This Week in Cebu (February 19 to 25, 2018)

The no left turn policy at the Cebu South Coastal Road (SRP) is already in effect. Motorists taking the Mambaling Access road should now take the U-turn slot under the bridge between Cebu City and Talisay City, while southbound motorists should take the U-turn near the viaduct.[1] Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña implemented the new policy to avoid accidents in the area. Last January, nine vehicles figured in a collision in the SRP tunnel, causing 12 people to be injured.[2]

One exotic local fare that locals and tourists can enjoy is tuslob buwa. Tuslob buwa is made of lard, onions, pig’s brain and liver, and shrimp paste. The name of the dish means “to dip in bubbles,” because mixing the ingredients results in a frothy broth. One then dips puso (hanging rice) into the mixture.

Tuslob buwa vendors can be found at the Pasil Fish Market, where this street food costs PhP10 or less. Food shops which serve tuslob buwa starting at PhP99 per set can also be found in various parts of the city.

Even when Valentine’s Day is over, people can visit the many flower gardens of Cebu. One of these is Sirao Garden, Little Amsterdam. Aside from enjoying the view of red and yellow celosia flowers, people can also check out Cafe Bella English Tea House where they serve coffee, tea, and snack items. Still further up north is Buwakan ni Alejandra, a flower garden in Balamban which is dubbed as the “Little Tagaytay of Cebu.” Still another option is Terrazas de Flores Botanical Garden, which is relatively closer to the city.

One great non-food take-home gift or pasalubong from Cebu are wicker products. Many Cebuano furniture manufacturers carry wicker products, but for easier transport, travelers can opt for small wicker home accessories. These include wicker placemats and coasters, as well as baskets and fruit trays. Other native materials like pandan, buri, palm leaves, and bamboo leaves are also turned by local artisans into fans, bowls, and gift boxes. Wicker and other native products can be found in pasalubong shops and home décor shops in the city.

Those who plan to invest in a condominium or other real estate property can go to the 2nd Cebu Property Expo (CPE). The event will be held this Feb. 23 to 25 at the Cebu Trade Hall of SM City Cebu. Over 70 exhibitors will participate in the event, ranging from real estate developers, construction suppliers, and real estate website companies. The 2nd Cebu Property Summit (CPS) will also be held on Feb. 23 from 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM at Meeting Rooms A to C. The summit will feature 10 speakers from the real estate industry.

Locals and tourists can expect to see thunderstorms for most of the week. There will be partly sunny weather on most days except on Saturday, when rain showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast. Minimum temperature is at 23 ºC while maximum temperature is at 32 ºC. It is advisable for people to continuously monitor weather conditions, especially as Typhoon Basyang, the strongest typhoon recorded for the year, hit landfall in Cebu last week and left passengers stranded at the pier.

The public can expect an adequate supply of rice in eastern Visayas region despite limited supply in government warehouses. The Philippine News Agency reports that regional offices of the National Food Authority currently have 68,000 bags of rice, which is below the buffer stock requirement. However, combining this stock with the supply from traders and households yields 480,000 bags. An additional 20,000 bags of rice were shipped from Cebu to Palo, Leyte on the first week of February. Another 200,000 bags of imported rice are also expected to increase the volume in Eastern Visayas, allaying fears of a rice shortage in the region.

[1] http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2018/02/10/no-left-turn-coastal-road-588232

[2] http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/160812/multiple-crash