Enjoy Carcar City, Cebu

Jose Rizal Monument built in 1929

For seven days, I stayed in Carcar City, Cebu. It is one of the several cities in Cebu and one of the newest cities in the Philippines. How I enjoyed the place was not only basically defined by foods to eat in Carcar but by the things that made it historical. I usually love to visit historical sites because I like history. In Carcar, I enjoyed history and development.

There are few hotels to stay in Carcar, however, the price is reasonable enough for budget travelers like me. I stayed in RL Apartments whose owner, Richard, is friendly and accommodating. At 700 pesos per  day, the room is already spacious and can accommodate even an additional or extra bed for a third occupant. RL Apartments is located along Gen. Luna St., Poblacion 2, with mobile number 0908-505-7030. The hotel is family owned and not so many workers are there to attend to your needs but basically family members. Travelers always look for wifi, don't worry RL has wifi connection.

Leon Kilat Monument built in 1959

St. Catherine de Alexandria Church built in 1859

Several landmarks are seen within the City Hall compound of Carcar. First, the Jose Rizal monument that dates back to 1929. There is also the monument of Leon Kilat, a famous Filipino fighter and revolutionary leader of Cebu during the Spanish regime. He died in Carcar in 1898, hence, a statue is in honor of him right at the entrance of the city hall.

The Hispanic church of St. Catherine de Alexandria is just facing the city hall. It was built in 1859. Other religious sites are the Theotokos Shrine, house of Our Lady of Family. We visited this shrine located on top of a hill with the sight of remaining parts of Carcar. I was not able to visit the Bishop Camomot Shrine. The said bishop's (Camomot) beatification is now on process in Vatican.

Giant Statue of Our Lady of the Family 

Theotokos Shrine in Barangay Perrelos

Don't forget to visit Carcar City Museum. It was built under the American period and started by Don Mariano Mercado in 1929 as dispensary building. I sat with the table that was used by Leon Kilat during the Spanish revolt for purposes of meeting, it is still in tact and inside the museum.

At the back of the museum is a facility that tells many stories. Its back has the remains of a former huge swimming pool because Carcar was once the summer capital of Cebu. The doors around the swimming pool remains are former bath houses but became torture rooms during the war. 

A former Dispensary in 1929, now Carcar City Museum

The Green Mansion, a heritage house, is open for business.

The Green Mansion

Carcar is famous home to heritage houses. These houses date back to 1800s. The Balay na Tisa, just walking distance from my hotel, was built in 1859. I was not able to enter because generally, these houses are privately owned. I also saw Mancao Ancestral House and I likewise observed some cracks in Ang Dakong Balay, which according to my interviews, was attributed to the great Bohol quake that reached up to Cebu. The Green Mansion, on the other hand, is still being used for trade and commerce up to now since it was built in 1910. There are shops on the ground floor area of the mansion.

The Carcar Rotunda is a place where one will observe concentration of traffic congestion during rush hours. Chicharon and delicacies stores are located in the Rotunda and tourists usually drop by every now and then to buy pasalubong. It needs repair like landscaping to improve it aesthetic view. I cannot even cross the Rotonda and reach the statue in the middle because of so many cars passing around. The Carcar Rotunda was constructed in 1937.

Balay na Tisa (Sarmiento-Osmena House)

Ang Dakong Balay (Don Florencio Noel House)

Not so many people can enter the NIA Hard filled dam located in Barangay Can-asujan. I was lucky enough that a city hall official brought my group to visit the dam. The dam was funded by Asian Development Bank. During our visit, water in the dam is already in critical level. The dam irrigates farms for agriculture of neighboring barangays within the city of Carcar.

I visited the Mainit-Mabugnay Hot Spring. The upper portion of the water system is the source of potable water for Carcar Water District. It is frequented by people who swim during summer. The challenge here is on how to maintain the place neat and clean and free from plastics and other refuse. I did not see, by the way, hot springs.

The Can-asujan Small Reservoir Irrigation Project, services 369 hectares of rice land
and 403 hectares of vegetable lands.

Bamboo bridge in Poblacion 2

While Marikina is the shoe capital of Metro Manila, Carcar is the shoe capital of Cebu. Its shoes are being supplied to various parts of Visayas and Mindanao. I have talked with the President of the shoe makers in Carcar, Gerry Sanoy, when we visited his factory and store in Tangasan. One of the things that pull the shoe industry in Carcar, according to him, are the cheap shoes from  China and Korea. I do not know what the government, local or national, is doing to help this industry of shoes in Carcar to survive. I have seen a shoe store, which accordingly, is owned by the mayor of Carcar. They too are members of the shoe makers association, who are suffering from the influx of cheaper imported shoes.

Marikina of the south, one can buy Carcar-made shoes.
 Stores are concentrated in Acacia Grill compound, Brgy Valladolid

Quality-wise, I bought several shoes in Carcar. At reasonable and factory price, I bought two pairs of shoes at 270 each, which can be sold at more than 500 pesos in Metro Manila. I also bought a third pair, which becomes my favorite footwear when going out during summer.

