It’s More Fun in the Philippines: Cebu Style
(We were here from August 18-August 22, 2016)
Cebu, Philippines is a bustling city that is crawling with motorcycles, jeepneys, people, markets, and history. Teaching the children about the culture comes instantly and frequently. Common gestures, such as pointing with our fingers, are not a cultural habit here. Claire stopped a few motorcycles and taxis by pointing. I think she is learning that it is hard to break cultural habits. Here they point with their lips and make a kissing sound to summon a person. It also signifies someone who wants to get off the jeepney.
Smells are abundant in the city. If you have been to New York City or San Francisco, you know that the city in different areas can bring a swath of smells. Cebu is no different. Our sniffers have breathed in smells that are unique to this area. Part of that comes from the lack of organized garbage disposal. Pollution and littering are abundant.
We take taxis everywhere in Cebu. Driving here is taking your life in your own hands. Honking is their way of using their blinker. Walking can be even more treacherous than driving. Pedestrians do not have the right of way. Vehicles keep going no matter what. Sidewalks are not common. 
Summoning a child with your hand, as in come here, like we do in the states is how you summon a prostitute in the Philippines. Here, turn your palm face down and summon your child by pulling the fingers into your palm. Save yourself the embarrassment.
One morning we ventured to the mall to research better internet options. We woke up around 3 or 4am, still adjusting to the time zone, so by 8am we were ready to head out the door. We arrived around 9am to the mall and learned that we would be waiting outside for an hour for the establishment to open. Many stores do not open until 10am even though the country seems to be up by 5:30 or 6am. Don’t rush to get out the door. You will be waiting a long time to do your errand.
Bathrooms have been one of the most difficult cultural differences for the girls to navigate. In case you are traveling to the Philippines, be aware that toilet paper hangs on the wall outside the stalls and you bring in what you need. Do not be appalled at the amount the of TP being rolled out by those around you. I don’t know what they do with it all. Also do not be ashamed if they laugh at you in some locations when you take the toilet paper. I’m still not sure what they are laughing at. I do carry a roll of TP in my bag because some locations do not even have toilet paper to use. Hygiene has a different definition here, but you can keep it up for yourself by being prepared.
One way I came prepared for battling the filth was by purchasing several bottles of hand sanitizer from Bath and Body Works. Not only do I feel cleaner, I also smell good amongst all the other smells that are here. Having children in toe, it is important to have travel wet wipes and lots of hand sanitizer. They are curious and pick up all sorts of treasures they find in the mud and gutter. Tage, the 5 year old, is the boy that loves to explore all things dirty and in the gutter. I come to the rescue with my arsenal of clean tools in my backpack.
Taxis are the most common mode of transportation in Cebu. Ask them to run to the meter if they ask you, “how much?” Also beware of the driver trying to charge extra for bags in the trunk. Be adamant about running the meter. Jeepneys are also around the city, but we didn’t catch many of them while we were here. Ask a local how much it is to ride the jeepneys so you are not over charged. It is probably around Php10 pax.
I was expecting to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, but there are not many to be found where we are staying. We frequent the Supermarket, mostly, while in Cebu because it is close and easy. Adjusting to our surroundings with the children includes taking it easy on the food at first. We do purchase and try many local foods, as well as buy ingredients for PB and jelly sandwiches just for ease. Vegetables are much more expensive and not as good of quality at the Supermarket. The Public Markets are the way to go if you can get to one easily.
One of the most shocking parts of being in the Philippines is the poor internet connection. The internet works on occasion and when it does work be prepared to wait several minutes for a page to load. I will be doing a blog post on navigating the internet in the Philippines. It really deserves a dedicated write up because it is the most drastic change from what we are used to. Not to mention the fact that it is really hard to run a business when the internet is so poor. We were introduced to pocket Wifi. Convenient in these parts if it would work like you expect it to. There are still many internet cafes here, signifying the fact that the internet is still under major development. We learned that the Philippines, out of 22 countries in Asia, falls in slot 21 in rankings of internet accessibility. The only country that falls behind the Philippines is Afghanistan. Yes, it really is that bad.
Most people have at least a small understanding of basic English. Many people can give you basic information in English. It is nice to have Jake understand the language. He will speak to people in English and when they then turn to another person and speak Cebuano, he can understand. He’s been able to keep us from being overcharged because of our American status with his us of language. Just be clear and know what the going rates are for tricycles and jeepneys. That has not happened too often. The people are generally very kind and considerate people who want the foreigners to have a good time in their country.
Does this help you feel like you would be able to navigate the Philippines on your travels here?