Arts & Culture
24 Hours in Cebu: Sinulog 2018 Edition
Here’s a complete itinerary for you to have the best Sinulog experience.

With all the activities that will happen during the Sinulog Festival, it can be hard to figure out where to go and what to do. Here’s a complete itinerary for you to have the best Sinulog experience.
6:00 a.m. — Attend the Novena Mass at Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino
We can’t celebrate the Sinulog Festival without paying homage to the celebrant—Sto. Nino. Head over to the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino for the last day of the nine-day novena.
7:30 a.m. — Breakfast at Bo’s Coffee
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day—especially on a hectic day like Sinulog Sunday. Bo’s Coffee is a homegrown brand and they offer only the best coffee beans sourced locally; their big breakfast meals will fuel you throughout the morning.
9:30 a.m — Watch the street parade along Mango Avenue
As one of the highlights of the Sinulog Festival, you definitely can’t miss this! It’s best to pick a spot along Mango Avenue, where the contenders will showcase the dances they’ve been practicing for months.
11:30 a.m. — Eat barbecue at Larsian Food Park
Enjoy one of the city’s best barbecue spots at the heart of the parade’s route. A circle of small eateries where different vendors hawk their barbecues, it’s open for 24 hours.
1:30 p.m. — Get your shirt cut out at Island Souvenirs
A shirt form Island Souvenirs is a must-have for everyone who attends Sinulog. Customize your shirt however you’d like; you can have them cut into any style or embezzled with beads or gems.
3:00 p.m. — Have your face painted or get a henna tattoo done by one of the vendors along the parade route
Face paint and henna tattoos are iconic during the Sinulog; have yours done by one of the many vendors along the parade route—they have many designs to choose from, and you can also request a personalized design.
4:30 p.m. — Halo-halo and chill at D’Original Razon’s
By this time, the heat would have probably drained all your energy. Replenish it by ordering a halo-halo from Razon’s; it’s perfect to cool you off.
7:00 p.m. — Dinner at Zubuchon
Known for their organic lechon, Zubuchon lets you experience the deliciousness of the dish—but with a much healthier take.
8:00 p.m. — Fireworks at Ayala Center Cebu
Enjoy a grand fireworks show at one of the city’s best malls. Their fireworks never fail to amaze the Sinulog-goers every year.
10:00 p.m. — Party on at The Sentral until dawn!
If you’re still down to party, it’s worth going to one of the hottest bars in Cebu. With the theme of Neon Jungle, it’s sure to be a wild experience.
Originally published in the Zee Directory January 2018 edition.
Arts & Culture
Chaos and Clarity: Zen Aesthetic in Oj Hofer’s Art

by Jing Ramos |
Oj Hofer, our fashion contributing editor, is a Fine Arts graduate from the University of the Philippines. Though he began painting at the age of eight, his artistic journey took a transformative turn in 2013. While volunteering as a costume designer for Siddhartha: The Musical, he encountered Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s One-Stroke Calligraphy, sparking a deep devotion to Japanese sumi-e painting and kanji calligraphy. Over the years, he refined his craft, using his art to share the Dharma through exhibitions while supporting the Hsing Yun Educational Foundation. In 2022, his spiritual path deepened at Nan Tien University, where he embraced Zen and Humanistic Buddhism, shaping his artistic philosophy.

“Plum Blossoms in Moonlight.” Serigraphy on abaca.
In his recent works, Hofer merges traditional calligraphy with serigraphy, drawing inspiration from his friend Charles Lahti—an internationally recognized New York-based painter and printmaker. Lahti, known for his collaborations with post-war American artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Donald Judd, Andy Warhol, and LeRoy Neiman, introduced Hofer to silkscreen techniques. Through a workshop Lahti conducted in Cebu—arranged by their mutual friend Greg Urra—Hofer integrated silkscreen into his Zen artworks, particularly those on abaca.

