It's as off the beaten track as one can get, this little eatery that stands on the coastal edge of the little town of Cordova in Mactan, but people have found that its seafood specialty—the bakasi or saltwater eel—more than makes up for the long journey there.

Florencio Escabas, owner of Entoy's Bakasihan, serves a plentiful marine resource that can be harvested from the sea just a few meters from his ramshackle bistro.

As seafood dishes go, Entoy's bakasi—which can be prepared three ways—is as fresh and cheap as it can get.

An aphrodisiac?

Cordova Municipal Councilor Didoy Suan says the bakasi has a distinct taste that keeps him coming back for more.

Others, are regulars because they say the bakasi is Cordova's version of  Soup No. 5, an aphrodisiac.

There is no secret spice,

By Marlen D. Limpag

In Barangay Campangga in the town of Barili, the waters of Mantayupan Falls rush down from a rocky ridge with abundant vegetation on either side. The top of the falls seem so far way while people bathing downstream appear so tiny. 

In fact, the innermost falls of Mantayupan measures 321 feet or 98 meters tall.  Its gushing waters form a natural pool at the bottom and provide visitors with an ideal place for bathing or just communing with nature. It is considered the tallest of Cebu’s waterfalls.

Rocks and boulders lie in the shallows, some submerged while a few stick out, and serve to reinforce the ground enclosure that keeps the water in but allows it to flow out on one side to form a short river.  Farther on, the river forms the beginnings of a group of four waterfalls.

Inspires painters

Russian artist Vladimir Anisimov was so taken in by the combination of lush greens and falling water that he wanted to skip the rest of his guided tour and stay there painting by

Photo by Narciso Tapia

It's 7:30 in the morning and Jojo dela Cruz is already busy serving food to a number of people along a busy street in downtown Cebu City.

Elbows touching, diners huddle around a narrow rectangular table with a big plastic container on top containing all sorts of fried goodies: ginabot (deep-fried pork intestines, similar to chicharon bulaklak), ngohiong (a fried spring roll stuffed with meat and vegetables), dila (fried pork tongue), bola-bola (fried meat balls), and chorizo (pork sausage).

Instead of utensils, customers use their hands, which they encase in small plastic bags, to handle their morning nourishment.

The food might not be the healthiest and the locale the most sanitary to begin the day with, but Cebuanos who eat their breakfast in the "pungko-pungko" eateries are drawn by the affordability of the food.

"Sa una pa, estudyante pa mi mukaon na mi ani kay barato ug lami lang gihapon. (We've eaten here since we were students. It's delicious and inexpensive)," said

Unilab is targeting 5,000 runners for the Cebu leg of its Run United regional series scheduled this December 18.

The Cebu leg, which will have the 21k, 10k, 5k, 3k categories as well as a 500-meter dash for kids, is being organized by Coach Rio dela Cruz's RunRio Inc. in coordination with local organizers.

Unilab representative Lester Castillo said during a briefing this morning that Unilab Active Health, which was started last year, holds running events in line with its goal of influencing Filipino families to embrace a healthy and active lifestyle.

The Run United in Cebu is the last event in the regional series that Unilab is holding this year in six cities outside of Luzon, Castillo added.

Louella May dela Cruz-Magno, RunRio events management group head, said 21k finishers will get a medal and a shirt aside from the singlet that will be given during registration and finisher's bag that is available to all runners who complete their respective distances.

Kenneth Casquejo, one of the

The Moalboal underwater scene attracts scuba diving enthusiasts because of its well-kept corals and huge variety of marine life. (Photo by Sergio Forti, sourced by Marlen Limpag)

If there is one thing the more than 20 diving shops in Moalboal agree on, it's that this Cebu town is a scuba diver's paradise.

The town counts among its visitors underwater fanatics from around the Philippines, European and other countries, and photography enthusiasts.

What sets Moalboal apart from other diving sites?

Italian Sergio Forti said the characteristics of the Moalboal underwater ecosystem, where the corals are in good condition and there is a big variety of marine life, make it interesting especially for underwater photographers.

Forti, an avid diver, said he came to Moalboal 20 years ago and this visit prompted him to build "from the ground up" the Sampaguita Resort, which he opened in 2003.

His resort offers training on open water diving for US$250. Experienced divers may avail of his US$55

Molobolo (Photo by Joy Flores-Ablanida)
By Joy Flores-Ablanida
For Yahoo! Southeast Asia

Taking a vacation need not always be expensive.

In the town of Tuburan, which is some 96 kilometers from Cebu City, the Molobolo Spring has been attracting tourists and slowly becoming a favorite hangout place for residents and visitors alike.

The discovery of the cold spring has changed this once quiet municipality in the midwestern part of Cebu.

Tuburan's name comes from the Visayan word "tubod," which means spring of water. It is no wonder then that Molobolo Spring is one of the town's natural gifts.

From the "tubod" flows cool and refreshing water, and the air is very fresh in the area. The local government built a rectangular pool as catchment for water from the spring. This is where visitors can take a dip in the freezing water.

If it's high tide, visitors can see the water from the cold spring flow to the sea.

Affordable trip

Going to Molobolo Spring will not cost much, which is a big plus for families and friends who are looking

The tallest and grandest waterfall in Kawasan is the first thing that a visitor sees from the main road. Visitors can ride on a bamboo raft to get to the falling sheet of water.(Photo by Marlen Limpag)

Cebu's long and narrow topography provides the island with a host of nature sites, and one such is the Matutinao River that creates eight waterfalls as it flows along its winding course from the mountain to the sea.

Locals and travelers, though, commonly refer to this two-kilometer stretch of clear emerald waters, flowing slowly in some parts and rushing in others, as Kawasan Falls.

The village of Matutinao in the town of Badian, a three-hour bus ride from Cebu City, is home to the river and the waterfalls it has created.

The tallest and grandest of these falls is the first one visitors see as they make their way upriver.

Since it is a 1.5-kilometer walk to the first waterfall, visitors are inclined to stop there and it tends to get crowded especially during weekends and holidays.

One of

Balbino Guerrero in his element (Contributed photo/Ka Bino Guerrero)

Balbino Guerrero is Negrense by birth but when it comes to Cebu's history, he knows more than the average Cebuano.

He believes, for instance, that Magellan's Cross in downtown Cebu City is ill-named, and that the plaque beneath the structure saying Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan planted it there has it all wrong.

Indeed, for 36-year-old Ka Bino, knowing all there is to know about Cebu is an advantage, nay a necessity, in the tour guiding world that he has come to love. "KSP (kulang sa pansin) man gud ko (I crave attention). I want to talk. I like it when people listen to me," said Ka Bino, to jokingly explain why he was a perfect fit for the job.

While he may have been born in Tanjay, Negros Oriental, he said he is definitely "Cebuano by choice," moving here 15 years ago at the request of a cousin whose husband had to leave for China and opting to stay. Asked about his name Ka Bino, he said it is all that he has kept of his college activist days.

Welcome accident

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