Michi Photostory

Last year, I’ve been seeing a lot of posts about TienDA sa Ayala Malls but it is too far from where I live. When I saw the Alabang Town Center event, I have a get-together on that date naman so hindi rin ko nakapunta. So when I saw a new post that there will be TienDA in Solenad, I immediately marked the date on my calendar. This will be the last leg of the weekend traveling market.

Nov 18-19, 2017 Abreeza Mall
Nov. 25-26 Ayala Center Cebu
Dec. 2-3 at UP Town Center
Dec. 9-10 Alabang Town Center
Dec 16-17 at Ayala Malls The 30th
Jan 20-21 Ayala Malls Solenad


TienDA sa Ayala Malls is a partnership between the Ayala Malls and Department Agriculture where you can buy fresh fruits, vegetables, and other local products from farmers and fishermen across the Philippines.


I was really curious if they are selling goods at farmgate prices, meaning mura di ba because there are no middlemen involved. So last Saturday, we were there as early as 10:30AM, according to the flyers, the event will start at 11AM but we’re glad that they are already selling their products.


So we checked the different booths, and I asked my husband if mura ba? To be honest, I don’t go to the wet market so I’m not really aware of the SRP. Yes, ever since I got married, si hubby namamalengke sa amin for practical reasons and of course, mabigat para sa akin ang mamalengke ng 1 week meal, baka mas lalo pa ko lumiit. Bilang lang sa daliri yung sumama kami ng anak ko sa palengke.



Anyway, since sabi ni hubby mas mura sa mga suki niya and yung iba pareho lang sa palengke. Konti lang nabili namin, we bought pomelo from Davao, salted egg, corn, longganisang Lucban, and of course, we ate binatog and corn with butter and cheese. I was looking for the suman, pero wala ko nakita. Maybe, iba-iba yung seller per event.


We cooked the longganisang Lucban and surprisingly, we liked it. I knew that we tried longganisang Lucban (pasalubong) before and okay lang lasa pero yung nabili namin sa TienDA masarap so my two boys went back to TienDA just to buy the longa para makapaghoard kami at malayo ang Lucban, Quezon but unfortunately, ubos na daw. Marami din naghoard. lol

Before they left, my son ate corn with butter and cheese (new favorite niya) and they tried the Tubo (sugar cane) juice. He even told me “Mommy, sayang, you should come with us so you can taste the Tubo juice, it is good for the teeth, body and anti-aging pa”.

Me: Paano mo naman nalaman na anti-aging yun.
Ethan: I read it, it is in the cup of the juice.

We tried the pomelo and it is really good. I just bought few pieces because my husband told me, he might go to Davao so dun na lang daw siya bibili ng marami.

Hubby went to Cebu last week, I was tempted to book a flight so we can spend our long weekend in Cebu. But I need to practice self-control since I’m saving for our next home project. Anyway, I’m still happy because hubby bought our favorites from Cebu, which are lechon and danggit.


Well, let me reminisce about our 2 Days Trip in Cebu. Six years ago, I celebrated my birthday in Cebu. It was my advance birthday celebration since my husband could only take a one-day leave. We only have two whole days to enjoy our trip. 

We stayed in Fuente Oro Business Suites, it is a budget hotel that offers basic accommodation with breakfast. Since we arrived at 6AM, the room is not yet ready so we left our luggage and started our DIY Cebu City Tour. 

DIY Cebu City Tour 

We took a jeep to Basilica De Sto Niño where we will start our walking tour. From the church, we just walked to Plaza Sugbo, Magellan’s Cross, City Hall, Malacañang sa Sugbo, and Fort San Pedro. 



After exploring Fort San Pedro, we went straight to Taoist Temple. We rode a jeep and habal-habal, and from the gate we walked to the temple. It is better to take a taxi and let the driver wait for you. On our way back, we were lucky to get a taxi kasi ang hirap mag-abang. We thought that we were going to walk back to Julie’s Shop. Ang layo talaga nun, naghabal-habal nga kami nung papunta. 


