Rain Forest Park Cebu

By: Marjorie G. Espinelli

Having a hard time finding a place that spells E-X-C-I-T-E-M-E-N-T? Want entertainment, adventure, leisure, educational, dining, and unwinding all in one? Well, worry no more, Rainforest Park Cebu caters to everything that you want to experience, perfect for couples, barkada, and family outings.  Situated at F. Cabahug St. Panagda-it Mabolo, Cebu City where everyone can relax and enjoy the serenity, atmosphere and natural beauty of nature. Rainforest Park showcases plenty of animals, mostly aviary and marine variety.

One can feed pigeons to their heart’s content, encounter peackocks, eagles, hornbill and other types of birds at aviary. At the Oceanarium, you can see trtles, snakes, and different kinds of fishes on big aquariums while dining at their restaurant at the same time. If you’re the adventurous type, you may want to visit their  Jungle Adventure, they offer nine various rides to choose from like wall climbing, zip lining, cargo net, Burma bridge, earthquake bridge, deep bucket, Jacob ladder, catwalk bridge & vines. You may also relax at Oasis Spa and Salon with their offered services such as hair rebonding and treatment, hand and foot care, and whole body massage. Entrance fee starts at 50 per person and Jungle Adventure rates start at P200 per hour.

Surely everybody will get to enjoy these awesome packages, from youngsters and  to those who are young at heart. Rainforest  gives you the best experience and escape route from stressful city living.

PIT SENYOR: The Meaning Behind the Word

 By: Jay Ann Marie Poligrates

Just as the month of January has entered, the streets of Cebu are also getting busier and busier as the feast of Santo Nino kicks off. Night markets, nightly variety shows and colorful buntings are swaying with the wind along the Jones highway the Basilica of Santo Niño de Cebu. As the novena started, 9 days before the feast day, pilgrims started to come into the city which created a crowded yet festive atmosphere in the streets of Cebu.

As the most awaited feats day has come, the festive atmosphere fills the air, the Mardi Gras, drumbeats, street dancing and street parties are everywhere and Chants of “Pit Senyor!” are heard, in fact quite prominently. The phrase has also become a fiesta greeting.

But what does “Pit Senyor” really mean? This question just pops up into my mind  just this recent Sinulogcelebration,upon hearing hearing people’s greeting while me and my friends are walking along the crowded streets. Out of curiosity, I ask one of my friend “ Unsajudkaha’y meaning saSinulog? And he answered  “Ambotlang, wapudkokahibaw, unsadiay?” and we both lauged and said “Mao na! sige ta ug greet- greet, waladiay ta kahibawsa meaning”. So that leads me to do my own research, and I discovered that it is not just about a petty matter because it’s part of our culture and according to an article that I’ve read that “No cultural trait is petty matter; every tiny element is like a strand that contributes to the overall fabric of the shared culture”.

“Pit Senyor” is the short term of “Sangpit sa Senyor,” a phase in Cebuano that means. “to call, ask, and plead to the king.” This call for help brings believers together in the crowded streets of Cebu every third Sunday of January, so it was not supposed to be a greeting for each other instead to be addressed directly to the Santo Niño. But unfortunately, the fact is only few understand what “Pit Senyor” means. The greater majority utter it simply as a fiesta greeting. “Pit Senyor” is not just a simple greeting, it has a beautiful back- story. These words are supposed to be an articulation of the people’s goodwill for one another.

Pit Senyor! This time I hope everyone gets what it means, and thus, mean it when saying the words.

Café Noriter: A Playground and Café Rolled Into One

By: Sheila Mae Omandam

Want to try something different out of your regular beverage? Do you want to experience fun with a touch of whimsical ambiance? Or enjoy study sessions and long review periods with friends in a cozy set? Of course, strenuous activities like these require a bit of fun every once in a while, just to avoid information overload or immediate fatigue. What better place to sit down and lounge over your thick books? It’s no other than a usual comfy spot in a coffee shop or café like Café Noriter.

