The sweetness of Cebu

For a weekend getaway, I opted for Shangri-La Mactan. The last time I was here with my kids was two years ago, so I thought it would be nice to go back again. Since they like to eat well, this seemed to be the best option. There have been so many new developments since we were last here. We played mini golf. I got three hole-in-ones in a row! Unreal. And to think I have problems with depth perception.

We jogged at my insistence in spite of the drizzle. I thought it would be good preparation for the Pasig River Run on October. In the evening of the first day we went to see Wolverine. That was an experience, being in a Cebu theater for the first time. There were so many commercials. It was an experience for me to see how the audience sat rapt, even for the commercials. They reacted in zest to the trailers, and to the movie itself. There couldn’t be a better audience. Their energy felt very pure, very open. They laughed at almost everything. I left the theater thinking, “Wow, this Cebuano audience is something else.” There is a sweetness about the Cebuano.

The next day, Roberto, my eldest son, insisted on eating a Big Bite Burger from the bar for breakfast. I complained because we already had the breakfast that was part of the room fee. But he was so insistent since his friend was raving about it. I gave in. What appeared was a huge burger containing three eggs, cheese, bacon and 400 grams of beef! The caloric index must have gone way past the ceiling. He said he felt a little bit nauseous after eating it and maybe that’s because he gulped it down so fast: eight minutes. We timed him since we had an appointment to meet. After eating it at 10:30 he was still full until the evening, despite the fact that he had played a basketball game. He gave the burger a rating of 7 –– which for him is very good. When I questioned the wisdom of overloading his system that way, he said that, despite the heaviness, it was worth the treat. So before leaving the hotel, my younger son Benjamin went for it as well. Sigh. Must be the hormones, or some carnivore gene from the caveman days.

Then we went island hopping. I was impressed with how clear the water was. We went to Nalusuan Island where the coral is still alive and there were so many fish. What struck me the most was the number of boats there! I was a little worried about the coral since there was no one there mandating rules. I tapped this man on the shoulder because he kept on standing on the corals. He was one of the boatmen. That place must rake in over a hundred thousand daily just by how beautiful it is — and it’s providing economic gain to all these dive shops, generating employment for boatmen. It was inspiring. However, it should be managed so that they don’t “kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.”

After that we went to another island with a beautiful white sand beach. The island looked quite populated –– and I worried about the sewage. I was happy to buy lobsters, fish, clams and scallops that the islanders kept bringing to our cabana. We played pusoy dos at the beach. I like this game because it necessitates card sense and intelligence. We ended with a basketball game with the islanders. The first one they won. The second one we won. It was a riot watching them play. The islanders are so small compared to my sons and Jun, my security man. But they kept going at it, and actually did quite well.

The trip from Shangrila Mactan to the islands was on glassy water — and this is rainy season! It was so peaceful; we were able to doze off in the boat. I actually didn’t know Cebu was so beautiful.

What was interesting to me was that the hotel was so full! But I didn’t see one Filipino family. It was mostly Japanese and Koreans. I met Ace Durano, former DOT secretary, on the way back. He told me there are 72 flights weekly from Korea to Cebu. So much so that the attendants speak Japanese and Korean to cater to the clientele. The guest relations manager of Shangri-La (who is a sweetheart) is in fact Korean, and she learned to speak English in the Philippines! She even speaks Visayan.

It was a lovely weekend. Given the crowd of foreigners putting money into our economy, I am just further convinced that this is the niche we have in the world market. They don’t have the tropical climate, the coral reefs and the different islands that we have in the Philippines. Our water is clear, but it’s also deliciously at body temperature, making our swims very enjoyable.

Let’s nourish and keep what we have that is special.

I enjoyed the bonding with my kids. I still have fond memories of the times when my dad would take the family out. In retrospect, these precious moments lend an emotional stability, a resting place nuanced by the feeling of being loved. We build the nesting place through moments like these.

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I can be reached at regina_lopez@abs-cbn.com.