Next stop, we ate at Casa Verde so we can taste their famous ribs. Then we went back to the hotel and took a nap. We did not continue our tour anymore because it was raining so we just had a quick trip at Crown Regency. We just watch 4D movie because I’m afraid of heights so I did not try the skywalk or sky ride. 

Read: DIY Cebu City Tour  

Mactan City Tour

The following day, we woke up early so we can go to Taboan Market. Our trip in Cebu won’t be complete without buying pasalubong like danggit and dried mango. 


Then we ate breakfast and off we went to Mactan so we can see Lapu-Lapu Monument, Mactan Shrine and Magellan’s Marker. The famous Sutukil was also there but we did not eat there because we have complimentary buffet lunch at Shangri-la. 

Read: DIY Mactan City Tour 

Day in Paradise in Shangri-la Mactan Resort and Spa


We had a day trip at Shangri-la Mactan Resort and Spa, the day trip package is from 8-9PM which is perfect for our evening flight. We really had a memorable experience in Shangri-la so last year, I inquired about their day trip and overnight package but the day trip was not available at that time. The overnight package was so steep for our budget so we just stayed at Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan. 

Read: Day Trip in Shangri-la Mactan 

Hopefully, we can stay in Shangri-la Mactan Resort and Spa because I’m sure my son will enjoy their Kid’s Play Area which was not included in our Day Trip Package before. It was a short trip but we enjoyed it. 

Read: Things to do in Cebu
Food Trip in Cebu
Cebu's Lechon

Some people say that Cebu is like Manila and there is nothing much to do. Yes, it is like Manila if you stay in the city but just like other places, there are so many interesting places to visit in Cebu. I have just visited this province three times and until now I haven’t explored the Northern and Southern Cebu so I still have reason to go back to Cebu. 


Sharing with you the things that you can do in Cebu according to our experience. 

Kawasan Falls 

I was still in high school when I first visited Cebu with my churchmates, I was there from December 26 till January 1. We’ve visited different hotels, malls, and restaurants which I can hardly remember but one thing that I can’t forget is, we had an overnight stay in Kawasan Falls.

Back then, I don’t have my own camera so I have very limited pictures of the falls but I can say that it is one of the pretty falls that I’ve visited. I’ve read that there is a new adventure that you can do here and it is called Canyoneering in Kawasan Falls. 

When my son hit teenage years maybe we can try this, I just hope ganun pa rin energy ko. Baka tumutunog na buto ko. Hahaha! 

Read: Amazing Waterfalls in the Philippines

Tops Lookout 

Tops Lookout located in Busay Hills is also a must-see if you want to see the Metro Cebu cityscape and its neighboring islands Mactan and Olango. The best time to be here is before sunset so you can see the city lights too. We went here via private vehicle so I’m not sure how to commute. 

DIY Cebu City Tour 

Since we always stay in the city, we always do the DIY City Tour. I have a son in tow so we can’t finish everything in one day. But I’m pretty sure that you can do this in one go. Walking tour is really possible because we literally walk from one spot to another spot.

We visited Basilica De Sto. Nino, Magellan’s Cross, Plaza Independecia, Fort San Pedro and Malacanang sa Sugbo. We went to Taoist Temple but you need a ride here, habal-habal or taxi. 4D movie at Crown Regency since we’re afraid of heights so no Sky Adventure in Cebu. 

Read: DIY Cebu City Tour

We visited Casa Gorordo Museum, Yap - San Diego Ancestral House, Heritage of Cebu Monument, Colon St. Basilica De Sto. Nino and Magellan’s Cross. From Magellan’s Cross, we rode a jeep to Taboan Market so we can buy dried mango, dried fish, dried squid and other pasalubong.

