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Travel:

Cebu, the Queen City of the Southby Ramon T. Ayco

May 2009

(First published in the Travel Section of Pinoy Reporter, May 2009 issue.)

When I was a child, every time our familytravel to the South by ship for a vacation,

either to my mothers province in Jolo, Sulu or

to my fathers province in Antequera, Bohol,

we always had a stopped over in Cebu which

gave us chances of touring the place even for

a short time. Even my first travel in an

airplane in 1967 from Manila to Bohol, we

had a stopped over in Cebus Mactan

International Airport (the nation's second

largest airport)before proceeding to

Tagbilaran airport. By this, I would like to say

that Cebu was a familiar place to me a long

time ago.

And since 1980s up to now, Ive got many chances of going to Cebu either for meetings, seminars, conferences

and the likes which gave me chances of touring the place for longer times. The last of which was a meeting

regarding our works on indigenous peoples held in Portofino Beach Resort in Mactan on June 29 to July 2,

2008 in which I enjoyed very much shooting with my camera (photo and video) the beautiful scenery and

swimming in its white sand beach and swimming pools.

On my own experience, I believe that Cebu, the Queen City of the South and the country's oldest city, is really

one of the prime tourists destinations in the Philippines.

One of the prides of Cebu is their rich historic past. Being the first and oldest city in the country, ante-dating

Manila by 7 years, having the oldest school and oldest street and being the cradle of Christianity in the Far East

(i.e. Magellan's cross planted in Cebu as a symbol of natives embracing the Christian faith), Cebu is replete with

historical heritage Cebu has a Roman Catholic Archdiocese, and has several major churches, including the

Basilica Minore del Santo Nio, theCebu Metropolitan Cathedral, the San Carlos Church, the Santo. Rosario

Parish Church, San Jos-Recoletos Church,Sacred Heart Church, and other christian churches; as well as

several other non-Catholic churches, mosque, and temples.

http://www.ngkhai.net/cebupics/albums/userpics/10027/normal_CATHED_2.jpghttp://www.ngkhai.net/cebupics/albums/userpics/10027/normal_CATHED_2.jpghttp://www.ngkhai.net/cebupics/albums/userpics/10027/normal_CATHED_2.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Heart_Churchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Heart_Churchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Heart_Churchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Heart_Churchhttp://www.ngkhai.net/cebupics/albums/userpics/10027/normal_CATHED_2.jpg

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Some of the historical and famous places in Cebu City

which you must see are: Fuente Osmea; Cebu Provincial

Capitol; City of Cebu; Colon Street, the oldest street in the

Philippines; Ayala Center Cebu; Fort San Pedro; Taoist

Temple; Tops Skyline Garden; Fort Santiago; Mt.

Manghilaw; Sta. Rosa Falls; Life Size Statues of Popes,

Stations of the Cross and Mysteries of the Holy Rosary

(Danao City); Cebu Parkmall and Cebu InternationalConvention Center.

Metropolitan Cebu, the country's second biggest

metropolis, is the political, economic, educational and

cultural center of the Visayas. Hotels, shopping malls,

entertainment halls, casinos and golf fairways are ever

present in the metro to cater to every tourist's whim.

For relaxation, Cebu is the traveler's fantasy of a tropical island comes true. In contrast to the bustling

metropolis, the rest of Cebu's 167 islets and islands are lined with idyllic white sandy beaches and sapphire-

clear waters teeming with marine life, perfect for divers. Cebu has gained wide popularity for its fantastic

diving grounds evidenced by the proliferation of resorts which offer luxurious accommodations, excellent divefacilities and the services of competent dive masters and dive guides.

The UK-based Cond Nast Traveler Magazine named Cebu the seventh best island destination in the Indian

Ocean-Asia region in 2007, eighth best Asian-Pacific island destination in 2005, and seventh in 2004.