Places To Go In Cebu City This Valentine’s Day

Love is in the air for couples spending Valentine’s Day in Cebu. 

It’s that time of the year when lovers, whether from distant far or closer, spend a special time together. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and despite the pandemic, surely many couples don’t want to miss this occasion. You don’t have to risk your health, all you have to do is to press that dial of your favorite resto or click that reservation button of the newly-opened cafe in the Central Business District, to make that awaited love day getaway possible.

Thanks to online dating sites, people who opt to build a romantic relationship with foreigners can make it a reality. Cebu, one of the islands of the Philippines, is no exemption to places where interracial couples reside. So, this Valentine’s day in Cebu, surprise your valentine with a romantic date in some local go-to spots.

Most public types of romantic dates this year will be limited to dining since pre-pandemic crowd-drawing events such as concerts, shows, exhibits and festivals are prohibited. The options for this romantic time have been downsized since many of the business establishments that people used to go to have closed or are indefinitely inoperational.

Yes, it’s sad to not be able to celebrate the V-day the way that everyone is used to but safety should come first, so here’s a list of alternative places to celebrate. Because let’s admit it – times have changed the way couples spend Valentine’s day together and many have explored more unconventional areas such as amusement parks. The list goes on. Here are some of them:

Cebu Ocean Park & Events Center

This might be one of those unique date ideas but it is definitely memorable. Instead of dining in a hotel restaurant or the like, bring your special someone to an oceanarium. Truly, this is a different experience than the usual locations but it is quite cool to enjoy a sumptuous meal with a view of some marine species behind and around you.

Cebu Ocean Park & Events Center will convert their main tank and viewing tunnel area into a restaurant on February 13 to 14. It will be open to lovers and diners alike who seek a different kind of Valentine’s day rendezvous. With a package pegged at P1, 999 per person, you and your partner can enjoy a five-course menu, a mermaid show, and some free merchandise.

Celebrating at Home with Filipinas

Due to the COVID-19 threat, our movements have been more limited than before. Definitely, it has been a humongous adjustment for us knowing this has been the first time it’s happened this generation. But then again, life doesn’t have to stop, allowing this disease to curtail our routines. There is always that light in the end, so when celebrating this special moment with your loved one, the concepts are endless.

You can think of some romantic date ideas at home. It would be weird if you don’t have a dining table and chairs, surely you do, but even if you don’t, you can do it the zen way. It’s the thought that counts, right?

Food is never a problem in Cebu City. The food delivery service is fast and efficient. So, why not pick up that phone and order your palate cravings on that night.

If you are creative, you can set up a theme for the evening. There are countless choices, many of which can be found online.

Outdoor Spaces Around Cebu

Provided that the place is open, there’s no problem spending Valentine’s day in these areas. Open parks and outdoor areas are great for picnics. You can plan your menu ahead, or if you’re feeling lazy, food deliveries are ready to save your date.

While in the park or open ground, you can either play board games or watch films together under the starry night. Just make sure that you’re gear-equipped should it rain. If sitting in the middle of nature is not your thing, you can dine in your car while listening to music or watching a movie.

Cebu City has outdoor spaces such as the open area in South Road Properties (SRP) and vacant lots or free parking spaces in Cebu Business Park. (you just have to choose a spot where it’s convenient)

Ayala Center Cebu

A main hub for shopping and dining in the uptown area, the mall offers a variety of shops for you two to stroll in or buy a valentine gift at. At times, the commercial center features acoustic music from a band or duo and what better way to fill the air with love than with songs.

There is also a range of gastronomic offerings from local to international cuisines to choose from. So, you can pick your choice!

Or, if you just want to chill and catch up on some stories you’ve missed with each other, you can sit down at the garden located at The Terraces. The hassle that the previous year has brought has kept us occupied with unhealthy stuff. Unwinding this way would be a great help.

Cebu IT Park

When you talk about go-to places in Cebu City, Cebu IT Park is one those in the top three list. Nestled are varied eateries–food and beverage chains Jollibee, KFC, McDonald’s, Army Navy and Starbucks, among others.

