Cebu is the center of the Philippine archipelago and the hub of the Central Visayas tourism region. Being the gateway to the South, many domestic airlines and shipping lines operate to and from Manila and neighboring Visayan and Northern Mindanao islands. It is also directly accessible from parts of Asia such as Japan, Singapore, Hongkong, Korea and even from the Middle East through Qatar.
Cebu is characterized by a rugged central mountain range that traverses the greater length of the island from north to south. Much of Cebu’s over 3 million people are found in its coastal fringes that is dotted with bustling, developed cities as well as idyllic seaside towns. While Cebuano is the native dialect, Filipino is also spoken and understood. Like in other parts of the Philippines, English is taught in schools and used to transact business.
For the most part of the year, Cebu’s weather which is neither distinctly hot or dry, makes it a perfect vacation choice. The temperature ranges between 23-33ºC (73-91ºF). Cebu is popular for its white sandy beaches found in Mactan, Bantayan and Malapascua islands and some of the most spectacular diving in Pescador Island, off the southwestern town of Moalboal. Mactan Island hosts some of the country’s premier beach resorts and a variety of hotels and lodging facilities are available in Cebu City and the more popular seaside towns.
Historical and cultural landmarks that speak of a rich and varied past abound in Cebu.
Predominant are the remnants of the Spanish colonial past and it was in Cebu where the first seeds of Christianity were sown by the conquistadores.
The blending of rich natural resources, perfect vacation weather and some of the country’s warmest people make Cebu an ideal destination.
The making of this book is such a journey.
Growing up, I saw my father’s deep passion for his place of birth. Throughout his life, he lived this passion with a deep pride that I began to share after my return home after a long absence. My father had hoped, that together, we could come up with a book that would be a chronicle of the people, places and experiences that nurtured our common pride of place.
While my father did not live to see the fulfillment of such a wish, this undertaking is an attempt to continue the journey and to share this pride of place with as many people as possible,“CEBU, Pride of Place”, a collaboration between Cebu’s pioneering arts and culture organization, the Arts Council of Cebu Foundation, Inc. and photographer E. Billy Mondoñedo, is a powerful book of images and words that aims to stir our pride for this place.
There is every reason to be passionate and proud of Cebu.
Cebu is gifted with many of nature’s cherished treasures. Among these are the turquoise waters that surround the islands with an abundance of colorful marine life. The white sandy beaches on coastal shores and the cool highlands in the rugged mountains are only minutes apart. It is host to some of the country’s unique flowering species, and birds migrating from one continent to another find a temporary home in an offshore island sanctuary.
Cebu is a place rich in history, culture and religion. The country’s written history had its beginnings in Cebu with the arrival of Magellan and the victory of the first Filipino hero, Lapu-Lapu. Christianity planted its seed in Cebu and claimed the land in the name of Christ. A distinct culture and refined way of life emerged after four hundred years of Spanish colonization and forty years of American rule. From this storied past we discover the treasures that form Cebu’s heritage that is most fittingly celebrated in festivals.
It is through Cebu’s year-round festivals that the best characteristics of its people are brought to the fore. Cebuanos are a fun-loving people and music and dance are a big part of their lives. There are no real strangers to the Cebuano whose warmth and hospitality are generally a reflection of his soul. The Cebuano is also imbued with a strong work ethic - the driving force behind a very vibrant local economy.
The journeys made through this book will, hopefully, be replicated through the years. And it is hoped, each time, one comes home at journey’s end.
M. Eloisa N. Fernan
In 1960, Fe Sala-Villarica got together with seven Cebuano artists, from each of the seven art forms, to find ways to raise the art consciousness of Cebuanos. In time this became the nucleus of the Arts Council of Cebu Foundation, Inc.., now the foremost umbrella organization and advocate of the arts in Cebu. Aside from Mrs. Villarica herself who represented dance, in the group were Pilar Sala for music, Carmelo Tamayo for painting, Gloria Escaño for drama, Molly Briones for literature, Fidel Araneta for sculpture and JoseMercado for architecture. This group was then known as the Arts Council of Cebu.
