Starbucks Philippines launches 2014 Festival Tumblers with Sinulog and Ati-Atihan

Starbucks Philippines launches its Festival Tumblers starting off with Cebu's Sinulog Festival 2014. The Starbucks Sinulog Festival 2014 Tumbler will only be sold in Starbucks Cebu branches until supplies last, starting tomorrow, January 16 with a retail price of Php 565.00. Meanwhile the Starbucks Ati-Atihan Festival 2014 Tumbler is now available in Starbucks Boracay branch, until supplies last.

The designs of the Starbucks Festival Tumblers incorporates coffee elements. As you will notice, the headdress of the women dancing have coffee cherries, while the costumes have coffee flowers. It also supports the Department of Tourism's "It's More Fun in the Philippines" campaign by adding their own meme, "Festivals. More Fun in the Philippines." Let us support this creative way of promoting both tourism in the Philippines, through popular Philippine festivals, and love for good coffee. Collect them all!

Tabléa Chocolate Café of Cebu City

While being toured at the new Robinsons Cybergate Mall, a multistory mixed used building with two floors of restaurants and shops, we discovered an interesting chocolate cafe called Tablea owned by the Garcias. The Tabléa Chocolate Café concept is really brilliant, offering a variety of hot chocolate drinks, iced chocolate drinks, coffee and tea, and of course, some pastries to go along with the cafe experience.



Tabléa Chocolate Café was inspired by its principal ingredient, the Tabléas (or tableyas), which are pure cacao beans that are dried, roasted, ground and then formed into blocks. Now, would you like to try some hot cocoa chocolate? :)

Cebu's Jesuit House of 1730

Cebu's old Jesuit House of 1730 stands at Zulueta and the narrow street of Binakayan in downtown Parian, the old Chinese district of Cebu. It was once the residence of a Jesuit superior in Cebu. "To coordinate work in their Visayan missions, the first Jesuit mission superior, Antonio Sedeño, opened a residence in Cebu in 1595. The site of the 16th century residence is uncertain." This residence which is still standing, however, is believed to have been built in 1730.


The entrance of the Jesuit House through the warehouse/ storage area of the Sys, the new owner of the old house.

Cebu City's Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House

Besides staying at Summit Circle Cebu Hotel, we were able to see some of Cebu's history and culture, through the quick tour we did during our free time. I was excited to get to see in person the recently installed quick response or QR Codes the Department of Tourism, Smart Communications and MyCebu.ph placed in the major tourist-heritage areas of Cebu.



The Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House, located at downtown Cebu City in Parian, which was then the place where wealthy and influential Filipino-Chinese lived during the Spanish times, dates back to 1675 to 1700, as its current owner Val Sandiego, famous choreographer and antique collector, estimates. It is across the Heritage of Cebu Monument.

Inside Summit Circle Cebu Hotel

I really had a fun weekend at Summit Circle Cebu Hotel. One hotel you might want to check out when you're in Cebu is Summit Circle Hotel. It is located at the heart of downtown Cebu City, along the Fuente Osmeña circle, where the hotel rooms look out to, and where it is a very convenient point to the various landmarks and tourist spots of Cebu. :)



Summit Circle Cebu Hotel has 210 spacious and newly refurbished guest rooms that are equipped with modern amenities to ensure that you will have a comfortable stay. Their beds come with 100% cotton sheet, duvet covers and chiropractic pillows, which promises a good night's sleep.

Fun Weekend at Summit Circle Cebu Hotel

It's more fun in the Philippines if you get to travel and see not only what our natural resources have to offer, but also get to experience, interact and make friends with Filipinos, the locals of each island-destination, along the way. After all, it is really the people, us, who set the Philippine experience apart from anywhere else in the world.



Recently, I was able to go back to Cebu, the Queen City of the South, by invitation of Summit Circle Cebu Hotel (previously known as Cebu Midtown Hotel) of Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) with fellow bloggers Melo, Spanky, James and Summit Media's Keisha. During the trip, I got to meet Meg and Lisette (leftmost in the photo above), both from RLC, two really nice ladies who accompanied us all throughout the trip.

Queen City of the South, Cebu City

After 3 days and 2 nights in Bantayan and Virgin Island, Nico and I went back to Cebu City and met up for lunch with Mica, Byahilo, Aaron, Xiena and Cebu blogger Sinjin. We ate at Abuhan Dos, where they serve Abuhan Pochero, the best beef stew in Cebu that is said to be a Bulalo-like dish.

Other restaurants I have eaten while I was in Cebu besides in Abuhan were Golden Cowrie, CnT Lechon (roasted pig), Mooon Cafe. Despite these "food-trips", I am sure that there are a lot more restaurants to try. This gives me more reasons to come back.



I got to experience the famous Sky Experience Adventure or the Edge Coaster of the Crown Regency Hotel; visited the Sto Nino Church, where one can find the famous Magellan's Cross and the Sto. Nino; and went to the Cebu Cathedral. I strolled on the oldest street in the Philippines - Colon, named after explorer Christopher Columbus, and played on the Cebu Provincial Capitol grounds.

I got introduced to Cebu bloggers Sinjin and Doyzkie, and met my blockmate's bestfriend Mariz. My city trip was short (in fact, crammed overnight) but I can say it was fun-filled and fulfilling. I enjoyed every bit of it!







I'll be back in September, Cebu, watch out! Otap, here I come! :)

Photos by Sinjin, thanks!

BEWARE of Budyong Resort in Bantayan Island Cebu!

Last June 5, my cousin and her friends went on vacation in Bantayan Island, Cebu. What should have been a perfect and wonderful experience turned into sort of a nightmare. Don't get me wrong; they enjoyed everything in Bantayan, the view, the beach, the food, except for the resort where they've stayed - Budyong Resort - where they were scammed. (click here to find out why their stay became a nightmare!)


Photo courtesy of Richmon Pancho

Arroyo signs Tourism Law in Philippine's Tourism Capital Cebu

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signs Tuesday (May 12) the Tourism Act of 2009 in Cebu City, the country’s tourism capital. The signing into law of the tourism bill will coincide with the opening of the newest and one of the biggest hotels in the southern island province.



Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the President will sign the law “in a very special ceremony at the tourism capital of the country, which is my home city, at 12 noon in conjunction with the inauguration of the new Imperial Hotel in Cebu.”



The President will also hold the Cabinet meeting in Cebu City on Tuesday.



Source: Office of the President









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