How to get to Malapascua Island:

1. Go to the Cebu North Bus Terminal. It is located near SM City Cebu.

2. Ride on a bus going to Maya. (There are two bus companies that are bound to north Cebu and vice versa; the Ceres Bus Company and the Rough Riders Bus Company.) There are both airconditioned and ordinary buses. Buses leave every hour from 4:00 in the morning and onwards. The bus fare from Cebu City to Maya ranges from P 450.00 – P 580.00, depending on the bus of your preference.  (Ordinary Buses are cheaper than the airconditioned ones.)
Note: There are also V-hires (van) that are bound to Maya. The fare is almost the same with the airconditioned bus but it’s a few peso more expensive. Bus travel will take at most four hours.
A taxi ride is also another way to get to Maya. Fare ranges from P 4,500.00 – P 6, 000.00 but will only take 2-3 hours of travel.

3. Upon reaching Maya, take a boat ride to Malapascua Island. The boats leave every other hour until 2:00 in the afternoon. The fare is P 150.00 only. For exclusive trips, the boat’s cost ranges from P 2,000 – P 3,000.00. There are also the so-called special trips (trips that are not on schedule) which are more expensive than the ordinary ones. The boat ride will take 30-45 minutes. After the boat ride, the magnificence of Malapascua Island will be in view.

Some Features of Malapascua Island:

1. White sand beaches
2. Stunning sunset
3. Beautiful Coral Reefs
4. Great diving experience with manta rays and thresher sharks

Resorts in Malapascua Island:

(these are just a few…)
1. Hippocampus Beach and Dive Resort
2. Cocobana Beach Resort
3. Ocean Vida Resort
4. Sunsplash Resort
5. Blue Corals Beach Resort
6. Bantigue Cove Beach and Dive Shop

Cebu’s Badian Canyoneering, a licensed local guide is required by law and tourism regulations before anyone can enter. Here’s why:

Safety First

• Canyoneering involves risks: cliff jumps, strong currents, slippery rocks, and deep waters. Guides are trained in first aid, water rescue, and safe routes.
• They help assess jump spots, ensure life jackets/helmets are secure, and assist during difficult climbs or crossings.

Environmental Protection

• The local government and barangay in Badian regulate canyoneering to protect the ecosystem of Kawasan Falls and the canyons.
• Guides ensure tourists follow rules like no littering, no damaging rocks/plants, and using designated trails.

Tourism Regulation

• To control the flow of visitors and prevent accidents, the Municipality of Badian requires guests to book through accredited operators or guides.
• This also supports the livelihood of the local community — guides are trained locals whose income depends on responsible tourism.

Guest Experience

• Aside from safety, guides make the trip more fun — they take photos, suggest the best jump spots, and share stories about local culture and nature.

In short: You can’t do Badian Canyoneering on your own because of safety, environmental, legal, and community livelihood reasons.

There are 40 private tour operator and 700 guides was affected with this closure and now Governor announce that this will be reopen on Oct 24 or 25, 2023. In this announcement everyone are exited and glad for the news that this falls will be reopen for tourist.

Kawasan Tour Operator and Guides

There are 40 operators and 700 tour guides and counting that shows excitement and are glad for the opening of this falls. Although they are affected with the closure the Government had committed to provide little provision to sustain all of these guides. According the to the Municipal of Badian that they lost 1.1 million peso income for the closure of this falls daily.

Newly Developed Kawasan Falls

There will be new policies and regulation for entrance and activity fees. There will be newly installed basic infrastructure for pathways, viewing decks and bridges. These development will help tourist who will be visiting the falls.

Here is a list of the LTO accredited driving schools in Cebu in 2021:

ROF (Returning Overseas Filipino)

• Negative RT-PCR Test
• Quarantine Certification issued by DOH (Department of Health)-BOQ (Bureau of Quarantine)
• Valid Identification Card

LSI (Locally Stranded Individuals)

• Letter of Coordination from their Barangay of residence in Cebu City
• Negative RT-PCR Test (3 days prior to departure)

APOR (Authorized Person Outside Residence)

Public APOR

• Government Agency ID
• Purpose of Travel – for APORs with IATF and EOC ID Pass

Private APOR

• Negative RT-PCR Test (3 days prior to departure)
• Work/Travel Order from the company indicating purpose of travel
• Certificate of Employment
• Company ID
• Round trip Ticket/Travel Details
• Travel Itinerary for the duration of stay in Cebu City or for the first 10 days, whichever is shorter
• Confirmed booking of Accommodation in Cebu City
• Authority to Enter (ATE) if available – if none, advise to apply

TOURISM/NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVELS

• Negative RT-PCR Test (3 days prior to departure)
• Travel Itinerary for the duration of stay in Cebu City or for the first 10 days, whichever is shorter
• Confirmed booking of Accommodation in Cebu City
• Round trip Ticket/Travel Details
• Authority to enter Cebu City form

IMPORTANT REMINDER: No person shall be allowed entry into the City without presenting an Authority to Enter (ATE). Such ATE shall be issued upon the submission/upload of the following documents to the Cebu City Government Portal at www.mics.cebucity.gov.ph/inboundapplication.

NOTES:

Exemptions from the Letter of Coordination and Quarantine/PCR Swab Test Requirements:

• Transiting pax in Manila provided they will show proof of port of origin (e.g. boarding pass, ticket)
• Originating pax from Cebu City who are classified as APOR (Cebu City based worker/employer who will have a short visit to Manila)
• Passengers under the classification above who cannot provide a Letter of Coordination will be accepted upon check-in, and will need to call or coordinate with their barangays before boarding.
• Upon arrival in Mactan-Cebu International Airport, passengers without a Letter of Coordination will need to approach the kiosk of the Cebu City LGU for validation and confirmation of acceptance.

