This Week in Cebu (December 1 to 7, 2018)

Keep your rain gear handy as Cebu will experience stormy weather during the first week of December. While it will be partly sunny at the start of the week, thunderstorms are expected in either the morning or afternoon up until Wednesday. Meanwhile, the sun will not be showing itself at all on Thursday and Friday since the weather will be mainly cloudy. A thunderstorm or two will accompany this cloudy weather over Cebu. Temperatures for the week are expected to be from 24 °C up to 31 °C [1].

Good news for residents and visitors looking forward to a trip to the south: the side roads of the Mambaling underpass are now passable [2]. However, it will be limited to public utility jeepneys for the moment. Private vehicles are still asked to pass through diversion roads while buses can use the South Road Properties. Cebu City Traffic Office (CCTO) Operations Chief Francisco Ouano said the concreting of the side road bound for the north was completed on November 24. With the opening of the side roads, tourists looking to travel to the south can breathe a sigh of relief as traffic in the area is expected to be eased.

After the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) received a certification of the International Organization for Standardization, AirAsia announced its upcoming route from Cebu to Macao and vice-versa [3]. The route is a part of the expansion of the southern hub of the airline. Dexter Comendador, chief executive officer of AirAsia Philippines said the Cebu-Macao route is part of the airline’s long-term plan of connecting Cebu as an important business and tourism hub. The daily flights between the two tourist hubs will start on February 8, 2019.

Bantayan Island may have been used to watch for invaders during the Spanish period, but these days residents are encouraging visitors to visit the island [4]. With tourism contributing a considerable portion to the local economy, the planned development of the existing airport on the island is a welcome proposal. The airport is a 900-meter airstrip located in Sta. Fe. It was built during the term of former governor Lito Osmeña. A memorandum of agreement between the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) and the Provincial Government will increase its length to 1.5 kilometers. This will allow it to accommodate flights from other cities in the archipelago.

As part of the plan to keep the Sinulog festivities safe, the Police Regional Office (PRO-7) is planning to ask telecom companies to suspend mobile phone signals in areas where activities connected to the festival are held [5]. It can be recalled that the first time the mobile signal was shut down in certain areas during the festival was in 2017. It was implemented again this year and will be implemented for the festivities next year. The plan drew support from Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño representative Fr. Aladin Luzon and Sinulog Foundation Inc. overall chairperson committee, Councilor David Tumulak.

The recently launched modern jeepneys will have a higher minimum fare at PhP8.50 [6]. While the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) 7 has yet to approve the fare, LTFRB 7 Director Eduardo Montealto Jr. said the fare is 20 percent higher than the current PhP6.50 minimum fare of jeepneys. The modern jeepneys feature a global positioning system, speed limiter, and a dashboard camera. In addition, passengers can also enjoy free Wi-Fi when they ride the jeepney. There are currently two routes planned for the modern jeepney. The first route starts at the Cebu City Hall and passes through Robinsons Galleria before reaching the Cebu Business Park and Cebu IT Park. The second route passes through hospital zones along Banawa, Osmeña Boulevard, and Ramos Street.