Experiencing Cebu City in Less than 24 Hours

A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it. — George A. Moore

I'm neither a tourist nor a real traveller.

So as a student who just travel to pursue education and without much experience in navigating into different places, I developed my own strategies to survive in the uncertainties during travels.

Like everyone, who are juggle work-life balance, I also juggle work with education while there are still opportunities. Once every three weeks, I need to go to Cebu for my studies and other work-related stuff, but due to tight schedules and budget, several inconveniences are expected throughout the journey.

Aside from planning the travel well and carrying the least possible number of clothes, one must also prepare a blanket, hygiene kit, medicines, snacks, and water. In order to avoid digestive inconveniences, I only eat "clean" or "safe" foods and as little as possible during the day before my travel.

Also, our nearest port only have one ship that travels at 8 PM every nigh, though there's another one, but is only for cargoes. Lapu-Lapu shipping is accessible and is also cheaper as compared to other means. Sundays (and Mondays) are the busiest nights, so if you need to book a ticket from Baybay City to Cebu City, always go to their ticketing office before noon. On other days, except on special occasions, being fully booked is not a problem at all.

Accomodation	Price
Aircon Room	640 PhP
Economy A (Third Deck)	540 PhP
Economy B (Second Deck )	520 PhP
Economy C (Main Deck)	480 PhP

There is an additional 12 PhP Terminal fee, which was still the same compared to the pre-pandemic rates.

If you're on a budget, I recommend Economy A as it is the best compromise for price versus comfort. Just one problem with Lapu-Lapu Shipping is that the beds are welded side-by-side in sets of four. It's like one big reunion with your cousins!

The best time to travel is between April to May, as the sea is very calm and the sky is clear during those months. The whole trip lasts about seven hours, so by 12 AM you are all in the middle of nowhere and that's the time where the waves peaks in size, though still manageable during the summer or technically the dry season.

Unlike those with personal vehicles, families, or houses in the city waiting for them, I prefer to continue sleeping until 5 AM in the morning.

At that time, the sun is about to rise, so it is already safer to walk towards the highway and ride 12I or 12G jeepney towards Robinsons Galleria. At that time, it is still closed, but that is not my actual destination yet, but I walk further to the nearest 7-Eleven store. I prefer it there since the view is great.

The minimum jeepney fare is already 12 PhP from 7 PhP in pre-pandemic rate.

At 6 AM, the 7-Eleven "Crunch Time" chicken meal is already displayed and I like to pair it with a medium cup of Vanilla Latte, as I waste time until the sun has already risen.

I ride again towards SM City Cebu on a 12I jeepney and immediately go to the Public Restroom on the Van Terminal of SM City Cebu. I prefer it there since I feel comfortable there prepping up myself for the day.

Once I feel fresh and dressed up, I walk further again to the other side to find a 01K mini bus. I'm not 100% sure about my rides, but I notice there are some 01K minibus that goes directly from SM City to Cebu Institute of Technology - University, although I usually stop at Elizabeth Mall and ride another mini bus toward CIT-U.

After my activities at school, I immediately go back by riding another 01K mini bus to Robinson's Galleria.

In Galleria, I ride on a 12I jeepney again, but to Pier 3 to book a ticket. There are night trip on different ships there, but I prefer riding a fast craft, so I can go home ASAP. At the intersection, there is a ticketing store for various fast crafts and I prefer whichever schedule is the earliest.

As to my setup, SuperCat offers a 12 PM trip bound to Ormoc City. It now costs 1,100 PhP, almost double the price since three years ago.

With a little spare time, I go back to Robinsons Galleria on a 12I again and find store there to buy stuff and to buy takeout food for lunch. The foodcourt offers a lot of overpriced choices, so going to a restaurant is a better gamble if you have enough budget or better, go to a fast food restaurant like Jollibee.

One of my favorite time waster, is to pay for a mechanical massage sofa. It only costs 50 PhP (just less than 1 USD) for a 15-minute back-breaking and sole-tingling mechanical massage to relieve the stress away. It really feels good when it hits the pain points, but since it is automated, it just go wherever it is programmed to.

By 11 AM, I need to ride to Pier 1 ASAP due to the traffic and the number of people competing for the same ride. It's better to be early than be sorry.

From Robinsons Galleria, I drop off at Pier 1 (Uno) near Plaza Independencia and walk to the Pier 1 Terminal. Just present your ticket and go to the appropriate Fast Craft desk, as for me it is SuperCat. They will assign you (or lets you choose) a seat, I prefer the window seat since I'm fine with the sunrays. You also need to weigh your luggage if present and pay for extra charges if required. Since I only have a bag, I just immediately pay for the 25 PhP Terminal fee (same rate as 2020) before going to Gate 3 as I wait for our boarding.

There are a lot of meals, snacks, drinks, and other pasalubong there, but it is more expensive than those in normal stores, so always prepare ahead when you want to save.

After a few minutes of waiting, everyone boards the fast crafts, and by 12 PM, the ship begins to travel bound to Ormoc City. It is a three-hour trip, you can watch the movies in there, or just take a nap. Just remember when your in the middle of the sea, big waves might wake you up, though it get calmer after getting closer again to the land.

When reaching Ormoc City, it is very close to the terminal, so you can ride whichever transport you opt to. If you still have enough time, you can visit malls, groceries, or other tourist spots there before sundown.

As for me, I need to go back home, so my earliest bust trip starts at 3:30 PM and I reach my destination an hour later.

So, that's it! It has been a normal tripnfor me, but I expect to spend more hours in Cebu City by August. If I get too caught up with my studies, I might just stay the whole weekend there and boon for a night-trip back to Baybay City via Lapu-Lapu Shipping.

If you're a Sugbu Lumad, please do help me in fixing my jeepney trips by commenting below, lol! I asked my friends before, but also couldn't share much. That's the very reason that I sticked to the routes that I talked in the post.

See you next time!

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About Me

@oniemaniego is a software developer, but outside work, he experiments in the kitchen, writes poetry and fiction, paints his heart out, or toils under the hot sun.

	Onie Maniego / Loy Bukid was born in rural Leyte. He often visits his family orchards during the summers and weekends, which greatly influenced his works.

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