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A city in the midst of overwhelming growth, Cebu blends its ancestral heritage and modern business savvy with flair. Crowned the Queen City of the South,Cebu stands as the country’s top business and tourist destination. It is here where business and leisure breathe together with office buildings and beach resorts finding its own place under Cebu’s friendly skies.

The country’s oldest city. Cebu is necessarily the place where relics of the past are a-plenty. Colon Street, for instance,has the distinction of being the oldest street in the Philippines. Paved late in the 16th century by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. Colon now houses malls, office buildings, theaters as well museums and monuments. Other place of historical importance include Fort San Pedro, the oldest fortress in the country, Liloan Lighthouse, and the Bantayan sa Hari.

A busting trade port since pre-Hispanic times, and was named the country’s capital by the Spaniards in 1565. Since then, Cebu has maintained its stature as the center of trade and commerce in Southern Philippines.

However, Cebu is more than just a city of increasing sophistication. With its colorful past, the city still retains much of its provincial warmth and charm, apart from its numerous man-made landmarks and institutions, Cebu also features miles of forest greens-a haven to wildlife and the place for a perfect picnic. There’s the 15,393-hectare Central Cebu National Park, the 696-hectare Sudlon National Park, the Cawasan Falls and the Bolok-Bolok Mineral Springs. Nearby Mactan Island boasts of world-class beach resorts.

Cebu is a famed beach and dive destination. Its waters offer some of the world’s most fascinating marine life. Its beaches are rimmed by white sands and offer a host of resorts with various sports and dive facilities. Cebu is also is dotted with Spanish colonial churches, forts, monuments, historical markers and ancestral homes. Its colonial past is the best seen in Cebu City, The provincial capital and the Philippines oldest city.

While history is maintained, progress takes its steady course in Cebu. This is the hub of sea and air transport, trade, industry and tourism in the southern Philippines. It is served by an international airport. Accommodations here are plentiful.

In Cebu, one can enjoy island hopping, sightseeing, sports, special interest activities, shopping, good food and entertainment.

This little island off Cebu’s northern tip has been growing steadily more famous over the years for its long, white beaches, great food and low-key approach to tourism. There are, or were at the time of writing, no cars or paved roads on the island, only a network of walking tracks. These tracks wind past such humble attractions as the waterside town cemetery, with its sun-bleached graves, the lighthouse on the island’s northwest, and the 12m-high lookout up near Los Bamboos, which some brave/foolhardy souls treat as a cliff jump.

Divers are spoilt with three wreck dives, the marine sanctuary of Gato Island – a famous sea-snake breeding ground – and almost daily appearances of the otherwise rarely sighted thresher shark off Monad Shoal.

The simple villages of Malapascua blend seamlessly with the resorts and are a big factor in the island’s charm. The people of the towns are almost invariably friendly and welcoming. A popular pastime among visitors is to head down to the basketball court in the main town of Logon, to take part in one of the frequent, informal tournaments that blend local and foreign talent.

It would seem that Malapascua offers everything that the discerning beach bum could wish for. But of course nothing is ever that simple.

The marine environment, including Gato Island, faces the usual challenges of this region – first and foremost, dynamite fishing. Despite protestations from local government that they are on top of the problem, divers report that on many dives they can still hear the sound of blasting. To combat the problem at Gato Island, local dive centres successfully lobbied the government to implement full-time patrols of the marine sanctuary. These patrols are paid for by a fee levied on divers of P100 per dive.

The preservation of the island environment is another matter. Ironically, where the dive centres have continually accused local government of not doing enough to halt destruction of the corals, when it comes to preserving the beaches, it’s the government’s turn to put the heat on local business.

Magellan’s cross? Wouldn’t you be if you’d sailed all the way from Europe only to die in a soggy heap on the island of Mactan? Ferdinand’s Catholic legacy, a large wooden cross, is housed in a stone rotunda (built in 1841) across from Cebu City Hall. The crucifix on show here apparently contains a few splinters from a cross Magellan planted on the shores of Cebu in 1521.

A painting on the ceiling of the rotunda shows Magellan erecting the cross (actually, the locals are doing all the work – Magellan’s just standing around with his mates).

Mayon has the classic conical shape of a stratovolcano. It is the most active volcano in the Philippines. Since 1616, Mayon has erupted 47 times. The beautifully symmetrical Mayon volcano, which rises to 2,460 meters above the Albay Gulf, is the Philippines’ most active volcano. The structurally simple volcano has steep upper slopes that average 35-40 degrees and is capped by a small summit crater. The historical eruptions of this basaltic-andesitic volcano date back to 1616 and range from Strombolian to basaltic Plinian. Eruptions occur predominately from the central conduit and have also produced lava flows that travel far down the flanks. Pyroclastic flows and mudflows have commonly swept down many of the approximately 40 ravines that radiate from the summit and have often devastated populated lowland areas.

