5 Reasons to Love Cebu

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People of all ages, of all races love staying in Cebu. I love staying in here, too, even if I barely know why. After 19 years of stay, I just realized that Cebu itself is the place where I would want to live for the rest of my life. It has all the food that I want, the kind of people I want to hang out with.. Oh, am I making this too fast? Well, I’ve got five on the list. Here are the 5 reasons to love Cebu, at least for me.
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[tab_title] 1 The Food [/tab_title]
[tab_title] 2 The Music [/tab_title]
[tab_title] 3 The People [/tab_title]
[tab_title] 4 The Place [/tab_title]
[tab_title] 5 The Culture [/tab_title]
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Cebu delicacies never fails one’s luscious, flavored —call it tasty-craving— appetite. Cebuanos don’t have a crazy appetite nor a crazy cuisine culture but one thing is for sure, its distinct taste will drive you crazy. Call “crazy” exaggerated but who would like to talk while eating the dishes that you hardly find somewhere else in the country?

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Cebu is the home of the tastiest lechon in the country and it is always visited for that. You may also want to mention the famous Bam-I. These two delicacies that I always see in every local social gathering. The sinugbang baboy, sinugbang manok, squid barbeque or sugba anything you want is another should-never-be-missed dish. You might have also have heard of the dinuguan, the famous pork blood stew; the kaldereta nga kanding, kinilaw, balbacua, and the sweet humba. Just to name a few more.

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Food in Cebu locale does not only include dishes, there is also a wide variety of desserts to choose. From sweets to sweetest. Linubihang Munggo, Butong with Crabs, Pintus, Torta Bisaya, and the globally known Dried Mangos.

Have already tried these delicacies. Not yet? You surely missed a seventh of your entire eating life. It’s never late though. Don’t just stand there, indulge yourself and make sure to bring your friends.[/tab]

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The Philippine Folk music never lost its glory even until now. Through time, it has evolved into something different, something customized for the Filipinos themselves. While Philippines has OPM, Cebu has Bisrock.

Bands here, bands everywhere. These should likely imply that Cebuanos are adept to music. I remember talking to a Dutch friend lately who said, “all Cebuanos can sing and they sing good”. She made me sing and she told me she was right. So I believed what Lisa said that night.

One thing that makes Bisrock unlike from other music genre is its LANGUAGE.  I got you! Haha. The language, of course. Another thing is that it’s customized and suits the Cebuano lifestyle. Though the beat and the style may at times be contemporary, but the lyrics and its rationale are made for the Bisaya surely. Do you remember that song that hit nationally? “Gikumot kumot, sa dakong kamot. Ang dughan ko’ng pagdako dako sa gugma…” Yes, you remembered.

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Cebuanos are generally termed as hospitable people. Are we, really? OF COURSE, WE ARE! That’s in the eyes of the tourists, foreigners or whatever you call them. But as a Cebuano, what makes me admire our nativity is our unwavering happiness. We laugh our way on almost everything and every situation.

Another thing is the Cebuanos’ heart for relationships. Family ties in particular. I believe respect and love have something to do with this.

But the most exciting thing about Cebuanos is their hunger for fun. If they say that having Filipinos are lively, energetic and fun friends to be with, then Cebuanos are even more so.

Want to know what I’m talking about? Get a Bisaya friend.[/tab]

[tab]Cebu is called “The Queen City of the South” and it isn’t called just for nothing.

If it’s the historical places that you want, you may visit the famous Magellan’s Cross which stands beside the Sto. Niño Parish. You may also visit the monument in Parian, Fort San Pedro and Bonifacio, Plaza Indepencia, Fuente Circle, and a lot more. What’s best in this historical landmark traveling is that the other is just minutes away. You can find any of these places all in the heart of Cebu City.

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In case you don’t know, Cebu is also a home of white beaches in the Philippines. Virgin white beaches, you may call it. These beaches can be found in the extremes of Cebu. Bantayan has a lot of this as well as the Southern part of Cebu. If you wish for a dive, then Moalboal is the perfect place for you. Feel nature’s relaxing powers as you trek around Cebu.

If you wish for a mountain adventure trip, then you may venture to the sloppy rocks at highland Cebu. Mountaineers often visit Sirao, Bonbon, and Balamban for that. If you just prefer sightseeing, Tops and Busay Nature Park are your best choices. Up there, you can experience Cebu in just one frame. Another great stop is at Balamban. Feel the chill the you once experienced in Baguio. Satisfy your adrenaline rush and venture on zip lines, farms, cafes — all in one place.

There is really a lot to mention. Plus if I share all of the details, it will occupy this entire article. If Cebu is in your bucket list, make sure you’ve included those places in your list.
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[tab]Have you already witnessed the Sinulog Festival? You sure have. It’s not late if you don’t. Sinulog is one of the grandest festivals in the Philippines. Celebrities, foreigners and natives gather to celebrate this culture that has been around for years.  Cebuanos really have the heart for fun that’s why we have fiestas and other celebrations. But Sinulog is the grandest and biggest of them all.

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Almost every day, a fiesta is happening somewhere in Cebu. Maybe every day. That may include grand social gatherings like weddings, birthdays and even burial wakes that can be fun and social unlike somewhere else in the world.

The true Cebuano culture is indeed fun but nothing beats experience. So I dare you to experience it firsthand.
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There you have it. I’ve mentioned five but honestly I have a hundred in my mind. Not to mention the night market, the city lights, the night life, secret caves, virgin forests, kayaking sites. I think I should stop, or else you’ll need another notebook for that.

Photos are grabbed from the wires. Copyright belongs to each of its rightful owner. Sugbu does not claim any of these images as its own.