How to get to Carcar:

Ride a bus at South Terminal Station in Cebu City. Fare is 40 pesos for ordinary bus while 60 pesos for aircon bus. Travel time is more than an hour. Or you may hire a taxi or van in Cebu City.

To know more about Carcar, I texted the mobile number given in the city museum, 0998-5581-081 (landline number is (032) 266-5050). When I asked about the horseback riding and zipline in one of the barangays in Carcar, I received a reply to go to the city hall tourism office to ask. It seems that the one who holds the mobile number of the tourism office is not updated of what is happening on the tourism sites that the city is promoting. It is not even proper to let me go to the city museum office when I am on my way far from the area instead of giving me answers right away. It was from a friend whom I learned about that horseback riding and zipline adventure has already been closed by the owner, not from the tourism office anymore.

With information from "Ways to enjoy Carcay" provided by the City Tourism Office

Wonderful Sights and Castle Church in Sibonga, Cebu

Thanks to Jigme Dorji who took this picture inside the Monastery of the Holy Eucharist
located in Marian Hills, Lindogon, Barangay Simala, Sibonga, Cebu.

Simala Church ceiling

Cebu is known for historical places and old structures. However, not all structures are old. I visited the famous castle church in barangay Simala, town of Sibonga. Since I stayed in Carcar City, where my hotel was located, I hitched aback of a single motor cycle called habal habal by the locals.

Heritage church (Our Lady of the Pillar) and building opposite of  the municipal hall

Risky and amazing. Risky because the driver and I were not even wearing helmet. I do not know why they are not used to wearing helmet when the roads belong to national highways. Amazing - because I enjoyed joy riding. It was too hot then, under scourging heat of the sun and yet riding was fun. When on our way back to Carcar City, the four habal habals which we rented were stopped at police checkpoint in Sibonga. I was surprised to know that the motor registration of all the four habal habals were expired or were pending to be released after filing renewal with the Land Transportation Office. I could say that in that part of this country, maybe in other parts too, habal habals are not being regulated. They are just being allowed to travel without making sure that all necessary requirements are met. Had we met an accident then I will not be able to claim insurances - I have plenty of life insurances.

Jose Rizal Monument

Anyway, Sibonga is a small town after Carcar City. The view of the sea at the back of the municipal hall is so amazing. The town hall as well as its park is neat and clean while the opposite church is historical dating back to Hispanic period. 

Sibonga Municipal Hall

When we reached Simala, I saw a lot of cars going down from the upland. These cars, mostly private and tourists, visited the Catholic church in the barangay. When we reached the area, it is like fiesta. Amid the sunlight, people do not cease to come and line up for the visit up. Souvenir items, plentiful of them. Shorts and sleeveless shirts and so sexy attire are not allowed inside the church. The security guard strictly implements the dress code among visitors.

Well of Nazareth

The church is a huge complex and some of its parts are still undergoing continuous construction. The design on the front is so beautiful that it resembles that of the European castles I saw in magazines and postcards before. 

Religious items are for sale outside including rosaries, books and novenas. One can enter the church and pray as well and visit the altar while observing queuing properly.

Sibonga Pier

How to reach Sibonga: Ride a bus going to Sibonga at South Bus Terminal in Cebu City or rent a taxi from Cebu City.

Baguio City, Philippines' Summer Capital

The modern time is faced with environmental risks and realities. These challenges are being faced now by the Philippines' summer capital, Baguio City. Located in the north, Baguio is the coldest city in the country. 

It is an irony that I reached Baguio only last January. I liked the city so much. These are the things that I loved in Baguio:

One afternoon in PMA

1. Cold weather. Bring your jackets, really thick jackets. I brought several jackets but I loved the thickest one, the one I brought in Sapporo a few years back.

I remembered Sapporo, the same flowers here

2. Flowers and neatness. I like seeing flowers everywhere because my mother usually grows plants at home. Flowers give more life to a place. In Baguio, tiny flowers are everywhere. These are so colorful and decorate corners and sides of thoroughfares. Then, generally, Baguio is a clean city. My challenge to the city government: how to maintain proper solid waste management despite rapid urbanization and the great number of tourists who visit the city all year round.

3. Strawberries. See those ambulant strawberry sellers along the road. Try to buy one and taste it. Strawberries are grown locally and organically. 

4. Philippine Military Academy. Of course, Baguio is known as the home where the finest men and women in the Philippine Armed Forces are molded into the finest managers and leaders of the modern time. So when you visit Baguio, don't forget to drop by the PMA. The PMAers are very hospitable hosts, they are used to visitors. 

5. The Mansion. You may have never been to White House, where Obama lives, or to Malacanan Palace in Manila where the President of the Philippines stays. Don 't worry because there is another mansion in the country that serves as official home for the President. I am referring to The Mansion in Baguio City. It is accessible to tourists as well. You can enter the palace grounds but of course, you cannot enter inside the palace.

In Burnham Park

6. Burnham Park. If you have been to the Washington DC Park, well, Burnham Park is familiar. The design is the same. Why? The architect of Burnham Park and of the Washington DC park is the same. For me, I enjoyed biking there. We were like kids with my foreign classmates, we biked in the evening while the rest of us paddled the waters. It was already too cold then.

