After several months of temporary closure due to the recent Omicron surge and Typhoon Odette devastation, the Cebu City Sports Center’s (CCSC) track oval officially reopened on February 21, 2022.
Photo from Rey Bahian
The track oval is now open to the public from 5AM to 9PM daily with an entrance fee of P20.
Now that the city has been placed under the less restrictive Alert Level 2, vaccination cards are no longer needed and kids are now allowed to enter as announced by the City Mayor on February 24.
Photo from Jerwin N
TRACK COURTESY:
Fast Lanes (athletes on training, sprinters) Inner Lanes 1-2-3-4 .
One of the tell-tale signs that you are going through your ‘adulting’ phase is acquiring your valid IDs – Voter’s ID, Philhealth, SSS, PAG-IBIG, etc – getting all these IDs can be very tiresome and hectic. For sure, one of the sought valid IDs is the driver’s license, but only few bother to go through the process seriously fearing it is difficult and lengthy. In reality, it is actually very easy as long as you are prepared to acquire it. Here’s a step by step guide on how to get your driver’s license.
Before we dig in, LTO requires certain qualifications before an individual can get their license. Listed below are the following qualifications, as posted from LTO’s official website:
Qualifications
Must be at least 17 years old for Non-Professional (18 years old for Professional)
Must be physically and mentally fit to operate a motor vehicle
Must be literate in either Filipino, English or local dialect
Must be a holder of a valid student permit
Must be clean, neat and presentable (don’t wear underskirt/sando alone, sports shorts, and slippers during examinations and picture-taking)
Must pass the written and practical driving examination
Requirements
STUDENT PERMIT
Validity of Student Permits is only 1 year.
Drivers with Student Permit License are NOT allowed to drive alone and must be accompanied by someone with a Professional or Non-Professional License. Drivers with Student Permit may apply for a Non-Professional License after one month.
Requirements:
PSA/NSO Birth Certificate (ORIGINAL COPY is REQUIRED)
Marriage Certificate (For married women only)
Medical Certificate
Theoretical Driving Certificate (TDC) to prove completion of the required theoretical driving course given by LTO or any LTO-accredited driving schools (check the list here). This course is purely lectures.
Breakdown of fees:
Birth certificate: ₱330-365 (disregard if you already have one). You can also present a Philippine Passport instead.
Medical examination: ₱450-500 (depending on your location)
Theoretical Driving Course: Free to ₱5,000 (depending on the driving school)
Student Permit Fee: ₱317.63 (may change without prior notice)
Estimated Total Cost: ₱1,000-6,000 (depending on location, driving school)
Non-Professional Driver’s License (New)
Validity of new Driver’s License is 5 years.
After one month, a Student Permit holder can apply for a Non-Professional Driver’s License that allows the individual to drive a vehicle independently.
Requirements:
Student permit (at least 1 month old to be valid)
Filled out driver’s license Application Form for Driver’s License (ADL)
Medical Certificate (hard copy) stating that you are physically and mentally fit to drive a vehicle. This must be issued by an accredited LTO medical clinic and registered physician. (A copy of the certificate must be electronically uploaded by the clinic/physician to the LTO IT system)
Practical Driving Certificate (PDC) to prove completion of the required practical driving course given by LTO or any LTO-accredited driving schools (check the list here)
Must have passed the written and practical examinations*.
Fees:
₱100 – Application fee
₱585 – Non-Professional / Professional Driver’s License application fee
It should be noted that before you can apply for the driver’s license, you still need to get a student’s permit and wait for at least 30 days upon securing the said permit before you can apply for a license.
Renewal of Driver’s License
Requirements:
Non-professional/Professional Driver’s License
Medical Certificate
Fees:
₱ 652.63 ADVANCE RENEWAL / NOT EXPIRED
₱ 727.63 One (1) Day to One (1) Year Expired
₱ 802.63 One (1) Year to Two (2) Years Expired
How to Get Your LTO Driver’s License
Secure the driver’s license application form by going to your nearest LTO licensing center or download it online.
Prepare a checklist of the requirements above and make sure you bring them with you upon arrival at the center. Queue and wait for your number to be called.
