This Week in Cebu (July 21 to 27, 2019)

The gloomy weather of the previous week will continue to loom over Cebu as clouds continue to dominate the city’s skyline [1]. A stray thunderstorm or two are also expected for a good part of the week. The sun may peek out from time to time, but you should not expect beach weather for this week in Cebu. If you are planning to go out over the weekend, it may be advisable to look for a venue with a roof over it since a thunderstorm may rain on your parade. Temperatures for the week are expected to be between 24°C and 33°C.

Motorists headed for the South Road Properties (SRP) will have another option in entering and leaving the area soon. Currently, there are only three entry and exit points to the property. Newly-elected Cebu City mayor Edgar Labella said he is planning to have Pond A at the SRP filled and connect it to the barangays beside it [2]. This will open another entry and exit point to the property. Aside from the roads at the SRP, the mayor will also work on other roads in the city. He said some roads have to be widened to decongest traffic.

The design of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) was recognized recently at the 2019 International Architecture Awards [3]. Terminal 2 was chosen as one of the winners in the Airports and Transportation Centers category, according to Louie Ferrer, president of GMR MEGAWIDE Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC). The terminal shared the stage with the expansion wing of the Incheon International Airport Terminal 2. In addition, the terminal was also shortlisted under the Completed Buildings Transport category of the World Architecture Festival Award. The terminal joins the Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore, Istanbul Airport in Turkey, and five other transport buildings. Terminal 2 of MCIA is known for its eye-catching glulam roof and Filipiniana-inspired design.

Cebu was selected as the “7th Best Island in Asia” in a recent Travel + Leisure survey [4]. The survey conducted by the New York-based travel magazine also showed Palawan and Boracay Island as the 2nd and 9th best islands, respectively. The survey is a part of the annual World’s Best Awards survey of the travel magazine. Readers are asked to share their opinions on the top islands, cities, and cruise ships, among others. Islands are rated according to activities, food, sights, natural attractions, beaches, friendliness, as well as overall value. Cebu and the two other Philippine islands are among the favorites due to the presence of hiking trails, white-sand beaches, and reef and wreck diving, according to Travel + Leisure.

Six years after the Malacañang sa Sugbo was condemned, it will go through a major transformation [5]. Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino revealed in a press statement that Secretary of Finance Carlos Dominguez III and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea gave a “verbal approval” to transform the building into a local tourist attraction. The building will become a regional museum under the management of the National Museum. Its transformation comes as the quincentennial commemoration of the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in the Philippines is set to be celebrated in 2021. The Malacañang sa Sugbo was condemned after it was damaged during the magnitude 7.2 earthquake on October 15, 2013.

Planning to visit the Queen City of the South in the near future? Head on over to Yoorekka for useful travel updates!