The most recent eruption, in 1993, began unexpectedly with an explosion. The initial eruption lasted only 30 minutes but it generated pyroclastic flows that killed 68 people and prompted the evacuation of 60,000 others. This photo shows pyroclastic flows descending Mayon on March 2, 1993. Photograph copyrighted and provided by Steve O’Meara of Volcano Watch International.

Summit of Mayon with a small ash plume. March 7, 1993. Photograph copyrighted and provided by Steve O’Meara of Volcano Watch International.
But until today (2007) Mayon has changed its shape more and more.

Vibrant, woodsy and cool by Philippine standards, Baguio (bah-gee-oh) is the undisputed nerve centre of the Cordillera. For Filipinos, it’s the escape of choice from the stifling heat of the lowlands. For foreigners, it’s the primary gateway to backpacker bliss up north in Sagada, Banaue and Kalinga.

The city was constructed as a mountain retreat by US military forces in the early 1900s. WWII in the Philippines began when the Japanese bombed Baguio’s Camp John Hay, which later served as General Tomoyuki Yamashita’s headquarters. The city was subsequently flattened by US bombs dropped to drive out the Japanese – who had already left. It was levelled again by a massive earthquake in 1990.

The bombs are long gone but today the city’s residents are faced with a new threat: overdevelopment. The local press repeatedly lambast city planners for inviting environmental destruction, while longtime Baguio dwellers wax nostalgic about the days before SM Mall marred every view and traffic clogged every street.

The area’s original inhabitants, the Ibaloi and Kankanay, long ago assimilated into Baguio society. The city’s character is now shaped by the quarter of a million college students that double Baguio’s population for much of the year. Acoustic music wafts out of windows on every street; walking around with a guitar strapped to your back is decidedly de rigueur.

Away from the traffic-snarled city centre – and this is minus tricycles, since they can’t make it up the hills – Baguio is airy and pleasant. If you’re returning from the mountains, the small-scale urban mayhem, nightlife and youthful population can also be refreshing.

Taal Volcano, in the Philippines, has been called the smallest active volcano in the world. It is located about 70-km south of Manila on an island inside a lake called Taal Lake. What makes Taal Volcano more unique is the fact that the volcano itself has a lake of its own inside its crater which is called the “Crater Lake.” One can even swim inside the Crater Lake but don’t stay too long because the lake’s water is a very diluted form of sulfuric acid with high concentration of boron, magnesium, aluminum and sodium in salt form. The first recorded scuba dive inside the crater was made by a team led by Thomas Hargrove in 1986 to a depth of about 20 meters or 60 feet. There is even a tiny island in the Crater Lake which Hargrove’s team also explored.

Pilipinas Sierra’s outing last March 2 and 3, 1996 proceeded to the Taal Volcano Crater Lake on the first day where we arrived at about noon. We were pleasantly surprised that there were two Americans already having a good time swimming at the Crater Lake … we joined them pronto and had lunch thereafter. We introduced Thomas Gebele, a German Student who was with us to the Americans who we found out later were connected with the U.S. Embassy.

At about 1:30 pm we packed up and trekked back to the rim and proceeded to the new Taal crater. It’s called Mt. Tabaro and the trek towards it was hot since vegetation was sparse around this new crater. After a brief summit assault we proceeded to the campsite late in the afternoon.

We decided not to camp inside the Crater Lake as originally planned since most of the trekkers preferred to camp at the Taal lakeshore where fresh fish can be bought from fishermen living along the lake. After having our dinner, we had our socials where participants got to know each other better.

Our campsite for the night was located on the shore of Taal Lake. Unlike the Crater Lake, it is safe to swim here since this is a fresh water lake. The marine life study of Taal Lake indicates that the body of water here may have been, in fact, salt water in pre-historic time. Even today, one can dive to uniform depth of 30 feet all around the lake bottom and still find traces of an ancient beach littered with seashells.

The whole area itself including the surrounding province of Cavite and Batangas was once part of an immense pre-historic volcano estimated to be 18,000 feet high which erupted violently and collapsed into a caldera with a channel opening towards Balayan Bay. Between 1572 to the present, more than 41 eruptions have been recorded with the great eruption of 1754 lasting close to six months. Just like Mt. Pinatubo, it darkened the skies over Manila for days, that people during that time literally walked around the city carrying lanterns even at 10:00 in the morning. It is most probable that this eruption finally closed the open channel to the sea that allowed the accumulation of fresh water from rainfall leading to the formation of Taal Lake.

