for you. For cash-strapped and the adventurous, this is one hell of a risking cutting trip to Iloilo from Cebu!

Cebu Leg

I was supposed to take the last trip to Bacolod City via Ceres Lines passing thru Tabuelan. At first I got confused whether it’ll be in the North Terminal or South Terminal. By the time I was in the former, the dispatcher told me that all Bacolod Ceres trips are at the Southern Terminus. Manong Taxi Driver rushed as if my soul was left somewhere down the road, by the time we reached there, the bus just left. I wasn’t discouraged, it motivated me more. It was 11PM.

I asked the dispatchers at the terminal, they told me that the last trip to Dumanjug, a town 70 kilometers south of the Queen City was headed for a port and the passengers are heading to Guinhulngan, Negros Oriental. I was curious yet hesitant at first. I might risk my life with a floating wooden coffin in Tañon Strait. But the dispatcher convinced me it was seaworthy. It will be my first time breaking the Barili limit, it will be my first time in Negros Oriental, it will be my first time crossing Tañon Strait.

The fare was P70 with a high-speed bus built to fly from Cebu to the southern towns. But in fairness, we reached thr rugged southwestern Cebu in just an hour and a half, after crossing the historic Carcar and breaking my Barili limit.

Midnight Sailing: Crossing Tañon Strait

We reached the port of Dumanjug at precisely 12:45AM. The ferry will leave at 1:30AM. I ate a hot noodle soup and listened to the screaming videoke singers and chikadoras who are having their own graveyard shifts.

The fare is P150 and it would last for an hour and a half to Guinhulngan, a town in Negros Oriental 3 hours away from its capital Dumaguete under the cover of the night.

MV Leonor 2 looks seaworthy though, for a calm day. The sea was calm, I’m freakingly tired. 48 hours of no sleep and no rest after my last duty. I tried my very best to go asleep but it was futile. The volume of the TV was to the nth decibel and it was warm. Thank goodness it was not raining that night. The sea was very calm. It was perfect. I wonder where are the famous Bais dolphins were doing during those times?

Ringing Bells: Guingulngan, Negros Oriental

I reached the northern town of Guinhulngan in Negros Island, this time the eastern side! Yipee!! The first time I reached the eastern soil of the Sugar Island! Finally! Yet I asked, how far is Dunaguete from here? “3 hours pa dong!” Yikes! Ang layo! But anyway, it was exiting, even though the town is blanketed in slumber with its own Rizal Boulevard well lit. So I head to the bus terminal. It was dark, there were only a few people, the first trip was 4:15AM to San Carlos City! Dang! I have to wait for an hour and 15 minutes in darkness. Good thing the dispatcher was there too.

I noticed that whenever the locals speak Bisaya, they speak it gentler than their Cebuano counterparts. They have a slightly different accent. And yes, the dispatcher and I exchanged ideas for an hour.

Different Negros: To San Carlos City

I’m very oriented about Western Negros. Sprawling plains with sugar plantations everywhere. Yet I was quite shocked that the topography of NegOr was different. Literally, the mountains meet the sea. All the way towards the border of San Carlos City. It was an hour and a half ride in the winding and narrow road. The bus driver was a Lucifer! Good at first, quite slow then driving madly when he was already in Vallehermoso, where the road is at the edge of the mountain and the sea! Yikes! Look how he drives!

I noticed old rail tracks crossing the field as we approach the border of San Carlos, and vast tracks of sugarcane plantations with a very Ilocos-like topography. Canlaon’s peak watches over the plains, watches over the Visayan Islands as his face is lit with the morning twilight.

I have a short time with the port and plantation city of San Carlos as I’ve stepped out the bus from NegOr and headed towards the airconditioned bus bound for Bacolod City through the mountains.

Crossing the almost Impenetrable Border

Known for decades as the bailiwick of communist guerillas and almost impassable terrain, in early 2000 the provincial government of Negros Occidental opened finally a road that will cut the travel time from San Carlos City to only 1 hour and 45 minute ride.

To be greeted by the tangeringe color with its warmth while ascending the Negros cordilleras, the San Carlos side of the mountains are quite steep, similar to those in Talisay in Batangas, and then a plateau with the majestic Canlaon Volcano looming above with vegie patches in its foothills.

Negros has also its own “Chocolate Hills” somewhere in San Carlos Highlands. The cliffs and the verdant scenes were stunning enough to make me awake while listening to Steps’ soundtracks in the bus.

After DSB (Don Salvador Benedicto), we made a descend towards Murcia. Then, I saw the familiar Negros that I know eversince I first stepped here. Sugarcane plantations in gently sloping hills. And the language that has been familiar to me as it was part of me. Finally, I’m closer to home. Oh, its already the City of Smiles, Bacolod City.

Smiles and Warmfelt Love: Last leg from Bacolod to Iloilo

I know Bacolod City streets by heart since for me it was my extention of my hometown: Iloilo. I hailed manong driver to stop at Libertad Market and followed the sign towards Jolibee. My bladder was about to explode and i’m very hungry! Waahh!!! Jolibee’s quite far! And finally I’m there. Ate voraciously and peed as if there are tons of urine that needs to be exreted.