Once called at the counter, submit all required documents. The officer will check it for completeness and authenticity.
Once the requirements are inspected, they will have your photo and signature taken.
Next, you will be paying the testing fees depending on the type of document you will get.
After paying, stay seated at the waiting area for the lecture and exam. The sequence is first there will be a lecture, then the written exam and finally the practical exam.
After taking all the exams, wait to check if you passed both. You will be then required to pay other fees (ID, registration, etc) so that you can obtain an official receipt (OR).’
Proceed to the releasing counter once your name is called. You need to present the OR in order to claim your license.
Examinations
LTO requires you to pass their two exams – practical and written exams. The practical exam is where you need to demonstrate your actual driving skills while in the written exam, LTO has a 40 to 60-item questionnaire (40 items for non-professional and 60 items for professional) with a 75% passing rate.
In the written exam, traffic rules, signs and laws are tackled, and some situational questions are asked. I highly suggest using pinoydriver.com to review for the written exam; their website is UI friendly and the multiple-choice questions are neatly made.
All the details needed for you to secure youe driver’s license will be on the page, so as your CDE.
2. Should you pass the exam, a certificate will be sent to you via e-mail as proof that you have passed the exam. You will then be given a paper for renewal.
You will then proceed to Window 1 and pass your requirements;
Old driver’s license
Medical Results
Passed CDE Exam
Then, wait for the cashier in Window 7 to call your attention.
3. Once called by the cashier, you just have to pay P585.00 for the renewal of your license. Thereafter, you will then know whether you are qualified for the 10-year or 5-year renewal. You just have to wait for the clerk from Windows 2 and/or 3.
4. You will then proceed to Windows 2&3 for your biometrics to be registered;
Fingerprint
Picture
Signature
LTO Satellite Offices in Cebu
Cebu City LTO Region VII Office – N. Bacalso
Cebu City Mega Licensing Center at SM Seaside
Mandaue City Licensing Center at JCenter Mall
Robinsons Fuente Cebu
Lapu-Lapu District Office
Island Mall Mactan Licensing Center
Talisay Extension Office at Robinsons Lawaan
Carcar District Office
Balamban Licensing Center
Danao District Office
Medellin Extension Office
Camotes Extension Office
Bantayan Extension Office
Getting your driver’s license is a must these days, regardless if you have your own vehicle or not. Aside from it being a valid government ID, having your driver’s license is a privilege. With it comes great responsibility, and securing one should not be taken for granted. Trust the process and say no to fixers!
For latest updates from LTO-7, follow their official Facebook Page.
On Saturday evening, the Department of Health Central Visayas (DOH-7) released its official, consolidated data of the COVID-19 cases in the region as of February 26, 2022.
The whole island of Cebu — Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, and Cebu Province — recorded 24 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 165 new recoveries, and 7 new deaths. Cebu’s total active cases declined to 1,775 (from 1,925).
Cebu City – Total confirmed: 53,402 (+8 new) – Total recoveries: 51,012 (+94 new) – Total deaths: 1,663 (+1 new) – Active cases: 727
Lapu-Lapu City – Total confirmed: 16,965 (+3 new) – Total recoveries: 16,347 (+0 new) – Total deaths: 502 (+0 new) – Active cases: 116
Mandaue City – Total confirmed: 15,332 (+3 new) – Total recoveries: 14,697 (+0 new) – Total deaths: 487 (+1 new) – Active cases: 148
Cebu Province – Total confirmed: 45,863 (+10 new) – Total recoveries: 42,320 (+71 new) – Total deaths: 2,759 (+5 new) – Active cases: 784
SUMMARY OF COVID-19 CASES IN CEBU:
Total Active Cases in Cebu: 1,775 (from 1,925)
Total Confirmed Cases in Cebu: 131,562 (+24 new)
Total Recoveries in Cebu: 124,376 (+165 new)
Total Deaths in Cebu: 5,411 (+7 new)
A total of 1,015 laboratory results were released.
NOTES from DOH-7:
*As per DOH-7, the additional deaths in the report are not due to the overnight spike in deaths but due to more accurate data collection and validating efforts. Not all of those deaths occurred today but occurred more than a week ago.
