​Football in the Queen City of the South has grown by leaps and bounds in the last decade or so. It reached a point where a true-blue Cebuano became a member of the Philippine Men’s National Team or the Azkals. A Cebuano football club was also able to join a Manila-based football league. The Queen City of the South also became the venue of friendlies between the Azkals and the national teams of a number of countries. And at the forefront of this football renaissance in the Queen City of the South is a tournament that held its 14th edition recently, the Thirsty Football Cup.

Thirsty Football Cup

The Thirsty Football Cup is considered as the most participated football festival in the archipelago. The tournament reached this milestone in 2012 when it attracted a total of 380 teams from all over the country. The Thirsty Football Cup was conceptualized by Charlie Pages together with Chad Songalia and Neil Montesclaros. It had it inaugural tournament in 2004 at the former football field/driving range in front of Ayala Center Cebu. 

​The tournament has brought the popularity of the game in the Queen City of the South to new heights. Aside from bringing together the best football teams in the island, it has also attracted quality teams from all over the archipelago. It has become an event football players of all ages wait for every year. 

Tournament format

The Thirsty Football Cup has a number of categories where players can play based on their age. The youngest players play in the Mix-Under 7 category while the most mature players play in the 38-Above category. The Mix-Under 7 category follows a 5-a-side format while the other age groups follow a 7-a-side format. Games normally start on Friday afternoon with the last games played on Sunday evening. 

​For the 14th edition of the tournament, the organizers decided to add a Mix Open category where at least three women players for each team should be on the field at one time.

Win for a Cause

Aside from winning for the glory of one’s team, players were also given the opportunity to give back to society in the 14th edition of the tournament. The organizers asked teams to adopt a charitable institution and the organizers made a donation to the chosen charitable institution of the winning team for each category. The move was in preparation for the 15th edition of the tournament in 2018.

​The atmosphere during the tournament is festive as football players of all ages come together to play as well as have fun in one of the most, if not, the most popular sport in the world. The Thirsty Football Cup is now considered as an institution in the football landscape of Cebu. 

​Aside from celebrating the feast day of the patron saint of a town, festivals in the towns of Cebu also pay homage to a significant event or leader of the community in the past. One of these festivals that honor a revered leader is the Haladaya Festival of Daanbantayan. 

Datu Daya of Kandaya

The Haladaya Festival of Daanbantayan not only celebrates the feast day of St. Rose de Lima, it also pays homage to Datu Daya. In fact, the name Haladaya means “Halad kang Datu Daya.” Datu Daya is a legendary chieftain who was the leader of the first Malaysian settlers in Cebu. He was the ruler of Kandaya, which was the old name of Daanbantayan. Datu Daya was idolized by the settlers due to his leadership and bravery in protecting the community from marauding pirates who constantly attacked the community. 

Ritual Dance

The people of the town offer a dance and give thanks to Datu Daya for defending the town from attackers. The festival is highlighted by street dancing and a showdown at the grand stand. Contingents from different barangays showcase their talents during the ritual showdown while wearing colorful costumes.

​Thousands of people flock to this northern town of Cebu, which is known for being a supplier of dried fish. The town is also known as one of the biggest fishing grounds in the entire archipelago. In addition to the street dancing and grand showdown, the Haladaya Festival Queen is also one of the highlights of the celebration. 

​The festival was initiated by the local government unit of Daanbantayan in 2003. It is celebrated every August 30. The Haladaya Festival of Daanbantayan demonstrates the strong culture and tradition of the people of the town.

​Have you witnessed the Haladaya Festival already? Tell us about it on the comments section below.

The Queen City of the South has a number of restaurants offering delectable dishes you cannot find anywhere else. Some of these places offer dishes that people considered to be the best ones in the city. Longtime residents of Cebu would know which restaurants offer the best lechon, the best siomai, the best chocolate cake, and the best burger, among others. Many of these true-blue residents of Cebu would agree that you can find the best pancit canton at the Visayan Restaurant. 