I don’t have the luxury of time staying in Bacolod so I zoomed in to the port where the newly opened and airport-inspired SM City is.

The sidecar driver kicked the pedal and rushed towards the fastcraft terminal. I thought I will be late, I was wrong. I made it! And after giving P10 to the sidecar driver, I went to the ticketing and flashed my expired student ID and paid P210 for the fare going to my hometown. The ferry was jampacked, I never minded it. And as the ferry whisked itself at Guimaras Strait, I felt asleep. I’m tired and I know I’m near home after an hour.

As the ferry slowed down, I woke up and saw the old scenes. The Muelle and the Aduana. I’m home.

To as much adventurism that I wanted to, it was this risk that I took. I wish I took a morning trip to see the beauty of the Visayas. But I was in a hurry. I wanted to go home and seek the comforts of it. I compared my life with the path I took. Risky but hopefully will be rewarding. As I took the risk, it took me to new destinations and new people, of the other side of Cebu and of Negros. I’ll do this thing again!

Wait, there’s more!: Get cheap domain & hosting from plogHost Powering this blog since 2005.

I’ve been a jetseater for almost 20 years now. I was only a few weeks old when I first rode an airplane bound for Cebu from Manila. I’m used to jetlags and delays at the airport. Been to the worst weather and the best flights. Last month, I’ve experienced the shortest flight that I had so far. The route: Cebu to Bacolod. Duration: 25 minutes!

Since CebuPacific Air was having its P99 seat sale for Cebu-Bacolod (which by that time Cebu-Iloilo is already P1200 one way) after relaunching the seat to accommodate the entrepreneurs and Bacolodnon-Negrense market of a quicker way for Cebu and vice-versa or for rather than taking an 8 hour bus and ro-ro ride.

The flight to Bacolod was so short, that I spent most of my time in Mactan International Airport than at the plane itself (which by the way, the flights for Iloilo and Bacolod got delayed due to a delayed connecting flight from Davao). Taking off was comfortable. Crossing the low mountains of Cebu, then Tañon Strait then the vegetable patches and the soaring Mount Canlaon.

The usual ice tea drinks were not served since the flight was too short to serve food anyway. Better eat first before taking the flight or else (bleeeh).

Immediately, we can feel the plane slowing down drastically. We were maybe to fast or maybe to high that speedbrakes were applied 10 minutes before landing. There were a lot of low lying clouds that day, and it was a thrilling ride as we decend towards Bacolod airport. It was thrilling because the thought of overshooting the runway lingers in my mind (after what happened to Philippine Airlines’ A320 that overshot the runway a few years ago in Bacolod).

After 25 minutes, we safely landed in the City of Smiles and boy the flight was so short yet I was surprised that the language shifted so quickly.

Wait, there’s more!: Get cheap domain & hosting from plogHost Powering this blog since 2005.

Thousands of tourists, and devotees of the miraculous Santo Niño converged at the Queen City of the South to celebrate what has been known as the Philippines largest religious event: The Sinulog Festival.

On the final day of the festivity, 50 groups coming from towns all over Cebu, as well as from other provinces dressed in their most colorful and elaborate costume to compete in the 2007 Cebu Sinulog Festival Grand Parade.

The parade started from 9 in the morning, and ended at 7PM. dancers circle the parade route which extends to 4.8 kilometers long.

Sinulog came from the Visayan term Sulog which refers to the rushing flow of the water. The Sinulog is a unique ritual of offering prayers to the Santo Niño, by holding canlde sticks, and dancing two steps forward and one step backward, thus, immitating the flow of the river.

The destival is not really that old, now on its 27th year, but the tradition of offering prayers through chanting and dancing has already been in existence in Cebu for more than a century ago.

Viva, Pit Senyor Santo Niño!

Wait, there’s more!: Get cheap domain & hosting from plogHost Powering this blog since 2005.

I know a lot of people have been wanting to go to the Philippines’ largest festival. But you are still tied to your work, or no extra moolah to fly to Cebu City, or was forced to withdraw plans after all hotels are already fully-booked. Fret no more! You may still be able to witness the 2007 Cebu Sinulog Festival Grand Parade sans having to walk elbow to elbow with the crowd, without the need to stay under the heat of the sun. Watch the spectacle right in front of your computer as Sky Cable Cebu and Globe Telecom plans to do a live webcast of the 27th Sinulog Festival in Cebu City Philippines.

This is a chance for all the Filipinos living abroad, and for all those people tied to their work even on a Sunday to catch a glimpse of this grand affair. Be one with the Cebuanos as they all chant “Pit Senyor!” to the Holy Infant Jesus, popularly known in the island as Santo Niño. To access the live webcast, click here

Byahilo: Your Journey Begins Here

Wait, there’s more!: Get cheap domain & hosting from plogHost Powering this blog since 2005.