Monding’s Carenderia

Before the sprouting of fast food and street food in Cebu City, there was a carenderia that had the most number of patrons, it was called “Monding’s Carenderia”.

Its first site (in the 1970s) was in Freedom Park (Carbon Area) along Magallanes Street (Fernando Magallanes is more known as Ferdinand Magellan) and Calderon Street. It had a “painitan” were sikwate and puto were served (but its commissary or kitchen was in Panganiban Street.

It was later transferred near University of the Visayas (Colon), then transferred along Juan Luna (now part of the President Sergio Osmeña Sr. Boulevard). That became its last site. The carenderia was beside Humabon Hotel. From breakfast to dinner, throngs of eaters crowded the eatery, a sight passersby saw in the 1980s up to the 1990s.

The property has been sold and converted into a jewelry store.

The woman behind the famous eatery was Raymunda “Monding” Tura Jumaoas. Monding was the daughter of Sabas Tura and Basilia Sumagang both of Cordova, Cebu. Monding married John Jumaoas also of Cordova, Cebu.

The operation after the retirement of Monding was transferred to her son, Elpidio Jumaoas. The first site of the eatery in Freedom Park was turned over by Monding to her brother, Alfredo Tura. It was converted into a stall for handicraft and other local products. It is now managed by the son of Alfredo by the name of Wilfredo Tura.

The Freedom Park used to be part of property of the Order of the Augustinian Recollects (OAR), the religious order that runs the Colegio de San Jose-Recoletos (converted into a university on September 21, 1984, from thereon the school celebrates their University Days on that date). The school was established by the OAR in 1947, its prime building, San Nicolas, was constructed on July 25, 1948 by architects Imelda Borromeo and Mariano Monasque while the San Agustin was built on August 28, 1959.

The school is located along Magallanes Street and P. Lopez. Named after Congressman Pedro Lopez who died on March 17, 1957 in a plane crash along with President Ramon Magsaysay, its former name was Carmelo Street, named after Fr. Miguel Nellas Carmelo. The renaming was by virtue of City Ordinance No. 378 enacted by the Cebu City Council on May 15, 1962. Its original name before it was called Calle Carmelo was “Calle Luaisa”.