Visayan Restaurant

The Visayan Restaurant is among the restaurants in Cebu that can be considered as institutions in the food industry of the Queen City of the South. Some Cebuanos and residents of neighboring islands have fond memories of the place. Some visitors to the city would normally drop by the place whenever they visit the city while others make it a point to visit the restaurant once a week or at least once a month. The Visayan Restaurant offers a good selection of Chinese dishes that will tickle the palate of its guests.

Special Pancit Canton

While the place offers a wide variety of Chinese food items, people normally go to the restaurant for their special pancit canton. Some even go as far as to claim that they have the best pancit canton in town. The pancit canton offering of the place comes in different varieties, including their vegetarian pancit canton, chicken pancit canton, shrimp pancit canton, beef pancit canton, and squid pancit canton, among others.

Other Dishes

Aside from the pancit canton, the Visayan Restaurant also offers other noodle dishes, such as the bejon guisado, bam-e guisado, and misua guisado. The menu of the place also has a number of pork dishes, including the sweet and sour pork, fried wanton, pork liver with vegetables, and stewed pork belly. Beef dishes at the restaurant include beef steak with sauce, beef with broccoli, and beef with curry, among others.

​The chicken dishes at the place include their lemon chicken, buttered chicken, and chicken with green peas. The Visayan Restaurant also offers soup dishes, like their bird’s nest soup, Hototay soup, maki me, and sweet corn soup. Vegetable lovers will not be left out since the restaurant also offers special chopsuey, vegetarian chopsuey curry, and chou pat chin. 

​The Visayan Restaurant has been in the industry for over six decades and continues to provide great-tasting food to residents and visitors to the Queen City of the South. 

​Cebu is one of the places in the country where one can easily have a relaxing weekend in an out-of-the-way mountain retreat. These mountain retreats may be out of the way, but they are still minutes away from the city. One of these mountain retreats is Mountain View Nature’s Park. 

Mountain View Nature’s Park

The Mountain View Nature’s Park is tucked away in the mountains of Busay. The place is less than an hour’s trip away from JY Square in Lahug. The place has a number of facilities that makes it ideal for company outings, family gatherings, or other similar activities. It is also perfect for getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city and is a breath of fresh air for people living in the city. 

Facilities

The facilities of the Mountain View Nature’s Park are designed to meet the needs of their guests. The main attraction of this mountain getaway is its swimming pool. The climbing facilities and fountains at the pool will likely entice anyone to take a dip in its clear waters. For children who are not keen on getting themselves wet, they can have fun at the playground of the park. 

​Aside from having fun at the pool, you also get the opportunity to check out actual monkeys, snakes and other local animals at the mini zoo of the park. This is great for children since they are able to see live animals rather than simply seeing them through pictures on their textbooks. The botanical garden of the Mountain View Nature’s Park features a good number of tropical plants and flowers. Some of these plants are also planted all around the facility. The viewing deck of the park provides guests a good view of Metro Cebu, which is even more breathtaking when the sun sets over the horizon. The park also has a number of venues for team-building activities, which makes the Mountain View Nature’s Park a good place for company outings.

​The park also has a canteen and restaurant where you can buy food. You can also opt to bring your own food or cook food at the cooking area of the park. In addition, Mountain View Nature’s Park also has a number of venues for parties, seminars and other special functions.

Accommodations

If you want to stay the night, Mountain View Nature’s Park has a number of air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned cottages available for its guests. You can also opt to pitch a tent at the camping area of the park. The regular air-conditioned cottages at the park are good for four people while the executive air-conditioned cottages are suitable for two persons. The park has two types of native non-air-conditioned cottages: one is good for two people while the second one is good for four people. The non-air-conditioned family room is suitable for four people. You can also rent a tent at the park. They have different tent sizes available, including a two-person tent, tents for four persons, tents for five persons, and tents for 12 persons.

Getting to Mountain View Nature’s Park

While Mountain View Nature’s Park is situated at the side of the mountain, you will not have much trouble in getting to the place. You can ride on a motorcycle-for-hire at JY Square Discovery Mall in Lahug for a fee. If you are going to the park as a group, you can hire the service van of the park. The service van of the park can be hired if you reach a minimum of ten persons in the group. If you are bringing your own car or van, all you have to do is to follow the road up the mountains of Busay. The Mountain View Nature’s Park is located on the left side of the road, before you reach Tops. It is also close to the Temple of Leah and Lantaw Busay.

​Since it is situated less than an hour away from the city, Mountain View Nature’s Park is definitely one place where you can spend a weekend away from life in the city.

​Cebu is home to a number of hole-in-the-wall places offering delectable treats at a reasonable price. These places are typically tucked away in out of the way areas in the city. Even with this, people still visit them just to have a taste of their appetizing dishes. One of these places is the Corner Bakery.

The Corner Bakery

The Corner Bakery is located in a quiet neighborhood in Mabolo. It’s rather unassuming façade should not fool you since the food offerings of the place are quite delightful.  It initially started off as a home business where marketing was mainly through word of mouth. The owners, Jason and Melanie Ng, wanted to let the quality of their products to speak for themselves.  

Product Offerings

The products offered by the Corner Bakery do not have any preservatives in them since they want to ensure their quality. The best sellers of the Corner Bakery include their ensaymadas, ensaymaditas, fudge brownies, tuna turnovers, big bar chocolates and cupcakes. In addition, the place also offers a good selection of cakes you will definitely fall in love with. These cakes include the Caramel Macchiato, Buko Pandan, Banana Bundt Cake, Salted Caramel, Black Forest Bundt Cake, and the Chocolate Tiramisu.

​But the place offers more than just baked goods since they also have a number of appetizing meals that can easily fill up your stomach to the brim. Their tummy fillers include the Soy Braised Pork Belly or the Humba, Beef Salpicao, Lengua Cons Champgnons, and the Hungarian Sausage Tapas. Salad lovers will also find their Country Style Potato Salad and Japanese Macaroni Salad quite scrumptious. The Corner Bakery also offers different pizza flavors, including the Pizza Margherita, Pizza e Parma, and Pizza Diavolo, among others. For quick eats, you can also opt to have their Chicken Sandwich or Tuna Sandwich. The place also offers different types of pasta, including the Lasagna, Spaghetti Bolognese, and Linguini Carbonara. 

Location

The Corner Bakery is located along President Roxas Street in Villa Aurora, Mabolo, Cebu City. The place is open from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM every day. For inquiries, you can get in touch with them through (032)238-3508.

Have you visited the Corner Bakery in Mabolo already? Tell us which item you like best on the comments section below.

​Filipinos are known to be among the hardest working people in the world. Due to this, a good number of companies around the world prefer hiring Filipinos as their employees compared to other nationalities. The Karansa Festival of Danao essentially celebrates the hard work people put in during the day, particularly the potters of Danao City.

Karansa

People have different ways of expressing joy and happiness. In Danao, they use the word “karansa.” According to Karansa Foundation president Adano T. Roble, the word karansa is an expression of thanksgiving among the people. The term is native to Danao, especially among the residents of Barangay Suba who are known to be good potters. These potters would perform dance steps at the end of the day to celebrate the hard work they put into their craft. The term is also associated with dancing to a beat.

Karansa Dance Steps

The dance steps consist of four patterns: the kikay or ki-ay, the karag, the kurug, and the kurahay or karahay. The kikay entails shaking and swaying the hips and the whole body. Karag entails shaking the whole body in different directions. Kurug is shaking physically or emotionally, which you normally do when you are frightened or cold. Karahay is to judder or to shake and vibrate mechanically at a rapid rate. These dance steps are considered as a way for the potters to express their joy while trying to shake off the fatigue after working the whole day.

Karansa Festival

Prior to the Karansa Festival, the people of Danao would have a “moro-moro” or a stage play that has become an integral part of the Filipino culture. The Karansa Festival replaced the stage play in 1999. The festival included street dancing that incorporated the karansa dance steps. Colorful costumes and floats characterize the festival.

​The Karansa Festival is unique since it does not highlight a product of the city. Instead, it focuses on the joy and happiness people feel at the end of the day.  It reflects the true spirit of the people of Danao. In addition, the festival also honors the patron saint of the city, Santo Tomas de Villanueva.

​A number of activities are featured during the Karansa Festival. These activities include competitions held in an open space or a hall, a beauty contest, and the street dancing competition. The beauty contest is also limited to contestants who can trace their roots to Danao. The Karansa Festival of Danao is celebrated on the third Sunday of September. 

Have you joined the fun at the Karansa Festival already? Tell us about it on the comments section below.

Cordova is a small town in Cebu where the third bridge crossing the Mactan Channel will be built. This small island town is currently connected to Mactan through two bridges. It is also home to a number of tourist spots, including the Gilutongan Marine Sanctuary and the Nalusuan Marine Sanctuary. Another special attraction to the place is a mangrove forest that can be accessed through the Day-as Boardwalk and Marine Park. The main source of livelihood of the residents is through fishing. Due to this, it is not surprising that the annual festival of the town is the Dinagat Festival.

Bakasi Festival

While the Dinagat Festival started in 1999, it went through a reinvention in 2005. During this time, the local government of Cordova launched the “Bakasi Festival.”  The term “bakasi” is the Cebuano word for the exotic eel that is abundant in the area.  The Bakasi Festival was considered as a unique reinvention of the Dinagat Festival. 

​The local government decided to focus on the bakasi since it was peculiar to the town, particularly in Barangay Buag-sung. The six basic dance steps for the festival were conceptualized by Val Sandiego of the famous Sandiego dance troupe. He was also asked by the mayor to conduct a research on the concept of the festival.

Dinagat Festival 

However, the name was changed back to the Dinagat Festival in 2013 to take into account the other marine resources of the town.  It showcases the livelihood and fishing culture of the residents of the town. The festival also celebrates the feast day of San Roque, the patron saint of the town. While the feast day of the saint falls on August 16, the festivities start a few days earlier. The term “dinagat” refers to anything and everything associated with the sea. The word dagat means “sea.

​One of the highlights of the festivities is the street dancing competition with representations from different barangays of the town.  The lively dance steps can easily entertain the locals and visitors alike. In addition to the street dancing competition, the festival also features variety shows and a beauty contest.

​Have you witnessed the Dinagat Festival of Cordova already? Tell us about your experience on the comments section below.

​Cebu is home to the oldest church and the oldest Christian images in the country. In addition, the city also hosts the biggest festivals honoring the Holy Child. While many people come to Cebu to witness the grand parade of the Sinulog, it should be noted that thousands also attend the solemn procession, which is held a day before the mardi gras. Due to this, Cebu can be considered as the seat of Christianity in the South.

Aside from Cebu City, its neighbor, Mandaue City, is also home to the only church in the archipelago featuring a life-size depiction of the “Last Supper” called the Señor de Cena. The National Shrine of St. Joseph Parish is located in Mandaue City. It was established in 1601 by the Jesuits. 

History

Mandaue was established as a mission by the Jesuits in 1600 after acquiring the land in the area. Prior to this, the Augustinian missionaries were the first to serve the needs of the people of Mandaue. But they handed the task to the Jesuits in 1599. St. Joseph the Patriarch was installed as the patron saint of the parish. The image is the oldest image that is public venerated in the Philippines. 

The church did not appear to have a priest assigned to it until 1724 when records indicated that a Jesuit was assigned to Mandaue. Aside from Mandaue, he was also tasked in taking care of the people in Inabanga and Talibon in Bohol. The church was described to have been “sufficiently deteriorated” in a report in 1789. Augustinian writers Felipe Bravo and Manuel Buzeta described the structure as mediana fabrica or mixed fabric. When the Jesuits were expelled in 1768, the administration of Mandaue was handled by the Recollects until 1898.

​The church was damaged in an earthquake in 1922 and repairs were completed in 1936. The top of the church façade also saw the addition of a bell tower in 1936. But the church was severely damaged after an American bomb blew open the roof of the church during the Second World War. The bell tower and the life-size images of the Last Supper were damaged. 

A major renovation was undertaken in 1998 where the pillars supporting the roof were removed. The renovation made the church rather different from its original appearance. A book published by Felipe Redondo in 1886 described the church as being shaped like a Greek cross featuring a pair of octagonal chapels.

National Shrine

The church was declared a national shrine by His Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, then cardinal of Cebu, on August 6, 2001. During this time, the reconstruction of the church was not yet completed. The life-size statues depicting the Last Supper continue to be the main attraction of the Church. It also features life-size images of Saint Joseph as well as the Child Jesus. 

The National Shrine of St. Joseph Parish in Mandaue City also plays a role in the annual Sinulog festivities. The images of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Santo Niño are brought to the church in the annual translacion or transfer. The event reunites the image of Mary and Jesus with St. Joseph. The images of the Holy Family will stay the night before the images of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Santo Niño will board a yacht for a fluvial parade along the Mactan Channel.

​When was the last time you visited the National Shrine of St. Joseph Parish in Mandaue City? Tell us about it on the comments section below.

​The banig is a handwoven mat used mainly for sleeping. While buri or palm leaves are used in making the banig, it can also be made of pandanus or sea grass leaves. The material used depends on which part of the country it is made. This humble product, which is normally seen in the rural areas, takes the center stage in an annual festival in the southwestern town of Badian.

Banig Festival

The Banig Festival of Badian showcases the culture and traditions of the residents of the town. In addition, it also highlights the products offered by the town, including the humble banig. Majority of the wives of the farmers in Badian make an honest wage through banig-weaving. 

​The Banig Festival features a parade where groups from different parts of the town dance along major roads. Each group chooses its own theme as long as the theme is related to the festival. Floats featuring an image of the patron saint of the town also join in the parade. 

​Aside from the parade, contests are also held during the town festival. Beauty contests, dance competitions, and even a banig-weaving contest are among the competitions people can join during the Banig Festival in Badian.

Making a Banig

The process of producing a banig is not easy. It starts with harvesting the leaves of the pandan plant. The pandan plant is the source of the material for the banig made in Badian. The thorns on the leaves are then removed before the leaves are left out to dry for a few days. After the leaves are dried out, they are cut evenly and treated with natural dyes. The dyes give the banig its colorful appearance. The dyed leaves are then weaved into the banig. Aside from weaving the material into a sleeping mat, it can also be made into bags, table mats, tissue holders, and decorations, among others.

​The Banig Festival of Badian is usually celebrated on July 3. Have you witnessed the Banig Festival of Badian already? Tell us about your experience on the comments section below.

“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.” – Luther Burbank

The town of Moalboal is famous for its dive spots and has a small community of expats who call the place their home. The town is also the jump-off point for the world-renowned Pescador Island. But Moalboal also has a little known treasure that can delight anyone who loves flowers. 

Orchid Gallery

The Orchid Gallery is situated close to the town and has a huge variety of orchids on display. Orchids are considered as among the most evolved type of flowering plant. They are often colorful and fragrant, which gives you an idea what to expect when you get to visit the place.

Orchid Farm

The place also has an orchid farm that is several hectares in size. In addition to the orchids, the farm also features a number of other tropical plants. The owner of the farm may have a market for the orchids due to the sheer size of the place. It will not be surprising that the market is not limited to the Philippines and it may include other countries around the world. The Orchid Gallery also has a pool and a mini-zoo. 

Getting to the Orchid Gallery

Going to the Orchid Gallery in Moalboal will start with a bus trip from the Cebu City South Bus Terminal to the town. After reaching the town, you can get on a tricycle and ask the driver to take you to the place.

​As what Luther Burbank said, flowers indeed make people better, happier and more helpful, which make the Orchid Gallery in Moalboal a good place to visit if you want to bring a smile to someone’s face.