Reports maybe subject to change as these claims undergo thorough validation by the local healthcare offices and health personnel.
Glamping have surely stepped up in the glamorous department here in Cebu.
Located in the uphill town of Balamban, the new Dome De Valentine looks like a dream and it’s not even an exaggeration.
Dome de Valentine | Photo from Treehouse de Valentine
It is a 150 sqm of a meticulously designed, fully air-conditioned geodesic dome. Now, a geodesic dome is a hemispherical thin-shell structure based on a geodesic polyhedron. It looks like an igloo but bigger and much more elegant.
The aesthetic of this place is off the charts as it uses signature palettes of earthy textures and contemporary fittings.
Dome de Valentine Interior | Photo from Treehouse de ValentineDome de Valentine Interior | Photo from Treehouse de Valentine
It’s a beautiful dome with triangular elements, that allows abundant natural light to come in and make your surroundings have that aesthetic glow. These triangles are also structurally designed to make it able to withstand very heavy loads.
Dome de Valentine | Photo from Treehouse de Valentine
The transparent walls will make you feel like a part of the surrounding abundance of nature which makes it perfect for slow living.
And it seems like transparency is a theme as you get to enjoy your own glass pool, along with living and dining areas and a fully equipped kitchen.
Dome de Valentine | Photo from Treehouse de Valentine
Aerial view of Dome de Valentine | Photo from Treehouse de Valentine
RATES & OTHER INFORMATION
RATES:
Exclusive stay:
– P12,000 per night, good for 10pax (Mondays to Thursdays) – P14,000 per night, good for 10pax (Fridays to Sundays and Holidays)
Maximum of 15 persons only
Extra headcount fee: P1,000 (13y/o up)/P500 (3-12y/o)
Contact information and inquiries are made via Airbnb only.
NOTE: Walk-ins are NOT allowed. Make sure to book a reservation first using the links provided above.
HOW TO GET THERE?
Exact location: Brgy. Hingatmonan, Balamban, Northwestern Cebu — 2-3 hours away from the city.
The host will be providing you with the complete instructions on how to get there. Below directions will just give you an idea of the transportation options.
BY VAN: Take a V-hire from the Ayala Center Terminal going to Balamban via Transcentral highway route. Fare is P120 per person (one-way). Inform the driver to drop you off at Brgy. Hingatmonan.
If you are a fan of Kanye West, who now identify as “Ye” then you will have to say goodbye to more than P10, 000 of your savings or salary just to listen to his upcoming album.
The rapper announced that his upcoming album, Donda 2 will only be available on his own platform. His platform named, Stem Player costs $200 or P10,276.50.
Donda 2 Promotional Poster | Photo from Kanye West Facebook Page
“Not on Apple, Amazon, Spotify, or YouTube. Today artists get just 12% of the money the industry makes. It’s time to free music from this oppressive system. It’s time to take control and build our own.”-Kanye, Instagram
If you have no idea what a Stem Player looks like, it resembles a Bluetooth speaker. It’s round and just a handful in size. It allows you to customize any song and split it into “stems” as explained in its website. It also has in its description “ships with Donda.”
Photo from Kanye West YouTube Channel
The device’s other features are (1) Control vocals, drums, bass, and samples, (2) Isolate parts, (3) Add effects (4) 4 channel lossless audio mixing (5) Real-time loop and speed control (6) Tactile effects (7) Save, playback, and download mixes and (8) Update content and software.
Photo from Kanye West YouTube Channel
Ye’s 10th studio album, Donda, was released last year with singles “Hurricane,” “Life of the Party,” “Believe What I Say,” and “Off the Grid.” And its sequel Donda 2 will follow.
Donda 2 track list
“Security” (feat. Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg)
“Lift Me Up”
“Get Lost”
“Pablo” (feat. Drake)
“True Love”
“Keep It Burnin’” (feat. John Legend & JAY-Z)
“Broken Road”
“I’m Finna Love Me”
“Closed For Business” (feat. Scarface)
“We Did It Kid”
“Flowers” (feat. Future)
“Maintenance” (feat. Lil Wayne)
“530” (feat. 2 Chainz)
“Mr. Miyagi” (feat. The Game, Rick Ross, 2 Chainz & Pusha T)
The new ‘Blue’s Clues’ will unit all three generations of hosts for an epic crossover ala ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’.