IT Park also boasts of some awesome landscape facilities. There are nooks where you can sit on benches and an open space to throw that wanderlust side of you both.

Safe and Fun Places in Cebu

Despite the effects the pandemic has had on our social life all around the world, love has always found a way to surface. No need to be forlorn that there are a lot of major changes around. We have to press on and be happy. It’s not only on Valentine’s day that we should be happy but as much as possible, everyday. While it’s vital we follow health protocols, we shouldn’t let the pandemic stifle our ability to love and live. Relationships require constant work and effort, regardless of the outside circumstances. So next time you’re celebrating Valentine’s day in Cebu, always know, you’re never out of options.

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Understanding Filipino Women Quirks

It’s in the little quirks that make Filipino women so adorable.

Sometimes it’s the small details that make us fall in love with someone. Filipino women have a certain allure about them, and sometimes it’s not quite easy to point out. What makes them adorable and charming yet so vulnerable and down to earth?

Once you start dating and spending time with a Filipino woman, that’s when you will notice the qualities and behaviors that make her uniquely Filipino. These are things you may have never experienced before, and if you’re not careful, they can surprise you. From the way she eats and speaks to her gestures, mood swings, and other peculiarities – these may be difficult to grasp in the beginning, but once you do, it will make your relationship sail more smoothly.

The complicated thing about relationships is that men simply are incapable of understanding women. Men weren’t born equipped for such a task. Men would soon discover the secrets of the galaxies than they would the mind of a woman. Doing so for a woman of a different culture and upbringing further complicates matters.

Luckily, with much time and observation, certain patterns have emerged on the behavior of Filipino women. They aren’t always rational or reasonable, but they are widely accepted as what makes them who they are. In your attempt to enhance the quality of your relationship with a Filipino woman, it may do you good to note these incredible Filipino quirks:

1. hey give you so much food.

When you have a Filipino girlfriend, expect to put on a lot of weight. Filipinos are renowned for their hospitality and caring personalities. They always make sure that the people they care about are well fed. 

Filipino partners spend a good amount of time in the kitchen, preparing your breakfast and lunch meals to go. If you’re hungry, your Filipina partner will be ready.

2. They point with their lips.

A subtle yet efficient way of indicating a lost item’s location, this is one uniquely Filipino gesture. Instead of raising inordinate amounts of body effort to lift their arms and extend their index finger, an energy-conscious Filipina will point to an object of interest by simply puckering her lips, facing in the object’s general direction.

3. They shower a lot.

The Philippines is a tropical country. While the weather is generally fair, it can get insanely humid and hot. This will cause you to sweat profusely against your own will. Filipinos have long understood that a sweaty, smelly body is disgusting and unattractive, thus their obsession with showers. Any man dating a Filipina has to up his dating game and must be up to the task of constant daily showering.

A typical Filipino woman will shower at least twice a day, three times if she can. Showering once a day is only excusable if a large tree falls on her house and demolishes the bathroom. Even so, she will go to the nearest water source, armed with a bar of soap and a shampoo saché and proceed to scrub the dirt off her.

4. They make “tampo.”

You could do absolutely nothing wrong and still get the cold shoulder from a Filipino woman. Why, you ask? No one knows. The only thing that is certain is that you need to throw a chocolate bar at her. Or offer to take her shopping. 

Filipinas possess an insatiable desire for men to notice them up to the smallest, finest detail. An impossible task, of course, but an expected one nonetheless. If you fail to notice her freshly cut hair or newly done nails, you may just be shut out of her life for the rest of the day. 

5. They are obsessed with reusing plastic bags, containers, jars, etc.

Here’s a little Filipino expression you may want to get familiar with – “Sayang!” It literally translates to, “What a waste!” 

Filipinos love to reuse packaging. Why buy a lunchbox when an ice cream container will do? Done with your last spread of jam? Surprise, you now have a new drinking glass! 

Get used to seeing items that previously contained food in every nook and cranny around the house. Though you have to admire it, your Filipino partner is both thrifty AND resourceful. 

