Amid a festive atmosphere at the Ayala Center-Cebu Activity Center, the Cebu Brand was unveiled in the presence of tourism stakeholders of Cebu. Cebu is “where the heart sings,” as shown on the brand logo for Cebu. 

Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry tourism committee head Mila Espina said since Cebu is becoming the top destination in the world, it is time to enhance “the uniqueness of Cebu” further.  Espina added that the brand is not limited to a slogan or caption since it captures “the essence of Cebu.”

The program at the launch included songs and dances along with a video, all of which were set up free of charge “for the love of Cebu,” according to emcee Carol Ballesteros. 

The main elements of the brand to encapsulate Cebu took six months of collaboration. Aside from the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Cebu Brand Team also worked with GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp., the Cebu Association of Tour Operators, the tourism commissions of the city and province of Cebu, Mega Cebu and volunteers.

Cebu City Tourism City Commission head Tetta Baad said the Cebuano identity is embodied in the brand logo. It shows an outline of a female festival dancer with a bright red heart on her hands. The figure is reminiscent of a Sinulog dancer and the logo itself symbolizes creativity, resilience, warmth and passion. Baad added that the team decided to look for an artistic font using brush strokes with different colors.

The word “Cebu” has four bright colors, each having its own symbolism. Red stands for passion and faith while dark blue symbolizes resilience. Green represents creativity and nature. On the other hand, yellow denotes warmth. The light blue-colored sweep under Cebu brings to mind the sea as an essential component to the identity of the island. 

A message from Governor Hilario Davide III indicated that one of the challenges to deal with is to become ambassadors of Cebu and promote the tourism industry as one of the economic drivers of the island.  The message added that the launch of the Cebu Brand is timely due to the positive impact from being a host of the APEC meetings along with upcoming international events, including the International Eucharistic Congress. The IEC is expected to attract around 15,000 delegates one week after the Sinulog festival in January. The governor praised the “spirit of unity” that highlights a brand reflecting “the soul and identity of our land.”

The organizers said it was not easy to agree on a common concept without any budget. The team even contracted Publicis, an advertising company based in Manila, for the project.  Guest speaker Jacqueline Alexis Thng also gave a talk before a number of workshops and brainstorming sessions were conducted. 

Baad floated the idea of the “Cebu, where the heart sings” phrase during an audience exercise at the tourism forum of the CCCI on June 19. A number of suggestions were made, including the use of “Queen City of the South” instead of Cebu as well as depicting Cebu as a tropical island paradise, endless summer and a vibrant young woman.

However, the Cebu Brand Team settled on a simple phrase incorporating the words “singing” and “heart.” Baad sketched the design of the logo and was depicted in full color by designer and brand consultant Cristina Cantos, who happens to be the daughter of Baad.

The people of Cebu are highlighted in the logo. Baad said local and international visitors to Cebu attribute the uniqueness of Cebu to its people. She said Cebuanos are inherently friendly, open, happy and willing to help. She added that the people of Cebu make it special.

Baad also said the next thing to do is to bring Cebu to the next level. She said the Cebu Brand will join numerous international brands all aiming to attract travelers to look at what each destination is offering. She likened Cebu to David in the international stage of tourist destinations. 

The results were welcomed by the Department of Tourism as DOT Regional Director Rowena Montecillo said the Cebu Brand can be used as the foundation of the marketing and promotional efforts of the DOT. Montecillo added that promotional materials for the Cebu Brand will be prepared for two upcoming South Korean road shows.

Cebu has been known to produce first-class graduates every year. Proof of this is the number of alumni of Cebu-based colleges and universities topping different national board exams.  The latest addition to this long list of topnotch graduates is Armand Henzkel Bangolan Canoy.

The Cebu Institute of Technology or CIT alumnus topped the most recent Civil Engineering Licensure Examination with a 94.80 percent rating. A total of 9,482 civil engineering graduates took the exam earlier this month.

In addition to Canoy, a fellow CIT alumnus, Jerry Ricacho Marte Jr., placed fourth in the exams with a 93.75 percent rating. He tied for fourth place with Jesse Harold Hilario of the University of Santo Tomas. 

