Travel Bites: Long live the 'Queen'!

Magellan's Cross was supposed to have been planted by the Portugese upon their arrival in Cebu in 1521. The real cross is said to be inside this replica to protect it from thieves. (All photos in this blog entry copyrighted by this blogger.)

IT’S not difficult to comprehend why Cebu City, the capital of Cebu province in the country’s Visayas region, is known as the “Queen City of the South.”

Its infrastructure is comparable, if not superior, to most cities in the country. It offers travelers modern conveniences just like any of the other most cosmopolitan cities in the world, amid a relaxed, holiday vibe. The city has a wide array of entertainment choices for travelers—from island-hopping to lounging in beaches, taking a swing in its many golf clubs, historical and cultural sights from the Spanish colonial era, looking for elusive birds unique only to the local ecology. Or how about dancing your cares away at the latest night spot?

Food ingredients are inexpensive, making the city a veritable culinary hot spot. It has restaurants from holes-in-the-wa ll offering up fresh seafood to fine-dining establishments heralding the most sophisticated international cuisines. Of course, the Cebu lechon is probably its most famous dish, along with many local delicacies that make pasalubong-shopping a treat even for the gift-giver. (In Filipino culture, pasalubong is any gift big or small that one gives to family and friends upon arrival from a foreign or local trip.)

Must-Sees 

Heritage tour. The Shrine of Magellan’s Cross (Magallanes Street, downtown Cebu City) is said to be the cross planted by Portugese explorer Ferdinand Magellan’s men upon his arrival in Cebu in 1521.

Built in 1566, the baroque-inspired Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño (Osmeña Boulevard) is the oldest Catholic Church in Cebu and established on the site where a statue of the Sto. Niño (the Child Jesus) was supposedly found intact in a charred box purportedly left behind by Magellan and his crew. A museum houses antique religious artifacts depicting the history of Christianity in Cebu.

A fierce dragon guards the entrance to the Taoist Temple, a center of faith for Chinese-Filipinos in Cebu.

The 40-year-old Taoist Temple located in Beverly Hills—an enclave for well-heeled Cebuanos—is the center of religious life of Cebu’s Filipino-Chinese community. Its amazing architecture features images and sculptures of fierce dragons. Visitors have an amazing view of the city, especially from its third-level praying room, where they can also make petitions to ancient Chinese spirits and gods.

You can rent a car with a driver to take you around Metro Cebu’s famous tourist spots, or just grab a map of the city and take metered taxis to get there. For a more professional guided tour, call Bino Guerrero (CP# +63932-8151975/+63916-7904611), who specializes in heritage tours and walking tours.

Birdwatching. While island-hopping from adjacent Mactan City, take a trip to Olango Wildlife Sanctuary, a haven of some 40,000 migratory birds. Islands Banca Cruises offers trips to Olango as well as other island adventures.

Sun, sand and the surf. Head on to Mactan Island connected to the city proper via bridges for some beach time. BE Resorts has great parties by its white-sand beach.  Or take a short trip to Bantayan Island in the north and stay in Hoyohoy Villas. Beach bums will love its rice granary-inspired cottages and clean white beach and clear waters. (From the North Bus Terminal near SM, take a bus to Hagnaye port, then a ferry or fastcraft to Bantayan Island.)

To-Do’s 

Culinary trip. Tourists will always have a satisfying meal at the Original AA BBQ (M.J. Cuenco Avenue and Legaspi Extension, Barangay San Roque) with its friendly price points and fresh seafood on the grill. Café Laguna at the Terraces, Ayala Center (T# 032-2310922) is  the place to go for simple, authentic Filipino fare. Choice dishes are the lato salad (seaweed salad), crispy pata (crispy pork hock and knuckle) and ginataang kalabasa (squash cooked in coconut milk).

The “best pig in the world,” according to chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain, comes from Zubuchon (Escario Central, Escario Street). Its crispy-bubbly skin and herb-infused, tender pork meat make it stand out from the rest of the ubiquitous Cebu lechon.

Nighttime thrills. House beats from resident and international DJs keep the patrons dancing at The Loft (2F/ CJRS Point, Asiatown IT Park). Tavolata (AS Fortuna at P. Remedio Street) has a perfect chilled-out ambiance for those after-dinner conversations over drinks.