Photo from Erik Pendzich
Paramount+‘s upcoming film entitled Blue’s Big City Adventure will star Steve, Joe, and Josh and will be set in New York.
A new Blue's Clues movie, Blue’s Big City Adventure, is coming this year, and a full-length Baby Shark movie is coming in 2023. pic.twitter.com/2Jitw4hjYr
The show, which first aired in 1996, chronicled the adventures of Blue, a pet puppy who leaves paw prints all over the place as clues to help her owner solve the riddle. Steve Burns was the show’s original host until 2002. After that, Donovan Patton took over as Steve’s brother Joe for two seasons.
Photo from Erik Pendzich
In 2019, Nickelodeon released Blue’s Clues and You, a new spin-off starring Filipino actor Joshua Dela Cruz as Steve and Joe’s cousin, who takes over as Blue’s new caretaker. Joe and Steve first appeared as guest characters on the show, and they eventually became recurrent characters.
“Blue’s Big City Adventure” will premiere on Paramount Plus in 2023.
On Friday evening, the Department of Health Central Visayas (DOH-7) released its official, consolidated data of the COVID-19 cases in the region as of February 25, 2022.
The whole island of Cebu — Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, and Cebu Province — recorded 53 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 125 new recoveries, and 3 new deaths. Cebu’s total active cases declined to 1,925 (from 1,997).
Cebu City – Total confirmed: 53,394 (+14 new) – Total recoveries: 50,919 (+77 new) – Total deaths: 1,661 (+0 new) – Active cases: 814
Lapu-Lapu City – Total confirmed: 16,962 (+8 new) – Total recoveries: 16,347 (+0 new) – Total deaths: 502 (+0 new) – Active cases: 113
Mandaue City – Total confirmed: 15,329 (+5 new) – Total recoveries: 14,697 (+8 new) – Total deaths: 486 (+0 new) – Active cases: 146
Cebu Province – Total confirmed: 45,856 (+26 new) – Total recoveries: 42,251 (+40 new) – Total deaths: 2,753 (+3 new) – Active cases: 852
SUMMARY OF COVID-19 CASES IN CEBU:
Total Active Cases in Cebu: 1,925 (from 1,997)
Total Confirmed Cases in Cebu: 131,541 (+53 new)
Total Recoveries in Cebu: 124,214 (+125 new)
Total Deaths in Cebu: 5,402 (+3 new)
A total of 1,214 laboratory results were released.
NOTES from DOH-7:
*As per DOH-7, the additional deaths in the report are not due to the overnight spike in deaths but due to more accurate data collection and validating efforts. Not all of those deaths occurred today but occurred more than a week ago.
Reports maybe subject to change as these claims undergo thorough validation by the local healthcare offices and health personnel.
Malapascua Island is the only diving spot in the world where recreational divers can encounter Thresher Sharks almost every day. This is a big factor why local and foreign diving enthusiasts frequent the island.
Photo from LJay Manayon
Divers are only allowed to participate in natural animal encounters and must not feed, bait, or capture in any of the Thresher Shark dives.
Photo from Doffinyl Yongco via DIVE7 Festivals Facebook Page
Thresher Sharks are deep-diving sharks who spend most of their lives at depths well outside recreational and frequently technical diving limitations. They can be mostly seen all year round at Monad Shoal, a sunken island 7.8km (4.8 miles) off the coast of Malapascua.
Thresher Sharks come in three different species that can be found all around the world. The Pelagic Thresher Shark can be seen in Malapascua, contrary to the Bigeyes or The Common Thresher Shark.
Malapascua Island | Photo from LJay Manayon
HOW TO GET TO MALAPASCUA ISLAND?
Exact Location: Bounty Beach, Malapascua Island, Daanbantayan, Cebu — 4 hours away from Cebu City, and 30 minutes away from Maya Port.
BY BUS AND FERRY: From the Cebu North Bus Terminal, ride a bus going to Maya/Bagay. It will drop you off at Maya Port. Bus fare is around ₱150 per head, travel time is 3-4 hours.
