no one yet as awards night will be this December 3, 2022 pa!

First of all, I would like to thank the sponsors for making this event possible

The Best Cebu Blogs Awards (BCBA) is a yearly Awarding Ceremony of Cebu-based Bloggers. BCBA is the only and pioneering award giving body that recognizes the existence of blogs, bloggers and social media influencers or movers in Cebu’s blogosphere. It acknowledges the existence and importance of Cebu Bloggers in the Visayas and in the Philippines. BCBA aims to recognize the finest blogs by Cebuanos and Cebu-based bloggers which are at par even with their foreign counterparts.

THE COMMITTEE

BCBA was founded by Mark Monta in December of 2008 and later joined by fellow organizers Agnes Jimenez, Bjorn Bernales, Gezelle Tapangan, Chanel Marie Imperial, and Jaysee Pingkian. 

As of this time, the current and active members of the BCBA Committee are the Founder, Mark Monta, Volunteers Geezelle Tapangan-Maningo and Cebu-based Judge, Ms. Nancy Cudis-Ucag.

About Me

The blog has started as an online diary between the hubster and I as we want to commemorate all the places we went to. I planned on continuing it even when B has decided that he is too busy to be a partner but honestly, there is no other explanation but the mere fact that life got in the way hence, the lapses in the updates.

 

Nevertheless, I am very active on my Instagram (mynymisnym) and there as per my usual transparency, I am very very talkative and active there.

Though it's not my first time to be nominated for the Best Cebu Blog Awards, this is the first time that I will be nominated under the Personal Blog Category. What started out as personal stories-situations that could only happen to me became an every day serye that I hope-my viewers still enjoy.

I've been a member of Cebu Bloggers' Society for quite some time now and these nominations will never ever feel like I've already "been there" 

And while I think this is the only blog that you have read and perhaps, would want to explore other candidates as well, you can check us out here and vote who you think is deserving of the said award

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdGIOJ1sIAeDLD5Nte8mJ7sERfXUWh5ZviAI8_MzLLbLqxn7w/viewform?fbclid=IwAR3T8rPie2BaOp9_yUvxQk7gX5EfaVR0EHvwRnDhhUJxw9CMT11jjmoisrU

It's been a decade plus of not being able to visit this place as Bantayan Island used to bring not so good memories relating to Holy Week, hassle-full processing of accommodations back then and actually going back to Cebu City a day earlier than expected because the event we paid for flaked on us..but that's on a totally irrelevant story.

I live in a place quite far from Bantayan Island and traveling for a total of 6 hours (car+boat) with a hyper toddler in tow might take a toll on us so we decided not to go just yet. Bantayan Island is so beautiful-so much so that a 3D2N stay is not enough. When you can, stay for a week to make the most out what this island has to offer.

 

..so when the invitation from Cebu Provincial Government and GMR Group came in 2 days before the scheduled departure (this after only staying in Cebu for 4 days since I was at Manila for a week prior) came as a lovely and welcome surprise. Like most laagans out there, we weren't really expecting to fly out-or be given travel opportunities anytime this year til the second half. I confirmed within 15 minutes of receiving the invitation and my giddiness doubled when I read the first paragraph of the itinerary saying that we will be flown out of a chartered plane from Mactan Cebu International Airport to the island and the travel time will only take 30 minutes. It couldn't get any better but then I knew Janine (@offdutymama) and Dee (@deeexplores) are also coming so we haven't been really talking about anything since.

 

 

I am an early morning fly out person. Aside from the fact that it's the safest, flying gives me an adrenaline rush that makes me energetic for the most of the day. When I'm traveling, I only get 4 hours of sleep max because my thoughts race of the places I have to go to, people I have to meet, food I want to eat and the experiences a place has to offer..so in turn, my skin usually suffers because they get patchy and I always have a breakout after 5 days of this body abuse 😅

Going back, I met the two at the MCIA Malasakit Desk (grabe baya tag hugot aning malasakit desk) at 5AM and I think it was already a sin to be perky and alive this early. Everyone at the airport was still groggy but I guess you can't contain us 😂 For me, it's time to make new and beautiful memories in this beautiful island.