“The Circle of Harmony” Serigraphy and Calligraphy on abaca.
Hofer’s cross-disciplinary approach challenges conventional Zen aesthetics. His layered paintings on abaca may seem far from tranquil at first glance, but closer contemplation reveals a meditative core. His serigraph of an Enso circle, for example, initially appears chaotic, filled with Tang Dynasty poetry and overlapping, repetitive forms. Yet, by focusing on a single calligraphic element, the viewer experiences a moment of clarity—a glimpse of awakening within the visual complexity.

“Monkey Mind” Serigraphy and Calligraphy on abaca.
Even more engaging is his diptych Monkey Mind. At odds with the traditional Zen emphasis on negative space, this piece is deliberately busy, reflecting the restless nature of the mind. A distracted viewer may struggle to find a focal point, but one attuned to emptiness and presence will perceive clarity amidst the seeming disarray.

Ink and intention—creating calligraphy in support of one of my advocacies.
By fusing Zen philosophy with the discipline of serigraphy, Hofer invites his audience to look beyond surface impressions and discover stillness within movement, balance within complexity. His art does not merely depict Zen—it embodies the paradoxes at its core, offering a path to mindfulness through the act of seeing and the experience of doing.
Arts & Culture
What is Sappia? The Rice Myth Goddess of Bohol Who Helped Feed the People During a Great Famine

by Emma Gomez
The story began when the people of Bohol started to experience hunger and famine. All the livestocks were inedible and the fields were dried out leaving only weeds planted on the ground. The people prayed to the goddess of mercy, Sappia, to ask for food.

Sappia, the rice myth goddess of Bohol
Sappia, from the heavens, heard the cries of the people. She saw the dense population of weeds and offered to help them. Sappia thought of nourishing the weeds to be edible and healthy for the people of Bohol. Straightaway, she sprinkled the weed with milk from her bossom. She emptied each breast until blood came out. Before she left, she whispered to the weeds that they may be nourished and be able to feed the people.
When harvest season came, the people of Bohol quickly gathered the nourished weeds. They observed that the ones sprinkled with milk were white, while the other were red. They called the new plant rice and they replanted these in honor of Sappia, and for the people to devour.
Arts & Culture
Kimsoy’s Canvas of a Lifetime in Full Display

by Diana Gillo
There is nothing more fascinating than seeing an artist’s lifetime of work in one room. Such is the experience in Jose “Kimsoy” Yap’s third solo exhibit entitled “Kimsoy: Episodes of Mastery,” at Galerie Raphael Cebu. This serves as the truest form of homage to his enduring journey, showcasing works that span over decades.

Kimsoy with his student and muse, Zhara Rivera Mercado, at the entrance of Galerie Raphael
The exhibit speaks greatly of Kimsoy’s evolution as an artist, with his shifting mediums and remarkable variety of subjects. His creations range from heartfelt portraits of individuals he encountered along his journey to detailed landscapes inspired by the different walks of his life. The room’s layout carries the weight of his years of craft with one wall lined with pastels, another with watercolors, and another with oil painting.

As the River Flows Onward by Kimsoy Yap 2020 | Oil on canvas | 82×48 inches
The exhibit transcends beyond just the commemoration of Kimsoy’s masterful periods. It wanders more into a sense of intimacy reflecting Kimsoy’s life’s journey—from his roots as a young boy in Negros Oriental, through his pursuit of greater artistic mastery in New York, to his prominence in Cebu’s art scene. All his work freehanded, created both with his left and right hand, depicts the ways in which we all leave traces of ourselves in our work and in the world.

A Friend of Mine 1979 | watercolor on paper | 24×18 inches

In a Relaxed Mood 1977 | water color on paper | 16×19.5 inches
The opening ceremony featured Ambassador Jose Mari Cariño, alongside special guests Ivy Ang Gabas, Paolo Li, Angbetic Tan, Laurie Bouquiren of the Visayas Art Fair, and Valerie Go of Galerie Raphael Cebu. The exhibit is open until March 21, 2025.
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