Foreign bands and artists drop by Cebu in their whistle-stop international tours: America with Kalapana plays at the Waterfront Hotel on October 19, while the Jonas Brothers performs at the same venue, the following day.

The 'crispy-licious' Zubuchon is the most well-known among Cebu lechons after it was declared "the best pig in the world, by chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain. (Photo from www.marketmanila.com)

Where to stay: The colorful and preppy Islands Stay Hotel (Archbishop Reyes Avenue, Cebu City (T# 032-2660832) appeals to the budget-conscious but finicky traveler.

For luxurious, pampered vacations, the Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa (Punta Engaño Road, Lapu-Lapu (032-2310288) is the only choice. It has a marine sanctuary where guests can feed the fish, as well as CHI Spa, for the most pleasurable and relaxing massage treatments.

Getting there: All Philippine carriers have daily flights to Cebu from Manila, Clark and Davao.

(Travel Bites is published every Monday on the front page of the BusinessMirror . This piece on Cebu was published on Oct. 1, 2012.)

A grand plan

(Grand Benedicto, right, and his spouse the former Genevieve Sy.)

BE RESORTS Mactan is one of the most loved hotels in Cebu. Since it opened in 2008, the 161-room beachfront property has been wowing foreign and local guests with its refreshing approach to design and comfortable surroundings. It offers a taste of the boutique hotel lifestyle at very affordable room rates.

The resort (www.beresorts.com) is also fast becoming known as a wedding destination and a venue for all things leisure. Its “Summer Hangover 2012” in May, featuring wakeboarding and other fun activities plus a beach party capping the day’s events, was the talk of town for weeks.

The hotel was built by property developer Enrison Land Inc., a company owned by the Benedictos, a prominent Filipino-Chinese family of entrepreneurs and diplomats.

Its president is Grand Benedicto, 40, the eldest son of businessman and Belgian Consul Enrique Benedicto and his wife Helen Tan. “It was pretty much a given for us to eventually help out in the family business. But this was never really forced on us. My parents are pretty liberal and have been supportive of us in what we really wanted to do. So, no, we were never really forced to work during vacations, unlike our cousins,” he says.

A congenial relationship with siblings
BUT it wasn’t like the Benedicto kids were kept away from the family business—the elder Enrique and his siblings were into hardware at B. Benedicto and Sons Inc.—helping out their father and family patriarch Bernardo.

Grand laughs heartily as he reminisces about playing in the family’s factory with his siblings. “We were not made to work, but as kids we were there [in the factory]. We played there, we ate there. We’d ride the forklift.” It was the mid-1970s and while Manila was simmering under martial law, the Benedicto family was enjoying the quiet joys of Cebu which by then had already grown by leaps and bounds from the earlier seeds of entrepreneurship planted by many Chinese families who had transplanted themselves from their motherland beginning in the late 19th century.

Seeing their father Enrique work so hard and alongside his siblings inspired the younger generation to work as much and harmoniously with one another. Grand recalls that he and his siblings—Bendy, Joy, Mylene and Enrison—would observe their father working very late, then their mom would bring them to the factory to pick him up. Their mother was not a stay-at-home wife either, as she too worked and helped in her own father’s pharmaceutical and hospital equipment business under Blue Sky Trading Inc. She was also “very supportive of my dad. She epitomizes the saying, ‘Behind every successful man is a woman,’” Grand continues.

So even at a young age, there were no dreams of becoming a doctor, an astronaut, or a scientist for Grand. All he ever wanted to be was “successful at a young age. I wanted my parents to be proud of me.”

Being the eldest among the third-generation Benedicto brood, Grand strives to foster the same kind of congenial working relationship his father had with his siblings, with his own brothers and sisters who have also joined the family’s Enrison Holdings, which is mainly into furniture, cement, real estate, and, now, the hospitality industry. It helps that their age gaps are very small. “So we’re pretty much close,” says Grand of his younger siblings. “So that’s one thing going for us. We’re like friends. We can say whatever we want and nobody feels hurt naman. We discuss, we argue a lot, but at the end of the day, everything pans out okay. I think that’s what our parents inculcated in us—how to work harmoniously among siblings.”