The council organized the pioneering Festival of the Arts in Cebu and steadily built its reputation as the premier advocate organization south of Manila by sponsoring the performances of national and world-renowned artists. In 1975, it was cited as one of Cebu City’s most outstanding institutions by the city government – an acknowledgment of the Arts Council’s cultural leadership. This was re-affirmed in 2000 when the Arts Council of Cebu was awarded by the Philippines Foundation, Inc. as a Valuable Institution for developing programs and scholarships in arts, culture and theater.
On August 2, 1990, the Arts Council was formally launched as the Arts Council of Cebu Foundation, Inc. at the historic Casa Gorordo. In 1990, the Arts Council was registered as a foundation with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is registered as a donee institution with the Bureau of Internal Revenue. In 1993, in line with its goal to attract truly high-caliber performers, the Council acquired a Yamaha concert grand piano.
Also in 1993, the Arts Council embarked on an ambitious scholarship program by establishing a trust fund to support the training of performing arts students. Aside from promoting the seven arts, the Arts Council also aims to generate awareness and concern for the preservation of our cultural heritage.
Motivated by the belief that access to cultural, artistic and educational opportunities is necessary for a healthy and robust civic life, the Arts Council continues to promote and develop artistic and cultural endeavors in the Cebuano community by holding performances and exhibits of foremost local, national and international artists. It is involved in audience development and education through an integrated “Arts for the Youth” program for young students, using creative performances, artistic and cultural lectures, seminars and workshops.
The Arts Council of Cebu Foundation, Inc. upholds the belief that the arts is central to the educational, economic and cultural well-being of any fast-growing, vibrant metropolis, and Cebu is no exception. It is the vision of the Arts Council to continue serving as the premier organization in providing opportunities for arts and culture to flourish in Cebu. The Arts Council of Cebu Foundation, Inc. will carry on its mission to develop and awareness of and appreciation for the arts in the community to ensure the enhancement of the local arts movement and the sustainability of these activities so that the arts can assume its rightful role in the growth of Cebu.
Shooting for this book, Billy Mondoñedo was brought to a park—one of the innumerable destinations in this blitzkrieg book project crammed into a few weeks. The park was commonplace, it wasn’t even pretty. Filled with litter and debris, the park had neither the looks nor the smell to make it to any picture book.
Billy, however, saw and felt something regular park-goers or passersby usually don’t. Something about those leaves moved him; it could have been their lazy swirl or their burnt hue. With his Leica M8, he proceeded to break down the moment into an image, color and mood. The result is in a page or two of this book—a beautiful moment so far removed from the ordinary.
Photography becomes art when the photographer is able to transcend the moment—being in the moment yet being out of it at the same time. That’s what Billy Mondoñedo has been able to do with photography, his life-long obsession. He’s been able to capture the moment, yet enhance it or merely interpret it for the succeeding eye, which is ours. In this way is he able to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary, and the other way around, the sublime into the commonplace. He has the power to make us see the reality through his eyes.
“I see. I observe. I connect”—is how Billy summarizes his way with photography. Faced with the moment and the image, there’s something in him that clicks, and it’s not only the shutter. Driving into Alcoy, he saw the overhanging branches of the trees forming into an umbrella. He asked the driver to stop, he got down, took in the sight and waited and waited. He knew the “color” would come, and it did—in the form of a bus, entering the arch of lush trees that’s in the opening photograph of the book.
“I take photos from what I feel, not what the camera sees. It could be the light falling… It’s waiting for the moment,” he said.
As he was growing up in Tacoma, Washington, his off-school hours were spent clicking away his Nikon, doing portraits or the landscape. On allowance, he had to use his film sparingly; this way, he had learned to discern subjects early on.
Taking up business in college, he had no formal training in photography. He read books on it and joined workshops. For this book, he wanted to show what Cebu is all about—“It’s the texture, it’s the make-up. It’s east meets west, not just lifestyle. It’s a heavy mix of cultures. The technology marching into the metropolis, and the old churches and houses still surviving from the past.”
To this businessman and restaurateur (Tinderbox, Aziza, Z) who lives in the south of Manila with his wife Marlene and daughter Aziza, photographing Cebu was no work at all. For him, it is connecting to all, he said, “that positive vibe.”
Cebu is home. Many journeys begin and end at home.
E. Billy Mondoñedo
