Are you planning to relocate in Cebu for maybe a few months or for the long term? Planning the relocation is very exciting and at times scary, you do not know how everything will go. In my case, I learned It both easy and hard ways. I never regret relocating to Cebu. It’s my 3rd hometown and truly it’s most of the livable cities in the Philippines. Below is my top 5 list on how I survived Cebu:
- Contact old friends.
I know I have old friends in Cebu, so I first contacted Manong Dan2. He fetched me at the airport and let me stay in their house for almost 2 weeks. He introduced me to the church where I eventually transferred and joined Ate Sam & Ate Chin humble abode in Mandaue.
If you are confident that you are friends, they can help you figure out how to start and where to start your journey in their place. If you don’t have one, read a lot of blogs and do some research.
Tip: Go through your social media accounts and search for your prospect place, you will see how many from your friends’ list have an idea or answers to your inquiries.
Before my arrival in Cebu, I contacted Manong Dan to help me with my accommodation.
My GBC Fam.
- Buy a Metro Cebu map at National Book Store. Alternatively, you can use Waze, Google Maps, Maps.me
I lived in Mandaue City and I was working in IT Park in Cebu City. I bought a cheap map, just to be my guide every day. On the map, there are landmarks and it was very helpful for me to navigate in the area. My phone at that time don’t have these applications, so the map is the only reliable thing that I can get. Even until now, these applications are very helpful to me.
Download applications such as Google Maps maps.me or talk to the locals.
- Use public transportation. Know the routes & codes so well. Familiarization of the routes and ways is the key to save a lot of money for transportation.
In Cebu, I usually use public transportations because I can save a lot than using Grab and Angkas (Angkas is the fastest though). Since I was working in IT Park and living in Mandaue, I can see the jeepneys on the same route. Most of the times, after my shift, I spent like 5-10 minutes watching jeepneys that passed through me and memorize their respective numbers and routes. Getting lost was not a bad thing to me. There were also times that I just ride, paid the regular fare (I just make sure that I had the exact amount), and drop anywhere or until the last route of the jeepney. It really helped me a lot familiarizing the routes and the landmarks.
Tip: In Cebu, most of the malls have terminals. You may go to these terminals and see their respective routes.
You have to start familiarizing the jeepney codes and routes: 01B, 01K, 17B, 17C, 17D, 13B, 13C and a lot more.
- Make new friends. Expand your network. Socialize.
These are the most amazing thing that happened to me in Cebu. I a lot of new friends, some are for keeps, while others are just passers-by. Know each of these people, keep the good ones. Sometimes people can be so abusive depending on how kind are you, so be vigilant about that.
Tip. Smile at your new colleague. Do not be so arrogant because you are only a visitor to their place.
The pictures above were my teammates in Aegis People Support& Stream Global Services respectively.
- Eat what the locals are eating. Hang-out where the locals hang out.
Do not limit yourself with just the concessionaire’s food nor what the fast foods are offering. Indulge yourself with Siomai, Pruben, Ginabot, Bbq, Lanciao, Tuslob-Buwa, and a lot more!
Pungko-pungko after-shift.
If you really want to explore and maximize your stay in Cebu, just go with the flow. Every after shift, there’s always one person in your team who loves to travel. If you are used to going solo, most of the places in Cebu are solo traveler-friendly, so better check the places near the city first, familiarize, then after a week or two, you can go out-of-town. A lot of Cebuano bloggers are writing about Cebu’s tourism, research is the key.
Our ultimate hang-out & kaon places? UCMA, TESDA, Apas, Route Stop, Manggahan, BBQ Boss, Pipeline & Tonyo’s. Don’t get me wrong–I just eat there. 😀
TORN BETWEEN CAREER AND PASSION 
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