6. Karaoke.

Karaoke is such a Filipino pastime it was prohibited at certain times so students could actually study. If you get invited to a Filipino gathering or party, you better start warming up those vocal chords because you will definitely get your turn at the microphone. If you ever wonder why the Philippines has so many good singers, wonder no more. 

7. Filipino time is the right time.

In the Philippines, time is relative. If your girlfriend shows up an hour or two after the agreed time, it’s not because she’d been kidnapped. Filipinos have an unusual and admittedly negative habit of interpreting time relatively. If a Filipina says she’ll meet you at 4pm, she really means that she will meet you anytime between 4 and 6pm. If you call her and she says she’s on her way, don’t immediately take it as what you think she means. She’s most probably on her way to the shower.

8. Lots of rice.

Filipinos eat rice with anything. No matter how many times a Filipino woman says she is sticking to a low carb diet, it can never undo the truth – rice is in her DNA. Filipinos eat rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, no exception. 

9. An obsession with white skin.

The Filipino beauty norm is that white and fair skin is desirable. A short perusal of Filipino women’s profiles on popular dating sites will prove this case. Most Filipinas have in their possession a comprehensive set of whitening products. Whether it be facial creams or glutathione pills, know that a Filipina will do everything in her power to achieve that silky smooth, fair complexion. 

There are so many more quirks and habits that are uniquely Filipino. As you progress through your relationship with a Filipina, you will uncover these little charms that will only make you love her more. What matters is that Filipino women for the most part will love you unconditionally and excessively. When the love between two people is genuine, these little quirks make life all the more interesting.

Why Age Gap Isn’t Important for Cebuanas

It wasn’t that long ago that couples having a substantial age gap was frowned upon in Philippine society. However, in the current Philippine dating scene (particularly in Cebu’s dating scene) Filipina-foreigner couples with a considerable age difference have slowly become the norm. In fact, for many older, foreign bachelors, younger Cebuanas are ideal brides.

Why do mature foreign men seek true love on the island of Cebu? Well, it might have something to do with the fact that Cebuanas are ideal lifetime companions. These women are capable of giving and sustaining love which transcends age and race.

Cebu women are true romantics and this makes them fearless when it comes to love. They believe that love is limitless and knows no boundaries. This makes them willing to give relationships their all and go well beyond their comfort zone to seek and maintain it.

For the beautiful single island ladies of Cebu, age is just a number, when it comes to love. They typically prefer men who are older than them. Fortuitously, foreign men also prefer to marry younger women. So, if you are an older gentleman, a Cebuana might just be your perfect match.

Vinta Mehta’s Age Differential Theory hypothesizes that younger women-older men relationships occur because men want a woman who’s young and is fertile to conceive. This theory also states that women prefer someone who’s already mature and stable.

This theorem explains why Cebu women tend to embrace romantic relationships with foreign men much older than them. Cebuanos in general are more accepting of this type of relationship and aren’t bothered by a huge age difference.

If your desire is to date a Cebuana, don’t hesitate due to fear that your age might be viewed unfavorably. Here are just a few reasons why you should set your mind at ease:

1. Cebuanas associate age with maturity.

Cebuanas don’t mind an age difference between them and their foreign partners. To them, age is associated with experience and maturity. They believe mature men are far more knowledgeable and wise. They also believe that older partners can impart many more significant lessons to them.

2. A broader point of view.

Cebu women think that older men are more open-minded and patient. For Cebuanas, older men also have a broader perspective and a clearer picture of how the world works. They understand a wide array of situations and are capable of adapting to any circumstances.

Furthermore, Cebuanas believe that maturity breeds patience. Unlike younger and less experienced men who are more likely to act on impulse, Cebuanas know that older men are more adept at making calculated and well-thought-of-decisions.

3. A relationship’s success has nothing to do with age.

Cebu women put little-to-no emphasis on age when it comes to relationships. They don’t consider this a factor that would detract from success in love. More important to them is trust, commitment, and genuine love. For island ladies of Cebu, these are the qualities that define the course of a relationship, not their partner’s age.

