From Mission Crossings to Direct Flights: The Cebu–Guam Connection Centuries ago, the island of Guam looked across the Pacific and found its spiritual guidance in Cebu.
During the Spanish era, the Catholic Church in Cebu supervised Guam’s faith life, sending missionaries and supplies to the distant Marianas. For more than a hundred years, Guam’s parish records and missionary reports were tied to the Bishop’s Palace in Cebu. It was a connection of faith and heritage, linking two island communities across vast seas. Today, that bond takes on a new meaning.
Philippine Airlines is set to launch its first-ever Cebu–Guam direct flight starting December 16! No longer will the journey take months by galleon—just a few hours from Mactan to America’s Pacific paradise.
From the Chamorro traditions and pristine beaches of Guam to the deep historical ties shared with Cebu, this new route is more than just a convenience, it’s a revival of a centuries-old connection. PAL will fly nonstop to Guam 3x weekly, bringing Cebuanos closer not only to stunning island adventures but also to a place that once looked to Cebu as its spiritual home. History has come full circle. What began as missionary crossings in the 1600s now continues with modern wings in 2025.
CEBU – Governor Pam Baricuatro’s victory was nothing short of phenomenal. While many were initially skeptical about what she could deliver as a newcomer in politics, her first months in office have proven otherwise. Now, as she approaches her first 100 days, it’s worth looking back at the quick gains and accomplishments she has already achieved for the province. This will be a multi-part series, beginning with her initiatives in the field of health.
Governor Pamela Baricuatro has put healthcare at the forefront of her first 100 days in office, combining immediate medical missions with long-term investments to strengthen the provincial health system.
With the support of her daughter, Dr. Nikki Catalan, who serves as a passionate ‘Pro-bonoPiso Consultant‘ for provincial health programs, the governor led a series of medical and surgical missions in Camotes Island, Bantayan Island, Bogo City and Carcar City .
Aside from free consultations and medicines, the missions offered major surgical operations, including procedures for hernia, goiter, breast cancer, gallbladder stones (cholecystectomy), and parotid or “bayuok” cases.
“These operations prove that our healthcare outreach is not just symbolic, but life-saving,” Gov. Baricuatro said. “We are committed to making quality medical care accessible to all Cebuanos, especially those in far-flung communities.”
Another medical mission on August 16–17 at the Cebu Provincial Hospital in Danao City, provided P10 million worth of free surgeries. For the first time in Cebu’s history, private hospitals, organizations, and volunteers partnered with the Province for large-scale surgical operations.
Specialists from Chong Hua Hospital, UCMed, the Cebu Medical Society, and other medical teams joined the initiative.
Backing her pledge with resources, Gov. Baricuatro has a proposed ₱650 million in capital outlay under her proposed 2026 budget for the improvement of district and provincial hospitals. The fund will cover facility upgrades, acquisition of modern medical equipment, and expansion of specialized services.
Her administration also rolled out barangay-level health caravans, replenished medicine supplies in rural health units, and initiated support measures for frontline health workers, including hazard pay and allowances.
In Camotes island, she increased the fuel subsidies of ambulances while working ways to expedite the acquisition of sea ambulances.
Dr Nikki Catalan also emphasized the urgency of upgrading the hospital facilities in the islands because in the past, ‘a boat ticket in Jomalia Shipping has become a doctors prescription’ which means a patient needs to be transported to mainland hospitals due to inadequacies in the island healthcare facilities.
Private groups were also encouraged by the governor’s strong health advocacy. Doctors and specialists from as far as Australia joined local volunteers in conducting medical missions, creating a multiplier effect that expanded both the attention and resources dedicated to healthcare in the province.
Gov. Baricuatro’s decisive focus on health is among the most tangible accomplishments of her first 100 days. By pairing immediate, life-saving interventions with long-term hospital development, she is setting the stage for a stronger, more inclusive provincial healthcare system
📽️ Elena Jurado, born on May 19, 1901 in Sibonga, Cebu, made history as the first Filipina to star in Hollywood during America’s silent film era.
At just 18, Elena sailed to San Francisco to study radio—but fate had bigger plans. She caught the eye of filmmakers, acted in silent films, and wrote her own “photoplays.” American newspapers hailed her as the “Island Cinderella” and the “First Filipina Movie Star in Hollywood.”
📽️ Elena was a child of the Philippine-American War. Her father, a 22-year-old lineman of French ancestry assigned to install telephone poles in Sibonga, fell in love with her mother, Placida, a local Cebuana. Though unmarried, they raised Elena, who spent her early childhood at Camp Jossman in Guimaras, mingling with the children of U.S. military officers and civil officials.
🎞️ On April 13, 1922, Elena signed a contract with the Motion Picture Utility Corporation to star in two films to be shot in the Philippines — “Sunshine and Shadow” and “Wings of Love” — based on scenarios she herself wrote about life in the Philippines under American rule. Her stories impressed renowned actor Hobart Bosworth and novelist Peter B. Kyne.
📽️ Elena once declared:
“The fact that I am the first Filipina to enter the moving picture profession simply demonstrates that the Filipino women, like their sisters of the Caucasian race, will rise up from obscurity to limelight if they are given opportunity.”
