CebuAsia.com

Wealth of the Rich Filipino Race: Heritage of Cebu

Clee Villasor — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:56:31 +0000

Historical Marker
The Heritage of Cebu is an original idea of the artist Eduardo Castrillo and Honorable Mayor Alvin B. Garcia. Concept - Design - Plan and Organization (1996); Construction - Fabrication of Artworks until Completion (July 1997 to December 2000.)

The inscription reads:

The pride, unity and cultural wealth of a race emanate from a people’s sense of self and history; from the early Filipinos to the dawn of European colonization, the revolution of 1896, the birth of the Philippine Republic. The heroic contribution of the Cebuano people and the saga of events, which transpired on the islands of Cebu, are vital elements in the formulation of the nation we know today. Their contribution should rightfully be emulated, immortalized and honored in a lasting monumental, aesthetic experience.

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Philippines ranks 81st (or 5 notch up) in world tourism

Clee Villasor — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:00:11 +0000

This would be a definite surprise among travel junkies around the world.

From the editorial in Manila Times dated March 6, 2008:

HERE’S good news for a change. The Philippines has advanced by five rungs in world tourism, according to the World Economic Forum, ranking 81st among 130 countries surveyed.

The WEF’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008 said Manila was 86th among 124 countries polled last year. The report ranked the most attractive environments for the travel and tourism industry, factoring in government policy, regulations, environmental sustainability, safety and security, health and hygiene and the priority given to tourism.

Tourism is a big moneymaker for the Philippines. The WEF estimated that our hospitality industry last year amounted to $5.57 billion, reflecting a 4.4- percent annual growth with an employment of about 1.3 million people. Our report yesterday said travel and tourism contributed about $12.3 billion to the national economy.

Tourism also boosts the national image. It reflects foreign confidence in our stability, infrastructure and sense of hospitality. Travel is a big come-on for investments since businessmen are part of the tourist crowd and their impressions count much for investment decisions.

Like housing, tourism has wide multiplier effect, boosting the travel (ships, airlines, bus lines) industry, the accommodations (hotels, condotels, tourist inns) business, sports and entertainment, restaurants, handicraft, historical and cultural centers and a wide constellation of local attractions.

(See more after the jump.)

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Cebu City: After the Lovers Left

Clee Villasor — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:38:25 +0000

Upon reaching this place (The Osmeña Place in Metro Cebu; more than 1000 feet above sea level) last March 22, 2008, at 4AM, the first thing that caught my attention was these two beer bottles and a platter that have been, obviously, left by a couple.

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Award winning Cebuano playwright-director Al Evangelio’s “Buhing Kalbaryo”

Clee Villasor — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:23:55 +0000

This is a repost from the Flickr post yesterday in CebuAsia’s subscriber emails.

CebuAsia followed the trail, on foot, of this theater-on-the-street production.

He gave himself as a ransom to many…

View On Black | LARGE

See the Series

After Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ, I’ve never seen as riveting and gripping as the one presented here in “Buhing Kalbaryo,” (a live re-enactment during the last few hours of Jesus Christ) in Cebu City, Philippines by the acclaimed, international award winning Filipino playwright and director Al Evangelio last March 21, 2008 — a Good Friday.

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Trekspotting In Cebu: The 1859 Balay Na Tisa (House of Tiles)

Clee Villasor — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:08:29 +0000

Built during the heydays of the Spanish lore and rule (circa 1859) in Carcar, Province of Cebu, Philippines, this terra-cotta roofed manor house (a.k.a. Balay Na Tisa) was owned by one Don Sarmienta along Sta. Catalina St. It is just a stone’s throw from the 1876 Graeco-Tuscanian style church of St. Catherine of Alexandria (I will post this later).

View On Black

It is one of the few well-preserved remaining houses, of its kind, in Cebu, spanning four generations. This heritage site houses the artifacts during its time: priceless antiques of silver and ceramics and furnitures made of tindalo wood of the Sarmiento family. Not far from this place is the famous Noel House (or the Big House) where Gen. Leon Kilat was killed six days after his glorious victory against the Spanish invaders at Tres de Abril, Cebu City.

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CebuPhotography.com — best of Cebu’s newest, visionary photographers and their photography

Clee Villasor — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:05:27 +0000

A fairly new photography group has flourished from this side of town. When in Cebu City, look for the Flickr group, Cebu Photography Club.

This online club is a happy environment called creative artists. You are welcomed to join — anyone who enjoys and wants to learn more about the exciting field of photography. There are regular meet ups as well.

After two weeks long of headstart, this group organized by yours truly, have awarded a newbie Cebu photographer, Alfer Rulona, a thermal engineer and entrepreneur, for his non-Photoshop-ed opus, Samal Kids in the 1st Creative Photo of the Week contest.

Both local and international professional photographers and hobbyists make up the bulk of this fast growing Flickr group; about 101 members online as of post time.

We highly encourage these surging talents in Cebu to showcase their works and creative visions in www.cebuphotography.com today.

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Sunset Chasing in Cordova

Clee Villasor — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:45:38 +0000

It is a real pleasure doing photography!