4. Cebu women give more weight on compatibility and chemistry.

Cebu women are the kind of women that tend to look past superficial attributes. They look at the inner characteristics of their man. The fact that divorce has yet to be legalized in the Philippines makes Cebuanas extremely discerning in choosing their husbands.

Due to the uniqueness of Philippine marriage culture, they are more concerned with compatibility and chemistry than they are with your age. They want someone who can be their partner for life.

These are the reasons why Cebuanas are the most sought-after brides for older men from around the globe. Once you are in a romantic relationship with these women, you can expect them to be far more interested regarding your inner qualities than your superficial characteristics.

Cebuanas would prefer to settle down with someone who has the same beliefs as them regarding love, marriage, and family life. They want a man of substance because for them, wisdom and maturity are sexy.

Cebuanas and What Their Body Language Say

 

In the early stages of dating, it’s normal to feel anxious about how your date feels about you. You certainly can’t help but wonder whether she’s into you or not. Most women from Western countries are more straightforward about how they feel, but in contrary, Asian women, particularly Cebuanas are far more subtle in how they express themselves.

As if reading between the lines isn’t already hard enough, figuring out how a girl from a different cultural background feels about you presents an entirely different challenge. Your unfamiliarity of their culture, traditions, and customary practices might lead you to misunderstand the message she’s trying to get across through her body language.

Due to their traditional upbringing, Cebuanas tend to have a more reserved and conservative disposition. Their demure demeanor makes it more difficult for men (especially Westerners) to decipher their body language. Moreover, it is not customary in Cebu’s dating culture for women to be candid about their feelings in the early stages of dating, making it a lot harder to know for sure if she’s really into you or not.

Due to these underlying facts, it is imperative for you to know a thing or two about the corresponding meanings of certain non-verbal cues by Cebuanas. Here are a few telltale signs to help you determine if a Cebuana is indeed into you:

1. She will play with her hair.

This body language is somewhat oxymoronic because experts say that twirling or playing of hair is to show innocence but is also a way of flirting at the same time. So, when your Cebu girl twirls her hair while talking to you, take it as a sign that she loves being around you, but she wants you to set boundaries and respect her innocence.

2. Her cheeks will blush.

Blushing is a physiological reaction to excitement and delight. You can tell that she enjoys your company when her cheeks turn red everytime you say something funny or romantic. This is probably one of the most obvious signs to spot that says a lot about how a Cebuana feels for you.

3. She will unconsciously mirror your actions.

When a Cebu woman tries to mimic your actions while you’re on a date, that could be an indication that she’s into you. Due to the fact that she’s paying close attention to you, she unconsciously copies your body movements and mannerisms as a result.

4. Cebuanas smile a lot.

Cebu women always have a smile for everyone, but you will know her smile is special when it radiates in her eyes. She will laugh hysterically even at your silliest jokes. This is her way of showing that she enjoys being around you and that she appreciates your company.

5. The tone of her voice will change.

Whenever you’re around Cebuanas, try to notice how the tone of their voice changes. It is a reflection of their excitement to be with you. Whenever her voice gets a tad higher, it shows that she looks forward being around you.

6. They can’t look you in the eye.

Cebuanas are naturally shy due to the religious and traditional inclination of the Filipino culture. As a result, they find it hard to make eye contact with the man whom they admire. Don’t take it as an insult if she can’t look you in the eye, especially if you’ve just started dating, rather make her feel more comfortable so that she can slowly open up about her feelings towards you.

Cebuanas won’t directly tell you how they feel. They will test your sincerity and consistency first. However, what her body language says is a great indicator of whether she’s into you or not.

It may take you a while to finally connect the dots and confidently say that you and your Cebuana have a mutual admiration and love for each other. But you just have to be patient because you’re not just dating an ordinary woman — Cebuanas are the epitome of exceptional beauty and endearing qualities.

If you want to experience dating a Cebu woman for marriage, then register at the best dating agency in Cebu today and start your journey in seeking your soulmate!

