Engaging to a regular exercise and eating the right food are among the highly recommended activities to avoid oxygen depletion in the body. During that time, I resolved that I will do my daily morning 1-hour jogging before hitting the books for at least 8 hours everyday.

Photo by TEDDY ESPINUEVA http://www.ceburunning.com

Wanting to keep my early morning jogging exciting I tried several spots.

Abellana / Cebu City Sports Complex
Entrance fee is P15 for regular joggers and P10 for students. Jogging here is less strenuous to the feet because of the rubberized track. This venue is usually packed with more than a hundred joggers.  5 PM after work to 8 PM is its peak hours. For variations, there are also tae-bo, swimming, ball room dancing and belly dancing sessions. Everyone is welcome to join for a very affordable fee ranging from P10 to P50 per session. No changing room but the comfort rooms are clean so you can change there. You may leave your things at one of the secured rooms. An attendant is on duty to look after your things. A major drawback of this place is the fact that the air you breath there may not be that fresh since this area is very close to the major thoroughfares of the City. You don’t want to suffocate your lungs with polluted air while jogging. However, it may not be that polluted as well. So far, I am yet to see a study on how polluted is the air here in Cebu.

The Family Park at Talamban
Entrance fee is P10 to P15. Every first Saturday and Sunday of the month, entrance fee is waived. The trees are tall. The birds are singing in chorus and the grass are green. The jogging path is a bit challenging because of its ascending pitch and trails that are not yet cemented. It is rocky and narrow. Fresh air is everywhere but not people. Only a few joggers come here. Most of the time, families come here for picnic, animal watching or maybe swimming.

Asiatown IT Park
There was a time when jogging here is prohibited. Today however, IT park is one of the favorite jogging site especially for the mid twenties to early 40’s crowd. It is clean and hip. Very close to everything. There are free parking on the western side of the area. A cemented pedestrian road can be utilized as your jogging route. No changing room but the rest rooms at The Walk is  a good makeshift.

Cebu Business Park
Less and less people jogs here. It’s a very big area but most of the time one can only cover a portion of it. For me, that area beside Union Bank is best place to jog. The place is secured. There are security guards on duty.  But a heavier volume of vehicles passing the road makes this place less appealing to joggers .

A. S. Fortuna
Although I haven’t tried it here, I observed that there had been several joggers who passed by this stretch from Manduae Highway to Foodland – Talamban. There are a number of vehicles passing on this street, safety is a concern. There are dogs on the road from residents beside the street so this may not be a good idea for those who fear dogs. If you will run going to Mandaue Highway Seno from Foodland, you will face the sunrise on your way.

Plan and enjoy. Happy Jogging!

TIP: To look for more places safe for running/jogging you may want to visit http://www.ceburunning.com/runsafe/ Aside from a very informative cebu running map, the site also contains such data as areas where runners are robbed or attacked. It also indicates which parts of Cebu runners should avoid for being unsafe, especially at night.

2. Don’t ignore lose coins and bills. If you will be commuting, you badly need those coins and bills. If riding a taxi, the driver would only demand for the exact amount reflected on the meter. Nevertheless, a tip is always welcome though. Cebuanos love generous tourists.

The Famous Magellan's Cross at Cebu City, Philippines

FASHION
3. Cebu weather is almost the same all year round. It’s hot in here, literally. Cebu crowd would always wear comfortable clothes, almost like in a vacation mode everyday. Flashy attires are reserved for late evening parties on the hippest bars within the City. During day time, people at the malls are usually in their jeans or shorts paired with updated tops or vintage shirts. Trendy and sexy accessories is a must if you want to make a statement. Fashionable and shimmering bib necklaces is a sure head turner. If in doubt go for something simple and classy – two adjectives that best describe Cebuano fashion.

TIME MANAGEMENT
4. Except if you have an earlier appointment in your itinerary, waking up time should be 8 or 9 in the morning. Malls and tourist spots usually open at 10 in the morning. However, if you are staying in a hotel with a good beach, enjoying the 6 to 9 a.m. sun for a little bronze effect on the skin is a must.

PAMPERINGS
5. Vacation in Cebu is couldn’t be defined without self pamperings. Bestow upon your self an indulgence of a Cebuano touch. Get your self a relaxing massage in the comfort of your hotel room in SPA scattered in every nooks and corners of the City. Body Massage services ranges from P150 to P300. For a luxurious treat, you may try Chi Spa at the Shangrila Mactan Resort Hotel.

Happy Cebu Summer Vacation!

Sumilon Island, Cebu, Philippines

1. Get low-airfare tickets from promos of leading airlines. Cebu Pacific is known for giving promos including the P1.00 airfare tickets. Check out Cebu Pacific website for details. You may subscribe to receive airfare promo ads in your email.
2. Formulate a vacation theme. Your summer vacation theme in Cebu is endless, it may be by the beach, metropolitan living, heritage tour, religious pilgrimage or even extreme adventures. Adopting one theme will make vacation planning a breeze.
3. Reserve/Book hotels earlier. Plan where will you stay. Although in Cebu everything is within your reach it would still be advisable if you will plan your hotel/stay to go along with your itinerary and planned vaction theme. I wish there would be a site like that of Accommodation Melbourne where hotel booking is easy and simple. It lets you book your hotels in Melbourne, Australia while just surfing the internet. In addition to that, Accomodation Melbourne also offers discounts for its patron. I wish there would be a centralized Cebu Accommodation website that would replicate Accommodation Melbourne .
4. Plan your day activity but reserve at least 3 hours for some “mindless indulgence”.
5. Try to tap your Cebuano friends for a city tour. Locals are the best tourist guides.