Click the photo above to see my personal notes on how I was able to achieve this imagery.

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Magellan’s slave: Linguistics can solve the riddle of Enrique’s origin

Clee Villasor — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 19:21:53 +0000

This post is written by Vicente Calibo de Jesus, Renaissance navigation historian, particularly on Mazaua historiography.

Fernao de Magalhaes states in his Last Will and Testament his “captured” slave, Enrique, was a native of Malacca. On the other hand, the Vicentine diarist, Antonio Pigafetta, explicitly says “Henrich” was from Sumatra. Maximilianus Transylvanus says the slave was from the Moluccas. Carlos Quirino, Laurence Bergreen, William Manchester all say he is Cebuano.

Let me just quickly dispose of Quirino’s et al’s claim Cebuano is a dialect of Malay–which was their way of asserting Enrique was Cebuano. Both Malay and Cebuano belong to the Austronesian group of languages which, prior to European entry into lands beyond the Atlantic, was “the most widely spread language in the world from the island of Madagascar, off the east coast of Africa, all the way to tiny, isolated Easter Island (Rapa Nui), and extending into Taiwan, Vietnam, Northern Australia, New Zealand and most of the Melanesian and Polynesian Islands.” (See this link.) The precise lineage of Cebuano on the other hand is Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Meso Philippine, Central Philippine, Bisayan, Cebuan, Cebuano. (See this page.)

Who of the first three–Magalhaes, Pigafetta, Maximilianus–is correct?

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Philippines treasure trove of calendar events and festivals (March)

Clee Villasor — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 05:10:27 +0000

It’s more than you can imagine!

The 7,107 islands of the Philippines archipelago boast of a year-long kaleidoscopic éclat of festivities and exciting events.

Here, you will find the mesmerizing and colorful treasure troves of a Filipino’s passion to celebrate life in all its eccentric facets. From the street dancing of flip-flopping “fishes” to 3003 steps of penance, this is the only country in the world where irony is highlighted: Merry-making on Lenten season in faraway Bantayan Island (yes, we are talking about BEER and more BEER and more MEAT!)… and on two separate islands, Ferdinand Magellan has landed on the same day, call it supernatural, but go scroll way down to the last two events of this list!

As a Filipino, stop dreaming of European travel tours. Check your own backyard first — know your way around, travel light, grab your cameras and a map… and hey, don’t forget to bring your sun tan cream!

March to-die-for photographic events (For photographers in search of their holy grail pictures, look for the *** on these CEBU FESTIVALS/EVENTS):

KAAMULAN TRIBAL FESTIVAL
March 1- March 6 | Malaybalay City, Bukidnon
A spectacular yearly gathering of the seven (7) hilltribes featuring their traditional songs, dances, sports, crafts and rituals, clad in their traditional vibrant costumes and heirloom jewelry

RODEO MASBATEÑO (LOCAL COWBOYS) 2005
March 1- April 2 | Masbate City
Hold on to your horses, caballeros, its rodeo time in Masbate once again! Feel the excitement as our local cowboys pit their brains against bovine brawn in western style rodeo events like bull riding and sterr wrestling, apart from our local games like the good old carabao race. So put on them boots and saddle up – its gonna be a rope-slingin’, dust-kickin’, cowpunchin’ affair.

ARAW NG ISLAND GARDEN CITY OF SAMAL (IGACOS)
March 1- March 7 | Island Garden City of Samal
Festival to showcase the natural bounty of the Island Garden City of Samal, includes water sports competition, horse fight, sand castle contest, cultural shows, etc.

PASIG SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL
March 1- March 31 | Pasig City
Participants vary from singers, pianists & violinists, bandleaders and music teachers whose common goal is to keep classical music and “kundimans” alive. On this event, artists, and music lovers gather at the Pasig City Museum to listen and appreciate the music of classical artists as performed by their fellow Pasigueños. In all, the Summer Music Festival aims to revive the great musical tradition of Pasig.

PARADE OF FESTIVALS
March 1 | Muntinlupa City
One of the highlights of Muntinlupa City’s Cityhood Anniversary.

TRAVEL TOUR EXPO
March 1- March 31 | SM Megamall
Annual exhibition of travel and tourism destinations, products and services.

PAYVANUVANUAN FESTIVAL
March 1- March 31 | Sitio Jura, Racujaide, Mahatao
The festival marks the start of the fishing season in Batanes where the fisherfolks perform a ritual to pray for good fishing season and safety.

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VIS-MIN 2008 (4th Travel & Lifestyle Show)

Clee Villasor — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:32:30 +0000

COME AND VISIT CEBU’S BIGGEST TRAVEL SHOW & AVAIL OF GREAT PACKAGES (AND PRIZES!)

VIS-MIN 2008 (4th Travel & Lifestyle Show)
March 7-9, 2008, SM Cebu City Trade Hall

FREE ENTRANCE

Event Highlights:

Over 300 exhibitors representing products and services from around the world.

Up to 50% discount on on-site purchases.

Win FREE accomodations & tickets

Special discount on local & international packages

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