Sisig tofu and other dishes for the health conscious as well as new variations on old recipes make up the menu at the newest and seventh restaurant branch of Golden Cowrie at Parkmall in Mandaue City.
Aside from the usual Filipino fare of crispy pata, pinakbet, ginataang langka, sinigang na hipon, diners can also order sisig squid, escabeching tanguige, and naked chicken pandan at the Hukad sa Golden Cowrie in Parkmall.
When someone mentions torta, I usually and immediately think of Argao because I associate this popular Cebu delicacy with the town. I’m sure a lot of Cebuanos do the same.
Our frequent visits to Argao however have made me realize that its indigenous industries of torta and tableya, another specialty, are just one of the many facets that make up this southern town of Cebu.
From research and interviews, I’ve learned things about Argao that are not common knowledge and have come to better appreciate my visits. Beyond the torta, and it is delicious by the way, I’ve come to know Argao as a town steeped in history, rich in socio-cultural heritage, and with an abundance of natural resources.
Trips are truly more meaningful if you know what to look for in a place. The problem is, information about Cebu’s rich historical and socio-cultural heritage as it relates to towns like Argao is not easily accessible to the ordinary traveler.
Take for example the San Miguel Arcangel Church, a late 18th century structure remaining of Spanish colonial times.
While it may seem at first glance to be like any other church built by the Spanish clergy, this structure in Argao differs in the artistic and elaborate ornamentation that can be found on the facade, pediment, retablo, pulpit, ceiling, and other interior portions.
Its facade, according to Paul Gerschwiler in his historical outline of Argao, is divided into nine panels by two double cornices that intersect with four vertical paired half columns and only five of the more than 160 Augustinian churches used this style, all of them built in the southeastern coast of Cebu.
This and other relevant information related to the church in particular and travel to the town in general is being made available to travelers through a digital tourism program that is a collaboration among our new media start-up, InnoPub, our main partner Smart Communications, Inc., and the local governments of Cebu Province and Argao.
Our digital tourism project comes in three components. It involves a web-based guide to Argao, mobile application format, and markers placed on historical and heritage structures. The markers carry quick response codes which allows guests to download more information when scanned with a smartphone or tablet. The guide, web-based an app versions, lists all places and activities of interest in the town.
The project was launched Friday at Argao’s historic “cabecera” or town center, with Cebu Gov. Hilario “Junjun” Davide, Argao Mayor Edsel Galeos, and PLDT-Smart public affairs head Mon Isberto in attendance.
If you ever find yourself going around the town, we have a quick guide accessible at argao.myguide.ph, mobile app for Android devices that can be downloaded at Google Play, and QR code markers placed on important structures within the “cabecera de Argao.”
Literary group Bathalad Inc. and journalism start-up InnoPub Media have released an e-book anthology of Cebuano poems for smartphones, tablets and e-readers.
“Skina Balak” can be downloaded for free from certain websites, including MyCebu, and through QR or quick response code scanning of posters and offline download stations.
Cebu Daily News publisher Eileen Mangubat used this typewriter before she became Sun.Star news editor. She then passed it on to Edralyn Benedicto, a Sun.Star reporter at the time, who gave it up when the paper shifted to computers.
On this typewriter, Mangubat wrote stories about the abduction of Fr. Rudy Romano, the fall of the Marcos regime and various key events of Cebu’s recent history.
This typewriter was a second-hand unit purchased by Sun.Star in the eighties. Pachico A. Seares bought it when the company disposed of its typewriters with the advent of PCs in its old newsroom at the leased building on Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City.
Play the video below to listen to Mangubat talk about how it was to write news stories on a typewriter.
Play the video below to listen to Mangubat reminisce about stories she wrote on this typewriter.
Attention adventure-loving university students! Pack your bags and prepare for the ultimate travel adventure, courtesy of the country’s largest airline. Cebu Pacific invites college students who are passionate about traveling to join the Juan for Fun Backpacker Challenge, a five-day cross-country adventure competition from August 29 to September 2, 2012.
The Juan for Fun Backpacker Challenge brings 5 teams of 3 university students to six exciting and scenic destinations all over the Philippines. Armed with P30,000 in cash, the teams get to test their resourcefulness and adventurous spirit in select Philippine destinations, with some challenges along the way. The team that gets to do the most number of challenges in each destination and ends up with the most travel savings wins the challenge. To join, teams composed of three college students who are 18 years old and above must submit a video that showcases their love for travel and adventure. Entries must answer the question: “How far will your team go for a fun adventure?”
One event that should not be missed in Cebu this May is the annual Gabii sa Kabilin, which is bigger this year since it will involve 21 heritage sites and include children’s activities as well as an exhibit of Cebuano delicacies.
Dr. Jocelyn Gerra, executive director of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI)-Culture and Heritage, said they are aiming to attract 10,000 people to the May 25 event that will start at 6 p.m. and end at midnight.
Tickets cost P150 and allow participants access to the 21 sites where cultural performances, exhibits, art fairs, food markets, and interactive demonstrations will be held.
Summer, the season for travel, is here. Where do you plan to hie off to? If Singapore is on top of your list, check out the new and popular as well as thematic places and events that it has to offer to tourists.
Sherina Chan, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Area Director for the Philippines and Brunei, said in a briefing in Cebu City that they have all kinds of accommodations — from luxury to budget — for visitors.
Right in the heart of Singapore’s city center is Marina Bay Sands, a world-class casino and hotel offering luxury dining, shopping, and entertainment.
Marina Bay is capped by the Sands Skypark, which offers a view of Singapore from 57 storeys above ground, and has a 150-meter long infinity pool, a stretch of restaurants and clubs, plus the first Louis Vuitton Island Maison in Southeast Asia on its waterfront, said Chan.
Philippine wireless leader Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and Cebu-based website MyCebu.ph have partnered to deliver information on tourism and heritage sites to mobile phones and tablets through quick response or QR code scanning.
The project is being undertaken in partnership with the Department of Tourism.
Smart and MyCebu.ph will place special markers on tourism and heritage sites all over Cebu. The markers will contain a snippet of information about the site and a QR code that, when scanned, will open an article about the landmark. To be able to load the information, users must be connected to the Internet and they must have a QR code reader in their devices. Most phone platforms offer free QR code scanners in their respective application markets.
Bantayan Island, known for its crystal-clear waters and long stretch of powdery white sand, is considered one of the tropical attractions of the Philippines. It is accessible via a 2-hour land trip from Cebu City, plus a one-hour ferry ride from Hagnaya Port in northern Cebu.
The long trips to and from the island, however, have restricted the exploration of its beauty and other offerings. Island residents too, choose to stay within the confines of the territory, limiting their financial and social activities, and virtually isolating them from the Philippine mainland.