Café Noriter is a Korean inspired café that can be found in One Acacia Place (Acacia St, Cebu City). “Noriter” is the Korean term for playground, and this café surely possesses the aura of a childish playground that has a good blend of café rolled into one. The shop certainly did live up to its namesake. Café Noriter emanates a very youthful vibe with all the quirky post-its displayed on their walls and cupboards. The place can also accommodate a large number of customers as they have lots of tables and seats settled in a room type agenda and also have space outside to enjoy the pleasant view of the old Acacia tree.

In terms of menu, one must try their infamous Chocolate Java Chip that costs Php180. It may look expensive but it’s worth the money. This suits best to those who want sweetness but has very delicate taste to it. One can be surely satisfied! It does not only cater fun, love, and happiness but it also provides good harmony to people who wanted relaxation. Their two-storey seats are perfect for those who want to have a homier feel because you get to sit on the floor. The whole point of Café Noriter is to make everyone happy, as they say on their facebook page. They want to let everyone feel comfy while enjoying their taste of sensation and just bring them to a whole new world by experiencing the best they could offer.

ADOBO: The Golden Cuisine and Cultural Marker of Filipinos

By: John Walter Boisvert

It’s salty. Sometimes it may be sweet. You’ve seen a lot of variations of it. You’ve probably tasted some of it, each with differing taste. The Filipino staple food of each household and restaurant. The country’s national dish, a cultural marker; I’m talking about the phenomenal Adobo!

T-shirt saying “Got Adobo?” channeling Filipino Pride on laymen and college students in their campuses. A movie called American Adobo attributing the national dish. What is it about this national dish? The term may sound familiar. It’s also used in Mexican cuisine. The Mexican adobo refers to a piquant red sauce made from ground chilies, herbs and vinegar sold canned or jarred. The Caribbean adobo usually refers to a dry rub of garlic, onion, oregano, salt and pepper. The dish is pretty much made the same by Filipinos and the ingredients used are basic kitchen needs such as soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves. This dish is a style of cooking pork or chicken.

Writing this article, I get flashbacks of my childhood experiences with adobo. My mom would let the chicken sit and marinate with soy sauce, vinegar, and other spices and let it bathe there all day and when it’s dinner time, I can literally smell t aroma from all sides of the house. There’s no escaping that captivating and mouth-watering scent. Ask any Filipino and you will get different styles and endless variations of each cooking. There’s no definitive history of Filipino adobo. Unlike many other Philippine dishes which have Spanish oor American influence, Adobo is believed to be a combination Filipino-Malay. The dish is rumored to have a non-refrigeration life of 5 days but there’s no real test for that testament. Have it frozen and it will last for weeks or possibly a month and a half.

Adobo is a big part of the Filipino cuisine thus making it a cultural marker in the history of the Filipinos. It marks a significant part of the Filipino pride and identity giving us a sort of face to the world.

TERRA MANNA CAMPING SITE IN BADIAN, CEBU: A Place of Serenity and Tranquillity

By: Dianne B. Dapitan

           

How would you want to spend your summer? Under the blazing heat of the sun on the warmness of the clear waters? Feeling the wind fanning your face, facing a mountainous scenery? Want to just sit on an edge, seeing the beauty of the sea? Or just want to hear the music that the waves of the sea creates? How about experiencing those that had mentioned in just one destination?

Terra Manna Resort and Camping Site in Badian, Cebu. Majority might not have heard. Sounds like just a plain destination. Well, the site can prove you wrong. With its homey ambience that you wouldn’t want to go home just yet, with the green scenery that feels like you are indeed away in the busy streets of metropolis.