In front of Igorot Lodge, where we stayed at Camp John Hay

For the things I dislike in Baguio, these are the traffic congestion and the structures along road shoulders. In a small place like Baguio and tourists are plenty, traffic congestion is a headache for everybody - locals and tourists as well. I am thinking of how this could be addressed by the city. What about banning too much cars up there or limiting the time of passage for cars through color or numbers coding scheme? Being stuck uphill is indeed a waste of fuel.

Second, much as I saw a lot of pine trees and many trees in the city, I am worried about the numerous concrete structures along the shoulders of the roads. These structures are business establishments and houses. How do we address the almost non-stop building of structures along road shoulders? Structures provide shoulders empty of trees because concrete has been on foot already. Then what about the integrity of the soil in the road shoulders if we keep on building structures? 

By the way, Baguio City is accessible by land and by air travel.

National Palace - Malaysia

They call this Negara, meaning national. The National Palace is where the head of state of Malaysia lives and where he welcomes foreign visitors.

Tourists drop by via this area while the visitors and the sultan pass through the other gate.

What Visitors Can Do in Nuvali

When you say Nuvali, remember green. It is a green community and they say "evoliving" in Nuvali.

Few years ago, Nuvali was just a sight on my way to PNPA. Now, it is not an ordinary sight. It is already a place to go. If one does not live in Nuvali, one can still go there to have fun - dine, walk and more than that.

There is no readily available means of public transportation except a jeepney bound for Tagaytay from Sta. Rosa. So, the best way to get there is to bring your own car or pool with a group of friends. If you live nearby, biking to Nuvali will do. 

What to see in Nuvali includes shops. Restaurants, fine dining, coffee. Walking is more fun here because there is enough space for you to walk and even stretch your arms. Air is fresh and you can breath more of it compared to the quality of air in Metro Manila.

Take a look at the facade of the spacious Starbucks branch in Nuvali. There you will see the above huge piece of marble. A friend told me it is Mindoro marble. Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, which is abundant in the Philippines. It is used usually as flooring of high-end (and not so high-end) homes and buildings.

Aside from shops, BPO activity is also present in Nuvali. This indicates indeed that from north to south, the Philippines remains as a business process outsourcing destination in the world. The picture above is a building where Convergys do business. Convergys also operates in other parts of the country including Makati City in Metro Manila. 

Spacious playground provide ample place to play for family and friends. Some can even have kite flying or sit on green grass that abound the place. 

Nuvali is a haven for unique architecture and designs. It is a place to express various arts. The sculpture above is an example. It is called "The Last Tree," welded scrap metal and found objects assemblage.

The marker says: 

With a timely message on the care and preservation of nature, sculptor Mario A Mallari Jr gathered metallic scrap materials to evoke a human figure caring for the last tree.

Mario A. Mallari Jr found a niche in the Philippine art scene by re-configuring recycled scrap metal into powerful sculpture forms and imagery. The artist has been earning the respect of fellow visual artists for his works that continue to gain peer recognition as well as for his advocacy to nature conservation.

Walk, refresh, sightseeing; there are other things to do in Nuvali even if you do not live in there. Biking, fish feeding and boat riding can be done at standard rates and regular schedule. For bike rental, rate is 60 pesos per hour from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Cut off time is 4:45 p.m. Just present any valid identification and sign a waiver. Bike rules are as follows:

1. Wear safety helmets all the time when riding a bike.
2. Use designated bike lane/paths only.
3. Only one person is allowed per bike.
4. No racing, no sandals, no slippers.

School of fish - colorful (and obese?). Nothing to wonder about having healthy fish because visitors come to feed them almost in the whole day. If you don't have your own fish pen or even a small aquarium, you can go to Nuvali to feed those colorful swimming creatures. Feeding time runs from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. while fish feeds is available from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. As less expensive as 15 pesos per pack of fish feeds, children (and adults too) can have already enjoy the fun of feeding fish.

What makes Nuvali so refreshing to me are not only the greens but the water as well. The lagoon is home to the colorful school of fish and a venue to taxi boat rides. For a round trip taxi boat ride, you have to pay 30 pesos per head. Special trip will be arranged for a minimum passenger of six persons while the maximum is 12 persons per trip.

Here are the rules in riding the taxi boat:

1. Life jacket must be worn at all times.
2. No standing while boat is in motion.
3. No spitting/littering.
4. Children below 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
5. For any assistance, call the attention of Boat Captain and Lifeguard.

Boat ride is available from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

We went there to stroll in early afternoon. Though it was still too hot because the sun is still up, we enjoyed the little time of stay. If you will make the most of the outdoor activities, I would suggest going there in late afternoon when the sun is setting fast. For dining, however, anytime of the day will do, as soon as the shop or restaurant has already opened.

Nuvali is a clean and green place. So, dispose your  litter properly. Stay clean and green not just when going there but wherever you may go. That is what the Last Tree's ultimate message means.