 

Should you plan to fly (and SAVE LOTS OF TIME) from Cebu to Bantayan Island, send an email to reservations@airjuan.com for plane rates with dates as I have checked their official website upon landing there and they are still updating it.

Apparently, ours was the inaugural flight. What a historic moment! After booking your flights, don't forget to download the TRAZE app so that our local government can do their standard contact tracing in the most hassle-free possible; All you have to do after installing and signing up is to scan the qr code in places where you are and then you are automatically tagged as having been there. Checking in only takes seconds I swear Cebu City and other provinces should re-align and use this too.

As of November 29, 2020, here are the requirements upon entering the island

Bantayan Island Requirements

Here are some of the shots my friends and I took:

Virgin Island first timer 

 

 

low-key obsessed with this lifeguard area 😆

 

also, dragged them along 😅

@offdutymama

@deeexplores

           my photographer can't really see the shots she's taking but i love this! 

Thanks bae! 

Kota Beach during mid-afternoon

Beach trip is uncomplete til I can lounge and get my much-needed tan

weekend crew

Evening soiree with Bb. Pilipinas contestants

This Bantayan Island Escapade is conceptualized as a scaled and controlled model of how the new tourism normal will be. With this island's pristine white beaches, picturesque setting, warm community spirit and conveniently-located airport, Bantayan Island is the ideal place to showcase a safe, curated and integrated, worry-free experience. 

 

My husband's birthday has always been a big deal to me. In fact, his day matters to me more than it does to him. I always make plans whenever his day comes and last year, I booked a surprise flight to Camiguin. Honestly, I partly did this for myself since I've never been there and it's one of the places that I've been wanting to visit. 

Pardon my French but Sto.Niño cold spring is fcekin cold. We were here on a weekday so we had the place to ourselves (hence the lovely photos). We were met by locals who offered to cook food for us in a friendly price and we were bewildered by the reception so we politely declined and went in. 

Sto.Niño Cold Spring has the clearest water that I have ever seen. It doesn't hurt when you open your eyes underwater and you can clearly see from the opposite side. Here is the updated rate as of July 2017: 

It's not difficult to look for this place because you can go around the island just by renting a motorcycle. Camiguin main roads have clear signages of their tourist spots with an estimated distance from the main street. As I was excited to plan for Bryan's birthday, I didn't plan for an itinerary because I want everything to be unexpected and this is one of those "unexpecteds" 

Sto.Niño Cold Spring is also family-friendly. They have a pool for kids at 4ft. tall and for adults as deep as 8ft. 

You can swim with the fishes who are quite used to people being around their territory and B swears that some of them could figuratively take a swipe on you. We were there for quite some time and we began feeling hungry. 

We were supposed to go outside and ask for the short order menu again but apparently, there are still people offering you the same service at the perimeter fence. You can eat what you ordered inside without paying for a corkage fee. If you prefer to cook your own food, Sto.Niño Cold Spring has a space where you can make them.

 Expect this place to be full during weekdays, holidays and summer time since the water is cold and refreshing. There are floaters available and for safety reasons, there are marks around the spring area marking the depth of the pool. 

Cebu is known for it's pristine white sand beaches and that's what we always mean when we say "mangaligo tag dagat na", so when we went to Mahayahay Beach, it's quite refreshing to see brown pebbled sand but still, a very clean beach.

What's so functional about Argao is that it's only an hour and a half away from Cebu City yet you can visit a lot of attractions in just one place. I bet there are still Cebuanos who haven't visited Agta Cave, Coal Mountain Resort and Cabecera De Argao.

