By Stanley Cris Laraño
Cebu is boldly charting its course to become a top tourism hotspot in the Philippines, and who can blame it?
Steeped in rich history and brimming with both natural splendor and man-made attractions, Cebu is a treasure trove for the adventurous.
Picture its beaches, the gentle giants known as Butandings, a tapestry of temples, the historic Magellan’s Cross, and the revered Sto. Niño–central to the island’s vibrant Sinulog Festival.
Certainly, Cebu offers culinary delights, especially the lechon–a roast pig so succulent and flavorful that the late chef Antony Bourdain proclaimed in his show “No Reservations” that it was “the best pig, ever.”
Exploring Cebu can be a bit of a marathon, given the distances between tourist sites and with city traffic that’s now giving Metro Manila a run for its money–a testament to the province’s growth, but something that definitely needs addressing.
Yet, the journey starts on a high note with Mactan International Airport.
A makeover done a few years ago makes it a refreshing departure from many other airports in the Philippines, offering a smoother experience compared to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
From Mactan to Cebu City, you’ll traverse one of three bridges–the First Bridge officially known as Serging Veloso Osmeña Jr. Bridge; the Second Bridge or the Marcelo Fernan Bridge; and the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX).
The Marcelo Fernan Bridge, named after one of two Supreme Court Chief Justices that Cebu has produced, is the closest to the airport.
For tourists, crossing these bridges that rise over 50 meters above the Mactan Channel–a vital sea lane for the province and is also known as Opon Channel–is indeed captivating.
Few, however, get the chance to appreciate these engineering works from below, on a leisurely tour aboard a catamaran.
Crossing the bridges is one thing. Passing underneath them is an entirely different experience.
It was a memorable Saturday morning, thanks to the dynamic team at Topline, especially COO Brigitte Carmen Lim, who hosted us on the cruise through the Mactan Channel–echoing the maritime adventures of Ferdinand Magellan’s fleet over 500 years ago.
If the Second Bridge is amazing, then the Cardova-Cebu Bridge is awe-inspiring, with its elegant pylons and cables reminiscent of the Golden Gate Bridge, framed against a dramatic Saturday morning sky.
When it was completed in 2021, it dislodged the 5-kilometer Candaba Viaduct as the longest bridge in the country at over 8 kilometers. It is also the longest sea-crossing and cable-stayed bridge in the Philippines.
The bridges’ massive foundations, with platforms jutting above the water several meters high, have become leisure spots for children leaving along the shores.
It is probably their way of showing up the cliff divers of Acapulco, not they’ve been to Mexico or know that Acapulco is the other terminal point of the galleon trade fostered by Spanish who landed on those shores half a millennium ago.
It was a brief voyage on the Opon, with the vessel turning back as we approached Nustar Resort and Casino; to our right is the SM Seaside City, whose architect drew inspiration from the nautilus in designing the shopping complex.
