Kidapawan City, Philippines

Explore Kidapawan City, Philippines, Southeast Asia

By:  Virgie Cadiente.

About The City:
Kidapawan City is located in the island of Mindanao, Province of Cotabato, Philippines. It is nestled at
the foot of the splendid Mt. Apo, the highest  mountain in the country.  The city’s name originated from Manobo (the city’s early settlers) words “Tida” which denotes spring and “Pawan” which denotes highland.  It is originally called Tidapawan  but the arrival of Christian settlers from different parts of the country has caused the transformation of the word Tidapawan to Kidapawan.  The city is also a home for several kinds of exotic fruits like durian, rambutan, mangosteen, lanzones, marang and banana,  thus obtaining the title  “The City of Fruits and Highland Springs”.  Fortunately, the city is deified with a propitious climate being positioned outside the typhoon belt.  Having a wet and dry season, December and January are the coolest months with April and May as the sultriest months are.

How To Reach Kidapawan
Kidapawan  City can be reached by air, sea and land transportation.  For air transportation, you can visit the following airlines:
1. Cebu Pacific Airlines
2. PAL Express
3. Philippine Airlines
Route (international tourists): Country of Origin to Manila
            Manila to Davao City
            Davao City to Kidapawan City – by bus, van or taxi only ( 2 hours)
If you want to take a bus, go to  Ecoland Terminal but if you want to

Cebu, Philippines

Cebu, Philippines, Welcome to Paradise

By Bernadette Salas

Cebu is a city that has a little bit of everything for everyone.

To the world, it is best known as a beautiful tropical paradise. Home to white sand beaches, for years its natural beauty has been an attraction for tourists who craved the allure of the sun and sea. In the Philippines, Cebu is best known as a historic and cultural landmark. It was where Christianity was first introduced to the country by the Spanish conquistadors 492 years ago. It is here that the epic battle between Magellan and Datu Lapu-lapu happened, which resulted in the tragic death of the former.

Cebu is also one of the most progressive cities in the Philippines. We have a thriving BPO, IT and furniture-making industry. And of course, tourism is one of our major economic drivers as well. We may be a small city but you can find all the necessary modern conveniences you’ll need here.

When coming to Cebu, enjoying the beach should be first on your list. For those wanting to relax, you can simply lounge and savor the slower pace of life. For those who are feeling more adventurous, we have excellent diving spots in Mactan Island. A small boat called a banca

can also take you to the smaller islands surrounding Mactan that can best showcase the colorful variety of sea creatures and marine life in the area. You can also do all sorts of watersports such as jet skiing and parasailing too.

In terms of accommodations, you can choose to stay at a seaside resort or you can choose to stay in the city and commute to the beach. It’s only 30-40 minutes away by jeepney or taxi. And if you’re taking the taxi, it’ll only cost just around $6 one way. There are accommodations for every budget. And you can choose to stay at a guest house, a five star resort or something in between.

Your next agenda should be the food. According to Anthony Bourdain, we have the “best pig ever” in our lechon (slow pit-roasted whole pig). And of course, we have amazing seafood. Prawns, squid, fish, shells, you name we got it. You can have it grilled, stuffed or fried. And just for kicks, try the lato (seaweed) salad. It’s delicious! Typical Cebuanos also eat a lot of pork barbecue and chicken. It’s our favorite street food.

Finally, try to visit some of the cultural sites in the city. We have the oldest basilica in the country – The Basilica Minore del Santo Nino. The Basilica houses the miraculous Santo Nino or Child Jesus. Viewing and devotion can be done daily. So for the religious, it will be an interesting pilgrimage. For the curious, the church gives an interesting glimpse of religious life in the older days.

Our love for the Santo Nino is commemorated by a yearly street festival called the Sinulog. The Sinulog has a catchy signature beat and dance. And it has the most vibrant costumes! It’s truly the best religious street festival in the country. While a competition is held for the best dance presentations, the dancing and festivity pours out to the streets until the wee hours. So if you can time your visit to January, this festival is worth the trip.

People in Cebu speak English as a second language. So asking directions or assistance won’t be a problem. And we’re a relatively happy and helpful bunch of people so expect a lot of smiles all around. Be wary, however, of overly-friendly locals who offer all sorts of deals for a fixed price. They are likely to overcharge.

See you in Cebu!

Iligan City, Mindanao, Philippines

Iligan City, Mindanao, Philippines: City of Majestic Waterfalls

By Anazel Gallardo    

 Iligan City is one of the most well known cities in Mindanao. Known for its wonderful falls, many local celebrities have gone here for vacation and sight-seeing.

The famous Maria Christina Falls, and often named as the “twin falls” is the main destination of tourist whenever they visit the city. It has also improved by the city’s officials by putting decorated nature park whose location can make the tourist have a great sight of the falls. They have also built a zip line adventure for the adventurous visitors.

There’s also the Tinago falls that had been a shooting location for a local movie last year. Tinago means “hidden”, which means you have to walk a few miles from the city before you can reach the captivating falls. Nonetheless, the effort you will make will surely be worthy when you get to the place.

Next is the Mimbalot falls that unlike Maria Cristina Falls and Tinago Falls is just near the city. This is perfect for the tourist who just wants to get rid from the noisy sound of the city.

When you visit Iligan City, you will surely see a lot of restaurants. Filipino loves to eat, that’s why you really don’t have to stress yourself to look for an eating place. Fast-food chains are everywhere in the city: there’s Jollibee, who serves chicken joy, palabok (Filipino version of Italian’s pasta), burger, French fries and ice cream, we also have McDonald’s who also serve meals like what Jollibee offers, Greenwich whose main menu is pizza, if you crave for doughnuts, Dunkin Donut is the place for you and lastly, Chowking that serves mostly Chinese delicacies.

            Iligan City has also its local restaurants. The “Kusina Iliganon” whose specialty is “Nilagang Buto ng Baka”, it is a recipe that uses beef ribs with cabbage, carrots and potatoes. The “Tita Fannnies” restaurant that is famous by their “Fish Tinola”, a dish which Filipino loves to cook almost every day. But you don’t have to worry tasting the dish, if it is your first time, you will surely love the delicious flavor.

            If you are an exotic food taster, Iligan at night will be the best for you. This city at night will be filled by different kinds of vendors who cook chicken’s intestine with appetizing sauce, they also cook tempura and the famous “kwek-kwek” that simply means “delicious” in English. It is a deep fried quail eggs dipped in vinegar and tomato sauce. Are you hungry, yet?

            Iligan City’s transportation on the other hand is by means of jeepney and taxi. But if I were you, I would take the jeepney to experience the natural atmosphere in the city. It will be fun riding inside it!

            People here are very friendly and love to smile. Their main source of income is by selling wooden home furniture, cooking street foods and driving public transportation. Homeless people serve the tourist by getting their grocery bags to their cars. You simply have to hand them a couple of penny and they would surely thank you with a smile. Iligan City’s people also work for fast-food chains and large establishments.

            The nature, food, eating place and people here in Iligan are simply fun to get to know. You wouldn’t regret visiting the place once in your life.