Danao, You're Really Worth It

There's something in Danao City in Northern Cebu that captured my heart. Its simple yet picturesque scene stole my heart I wanna go back. When high school buddy and our batch's salutatorian Glece Anthony Adlawan told me and Zyzle that Danao is just an hour away from Cebu City, I did not hesitate to decide to explore what's in it.

From Cebu, we found ourselves in an overloaded jeepney heading towards the coastal town of Danao. The moment we arrived there at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the first thing we did is look for some water at Gaisano Capital, just right across the city's terminal. Mineral Water seems to be so elusive and we just found ourselves dropping one peso coin in an ATM Machine in a nearby sari-sari store. Just so you know, ATM stands for Automatic Tubig Machine.

The facade of the city hall conveys modernity and style. Its exterior looks like that of Tagum City Hall. My first impression of the city is that it's too serene and peaceful with only kids and teenagers roaming in this hot Saturday afternoon. I was told that Danao also boasts of its many Rizal statues and many plazas. I found one myself.

But what left me in awe is its old church. It was just awesome. I prayed a little wish there, something I wish could come true.

When it was time to go, my eyes gazed the sea that seems never ending. As I stare on its blue green hue, I hope I could go back and explore its unexplored corners.

Danao, you're really worth it.

Louie.

Danao is located in the northern part of Cebu facing the Camotes Islands. It lies in the eastern coast between Compostela and Carmen and bounded on the west by the municipalities of Balamban, Asturias and Tuburan. It is 8.20 kilometers from Carmen to the North; 97.0 kilometers from Balamban (via Toledo City); 92.14 kilometers from Asturias (via Lugo); 7.80 kilometers from Compostela to the South; and 33.1 kilometers from Cebu City, reckoned from kilometer 00.0 at the Cebu Provincial Capitol Building.  Public transport coming in and out of Danao City are mostly passenger jeepney’s plying the Danao-Cebu route. Passenger busses also pass by Danao City on the way to the northern towns like Bogo from Cebu City and vice-versa.

Cebu Weekend Getaway

A sun-kissed Cebu greeted me and my travel buddy when we landed in her soil. From above, the Queen City of the South looks like a threshold of adventures: beautiful landscapes, some towering edifices and lush green. While peeping in the plane's window, I felt jitters as well as excitement in the sense that it would be my first time to step into the Visayas, particularly in the heart of Metropolitan Cebu. This three-day trip was indeed full of firsts: It would be my first time traveling that is not work-related and it's my travel buddy Zyzle's first time to ride an airplane. It's also our first trip together as best friends. We left Tagum City for Davao at around 4:30 in the morning to catch with our 8:20 AM flight.

When our plane landed twenty minutes ahead of time, we immediately went to Lapu-Lapu Shrine in Mactan. There, we were amazed by the sight of the first Filipino Hero's statue facing the shore of Mactan. Wayback April 1521, Lapu-Lapu became the first Filipino to defeat European Agression by killing Ferdinand Magellan.

After this, we immediately proceeded to Cebu City through a hired taxi cab and paid 250 pesos to bring us to our pension house -- Roseatte Pension House in V. Urgello Street. It's located in the stretch of the famous Osmeña Boulevard, just across Crown Regency Suites. From our room, we're amazed by the sight of people who braved the towering heights trying the hotel's Skywalk and Coaster Edge.

I must say that I have a penchant for all things vintage. Thus, the first spot that we visited in downtown Cebu was its City Museum and Public Library. Sad to say, the museum was on its annual inventory which means that all its historical facts are not displayed. We just enjoyed the on-going Art Gallery Exhibition in the second floor. We're grateful for the City Information Officer of Cebu for sharing to me and Zyzle the many museums in the city and even warned us that pickpockets and snatchers are rampant in downtown Cebu. From there, we visited the President Sergio Osmeña Museum along Osmeña Boulevard. We learned that it was indeed the ancestral house of the former president. It feels like the 50's when we viewed the old artifacts on display at the two-storey edifice: old shoes, coats, hats, newspapers, mace, a cadillac vintage car and historical documents owned by President Osmeña.

Our Cebu trip won't be complete without visiting Magellan's Cross and Basilica Minore de Santo Niño. It was great visiting the place because we can feel the strong faith of the Cebuanos. We can say that Cebu City is indeed the stronghold of Catholicism in the country. We also visited the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral which is just adjacent to the Basilica.