Read: Cebu City Tour + Taboan Market

DIY Mactan City Tour

There are tourist spots that you can visit from the airport if you have no luggage with you. You can visit Mactan Shrine, Lapu-Lapu Monument and dine at any Sutukil restaurants. 

Read: Mactan City Tour

We dropped by here before going to Shangri-la Mactan Resort and Spa where we had a day trip. You have to call before going there because Day in Paradise package is not always available. I experienced that when we went to Cebu last summer. I inquired through email and I was advised that day tour is not available until further notice.

Read: Day in Paradise at Shangri-la Mactan Resort and Spa

Food Trip

Aside from the interesting places, it is also nice to have a food trip in Cebu because the price is cheaper compared to NCR restaurants. If you are a meat lover and like to eat lechon, you will really enjoy your stay in Cebu because there are so many lechon restaurants to choose from. 

Read: Food Trip in Cebu
          Where to Eat in Cebu
          Cebu's Lechon

Accommodation in Cebu 

Of course, you need accommodation in Cebu and check the hotels and resorts that we have tried in Cebu from cheap to luxury. 

Read: Staycation in Cebu

I hope on our next visit we can go to Bantayan or Sumilon Island, I also want to experience island hopping. Have you been to Cebu? Care to share your experience. 

Read: Cebu's Island Hopping Information
          Pasalubong from Cebu 

We were not able to visit Bantayan Island so we’re thinking if we could just have a day trip in Oslob and swim with the whale shark but since we wanted a relax vacation, we just settled in Cebu City Tour. 

Five years ago, we were not able to finish our Cebu City Tour because it rained so I listed again those places that we haven’t visited. 

Read: DIY Cebu City Tour
          Mactan City Tour and Taboan Market

1. Archbishop’s Palace of Cebu 
2. Museo Sugbo 
3. Casa Gorordo Museum 
4. Yap - San Diego Ancestral House 
5. Heritage of Cebu Monument 
6. Colon St. 
7. Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral 
8. Cebu Cathedral Museum 

We rode a taxi from Cebu Parklane International Hotel, our first stop is Casa Gorordo Museum, unfortunately the taxi driver has no idea where is the museum. Waah! Thank God for Waze and internet connection so the driver followed it. 

Read: Cebu Parklane International Hotel

We reach our destination and I was surprised to see the tarpaulin, “Casa Gorordo Museum is CLOSED for upgrading”. My friend has just visited this museum and I’ve seen her pictures so I was not expecting that after few days, the museum will be closed. 


From the museum, we walked to Yap - Sandiego Ancestral House. The house really looks old, it is over 300 years old already. Entrance Fee is P50. I was thankful for the tour guide because he volunteered to take our photos. Yey, for family pictures.


You can already see the Heritage of Cebu Monument from the ancestral house. The monument presents the highlights of Cebu's history from the time of Rajah Humabon up to the beautification of St. Pedro Calungsod. 


After the monument, we’re planning to go to Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral but we ended up in Basilica De Sto. Niño church. Toinks! So we took a picture again in front of the church. The church is the oldest church in the country, it was built in year 1565 by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Fray de Urdaneta. 

If you remember, three years ago this church is one of the churches that has been damaged by an earthquake. I was happy to see that it was now renovated and restored.


Read: Damaged Heritage Sites

Then we went to Magellan’s Cross at the side of the church (few meters walk). Check our photo, time flies so fast noh, our last visit maliit pa anak ko, next time matangkad na siya sa kin. 

The wooden cross marks the spot where the first baptism of Filipinos in year 1521 led by Rajah Humabon and Queen Juana. The cross was planted by Ferdinand Magellan. 

We ended our Cebu City Tour because my son wanted to go back to our hotel already. He was complaining na ang init-init and pawis na daw siya. Hehehe! But we did not go back to our hotel yet and we went straight to Taboan Market. We rode 06A jeep and we told the driver that we’re going to Taboan Market. Fare is P7 each. 


