Ten Things You Know If You Grew Up In Cebu

“Those were the days, my friend, we thought would never end. “

The past few decades saw significant developments in the Queen City of the South. These developments have changed the landscape of the city to a significant degree. In fact, people who grew up in Cebu may be able to recall some places and events in the city that have faded into the past. Here is a list of ten things you would know if you grew up in Cebu.

Belvic and Century 21 

Sampaguita Suites now stands at the former location of Belvic theater– image source: tripadvisor.com.ph

Back in the 80s, Cebu City had two popular movie houses located a few meters away from each other, Belvic and Century 21. These movie houses would try to outdo the other by offering the latest movies in Cebu. Remember the time when a number of teeny-bopper movies were shown in these cinemas and the lines would stretch down to the ground floor. The movie house itself would be packed to the brim. Those unluckily seated in the front row of the orchestra section would have a bad case of stiff neck at the end of the movie. A hotel now stands at the location where Belvic Theater used to be situated while Century 21 was replaced by a building housing a number of BPO companies. 

Rustan’s and White Gold 

Rustan’s was once located here – image source: courtesy of Peter Parcon

Rustan’s used to be located along Mango Avenue in the same building where a bar currently stands while White Gold was located right in front of the White Gold House. These were the two places where the young and young at heart would hang out. The best place to hang out in Rustan’s was the basement section where the comics were displayed and, of course, Yum Yum Tree. White Gold was famous for its computer game where shoppers can get the chance to win different prizes by inputting numbers on a computer. 

Coney Island 

Coney Island Ice Cream – image source: pepper.ph

Cebu used to have an ice cream shop that sold unique flavors of this comfort food. Among the favorites at Coney Island were Bubblegum, Pistachio and New York! New York! Coney Island also offered and ice cream sandwich called the Eskimo Roll. The Trillana-De Ocampo family was the owner of the Seamark Enterprises, which was the company behind the Coney Island brand. The company was bought out by Purefoods in 1991 before the brand eventually disappeared from the market. 

Afternoon Disco

Hot Gossip Disco used to be located at the car park of Robinson’s Fuente – image source: pinoyexchange.com

Long before clubbing and bar-hopping came to Cebu, there was the afternoon disco. Some of the more popular destinations were Balls Disco along Mango Avenue, Bai Disco at the former Cebu Plaza Hotel, and Hot Gossip at the carpark of Robinson’s Fuente. These events were held on Saturdays and students from different schools in the city would flock to these places to enjoy an afternoon at the disco.

Hadsan Beach Resort and Duawon Beach Resort

Hadsan Beach – image credit: everythingcebu.com

Before Portofino, a trip to the beach meant a trip to Hadsan in Mactan. The entrance fee was quite affordable that students would typically have the place on the top of their list whenever they feel the need to go to the beach. Aside from Hadsan, Cebuanos also flocked to Duawon Beach Resort Another place where Cebuanos used to go during the summer. While Hadsan had a long beachfront and a wide shallow area, the shallow area of Duawon was rather limited. 

No Traffic

Traffic was once nonexistent in Cebu City – image source: courtesy of Peter Parcon

The recent traffic woes in the city evokes memories when getting stuck in traffic meant the car is not moving for more than thirty seconds. Decades ago, traffic was essentially nonexistent in the Queen City of the South. There were rare occasions when traffic does occur, but this happens once in a blue moon. 

The Village

The Walk was once the location of The Village – image source: cebuholdings.com

Cebu IT Park was once the home of a go-to-place for partygoers in the city of Cebu. The Village was located in the exact same spot where The Walk is currently standing. The Village was the entertainment hub of Cebu back in the day, before it closed down.
 
Bump Cars at Merry Mart

Bump cars were among the attractions of Merry Mart back then – image source: commons.wikimedia.org

Before Bibo and Time Zone, Cebu had Merry Mart. Merry Mart was once one of the go-to-places when it comes to entertainment due to the video game arcade and, of course, the bump cars. First timers would be wary of riding a car that draws electricity flowing from the steel matting ceiling to the conductive floor, but once they get the hang of it, they would enjoy every minute of the ride. 

Pope John Paul II (now St. John Paul the Great) Visits Cebu

Pope John Paul II visited Cebu in 1981 – image source: cebudailynews.inquirer.net

Way back in 1981, Cebu was one of the stopovers of the late Pope John Paul II, now St. John Paul the Great. People lined up the streets as the motorcade of one of best-loved popes passed by.  The Pope celebrated an open-air mass at the tarmac of the old Lahug Airport where the Cebu IT Park now stands. People who were present and those who watched him pass by definitely felt blessed after they saw the Pope.

Local Ground

40 The Band was one of the featured bands at Local Ground – image source: youtube.com

Back in the day, local bands ruled Cebu. The 90s up until the early years of the new millennium saw concerts featuring bands from different parts of the metro. These concerts, popularly called Local Ground, brought into the consciousness of Cebuanos bands like BTU, Raw Belief, ETU, 40 The Band, The Ire, Johnnie and The Walkers, Cueshe, SRO, Medusa Taciturn and Cattski, among others. The concerts were held at the SHS-B Gymnasium, USC Boys High Football Field, Aznar Coliseum and the multi-purpose hall of the former Southern Islands Medical Center close to Fuente Osmeña.  

These are just ten of the things you would know if you grew up in Cebu. As the song goes, “Those were the days, my friend, we thought would never end.” What are the other things you can still remember while you were growing up in the Queen City of the South? Tell us about it on the comments section below.