Lomagral Travel and Tours

        Valentine's Day is coming...          Red hearts will be everywhere, decorating every store, school, and other public places. Flowers and chocolates are rampant at this time as lovers offer their heartfelt endearment to their partners.          But are flowers and chocolates the only thing you can give your loved one? Perhaps there will be a candlelight dinner, a wine to pair, or a teddy bear to add? These traditional gifts are still magical—sending the age-old catharsis of puppy-love goosebumps or what Filipinos call, ‘ kilig ’.          In this modern age, where possibilities are endless, you can now spend your Valentine’s Day taking an adventure at the highlands of Cebu. Restaurant dinner dates are no longer the only place you and your loved one can go. There are many tourist destinations at Busay (Cebu) that best fit the Val...

  (Map of Cebu | source:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cebu_City) Why would one travel to Cebu? What is its niche compared to the other islands in the Philippines? First and foremost, every island in the Philippines has wonders they can share worldwide. Cebu is also the same.          The cradle of Christianity—once Ferdinand Magellan landed on the shores of Sugbu (Cebu), many native Cebuanos converted to Christianity, starting with its rules, Rajah Humabon (Don Carlos) and Hara Humamay (Reyna Juana). Days after the baptism, Ferdinand Magellan gifted Reyna Juana —as per her request—Cebu became the first Christian Island in the Philippines.          The rich precolonial, colonial, and modern influences of Cebu’s history and culture made the island a desired tourist destination. One such grand tourist attraction is the Sinulog Festival where locals showcased their undying devotion to Señor Sant...

      Cebu is an island in the Philippines, specifically located in Visayas. Long ago, during the precolonial era, Cebu (known as Sugbu ) was one of the richest places in the whole archipelago. Its large port entertained many foreign traders on its shores.       Once Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines and introduced the Catholic faith, the belief of the Visayas and the whole archipelago changed. Noted in Pigafetta’s notes was an encounter he had witnessed when the Queen of Cebu, Reyna Juan (or Humamay in the Cebuano legend) asked Magellan for the image of the Santo Niño. In exchange for her request, Magellan told her he would gift her the image if she converted to Catholicism. The queen did not say anything at first but then later on accepted the faith and received the image of the Santo Niño, replacing her old idols.              The rest is then history… (source: ht...