[This should have been posted yesterday, but you know me. I don't post on time based on my own schedule. Plus, I spend more time in Discord than crafting my own post.]
Hello Hiveians!
I should have been posting the last part of our Bantayan Island escapade, but something interesting came up so that post will be moved tomorrow. That's how impulsive I am and sometimes I hate that side of me. Anyway, I was starting to write this post from scratch on the bus on my way home from work. I have to share this now or it will be set aside because I find something different to work on.
I have been trying to take photos of the place in this post for about two weeks already, but I couldn't get a decent photo because it has been raining lately. I wanted to have unedited photos that are taken from my new phone and I'm so happy I finally got the chance today.
I bought a new phone online sometime in June and it arrived last month. I would like to share that this phone was from my Hive earnings. I didn't imagine that I can buy a new phone in the middle of a pandemic so this is special to me. Anyway, I took these photos on a bus so there might be flare effects from the glass window.
This was on Marcelo Fernan Bridge so if you're from Mactan International Airport and entering Cebu, this might be the first view that you'll see on the right side of the road. On the left is the view of Cebu City and Mandaue City.
About the Place
Mactan Channel, also known as Opon Channel, is a strait that separates Mactan Island from mainland Cebu. It is connected by the two bridges Mandaue-Mactan Bridge and Marcelo Fernan Bridge. The channel serves as a passageway of a lot of ships that are operating inter-island like Cebu and Bohol, Negros, Samar, Leyte, and other neighbouring islands.
The Port of Cebu, the second busiest port in the Philippines, is located along Mactan Channel. The port has been used since the Spaniards colonized the Philippines. The channel has been a notable location with maritime, commerce, transportation, and historical importance.
The Fishponds of Brgy. Umapad in Mandaue City is just along Mactan Channel. I'm not really sure what type of fishes they're growing there, but it is said that the area is called Asinan before because it was once used for salt production. The flat square ponds are filled with saltwater during high tide and the water is evaporated by the sun, leaving the salt crystals behind. The area was once a supplier of salt in Cebu, but things have changed as Mandaue transformed into a highly urbanized city.
The area near the bridge is called Fahara and used to be a lively place where people take a jog, afternoon walk, and some even swim in the channel, but because of the pandemic, the place seemed to be abandoned.
What worries me is that the place might be not the same in the years to come. There's a high premium for real estate so more establishments are expected to pop up in the area. Another is pollution. Almost all of the waste run off of Metropolitan Cebu ends up in Mactan Channel.
North of the Fishponds is Cansaga Bay area and Brgy. Tayod of Consolacion. Near the fish ponds is the mouth of Butuanon River of Mandaue. The third bridge is already halfway through at the south of the channel from South Road Properties to Cordova. The fourth bridge is already approved and will be located north of Marcelo Fernan Bridge. It will link Lapu-Lapu City and North Road Properties in Cansaga. It is expected that the next boom of infrastructures will be in that area, so there will be a drastic change of scenery in the next 5 to 10 years.
About the Phone
I would like to thank everyone who supported my posts. Please know you're all instrumental to the purchase of this new phone. It's Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro. Mid-range phone, but I'm satisfied with the specs. It's a big upgrade from my old phone that was with me for 3 years. So far, I'm loving it, considering that I use this in all of my online transactions.
I guess that's all for this post. I'll upload my next travel post tomorrow if I'm not going to get lazy tonight. I'm done with the editing of the photos so what's left is to draft the post itself.
[Note: I usually edit my photos in Lightroom, but this time, I'll upload this as is because I'm satisfied with the results from this phone.]
Kim Ybañez
Welcome to Kim's small corner in Hive. He is a chemical engineer by profession, but a blogger by passion. He is a wanderlust and an adventure seeker. Join his quests as he visits secluded destinations, climbs mountains, tries new and exotic dishes, and explores his country (The Philippines) and the rest of the world even if he's still a poor corporate slave with tons of bills to pay and two siblings to support in college.
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