6 Red Flags to Avoid When Dating Filipino Women

Realistically, there’s no such thing as the perfect relationship, even if you were with one of the most desirable partners in the world — Filipino women. When you’re dating someone, there will always be ups and downs. However, the success of your relationship depends on your attitude towards each other and the relationship itself.

For a relationship to work out, it must be watered with love and trust. When there are difficulties along the way, it’s vital to work through it hand in hand. In line with this, there are aspects that one must avoid that may cause the downfall of your relationship with a Pinay.

To help with this, listed below are the red flags to avoid for a successful relationship with your Pinay girlfriend:

1.Having the I-Me-Mine mindset

Getting involved with Filipino women or any woman should be a give-and-take type of relationship. Exerting extra effort in making her feel special is likely to give your Pinay girlfriend the idea to do the same for you. One must realize that in your union, it’s about the both of you — not just your goals, your opinions, and your feelings.

Marrying a Filipina entails leaving behind the what’s-mine-is-mine attitude, in favor of a more open and considerate mentality. In the Philippine marriage culture, becoming husband and wife is about uniting two souls as they become one, along with the future family they’ll build together.

2. Jealousy

All relationships require trust and for these ladies, it’s directly related to loyalty. A Pinay when in love, will usually give all her trust and support to you. These ladies were raised traditionally and for them, they prefer to settle down with one partner for the rest of their lives.

Filipinos take relationships seriously, so when your Filipina girlfriend starts to become jealous, there is likely a good reason for it. When this happens, it’s important to determine its cause and coming to agreement on how best to resolve any issues. Communicating openly will help with this, as dealing with jealousy at an early stage will prevent it from growing into resentment and distrust later on in your relationship.

3. Being too overbearing

Philippine women are known for being agreeable and easygoing because they prefer to live peacefully with others. They are always respectful of their fathers, brothers, and husbands. Due to this, some may take advantage of their amenable attitude for their own interests without considering their opinions or feelings.

As her partner, it’s important that you avoid being too overbearing. While she may listen to you, respect your decisions, and treat you as her equal, it’s only fair that you do the same. The same level of respect she gives you must be reciprocated for your relationship to work.

4. The language barrier
Filipinos are considered to be one of the best communicators in the world. They’re known for being fluent in English and it’s innate in them to be curious of foreign cultures and languages. However, there can be instances that the language barrier can hamper communication between the two of you.

When you notice that it’s beginning to take a toll on your relationship, it’s best to learn how to deal with it. Listen to her more and try to read between the lines by observing her body language as well. Also, learning more about her culture will greatly help in having more understanding with how she acts and speaks.

5. Being deceitful

When your Pinay girlfriend begins to trust you, it’s a huge accomplishment. Earning a Filipina’s trust is often challenging, but highly rewarding in the end. There have been numerous relationships and marriages that ended due to lies and deceit.

Often times, deceitful relationships begin with a simple, harmful lie. When the seed is planted however, it tends to blossom and branch out into more complex lies. Realizing this too late will bring down a relationship — often times irreversibly. If you’ve been telling white lies here and there, make sure you put a stop to it before you fall in too deep.

6. Focusing too much in each other’s faults

One of the most toxic things to do in a relationship is finding and focusing on each other’s faults. If either one of you has wronged each other in the past, it’s best to forgive and learn from it in order to move forward. Dwelling on past mistakes and hurt can consume the both of you.

When there are arguments, avoid bringing up past quarrels and mistakes because this builds resentment. The best thing to do is to resolve these issues by addressing it directly and properly. In doing so, forgiveness can be possible so that you can both move on.

There are many factors as to why relationships and marriages don’t pan out and those listed above are just some of them. To be successful, always keep these red flags in mind. As partners, working hand in hand is the key to overcoming hurdles.

A healthy relationship with a Pinay is one that is marked by growth not only as a partner, but as a person as well. If you’re looking to find true love in the Philippines, consider enlisting the best Philippine dating agency today.

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton