I was just one of those who witnessed the opening of one of the largest malls in the country that happened to be in Cebu. I was just one of those who pulled out the phone and recorded that last few seconds of the countdown before the opening. Yes, I was one of the many who witnessed those doors open. I didn't expect the crowd to rush, literally. Mall openings never quite excited, or maybe just the lack of those that are to open.
My curiosity led me to posting that twenty second video on my personal social media account to show my followers what I witnessed during the morning of that Friday. I didn't expect the reactions to be all over the place. Others ashamed, others mad, others happy.
Mixed emotions with a new business venture in the metropolitan. But to date those emotions have been against each other with different views. It looks like my video has been a fighting arena of those with and against the sight that they saw.
I wouldn't want to express my personal opinion at what I saw but I was in awe at the effect of a new place in our city. To be honest, I'm quite proud at where Cebu is right now. Commission on Audit said we are the richest province, and we see the concrete changes personally ourselves. Every now and then a building would seem to sprout from nowhere. More cars are filling up the streets and more are moving to our province to find jobs. It's something to be happy about considering from where we came from.
Cebu is finally placing itself on the map, or perhaps it is an underestimation. We are on the map and have always been. It's just that the imperial Manila gets all the glory but most of the country's beauty is in the Visayas where we are. We have tourist destinations that are for the books, business districts that are at par with the world, and people that are overflowing with hospitality and cheerfulness. Our culture is incomparable noting that Christianity in the Philippines started on our island.
Today we reap the labor of our forefathers - all that they have fought for and have worked hard for. Cebu is now slowly becoming a hub where the lines of old and new converge, where work and vacation blur and all that there is to visit. I'm quite proud of me being a Cebuana not discounting the fact that I also look forward to a new place every now and then. I guess it runs in the blood.
The video that I posted will be left to those who want to judge but my sight tells me that it is a sign of progress and happiness for a mere Cebuano. Slowly we are going to be at par with the world. I wouldn't want to trade who I am for anything. Like that tourism song goes, "I love Cebu" so much so I'd dedicate my whole piece to it.
How about you? I wish you would. When you love and know who you are, then it will be so easy to fulfill your goals in life especially when it is anchored on making your home a better place.