Terra Manna Resort and Camping Site offers you more than just a perfect relaxation but as well as health and wellness. The place is located in the not so mountainous Southern Cebu. This destination offers you the perfect relaxation, health and wellness with its serenity and tranquillity. You can do vegetable planning if you really want to feel the spirit of living in a mountain area. If you are up for health and wellness, you can pick whatever vegetables available in the site freshly pick! You can also exercise your body by running or even just plainly walking in the stairs of the area down to the sea. Everything you do is always pampered with the cool and fresh wind. You can also do swimming, fishing, snorkelling, boating, jetski-ing in the peaceful sea. Sounds revitalizing and vigorous for a mountainous area partnered with the beauty of the peaceful sea? Well, in Terra Manna Resort and Camping Site, they offer not just a relaxation but also adventure that the sea could offer you!

Want also to feel the Filipino type of living? Living in a Nipa Hut but never would it leave you unsatisfied? Or you want to rest in a mansionette type of accommodation? The site could offer you with both!

In achieving your customer’s satisfaction, the service provider should make sure the customers are feeling comfortable in the entire duration of their stay. And that’s what Terra Manna Resort and Camping Site could offer.

BOREDOM: Fate or Choice?

By: Dianne B. Dapitan and Stacy Ellaine Lisondra


Anna is eighteen years of age. She’s from an average family and is now a college student. She experiences too much stress from all the projects, quizzes, case studies, and the list goes on. All her subjects have its special projects for the academic system was changed into an Outcome-Based Education (OBE). Not to mention with all her extracurricular activities. Ana barely enjoys her weekends. Her schedule is always jam-packed with all college tasks even on weekends. Stressed out, she often wished it’s already summer vacation for her to be free to do what she really wants to do.

Fast forward to Ana’s summer vacation, Ana is still stressed and what stresses her even more – boredom, despite her having a wide range of gadgets make it even more depressing. The current case is Ana wishes it’s the other way around. She now wishes for the summer vacation to end, for her to go back into her busy college life. Her dream summer vacation turns out to be a summer boredom.

Boredom is the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest according to Merriam Webster Dictionary. But what really drive youths to boredom? We all have the most advanced technology in the world yet we still end up getting bored. When was the last time you went under the sun and did something random? When you were still on your 6^th grade? Or perhaps 3^rd grade?

8 out of 10 youths that had been interviewed via Facebook had answered they used mainly technology in order to feed up their boredom, YET they end up getting more bored. I remember the first time I encountered social networking sites, it was Friendster on my 6^th grade, I forgot how it was to be a kid, running hard with sweats all over under the heat of the sun, and sit facing the old computer screen with the big rear that used to be the trend of the past. Technology had changed the society 360 degrees and put us to another dimension on what we’re ought to be.

Nowadays, teenagers often feel bored.  Who’s to be blamed? Blame it on the technology that is surrounding these earthlings. Technology may helped much in making our tasks easier and faster, but it also contributed some major destruction in many aspects. One of that aspect is the growing problem of the deterioration of some teenager values. Let’s face it, people are now becoming slaves of the technology. People, most especially teenagers, have a very low tolerance to boredom. This is due for the fact that everything we do now is through technology. Generally, teenagers can’t control themselves in turning to their mobile phones (esp. android phones), TVs, tablets, laptops, computers, and so on and so forth.

So how should we really get rid of boredom? Make things balance. I’m not even saying that there is a need to ban technology. I’m saying that every individuals should learn how to appreciate natural things and such. Ironically, years ago teenagers were very productive even though resources are scarce. Now, teenagers don’t even experience satisfaction in their everyday lives. Basically, all we need is to live simpler. Live naturally with lower expectations. After all, we are not superhuman.Do something new. How about go out of your comfort zone, travel more, see and discover the aesthetic nature, make indelible memories, capture photographs?And at the end of the day, write everything. Do something productive. Time is gold. You cannot bring back the time you had wasted with just scrolling your social networking sites. Worry about the money? Do something to enhance your health and lifestyle. Go out and do biking. Do sports. Do a random walk, or run.  You might as well do something that would feed your knowledge. Read more. Live more.