We chanced upon this spot which is only less than 100 meters away from their beach front. This is a walking distance away from the cottages and we were the only ones there since this place has literally, no shade and if you want to get sunburnt, get your even tan here. 

There were a lot kids who can teach you how to skim and I borrowed one from theirs since I used to skim a decade ago. If you are lucky, you can swim here during early mornings or late afternoons when the fisherman can sell you legit fresh fish. 

I passed my Oral Glucose Tolerance Test with flying colors! 

..and with that achievement, I gladly accepted Waterfront Cebu's invitation to Chef Benoit's classic and traditional french patisseries media launch. I've been keeping track of the sweets I've eaten because I might be prone to gestational diabetes but it I just can't say no to this.

Google the best pastries and deserts in the whole world and most of them are located in France. If that visa ain't ready yet, catch a cab and go to Waterfront Hotel Lobby where you can have unlimited pastries and french sweets personally made by Chef Benoit. 

Cebu's premier hotel and entertainment destination takes you on a culinary journey to France. Chef Benoit shares his flair and skill in creating delicious and filling pastries that will define your afternoons. Fancy a light date, wanting to close a business transaction or you just simply want to spoil yourself? 

Then let's meet at the Waterfront Hotel lobby with their collection of tarts, eclairs, madeleines, macarons and more. French desert loves will be able to enjoy this unlimited array for only Php499.00.

You can give in to your cravings as early as 1:00PM and as late as 5:00PM daily. For inquiries or reservations, you can call (032) 232-6888 local 8600. 

I miss travelling. This is the longest time I've been on the same island and there's not a day that I don't think about going to the beach, booking a flight or honestly, just saying "fcek it", and leave all my work responsibilities behind.

Two weeks ago (Sinulog time), I had a sleepover at Apple One with few of our friends and we talked about our next travels. For the first time, I am contemplating on going to Coron because I want to see if those lagoons are actually as good as the pics I've googled. 

..and wouldn't you know, I recently got invited by PAL last week. They are introducing new domestic routes to allow travelers to reach their desired destinations without the need to transit in Manila. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed that in order for us to actually go to Coron, we have to pass by MNL. 

Check out these new routes effective January 31, 2017

 The new routes from Cebu bring to 12 the total number of domestic points-apart from Manila, linked to Cebu.

Fly from Cebu to Clark for as low as Php1,600/way

Fly from Cebu to Puerto Princesa for as low as Php1,100/way

Fly from Cebu to Surigao for as low as Php1,010 

Fly from Cebu to Busuanga (Coron) for as low as Php1,100/way

Have you been to Paris?

Me neither.

They say Paris is the home of the best baked goodies in the whole world and though I haven't been there, it's so much easier to agree. There was a sudden demand for cupcake and pastry shops last 2010, and today made me think how was Cupcaken, Phoebe's cupcake, SLT, and the like right now. I hope they are all doing fine despite the continuous changing of Cebuanos' preferences. 

Crema has survived and stood resilient through the cupcake, ice cream, sulbing and huge servings of halo-halo era and the formula is simple. Everything is homemade. What started out as Tita Sharon's hobby is now something that steady patrons of the store go out of their way to. Crema is located at Parkmall by the way.

Crema used to be located at the back of Cebu Doctors' Hospital during late 2000s and their Fruit for the Gods is actually one of a kind. I kept counting the hours til I can get out of the office and there was a huge thunderstorm happening. I clearly remembered braving the waves aka Cebu City flood til I was able to reach Crema and they made me stay there til the storm was over.

Fast forward a few years after and now they are located in a place that suits them better. I totally love the Pinterest-inspired set-up and come to think of it, Crema can be a good location for pre-nup shoot too!

   

If it's your first time to order at Crema and you are unsure which one to order first, here are my favorites:

 Supersoft Ensaymada

 

Merangue

Red velvet cupcakes

 Here are some of the shots I took. Nope, Crema doesn't have WiFi. Talk to each other like it's 1995