(Summer hangover party 2012 at BE Resorts Mactan. From resort's Facebook account.)

Trailblazing into exciting frontiers
OFTEN described as someone “analytical and methodical, with an eye for detail,” Grand is often organized and quick to seize the moment, spotting and grabbing opportunities that present themselves.

As such, Grand has become a “trailblazer” of sorts as he pushes the family business into exciting frontiers. When he joined Berben Woods Industries, for example, he transformed the former plywood and lumber company, into a thriving furniture export business. “When I joined the company, we were mainly doing doors, molding and outdoor furniture. Now, we’re an OEM [original equipment manufacturer]. We do a lot of furniture for Martha Stewart, for example, but our own brand [Berben] doesn’t come out. Our boxes are branded ‘Martha Stewart’ when we ship it out. Design is a collaboration between them and us. About 95 percent of what we make goes to the US.”

He says the Cebu furniture industry has recovered somewhat since the U.S. economy’s collapse in 2009. “I think furniture will always be a part of Cebu. We have been holding up pretty well and the market has generally improved.” For its part, Berben has adopted lots of improvements and changes. “We have made our team leaner but stronger. The company is more buoyant and can adapt to changes faster by doing so.”

Expansion plans
GRAND says his father was “very open and supportive [of the hotel project]. Before I presented this to him, I had already done all the research, and so I was prepared to answer all his possible questions. He gives us a freehand naman to decide what’s best for our businesses. But we respect all his opinions about everything. Of course, he reminds us that in whatever business we pursue, we need to mind the numbers, the profitability.”

Working on the hotel project pushes the artistic and enterprising buttons of Grand. “I think it’s a dynamic business. I would always compare it to the fashion industry. You have to keep catching up on the next trend. It’s never stagnant. You have to be one step ahead of the pack.”

The experience of putting up a hotel was so exhilarating that the family has already decided on opening a second hotel, also on a beachfront property they own, but this time along Alona Beach in Bohol. Construction on the resort has started and is targeted for opening in early 2013.

“This is something to watch out for as we have combined the latest hotel design trends, our vast experience in furniture manufacturing coupled with our hotel management experience, all this set against the rugged beauty of Bohol. We are also in the planning stage for a third resort. Each resort is independently envisioned and provides different experiences with emphasis on the beauty of its location,” he explains.

While competition in Cebu hotels is fierce but friendly, BE Resorts has managed to hold up quite well. “We have our own niche market and will continue to intensify efforts to expand existing markets, as well as start marketing campaigns to enter new ones. We remain committed to providing the best value among the resorts. While we cater mainly to the leisure market, we have also seen an expansion in our corporate market. Overall, we are doing well amid rising competition.”

(Summer hangover party 2012 - from BE Resorts Mactan FB)

What he values most
WHEN he isn’t attending to his responsibilities in the family business, Grand is helping improve the bilateral relations between Romania and Cebu. As honorary consul for Romania, he presents the country’s interests in Cebu, and tries to get a lot of cultural exchanges going.

“Just last year, Mandaue City and Bacau signed a sisterhood agreement. We have officials from both cities visit one another and work on getting more cultural and economic ties going. Although getting from Philippines to Romania and vice versa is not so easy, lately, there are more Romanians visiting the Philippines for tourism or business,” he says.

His alone time, if he has any left, is devoted to his growing collection of exotic automobiles, many of them vehicles he dreamt of owning when he was still a kid. He currently has five cars which include a 1955 Porsche and a 1965 Jaguar, and a 1993 Jaguar.

He is also a member of the PACE Club, an organization of car enthusiasts who drive around Cebu and nearby provinces and sometimes put their cars on exhibit for special occasions. “I’ve always been into cars, first the Matchbox variety when I was younger, then RC [remote control] cars. I think this is where the interest really comes from, it is like living a dream. Finding the parts to complete the cars is really very fulfilling as well. So I take the cars out as much as I can, mostly on weekends. The cars are driven but also polished so they look nice parked in the garage, or clean and shiny when driven out.”