Given the strict travel requirements in Cebu City and its neighboring cities, some passengers are forced to declare a place of destination in the province of Cebu (except Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City) since they are now open for visitors. They do this to avoid any hassle of falling into long lines in the airport and the inconvenience of paying too much for the RT-PCR test.

Cebu is under MGCQ for the whole month of October. According to the Provincial Tourism Office, these hotels, resorts, and other tourism establishments are required to install Covid19 safety measures like air purifiers, ultraviolet (UV) lights or lamps, and barriers on the front desks and in restaurants.

These are the 52 allowed hotels in the following locations:

Minglanilla – Circa La Playa Recreation Center

Carcar – Tatope Travel Lodge

Alcoy – Voda Krasna Beach Resort, Cartagena Beachwalk Resort and Antig Tingko Beach Resort in

Balamban – West 35 Eco Adventure Park and Sailor’s Cabin

Cebu’s southwestern seaboard

Barili – ATV Adventure and Cafe Alfonso

Moalboal – Kasai Villages Resort, Moalboal Eco Lodge, Hale Manna Coastal Gardens, Kojie Guest House and several others

Badian – Eskapo Verde, World Big 4 Resort and Banamboo

Dalaguete – Carlita’s View Beach Resort, Kellock Seaview Apartelle, Ocean Bay Beach Resort and others;

Boljoon – Cebu Club Fort Med

Oslob – Bluewater Sumilon, The Lighthouse Beach Resort, Malonzo Pension House, Stay and S. Resort, Aloha Lodging House and others in Oslob.

Santander – Pebbles Beach Resort In.

Cebu North Opened Hotels

Danao – Danasan Eco Adventure Park in

Daanbantayan – De Payag Inland Resort

San Remigio – La Mer Beach Resort, Orongan Beach Resort and San Remigio Beach Club

According to the tourism of Cebu, guests must register and book rooms online through the Cebu Provincial Tourism Portal to be able to visit these facilities as well as the various tourist destinations in Cebu. (ANV)

On January 30, 2020, the very first case of the Corona Virus was reported in the Philippines. It involved a 38-year old Chinese National who was hospitalized in the San Lazaro Hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila. Just a few days after the recorded first case, the country reported the very first death outside mainland China. He was a 44-year old Chinese man. On March 5, a 62-year old man who did not have a travel history was confirmed positive of the disease and that’s when the community transmission began.

While the cases in Metro Manila were rising, Cebu still remained COVID free and tourism was still on going. Only until the 13th of March when the very first case was announced, that things changed. Preventive measures were made by the government and that included the “Stay-at-Home” order. Although lockdown was still not in the plan, strict regulations have been implemented in the borders to prevent the virus from spreading.

Status of Tourism

The start of the pandemic also marked the suspension of tourism activities in Cebu City and in the whole island. Tourist destinations, resorts, and beaches closed. People were encouraged to go back to their hometowns. Because all the countries in the world ordered lockdowns, foreigners were required to go back to their countries. This made tourism be paralyzed.

While tourism is at freeze, the tourism sector suffered a lot. This doesn’t only include travel agencies and travel destinations but also affected hotels, and car rental companies. With the pandemic going on, there is no guarantee yet as to when tourism will be back.

What is the Tourism Sector Doing During the Pandemic?

Though this pandemic has impacted so many companies and caused the closure of some, other companies made this as an opportunity to improve and divert to other better opportunities. In Oslob for example, the local government allotted a budget for the continuous feeding of the whale sharks so that the gentle giants will not depart from the place. So when the pandemic is over, the whale shark watching activity will automatically go back to normal operation. Some car rental companies are catering shuttle services for companies that started to open. Some tourist destination companies also took advantage of this time to do some renovation and improvement. Hotels, on the other hand, partnered with companies like BPO to provide temporary accommodation for their employees.

Cebu Airport Design

The airport design is compared with the wave of the ocean which surrounds this beautiful Cebu Island. You can see the arch’s designs to complement the tropical and resort style.

Cebu Airport Facilities

The facilities of this airport has five boarding bridges. There are two expandable bridges. Total bridges are seven (7) that will cater the demand of passengers.

Coming from Cebu, there are a lot of options to travel going to different islands nearby. When airfares are too expensive, travelling by boat is a better option.

One way to travel from Cebu going to Legazpi City is through a Roro bus. This bus travels everyday from Cebu City going to Masbate City. This is how to avail of this trip:

1. Buy a ticket at the Cebu City North Bus Terminal. It costs Php 900.00 per passenger. The bus leaves at 7:30pm daily going to Bogo City. Upon arriving at the Bogo Port, the bus will be loaded to a boat going to Cataingan, Masbate. Passengers need to disembark the bus and ride the boat. The boat will reach Cataingan at around 7:00 to 7:30am. Passengers will need to ride the bus again as it travels going to Masbate City. It will take around 1 ½ to 2 hours to reach the City. The destination of the bus is only Masbate City.
2. From Masbate City, ride a boat going to Pilar, Sorsogon. There are two kinds of boats that travel from Masbate City to Pilar, the fast craft and the slow boat. The fast craft takes only 2 hours while the slow boat will take approximately 4 hours.
3. Upon disembarking the boat from Masbate City, take a van or a jeepney going to either Daraga, Albay or Legazpi City.