This Week in Cebu (November 20 to 26, 2017)

Motorists can expect heavy traffic along Natalio Bacalso Avenue area this week and the weeks to come. Starting last Nov.9, the southbound lane of the highway was closed as civil works for the PhP683-million underpass project begins. The northbound lane however, remains open to motorists.

Due to the closure, drivers are advised to take alternate routes, or avoid the area altogether. Diversion roads for public and private vehicles include Katipunan Street, M. Gochan Street, and Caimito Street. On the other hand, buses and trucks have to take the Cebu South Coastal Road.

Adding to the growing list of all-day breakfast cafés in Cebu City is Krave Café in Lahug. Diners can start their day right with their breakfast fare. They have items like saucy beef tapa, Cebuano chorizo, honey roasted bacon, and crispy fresh danggit (sun-dried rabbitfish) on their menu. They also have cupcakes and pancakes for those with a sweet tooth. Rounding off their selection is a variety of coffee and non-coffee drinks which can be ordered hot or cold.

Krave Café is located at Salinas Drive, Lahug, Cebu City. They are open from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM Mondays to Fridays and 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM Saturdays and Sundays.

There are plenty of flower gardens in Cebu, but another kind of greenery awaits travelers visiting Toledo. Inside Capilla Santa Ana Museum and Community Center is The Labyrinth , a maze garden spanning 25 meters in diameter. Visitors can take their time walking towards the center while marveling at the trimmed hedges, or climb the ladder in front of the garden to get a better vantage point.

Capilla Santa Ana offers guided tours of their chapel and garden. Rates are at PhP200 for tourists, PhP100 for locals, and PhP50 for students. They are open Mondays to Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

Shoppers can enjoy a variety of choices for take-home gifts or pasalubong from Cebu. At Marissa’s Kitchen Cebu for example, there are cakes and pastries which one can give to friends and family. The pasalubong selection at Marissa’s Kitchen includes rosquellitos (mini rosquillos or ringlet-shaped cookies), pandesalette (mini pan de sal or bread roll), galletas, breadsticks, and polvoron (powdered candy). Marissa’s Kitchen also accepts orders for custom cakes for weddings, debuts, and other events.

Marissa’s Kitchen is located at Go-Shen Building, 1047 Kalubihan, Talamban, Cebu City. They are open from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM Mondays to Saturdays.

A benefit concert entitled “Celebrate Life: Golden Years of Service and Music” will be held this November 23, 7:00 PM, at the Pacific Ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino. The event features singer and songwriter Jose Mari Chan, and a special performance by Anna Fegi-Brown.

The event marks the 50th anniversary of Zonta Club of Cebu 1, and Jose Mari Chan’s 50 years in the music industry. Ticket prices range from PhP600 to PhP3,500. Ticket proceeds will go to the outreach programs of Zonta 1.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has announced that motorcycle-hailing service Angkas is “considered closed.” This is after the Department of Transportation (DOTr) issued a cease-and-desist order to Angkas due to operating without a business permit.

In a statement released in social media, Angkas urged DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade to amend Department Order 2015-11, which classifies all forms of public land transport, including transportation network vehicles services (TNVS). For his part, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has said that while Angkas is beneficial to the public, providing another means of livelihood to Angkas drivers is “not his priority.”

Budget food haven Larsian along Fuente Osmeña Boulevard will undergo renovation after Sinulog 2018. The Cebu Provincial Government has allotted PhP2 million to improve its drainage system, as well as the expansion of stalls and parking space. Stall owners would also have to undergo sanitary food training or seminar in coordination with the Cebu City Government. Last Nov. 13, Gov. Hilario Davide III has named Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT) Manager Joey Herrera as the new Larsian administrator to oversee its operations and address the issues of the food park.