💐 Elena Jurado passed away on her 73rd birthday, May 19, 1974, at an elderly home in Los Angeles County — leaving behind a legacy as a pioneer who paved the way for Filipinas in global cinema.
In recent years, Cebu has witnessed a quiet yet powerful shift in its real estate landscape , the rapid rise of columbaries as a preferred investment and memorial option. Once seen merely as sacred resting places, columbaries are now gaining ground as high-value properties, attracting both end-users and bulk-buying investors who recognize their long-term potential.
True Vine Garden. Cebu City
At the forefront of this trend is the True Vine Garden Columbary, an architecturally striking, Kenneth Cobonpue-inspired garden columbary envisioned to be one of the most luxurious in the country. True Vine has been drawing attention not just for its serene ambiance but also for its impressive investment performance. Inurnments at the property are steadily picking up, and investors are flocking in, purchasing niches in bulk.
True Vine Garden, Cebu City
Market watchers note that prices at True Vine Garden Columbary have appreciated by an average of 15% per year, a figure that rivals returns from some traditional real estate sectors. This consistent growth has fueled a surge in confidence, turning what was once a sentimental purchase into a strategic addition to many investors’ portfolios.
True Vine Garden, Cebu City
Adding to the momentum are two newly launched columbaries that have entered the Cebu market within just 60 days. Golden Gate Memorial Garden and Columbary in Daanbantayan, and the San Vicente Parish Columbary in San Vicente, Liloan. Their swift emergence signals a strong and growing demand for memorial spaces in northern Cebu, a region that is also seeing a rise in residential and commercial developments.
Golden Gate Memorial Garden, Daanbantayan, Cebu
Industry insiders say the rise of columbaries is being driven by several factors: increasing land scarcity, the shift toward more sustainable and space-efficient memorial options, and a cultural shift in how Filipinos approach end-of-life planning. For many Cebuanos, pre-need columbary investments are becoming as normal as buying a condominium or memorial lot.
With prices climbing, demand surging, and new players entering the scene, the columbary sector in Cebu is no longer a niche. It has become one of the fastest-growing segments in local real estate, and for many, a lasting legacy that also makes sound financial sense.
In Cebu, where thousands of young people dream of lifting their families out of poverty through education, one man became their champion: Atty. Augusto Go, founder of the University of Cebu.
What set him apart was not just his business acumen or his leadership, but his kindness. Students at UC would often tell a story, almost like campus folklore—that Atty. Go himself would personally sign excuse letters so that a student could take an exam even if they hadn’t yet paid their tuition fee.
For Atty. Go, no one should be denied an education simply because they were poor. He understood the struggles of working students who sometimes had to choose between paying school fees and buying food for their families. His policy was simple: let them take the exam, they’ll find a way to pay later. It was a gesture that may have seemed small to some, but for countless students, it meant the world.
University of Cebu (UC) began in 1964 as the Cebu College of Commerce, a modest institution founded by Atty. Augusto W. Go with the vision of providing affordable and accessible education to young Cebuanos.
Early years of the school
As the years went by, the school widened its academic offerings beyond commerce to include law, engineering, maritime education, criminology, computer studies, and the liberal arts. With this expansion came a new identity, and in 1972 the school was renamed Cebu Central Colleges. It was during this period that the institution became a leading hub for maritime education, producing highly trained seafarers who would later sail across the globe, carrying with them the name of Cebu.
The steady growth of the school culminated on November 1, 1992, when it was granted full university status by the Commission on Higher Education. From then on, Cebu Central Colleges became known as the University of Cebu, a recognition of its academic achievements, breadth of programs, and increasing prominence in higher education.
Today, the University of Cebu stands as the largest private university in Cebu and one of the biggest in the Philippines, with a student population of more than 40,000 across multiple campuses.
From its main campus in Sanciangko Street, the university has expanded to Banilad, Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue, Pardo, and its world-class Maritime Education and Training Center in Mambaling. It has produced generations of professionals, from engineers and lawyers to IT specialists, criminologists, educators, and world-class seafarers.
Pardo Campus
UC is also widely recognized for producing board exam topnotchers gifting them with brand new cars and for its vibrant athletic program, represented by the UC Webmasters in Cebu collegiate sports.
From a small commerce school to a multi-campus institution, the University of Cebu is the lasting legacy of Atty. Go’s vision: a university built not only on academic excellence but also on the belief that every young Cebuano deserves a chance at a better future.
Over time, UC became a home for working scholars, seafarers-in-training, engineers, teachers, and professionals in many fields. Many graduates who now hold successful careers remember that one defining moment: when their school gave them a chance even when they were at their lowest. And that was Atty. Go’s doing.
Beyond being an educator, he was also a businessman and civic leader. But if you asked him what legacy he wished to be remembered for, it would not be the companies he served, nor the titles he held. It would be the simple act of opening doors for young people who might otherwise have been shut out.
Today, the University of Cebu continues to thrive, with tens of thousands of students across multiple campuses. And at its heart is Atty. Augusto Go, still the active and passionate lawyer, educator, and philanthropist who believed that opportunity, once given, can change a life forever.
InfoCebu 