With this backgrounder, it is no wonder that Taal Lake is home to the only known species of sea snake that inhabits fresh water, Hydrophis semperi. Even the fish called maliputo and tawilis are saltwater fish-like in characteristics. According to Peter J.P. Whitehead of the British Museum of Natural History, tawilis “is the only species of Sardinella that is found mainly in fresh water.” Dr. Dioscoro Rabor even confirms that sharks once swam Taal Lake’s water. He studied their biology personally before their extermination by overfishing in the 1930’s.

Moalboal is a 4th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 27,398 people.

Extending as a peninsula in the Southwestern tip of Cebu, Moalboal is bordered to the west by the Tañon Strait. From the western shoreline, the island of Negros can be seen. Moalboal is located 89 kilometers from Cebu City, about 2.5 hours by bus.

Moalboal is nestled between the towns of Alcantara and Badian. From the tulay, an unfinished bridge located in Moalboal’s town proper, Badian Island can be clearly seen, as well as the popular tourist attraction, Pescador Island.

Since the 1970s, Moalboal has developed a tourism industry based on diving and beaches. Panagsama Beach, which was blown away by a typhoon in 1984, is where most resorts are established and White beach, which still has sand, in Barangay Savedra, which used to be a quieter beach that locals frequent, has only recently developed.

Tourists wanting to stay in Moalboal can easily take a taxi from Cebu International Airport. It should cost around 2500 Pesos, the ride takes around 2.5 hours. Other ways to get to Moalboal would be to take a taxi to the Liberando bus terminal or the South Bus station across the road. Librando and Ceres buses go to Moalboal, Fare is 89 Pesos. Make sure you are on a bus going via Barili, or you will end up in the South of Cebu.

In Moalboal most tourists stay at either Panagsama Beach (Basdiot) or White beach (Basdako). There is plenty of accommodation near either beach, although Panagsama has the most bars and restaurants. Information about Panagsama Beach you find here All about Moalboal Panagsama Beach

Entertainment is laid back and not for clubbers. Most of the small bars were demolished last year, and now the original “village” is no longer there, it has lost its bar hopping social scene. The most popular bars at the moment are “Beach Bar” and ” Chili Bar “, you can have a beer for less than 75 Cents US there. There is an outragously loud Disco every Saturday at Pacitas, so be careful not to take a room close by if you want to sleep before sunrise.

Diving is the main activity, and it compares favorably with any spot in the Philippines. The home reefs are fine and Pescador island, ranges from fantastic to the sublime, depending on the season. The structure of the whole reef is ideal for snorkeling and freediving as well since the reef drop off is close to shore and shallow. Information about diving you find here All about diving in Moalboal

Within a distance of 20 km from Moalboal you can explore numerous waterfalls, caves and canyons.

There is an ongoing lack of water, so be prepared for this unless you are staying in one of the higher priced resorts. Even then the quality of the trucked in water is dubious, even for showering.

Vigan is the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia with a unique European atmosphere. Several museums exist for the many national heroes that were born here. Vigan is the oldest surviving Spanish colonial city in the Philippines. The name Vigan was derived from “Biga”, a giant taro plant that grows abundantly along the banks of the Mestizo River.

Places of Interest

Old Vigan Colonial Houses – the ancestral houses were built mostly by rich Chinese traders. These great big houses are made of thick brick walls and plastering with red clay. Tile roofs are made to survive earthquakes. The Mestizo district where more than a hundred houses line side by side along Calle Crisologo

St. Paul’s Cathedral – built in 1790-1800 by the Augustinians, this impressive Baroque cathedral has most of its interior walls well preserved. The 12 altars and 3 naives only enhances the church beauty and grandeur. The bell tower is octagonal and is located 10 meters south of the cathedral. It is a place not to be missed when visiting Vigan.

Palacio de Arzobispado – built in 1783, it is the official residence of the Archbishop of Nueva Segovia. The palace was the headquarters of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. Included in the palace is the Museo Nueva Segovia with a collection of paintings, manuscripts and religious articles accumulated through the centuries

The Science City of Muñoz is a 5th class city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 65,586 people in 13,940 households.

In 2000, the municipality of Muñoz was converted into a city named the Science City of Muñoz.[1] It earned the new title due to numerous scientific institutions situated within the town which include Central Luzon State University (CLSU), Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension (BPRE), Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Philippine-Sino Center for Agricultural Technology (PhilSCAT), Philippine Seed Center.

On January 1, 2008, the Philippine Carabao Center in Nueva Ecija, per Filipino scientists initiated a study to breed the super water buffalo that could produce 4 to 18 liters of milk/day (gene-based technology). Also, the 1st test-tube hybrid carabao was born thereat in 2004, “Glory,” named after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Joseph Estrada’s most successful project as an opposition senator, the PCC was created through Republic Act 3707, the Carabao Act of 1992.[2]