This Week in Cebu (June 30 to July 6, 2019)

A thunderstorm or two is expected to greet the month of July so it’s advisable to bring your rain gear with you when you visit Cebu [1]. This basically sums up the rest of the week as the rainy season is well on its way. The sun may peek out from behind the clouds on Wednesday and Thursday but it will be short-lived as a thunderstorm is expected later on in the day. Cloudy weather will then return over the weekend along with rain and a thunderstorm or two. Temperatures are expected to be between 24°C and 33°C.

The much-awaited underpass project along Natalio Bacalso Highway is finally open to vehicular traffic [2]. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-7) announced the opening of the PhP638-billion project in Mambaling to ease traffic in the area. Aside from private vehicles, public utility jeepneys and taxis are also allowed to pass through the underpass. Buses and mini-buses are still advised to take the Cebu South Coastal Road in ferrying passengers to and from southern Cebu. This may change depending on the decision of the incoming mayor of Cebu City. The opening is good news for southbound commuters as travel time to and from Cebu City will be shorter.

The Mactan-Cebu International Airport may soon have a new name as the House of Representatives approved the measure renaming the airport on its third and final reading [3]. Its new name will be Lapu-Lapu Cebu International Airport. The principal author of the bill, Cebu City Rep. Raul Del Mar, said it will give recognition to the native chieftain, Lapu-Lapu. “Cebu” will remain on the name due to the historical, cultural, and economic significance of the place. For the moment, there is no counterpart measure in the Senate. With the name change, the corporate body managing the airport will also be renamed to Lapu-Lapu-Cebu International Airport Authority.

If you plan to go island-hopping in Cebu, you can now rest easy knowing that government agencies inspected boats used for these activities recently. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Central Visayas together with the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) 7 and the DOT-7 inspected the boats to ensure they meet maritime safety standards [4]. Aside from checking the safety of these boats, boat operators were also asked to present their vessel registrations and documents of ownership. Unregistered boats will be given time to comply and mobile registrations were also conducted by Marina 7. The maritime safety enforcement patrol started on June 20 and will continue until July 3.

Southern Cebu has been receiving much of the limelight in recent years, particularly the towns of Oslob, Carcar, and Aloguinsan. Due to this, the northern towns have been overlooked. To remedy this situation, the DOT-7 is set to promote tourism in the north [5]. Aside from the white-sand beaches in Camotes, Malapascua, and Bantayan, northern Cebu is also home to the Cebu Safari and Adventure Park in Carmen. DOT 7 Director Shahlimar Tamano said additional marketing activities are necessary to promote the area. Tamano also suggested the construction of more ports and the operation of water taxis. Tourism infrastructure projects are part of a 10-year master plan being crafted by the DOT, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, and the National Economic and Development Authority.

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