The overall passing rate of CIT was at 48 percent with 84 out of 173 graduates passing the exam. The Professional Regulation Commission or PRC revealed that out of 9,482 exam-takers only 3,935 passed the exam. The exam was held in a number of cities around the Philippines, including Cebu, Tacloban, Iloilo, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Lucena, Baguio and Manila.

Canoy and Marte are the only graduates of Cebu-based universities who landed in the top ten of the recent Civil Engineering Licensure Examinations. The other top-notchers are Rayniel Joseph M. Salonga of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Main, Juncel G. Bayogo of the University of Eastern Philippines-Catarman, Jesse Harold P. Hilario of the University of Santo Tomas, Carlo C. Villacorta of Catanduanes State University-Virac, Almario V. Lim of Adamson University, John Dominic C. Tomelden of the University of Pangasinan, Mike Christian T. Alejandro of Bulacan State University-Malolos, Kevin C. Cañaveral of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Lopez and John Cedrick L. Chan of Baliuag University.

The University of the Philippines-Los Banos had the best record in the exam with 57 exam-takers out of 59, or 97 percent, passing the exam. The University of the Philippines-Diliman came in second with 80 out of 89, or 90 percent, passing the exam. The Technological University of the Philippines-Manila completed the top three schools with 65 out of 77, or 84 percent, passing the exam.

Congratulations to Armand Henzkel Bangolan Canoy, Cebuanos are now brimming with pride because of you.

The Jumalon Butterfly Sanctuary and Art Gallery is one of the many museums one can find in the Queen City of the South. What sets it apart from the other museums in the city is what it has on display. Tucked away in the middle of the city, the museum was established in 1974 by the late Professor Julian Jumalon at his residence along Julian N. Jumalon Street, Cebu City.

Finding the place may not be easy, but once visitors arrive they are given an educational talk and tour of the museum. The museum has numerous butterflies from all around the world on display. Aside from butterflies, it also displays moths, some of which are rather colorful.

A talk is given inside the former living room of the house-turned-museum. The venue of the talk itself already has a good number of well-preserved specimens of moths and butterflies. Visitors can take pictures as long as they do not use the flash of their cameras.  Once the talk is finished, visitors are given a tour of the sanctuary/garden.

The sanctuary features fauna to attract local butterflies. The butterflies mate and breed inside the sanctuary, where visitors can see the different stages in the life of the butterflies. The tour of the Jumalon Butterfly Sanctuary and Art Gallery ends inside the art gallery where the works of the Jumalon family are displayed. A number of these works are lepido-mosiacs. These mosaics are made using the butterfly wings that come from damaged specimens. The mosaics show a number of tourist sites around the city along with national heroes.

The children of the late Professor Jumalon are carrying the legacy of their father through the Jumalon Butterfly Sanctuary and Art Gallery. It does not receive any support from private or government institutions, and maintenance is mainly sourced from the entrance fee and the Jumalon family themselves.

Bike lovers rejoice! It appears that the first bicycle lanes in Cebu will be opened in the city of Mandaue. Mandaue City Planning Officer Architect Florentino Nimor, Jr. revealed in an interview with the Cebu Daily News that one of the lanes along SB Cabahug Street will be designated as the first bicycle lane in Cebu. The two-meter inner lane will start from the Mandaue City Hall and end up at the “bagsakan center” close to the Pacific Mall.

In order to define and provide protection to cyclists, concrete barriers are going to be installed. Reflectorized traffic paint and the barriers themselves are ready for deployment, according to Nimor. The entire stretch will also see the installation of lane markers to prevent switching of lanes by vehicles. 

While making SB Cabahug Street may have eased up traffic flow to a certain degree, a bottleneck starts to form close to Rizal Highway, Nimor added. Due to this, it was necessary to install lane markets to prevent switching of lanes as well loading and unloading of passengers.

Two months ago, authorities declared SB Cabahug Street as a one-way street for vehicles bound northward as part of the rerouting scheme of the city. Since the left inner lane will be reserved for bicycles, loading and unloading of passengers will be allowed on the right side of the road.

Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue or TEAM Operations Chief Glenn Antigua said strict implementation of no-stopping signals in specific areas will be enforced. Once the initial bicycle lane is proven to be successful, another lane will be set up along A del Rosario Street.

Remember Amy Vachal, the member of the Garcia clan who made it through the blind auditions of “The Voice?” Well, aside from getting the nod of America in the latest “The Voice” episode to enter the top 12 of the singing competition, the pretty Fil-Am is also popular on iTunes. Her performance of “Hotline Bling” is currently the second most popular song on iTunes among “The Voice” contestants. The same rendition of the R&B hit song of Drake is also ranked sixth on the Top 110 Chart on iTunes.

While in the middle of preparations for the second live rounds, Vachal, who traces her roots to Cebu, was asked by Adam Levine to perform the hit song of Drake. The Brooklyn, New York-native said she never took the song into consideration. As the jazz singer-songwriter was practicing with Levine, Pharell Williams suggested to the Maroon 5 front man that Vachal should perform “Hotline Bling” with her guitar.

The performance of Vachal, who wore a white long-sleeved gown, received rave reviews. In fact Blake Shelton described it as the most classy and elegant performance of “a booty call” song in the history of music.

Focus shifted momentarily to Shelton when Levine asked him if he knows the song. Shelton said Gwen Stefani sang it to him at “The Tonight Show.” However, Williams quickly brought the focus back to Vachal and told her “This is your moment.”  He added that Amy has an amazing ability to make songs hers.  

The parents of Amy Vachal, Richard and Deirdra Vachal, were in the audience to support their daughter. 

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board or the LTFRB board approved the fare rates for the SM buses in Metro Cebu, as shown on a recent report from Cebu Daily News. However, it appears Cebuanos cannot ride the MyBus just yet since the franchise application for the buses yet to be approved, Regional Director Rey Elnar of the LTFRB said 

The approved fare rates for the buses are P25 from Barangay Mambaling to Talisay City, P40 from Parkmall or the North Bus Terminal to Talisay City, and P75 from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport to Talisay City.

A number of MyBus units were used a shuttle for employees to and from the SM Seaside City Mall recently. To get a free ride, passengers presented their IDs to show they are employees of SM or the retail shops of the mall.

For the moment, the franchise to operate a high-quality public transport service or HQPTS of Metro Rapid Transit Services has yet to be approved by the LTFRB. The central office is reportedly waiting for a reply from the transport groups that oppose the operation of the buses on the comments made by the operator during a public hearing last month.

A roadside inspection was conducted by a team from the franchising agency to evaluate the dry run of the new bus units. Assistant Information Office Emil Membrillas of the LTFRB 7 said no fare was collected during the dry run. The dry run came before the scheduled opening of the SM Seaside City Mall on November 27. The new mall is the biggest SM mall outside of Metro Manila. It is also the fourth biggest mall in the country.   A tent with monobloc chairs served as the temporary bus station at the parking lot of SM City Cebu. Buses left the mall every hour. Each trip to the SM Seaside City Mall takes around 25 minutes. 

Each air-conditioned MyBus units have two doors, one each in front and at the center. The buses can carry fifty passengers each. Among the features of the new buses are two closed-circuit television units in front and another two at the back. The video footage can be seen through a monitor positioned in front. Wi-Fi connectivity, a global positioning system and an electronic ticketing system are also set to be installed in each unit.

Overhead hand grips are found along the middle portion of the bus for passengers who cannot find seats.  The first row is set aside for persons with disabilities while a white seat close to the center door is reserved for passengers on a wheelchair. 

During a public consultation last October 16, transport group officials submitted position papers opposing the operation of the MyBus units. The transport groups indicated that urban traffic will worsen if the franchise for the bus service is approved. They also said it will cause them to suffer financial losses. The opposition by the transport group prevents the LTFRB from issuing a provisional authority to the Metro Rapid Transit, said Elnar

While it will be necessary for the operator to set up bus stops and stalls along the route, the sites for these bus stops have yet to be identified. However, Robinsons Land Corp. requested to have a bus stop established at the soon-to-be-opened Robinsons Galleria Cebu, which is located in the North Reclamation Area. 