From the port, ride a ferry boat going to Malapascua Island. Boat fare is ₱100 per head, travel time is around 45 minutes. Boats ply every 30 minutes from 6:30AM to 4:30PM only.
PARKING: If you’re bringing your own car, you have to leave it in the mainland near Maya Port. Look for ‘Sugbo Maya’ or any private property where you can park for ₱100-150 per day.
Note: If it’s low tide, you may need to transfer to a paddle boat going to the shore.
A lucky bettor from Moalboal, Cebu won the P28.8 million jackpot price for 6/42 lotto draw yesterday, February 24, as announced by The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
According to the agency, the lucky ticket was sold at an outlet in Moalboal, Cebu with a winning combination of 12-29-15-03-06-20 with a jackpot prize of P28,851,800.80.
Meanwhile, a total of 121 individuals got five of the six combinations that could take home P24,000.00 each.
The jackpot prize of Superlotto went up to P25,861,864.80 after no one got six combinations last night. While two individuals can take home P50,000.00 each after getting five of the six combinations.
Under the TRAIN Law (Republic Act No. 1169), PCSO lotto prizes worth more than P10,000 are subject to a 20% tax. This means, the winner will take home (still) a whopping ₱23,081,440 after tax.
Lotto 6/42 is drawn every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
The newest hangout place to unwind and chill in Cebu has finally opened!
On February 24, 2022, the King family officially launched 1Nito Tower, King Properties’ first large-scale for lease office and commercial project, dubbed as the #CebuSkylineJewel.
The world-class building features: A Garden Roof Deck with 360-view of the Metro, Cebu’s First Basement Food Lounge, Avant Offices Co-working Spaces, and more.
Located in the basement of the 18-story building, 1Nito Tower Food Lounge is now open to the public from 11AM to 10PM daily. It boasts a premium roster of food brands that offer a unique dining experience while lounging in their Instagrammable, cozy, and elegant ambiance.
Royal Tea – Indulge in your favorite milk tea while chilling with friends. They offer the signature Royal Tea Milk Tea, Creamcheese Milk Tea Series, Classics, and Fruit Beverages.
M.A.T’s Diner – Filipino comfort food at its finest. This new food brand offers Filipino food classics such as Silog meals, sizzling sisig, tuslob buwa, budbud with mango, puto cheese, among others.
Q-Cafe – Come hungry and satisfy your cravings with this cafe’s mouthwatering burgers, sandwiches, meat platters, Filipino breakfast meals, and a lot more.
Lemonest – You will never go wrong with fresh lemonades, especially with a variety of mixes to choose from.
Kitchen Delights – A taste of home as they serve the best-tasting pasta, burgers, and sadwiches that you must try.
The Green Pantry – The first Green Pantry Express Stall Franchise that offers plant-based meals, burgers, wraps, salads, and many more.
Malatang – Craving for a different Chinese culinary experience? Malatang offers the best of Chinese food fit for your distinctive oriental taste.
Delish Deli – They serve the best of American food such as burgers, pasta, waffles, and buffalo chicken wings.
Indian Fusion Cebu – Give in to your craving of Authentic Indian Biryani with the finest herbs and spices.
Bakoo Caribbean RestoBar – This new culinary experience offers a new a blend of Caribbean dishes with special spices, so you’ll be sure to find something that excites your palate.
Safe & Sound Lounge – If you just want to drink and chill, Safe & Sound got you covered. Their signature drinks and classic cocktails will definitely give you a good time.
1Nito Tower is definitely set to be one of the most viable office locations for local businesses, as well as multinational companies looking to expand in the Visayas.
Exact location: Archbishop Reyes Ave., Lahug, Cebu City — near the Ayala Center Cebu-Mandarin Hotel-Parklane Hotel intersection flyover.
BY COMMUTE: You can book a Grab/taxi ride and inform the driver that you’re heading to 1 Nito Tower, just right across the flyover near Cebu Business Park. You can also ride a jeepney with routes 4L/12L/13C and drop off at designated drop off areas near the flyover.
BY CAR: Navigate with Waze or Google Maps and set your destination to “1Nito Tower”. Big parking space is available.
