A quick weekend trip in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - To many people the idea of going on a leisure trip is something beyond their budget and they could not afford it. While it is certainly not anything one could do frequently, going on a leisure trip is necessary, especially among workers. The change in environment provides a much needed respite from the usual routine that’s making one’s life boring.

Going on a trip is possible at all – particularly a quick weekend trip. Even wage earners can probably do so. A refreshing destination does not have to be far away. There are many nice places around that take only hours or minutes to reach.

But it takes making time for the trip. Those that have work Mondays through Saturdays can still go. A quick weekend trip that takes only a day or less is enough to recharge worn spirits. For Cebu City residents, interesting nearby destinations abound to fill up all the weekends of the year. Here are a few examples:

Mandaue City. It’s only an hour away, at the most, on the north side. The two bridges that link the Cebu mainland to Mactan are found there. While one may have gone on any of the bridges en route to somewhere, it’s a different thing altogether to make a leisurely stop at each.

In particular, the park under the Marcelo Fernan Bridge – also popularly known as the New Bridge – is a nice venue for picnics. In the vicinity of the other bridge, the old Bridge, is found the age-old “Bantayan sa Hari,” a stone watchtower dating back to the early Spanish times. Simply watching the water currents of the Mactan Channel underneath the bridges is already an exhilarating experience.

The giant beer bottle atop the front building of the expansive San Miguel Brewery in Mandaue is also an attraction. The brewery is located right along the main highway such that one is not likely to miss it in coming to or from Cebu City. Another distinct Mandaue attraction is the “bibingka,” local cake made from pounded rice and coconut milk, which is probably good to go with a cold beer.

There are many more interesting spots and delicacies to discover in Mandaue. Once one gets to the area, things just unfold one after the other, like the Ouano salt fields, the Mandaue Reclamation Area, the “masareal,” the “tagaktak” etc. The Mandaue people are always willing to point one to where is good to go next.

Lapulapu City. If time allows, why not proceed to Lapulapu from Mandaue? It’s only just a few more minutes away, anyway. And more than the international-class resorts that have since mushroomed in the island city, Lapulapu is a completely different story.

It is here where the history of the country started. The famous Battle of Mactan was fought here, in the city’s barangay Maktan, in 1521. The bloody clash between the Spaniards and native warriors resulted in the death of the man who is credited to have discovered the Philippines, Ferdinand Magellan.

The city’s beaches are also of international renown. The white-sand beaches have since attracted global hotel brands to put up properties here. But there are still public beaches for everyone to enjoy – the same powdery white sand and crystal clear sea, but no high price tag.

An interesting delicacy is peddled in bottles by vendors at the public beaches – the “swaki,” flesh of a kind of sea urchin of the same name. It is said to have therapeutic properties and very nutritious. The local delicacy is reportedly even exported to other countries, particularly to Japan where it is called “uni” and commands a high price.  

The other nearby places north of Cebu – from Consolacion to Compostela to Danao and farther –also have great things to offer the visitor. These places are good to discover on separate weekend trips. The same is true with the cities and towns on Cebu’s south side.

City of Talisay. It is an ideal starting weekend destination southward, because it is the closest to Cebu City. Like Lapulapu City, it is a city known for its beaches. But among Cebu City residents, Talisay, then yet a town, was the popular beach destination, long before the Mactan beaches became an attraction too.

The City of Talisay is also rich in history. It is said to have been the center of the guerrilla operations in Cebu during World War II. A monument now stands marking the beachside spot where the U.S. liberation forces landed and, with the help of the Commonwealth forces and Cebuano guerrillas, prompted the Japanese in Cebu to surrender.

The Cebu lechon – then called “baboy inasal” – was initially popularized in Talisay and is still served there to this day. The Talisay lechon was a convenient “baon” or picnic food of the beachgoers in those days. And what delectable picnic food it was that people started craving for it.

Lechon stalls can still be found around the old beach-resorts area of the city. Elsewhere nearby, other attractions, like old historical structures and natural formations, abound. The Sta. Teresa de Avila Church, Igotan Cave, Bocawe Falls and others are not to be missed.

Minglanilla. Best known for its “Sugat’ tableau during the Holy Week, Minglanilla actually has other attractions to surprise visitors all year round. The “Sugat,” though, remains a major event. The town has now officially adopted it as the Kabanhawan Festival.

Interestingly, people-watching is a fun way of idling a day at the town center. The best spot for it is at the plaza in front of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. It is a good vantage point to the junction where people from the cross-section of the local community pass by in going somewhere. The clean surroundings of the plaza also invite friends and families to take to one of the benches to relax amid good conversation.

The town’s Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Church is itself an attraction, for its Neo-Gothic character. It is historic too. Within the church compound is an “atabay” or water well that is said to have been used as a depository of the bones of those killed by the Japanese during World War II.

Visitors to Minglanilla may then proceed to the town’s Tulay district for a sumptuous meal of fresh seafood by the beaches there. Visitors may have their picks from a wide variety of options. And it does not have to cost much.

The places mentioned here are only to whet the appetite for a quick weekend trip. These are just for starters. Cebu, of course, is never short of nice places to visit. One place just smoothly leads to another. And it all doesn’t have to get in the way of one’s normal workweek. (FREEMAN)