But he underscores that most of his spare time is really devoted to his family which includes his wife, the former Genevieve Sy, and their four children: Enrique III, 15, Giles Nathan, 12, Gianna Adrielle, 8, and Enzo Grand, 6. Genevieve provides the anchor to the couple’s marriage providing ample support to her husband and holding the fort while he works.

“What I value most is family time,” says Grand. “As much as I can, I would spend time with the kids, be it playing basketball, the PlayStation or Xbox, going jet-skiing or island-hopping, driving the cars around town, eating out, traveling or simply staying at home watching a movie together. For me this is the best time of all. This is how I want to relax.”

Now that’s a grand plan.

(This is the unabridged version of my column, dated June 29, 2012. Something Like Life, is published every Friday in the Life section of the BusinessMirror. Photo courtesy Benedicto family.)

Cebu in 48 hours

(Beachfront of BE Resort, Mactan.)
I’VE been going to Cebu since the late ‘80s and have been amazed by how much it has changed in terms of infrastructure, the increasing number of hospitality and food establishments, and gasp…the traffic! Of course, the traffic situation there still pales in comparison to Metro Manila, but gone are the days when one could virtually drive to any destination within Metro Cebu in less than 10 minutes.

One thing stands out in Cebu, however—and this has never changed in all the years I’ve visited—is the über-friendliness of the people. I swear, Cebuanos are really among the most hospitable among us Filipinos; almost everyone will go out of his or her way to make sure a guest will always have the best experience to take back home. (I notice that it’s actually the Metro Manilans who move to Cebu who are not as welcoming, which is unfortunate.)

(Fort San Pedro in Metro Cebu's port area.)

In case you haven’t been to Cebu yet, I suggest the next holiday you have, hop on a plane and go there. All major local airlines have daily flights to Cebu, leaving Manila almost every hour from as early as 5:30 am until 9 pm. (There are flights as well from Clark, Boracay, Palawan, and Davao, although on certain scheduled days.)

There are so many hotels to choose from—from budget deals and mid-range steals to swanky five-star accommodations. The same goes for food and shopping; bars, restaurants and malls are just everywhere! Name it, you have it - the Gaisano malls, SM, Robinsons and Ayala Center.

Transportation is not a problem since there are metered taxi cabs which can drive you anywhere, aside from the jeepneys. Buses ply many routes from Metro Cebu to the outlying districts. There are also a handful of trusty rent-a-car options to choose from.

(Magellan's cross is housed in a shrine protected by candle-wielding women.)

Here are a few suggestions of places to check out if you’re staying at least 48 hours in Cebu. Do the touristy route or check out places off the beaten track, it makes no difference, because you will have a great time, especially if you meet the right people.

* Casa Gorordo—an old house with furniture, paintings and other décor from 1860 to 1920. Located along Lopez Jaena Street, it was owned by the first Filipino bishop of Cebu, Juan Gorordo. Entrance fee P40. (Sorry, no photos of interiors as no cameras are allowed inside.)

* Fort San Pedro—the oldest and smallest fort in the Philippines which was built in 1565 after Miguel Lopez de Legaspi sailed into the country. Its present structure was only finished in 1738. The fort was meant to protect the Spanish conquistadors from local natives and supposedly marauding Muslim pirates. Located in Metro Cebu’s port area, it was later used as a Spanish garrison during the Philippine revolution.

* Shrine of Magellan’s Cross—said to be the cross planted by Portugese explorer Ferdinand Magellan’s men upon his arrival in Cebu in 1521. The original is supposed to be encased in the present one now installed in this chapel in a plaza beside the Basilica Minore in downtown Cebu. Do watch out for the poor beggar kids who will try to harass you for loose change. The uniformed manangs who supposedly guard the Shrine may also sweet-talk you into buying all their candles.

(The Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño is always packed w/ devotees to the Sto. Niño petitioning him for miracles.)

* Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño—the oldest Catholic Church in Cebu established on the site where supposedly a Sto. Niño was found intact in a burned box purportedly left behind by Magellan and his crew. Sunday Mass is actually held at the courtyard across, as the main church can no longer accommodate the crowds that gather. Pilgrims inside the main church pray to the Sto. Niño and other saintly images.

* BE Resort—a hip and mid-priced hotel in Mactan with spacious rooms that have views that look out to the sea, as well as the beachfront below where you can lounge about and get a tan. For inquiries, visit www.BEresorts.com.

* Islands Banca Cruises—island hopping with a cool vibe. Chill out on the deck while sipping a cold drink, or get a massage while traveling to your next destination. You can go to Olango Island for bird-watching or a round of snorkeling at the marine sanctuaries of Gilutungan or Nilusuan. It also offers sunset cruises, barbeque picnics, and scuba diving. These bancas are especially built to accommodate anywhere from 10 to 15 persons, to as many as 30 to 35 persons depending on the size of the boats you are renting. For particulars, call (+63917) 630-0736, (032) 236-4896 or 516-1903.

(A burst of color and flavors in this antipasti platter from Chef Luca at Acqua, Shangri-La Mactan.)

* Acqua at Shangri-La Mactan—the best Italian restaurant in Cebu with northern specialties prepared by the jolly and talented Chef Luca Visiglia. Best treats from his kitchen are his antipasti sampler, ravioli stuffed with mushrooms and gorgonzola cheese, almond-encrusted lamb chops marinated in red wine, the thin crust pizzas, just to name a few. The restaurant also has an excellent array of wines. For reservations, call (032) 231-8224.

* Zubuchon at the Banilad Town Center—simply the best lechon in Cebu, bar none. Crispy-bubbly skin and herb-flavored, tender pork meat—sagad-sa-laman goodness. Even chef and food-show host Anthony Bourdain gave his stamp of approval on the pig. You get it boxed free for every kilo bought at P450 each, or order an entire pig for your parties. Recommended size is 16 to 18 kilos cooked weight at P5,500. To order, just call (032) 236-5264 or 0917-6274761.

(A plate of Zubuchon, the best Cebu lechon for me.)

* Taoist Temple – is an area of worship by the local Filipino-Chinese population. Located in Beverly Hills, the posh enclave of some of Cebu’s richest families, the temple has three praying rooms, two on the ground level, while one on is located at its highest peak, accessible by winding stairs. It is designed in the usual Chinese green and red colors, with images and sculptures of fierce dragons strategically located at the upper entrance, and on the pagoda-style rooftops. The main entrance is downhill where fervent devotees make the 99-steps-climb to the 38-year-old temple. Catch your breath while gazing at the wide expanse of the city in the distance.

(The Taoist Temple is the center of the religious life of Cebu's Filipino-Chinese community.)

* Carcar heritage town—a visit to Cebu isn’t complete if you don’t drop by Carcar, just a 45-minute drive down south of the metro. Aside from the tasty pork chicharon with laman the town is famous for and which are sold in many stalls in the public market, there are a number of lovely ancestral homes that are still standing and still used by local residents. There are quite a few, however, that have been turned into hardware stores and other commercial endeavors which kind of disrupts the old-town look, but I suppose one can’t stop progress.

Also, one of the best features of Carcar is the centuries-old St. Catherine’s Church which sits on a hill overlooking the rest of the heritage town. The present structure is actually its third incarnation after being first built in 1859. On the way back to the metro, you can drop by the many stores and booths by the street selling reasonably priced leather shoes and sandals. I wasn’t able to purchase a pair but I’m told the footwear is very durable and can last for years.

(Many of the ancestral houses in Carcar, have been turned into stores at the first floor.)

* Islands Pasalubong Center—on the way to Mactan International Airport, you can drop by the center which offers a wide array of Cebuano delicacies already packed and ready-to-go, such as the favorite breakfast treat danggit, mango juices and dried mango chips, otap and the like. The center carries the Islands Souvenirs clothing brand well-known for its trendy souvenir T-shirts which are witty and on the cutting edge of art. You can usually buy Brazil-made flip-flops which are marked down at even friendlier prices.

Of course, this is by no means a complete list. There is so much more to see and do in Cebu and its outskirts. But first-time travelers there will at least have an idea what to expect from the province via this short list. Have a great time! ;p

(Originally published in the BusinessMirror, Nov. 21, 2010. All photos copyrighted Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo. More photos of Carcar and Cebu here.)