The operator is also required to submit monthly reports on the operations of the buses. Daily safety and maintenance checks should also be conducted by the operator before the buses leave in the morning. Raw data from the CCTV cameras, GPS and ticketing system should also be made available to the LTFRB whenever necessary.

For the moment, no jeepney serves the South Road Properties area when the SM Seaside City Mall is located. Due to this, it is essential for the operators to get a franchise as soon as possible to allow the MyBus units to start plying the route.

The Philippine Sports Summit or the National Sports Stakeholders Forum is set to be held at Queen City of the South November 23 and 24, according to a report from Cebu Daily News. The Crown Regency Hotel will serve as the venue of this major event. 

The event will be attended by around four hundred governors and mayors from different places around the country. The event was originally scheduled to be held last Monday, but the cancellation of flights due to the Asia Pacific Economic Conference Summit in Manila forced the Philippine Sports Commission to reschedule it.

Cebu City Sports Committee chairman Edward Hayco considers the event historic since it will be the first time the summit is held in Cebu. He said since the sports summit will bring the top delegates in the country to Cebu, it is essential for Cebuanos to give their best in hosting the event. The “Sports for All” program of the Philippine Sports Commission will be presented and discussed at the sports summit. The program will eventually be integrated into the sports programs of the Department of Education and LGUs.

In addition to the Philippine Sports Summit, Cebu will also host the Batang Pinoy National Finals on November 27. 

The Cebu Heritage Monument is one place visitors of the Queen City of the South should not miss.  The landmark is a tableau showcasing significant events in the history of Cebu. These events depicted on the monument start with the time of Rajah Humabon until the day Saint Pedro Calungsod was beatified. 

The concrete, brass, steel and bronze sculptures were built by national artist Eduardo Castrillo. The monument was built using funds from donations given by private individuals and organizations.  The Heritage Monument depicts scenes of the baptism of Rajah Humabon, the Battle of Mactan between Ferdinand Magellan and Lapu-Lapu, a Roman Catholic Mass, and a Santo Niño procession.

The monument also shows the Basilica Santo Niño, St. John the Baptist Church, a Spanish Galleon, the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral and the Magellan’s Cross. The monument also depicts famous Cebuanos including Saint Pedro Calungsod and the late president Sergio Osmeña, Sr.

The Cebu Heritage Monument is located in the original Plaza Parian in the Parian District. The Parian District itself has an interesting history since it is the location of the residences of the most prominent Cebuano families during the Spanish period. The location of the monument was also the original site of the St. John the Baptist Church, which is already depicted on the monument. The church was demolished in 1875 by the diocese of Cebu.

Construction of the Cebu Heritage Monument started in July 1997 and on December 8, 2000, the monument was inaugurated. While visitors of the Queen City of the South can enter the enclosure of the monument for free, donations are welcome. 

Cebu can be heaven to history lovers since it has its own share of museums, like the Jose Rizal Memorial Museum, the Casa Gorordo Museum, the Cathedral Museum, the South Western University, and the Museo Sugbo, among others. Out of all of these repositories of the past, the Museo Sugbo has a rather interesting history.

Museo Sugbo was designed as a prison by Domingo de Escondrillas in 1869. It was originally known as the Cárcel del Distrito and was meant to serve as the main prison for the entire Visayas District. Construction of the prison started at around 1871 and parts of its structure were made mainly out of coral stone blocks sourced from the Parian Church. It was renovated in 1892, which saw the addition of more buildings right behind the main structure. These buildings are now used as the galleries of the museum.

Throughout its over-a-century history as a prison, it housed criminals as well as Katipuneros. The Katipuneros were typically imprisoned without a trial and later executed at the Carreta cemetery. When the Americans came, the prison was used as a stable for horses that competed at the nearby hipodromo or racetrack. It was later used as a prison for the city and province by the Americans, who called it the Cebu Provincial Jail. During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, the prison was used by the Japanese as a prison for captured guerillas. The incarcerated guerrillas were tortured in the prison by the Japanese secret police, the Kempeitai.