SECOND DAY: REUNION NORTHERN STYLE

On our second day, our high school buddy and fellow Tromans Glece (who is living in Cebu for three years now) joined us. It's also the first we saw each other after he left us in Tagum three years ago. He and his partner brought us to the famous Taoist Temple in Beverly Hills, Lahug. From there, we traveled to the northern part of the province of Cebu passing through Mandaue, Compostela, Consolacion, Liloan and Danao City. It was Danao that captured my heart. This simple city facing the sea speaks of elegance and Filipino living. The old-feel of the Danao City church will truly leave you breathless. In Liloan, I just wished to visit their famous lighthouse but just ended up taking a picture of its replica facing their church.

 From our very quick trip up north, we headed back south and spent the remaining hours at SM City Cebu and Ayala Center Cebu. Both malls are amazing.

Taoist Temple, Beverly Hills, Cebu City

The view from the rooftop of our pension house

THIRD DAY: FUNNY ANECDOTES

While gallivanting the other day, we talked about why people would wave at the Sto. Niño at the Basilica. Glece couldn't give an exact answer. In search for an answer, we went back to the Basilica to supposedly hear Mass and to have a closer look of the venerable image of Sto. Niño. We fell in line at the Augustinian Convent to have a seconds-long encounter with Cebu's patron. From there, we went to Plaza Independencia and Malacañang sa Sugbu. It was also the time when Zyzle bought pasalubongs and other burloloys. Looking for  thirst-quenching drinks, we asked a guard where is the nearby ATM. He promptly said it's near the Landbank. We walked without even saying thanks (nyay!) and ten steps had gone and we just realized that the ATM he is referring to is the Automatic Teller Machine and not the so-called Automatic Tubig Machine which is Cebu City's famous thirst-quencher machine. You'll just have to drop a one-peso coin similar to that of a videoke machine and water will spill from it.

I'll always have fond memories of the Queen City of the South. Both Zyzle and I agreed to come back to her next year. This time, together with Jenniper and Exot and we'll go as far as Bogo -- the northernmost part of the province. Glece gave a hunch that we could even go to nearby Bantayan Island if we would want to.

We will. I am looking forward to my second time time in Cebu to make new memories, new moments and new escapades.

Louie.

Manila by Storm

Typhoon Pedring is ravaging Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon when I visited her this September. Our flight to the nation's gateway capital to the world was delayed two hours because of the weather conditions in Metro. It's actually my nth time to visit Manila but it's my first time to fly at night.

When we arrived at 11:30 in the evening at NAIA, strong winds welcomed us. When we traveled to our Hotel in Quezon City, I did not appreciate Manila that time because the power is down (it's dark because of the total blackout from Pasay City down to Quezon City) and the gigantic billboards are off. But I must admit that Manila looks cool without those towering billboards. I swear.


Because we're on official business attending the 2011 National Literacy Conference where Tagum City will be bestowed the much-anticipated Hall of Fame Award in Literacy, we can only roam around when it's free time. We're first billeted at the Great Eastern Hotel across Quezon Avenue but we transferred to the Imperial Palace Suites in Tomas Morato the following day, just across ABS-CBN. During the opening ceremony, we;re very lucky because no less than Mayor Herbert Bautista of QC welcomed us.

For me, the most memorable experience I had during this trip is our trip in the City of Makati, considered to be the country's foremost financial district. With Sir Edwin Lasquite and Madame Grace Terante of Tagum City Economic Enterprise Office, we roamed at Rockwell Powerplant Mall.

But it was our Trip to Makati City Hall that surprised me. It's huge and simply amazing -- with 28 floors! We are also granted permission to go to their helipad, a thing not all employees of the city hall are allowed to do so. From there, the Makati Skyline and the view of Mandaluyong by the Pasig River look so amazing!

Not bad experience for a typhoon-battered Manila.

Louie.

Stranded at Davao International Airport

Traveling at night is cool. You are forced to relax.

Makati Skyline from the Helipad of the Makati City Hall

Office of the City Mayor of Makati

Rockwell. Derek Ramsay is in the house.

It's great to be back in Mall of Asia

EDSA Kamuning with GMA Network Center as the dominant landmark

I took this while our van is traversing the North Luzon Expressway bound to Tarlac City, Tarlac.

Kape na muna.