Read: Pasalubong from Cebu

Then we took taxi to go back to our hotel. I swear, amoy danggit kami. The smell really sticks to our body, hair and clothes. Hehehe!

When I started traveling, I always buy fridge magnet, keychain or t-shirt with I love (name of the place) print for pasalubong or as a souvenir but after few years, I stopped buying those stuff because I realized, I don’t need a lot of magnet and keychain. Honestly, nakatambak lang sila.

Now, I’m more into foods, foods that are not usually available in our place. We were in Cebu last week and we did not leave without buying the famous pasalubong in Cebu like dried mango, dried fish and lechon.

You can buy pasalubong in souvenir shops, supermarket, market or even at the airport. Of course, price may vary. If we have time, we will go to Taboan Market just to buy pasalubong, mas mura kasi and mas marami choices. My husband frequently visits Cebu but he is always busy so he usually buys pasalubong at Metro or Airport.

Metro Supermarket 

To save money, I went to the grocery to buy drinks and snacks, then I saw dried mango in the supermarket. I know that you can see dried mango in any supermarket in Metro Manila but I still I bought few pieces at P75 each, I’m not sure if it is already cheap, I will compare it kapag nagawi sa supermarket.


My husband buys dried fish, dried mango and Shamrock Otap at Metro Supermarket too. He usually stays at Cebu City Marriott Hotel now Seda Ayala Center Cebu so it is walking distance to shopping mall. You can also buy sylvannas at La Marea Pastry Shop.




Read: Cebu City Marriott Hotel 
Seda Ayala Center Cebu Hotel 

Taboan Market  

Before leaving Cebu City, we went to Taboan Market to buy danggit (2 days before our departure). We visited the market during our last visit (2011). From Magallanes Cross, we rode jeep 06A (P7 fare each) then walk towards to the market.


I bought danggit at P500 per kilo at Nino and Kristy Store, you can ask them to repack your dried fish into 1/2kl, 1/4kl and 100 grams which I did so I have no problem in distributing my pasalubong. They will put your stuff in a box so no need to worry sa luggage space, pwede na icheck-in.

If you are thinking if it is worth the trip to Taboan market, yes, if you will buy a lot but if not, just buy pasalubong at the airport. 1/4kl of danggit is P300 and 1/4 kl of dried pusit is P350 at the airport.

Tip: Make sure that Taboan Market is your last stop because after going there, you need to take a bath. Amoy danggit ka na, good thing di naman kami pinababa ng taxi driver kahit amot danggit kami. Hehehe! P100+ taxi fare from Taboan Market to Cebu Parklane International Hotel.

Mactan International Airport 

On our way to the airport, my sister in law asked me to buy dried pusit so I bought 1/4kl P350 at the airport then I saw this dried mango at P300. I did not see this in the Taboan market o di ko lang napansin. Sayang, for sure mas mura dun.


Of course, we will not leave Cebu without buying lechon. Zubuchon are available at the airport. 1kl is P650. Update 2018: Price is P830 for 1kl My husband buys lechon at CnT, Cebu Ayer’s or Zubuchon, it varies depending on his flight schedule and budget.


Read: Cebu’s Lechon   

Other Pasalubong 

Aside from Cebu’s delicacies and products, we also buy some favorite delicacies like Vjandep pastel (Camiguin) and peanut kisses (Bohol). Peanut Kisses is famous pasalubong in Bohol but it is also available in Taboan so I bought few boxes of it, P80 and P50 per box. For Vjandep pastel, it is P200 - P250 for a box of 6 pieces at Mactan International Airport.



How about you, what is your favorite pasalubong in Cebu?

As early as 6AM we started our itinerary. We went to Atkinson’s Clock Tower; it is two blocks away from our lodge. In 1903, this clock was built in memory of Francis George Atkinson; it is an all wood and no nails structure which is considered as the oldest standing structure in Sabah. It survived the World War II and until now it keeps the city’s time.


Gaya Sunday Market