After the Japanese surrendered to the Allied forces, Japanese collaborators were incarcerated in the prison. Between the 1950s and 1976, the city jail was located along the front section of the prison while three structures at the back housed the provincial jail. The name of the prison was changed into the Cebu provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center or the CPDRC in the 1980s.

The prison was eventually converted into the Museo Sugbo in 2004 after the CPDRC was transferred into a more modern prison complex. August 5, 2008 saw the inauguration of the first four galleries of Museo Sugbo. A National Historical Marker was later unveiled on August 13, 2009 by Governor Gwen Garcia together with the National Historical Institute head Ambeth Ocampo. In addition to the marker, the Visayas Branch of the Museum of Philippine Political History was also unveiled by the two officials along with some dignitaries.

In 2010, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake jolted both Cebu and Bohol damaging some parts of the Museo Sugbo. The national government set aside around P20 million to restore the 150-year-old building housing the Museo Sugo. The restoration project started recently under the supervision of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines or the NHCP. The project is expected to be completed within six months.

Museo Sugbo has four permanent galleries, one changing exhibition and three special exhibition galleries. Among the more interesting galleries show an exhibit of artifacts from the Spanish and American eras.  One of the exhibits in the American era gallery is a collection of memorabilia of Thomas Sharpe. Sharpe was among the teachers sent to the Philippines at the start of American period. The World War Two gallery houses Japanese propaganda newspaper, the Bronze Star and Purple Heart earned by Uldrico Cabahug, and a bomb dropped by the Americans during the war.

Similar to all old structures around the archipelago, the Museo Sugbo also has its own stories of unearthly events. Some of these stories include bottles being knocked down in the mass media gallery and strange people walking with the guards before disappearing without a trace.  

A man clad in khaki and white also seen by a guard doing his regular rounds. The guard said the man walked into the restricted area close to the guards’ lockers. The guard followed the man into the locker room, but found the room empty. The room only had one entry and exit point. Another event supposedly happened when a photo was taken of a display during the opening of an exhibit. The photo showed a shadow of a person who, apparently, did not exist.

These stories only add to the mystique of the Museo Sugbo whose walls hold a treasure trove for history lovers. It is definitely one place visitors would not want to miss if they want to learn more about the history of the Queen City of the South.

The Philippine team participating at the World Robotics Olympiad in Doha, Qatar is composed of Cebuano grade school students. The event started in November 5 and will end today, November 9.

The group is divided into two teams with Team A composed of Andre Perez, John Lechter Alerta and Trisha Nicole Alejandrino while the Team B members include Zowee Mhey Aquino, Prinze Charsev Camaongay and Jose Mario Nudalo. The students come from SmartKidz Enhancement Center, which is located in Danao City. 

Team A placed third at the 14th Philippine Robotics Olympiad last September 11 while Team B finished fifth. The event was held at SM North Edsa. Galatico “RD” Camaongay III accompanied Perez, Alerta and Alejandrino in Qatar for the annual event. Aside from the three, John Cartilla, Elijah Iligan and Priam Ortega also joined the event. Cartilla, Iligan and Ortega are grade four students of Caridad C. Labe Center for Excellence of Lapu-Lapu City.

The annual competition in Metro Manila, which was organized by the Felta-MultiMedia Center and the Department of Education, saw the participation of sixty-five schools across the country.

The program was designed to increase interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics by holding robotics competitions. Camaongay said Cebu has already participated in the national event in the past with Science and Technology Education Center students from Lapu-Lapu City winning the event in 2010. The students have also competed in a number of international events in Russia, Malaysia and South Korea.

He added that he will act as the guide for the students when they solve problems, which essentially entails the application of their lessons in school.

It was necessary for the students to design a robot capable of exploring and investigating harsh environments. The students designed a robot with the capability of exploring the sea for pearls. The team was able to score 100 points within 27 seconds after two test runs and beat the other participants in their category.