The Weekender's Memoir

Month: July 2026

  • Is Cebu, Philippines safe for tourists?

    Cebu is an incredible place to be, but both locals and tourists need to stay alert to the various challenges that come with living on or visiting the island. From the seasonal timing of powerful natural events to specific areas where you’ll want to keep a closer eye on your belongings, being prepared is the best way to enjoy the island safely. There are also some surprising insights regarding local infrastructure, road safety trends, and even health risks that you might not expect. I’ve pulled together the latest reports to give you a clear picture of what to watch out for, whether you’re navigating busy downtown hubs or heading to the province. Dive into the details below to ensure you’re ready for anything the island throws your way.

    Does Cebu get a lot of typhoons?

    Cebu is prone to tropical cyclones just like any other place in the Philippines but it’s less compared to the Luzon Region. Typhoons that hit this island can be very powerful that can reach up to Category 4 or 5 status, carrying very destructive wind speeds of 160 mph to 240 mph, torrential rains, and frightening storm surges. Though strong typhoons rarely make a direct hit to Cebu, when it does make landfall, it brings destruction due to flash flooding, landslides, and damages to critical infrastructure like power grids and communication networks.

    It’s good to know there’s patterns to this. Typhoon season in the Philippines is around June to November with peak activity occuring between July and October. The island of Cebu faces its highest risk during latter part of the year from October to December with evidences by past major events occuring in November and December. Having this knowledge—its good to prepare before these disasters happen again and its required to constantly monitor updates from Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) or reliable weather apps.

    Cebu has fought several of the strongest and most destructive typhoons in recent history:

    • Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi): triggered the worst flash food in Cebu in the year 2025.
    • Super Typhoon Odette (Rai): struck on December 16, 2021 and still remains one of the most destructive and powerful typhoons that brought strong winds plus torrential rains that caused catastrophic damages like blackouts and food supply shortages for months to homes and livelihoods.
    • Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan): which made landfall in the northern parts of Cebu in the year 2013 that caused damages leaving thousands homeless.
    • Super Typhoon Ruping (Mike): considered as one of the legendary in Cebuano history. This typhoon has feriocous wind speeds that reached 140 mph. When Ruping/Mike made landfall in Cebu, destruction was vast—vital infrastructures, water pipelines, over 80 ships docked in the island were damaged, and had blackouts that lasted months.

    What are the flood prone areas in Cebu?

    Highly urbanized parts of the island like Cebu City, Mandaue City, and Lapu-Lapu City are places which are in risk of floods. It’s a status driven by coastal location and natural events like heavy rainfall. These highly developed places are vulnerable to flooding because of overwhelming infrastructure, clogged drainage systems because of illegally thrown garbages, and use of land in mountainous areas that have been turned into quarries.

    Take note about a certain location in Cebu City: Barangay Guadalupe. This barangay, when flooded, can experience floodwaters as high as 7 feet. That’s scary thinking that your home in a residential subdivision can sink deeper more than an average filipino height.

    If only Cebu had adequate waste management, improved drainage  systems, and well-funded flood control initiatives, it could have been the top island in Asia.

    Does Cebu get earthquakes?

    September ‌30, ‌2025 ‌brought a hard jolt to northern Cebu, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit offshore from Bogo City. With the source sitting shallow, about five kilometers down, the shaking turned violent fast, buildings gave way, roads cracked and failed, and large areas went dark as power lines dropped. Damage piled up across towns in the north, including Daanbantayan, Medellin, and San Remigio, and even in parts of Cebu City the tremors came through strongly.

    Go back to October 15, 2013, where the island of Bohol was hit, that time was a magnitude 7.2 quake. Bohol took the worst of it, but the whole Central Visayas felt the impact, Cebu included. Places like Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, and Carcar City have reported to reach intensity 7. Infrastructure across the region was badly affected, so Cebu province declared a state of calamity to speed up emergency response and get resources moving where they were needed.

    What is the crime rate in Cebu?

    The ‌average ‌drop ‌in crime across the Cebu area in early 2026 is 32.55%. When you visit any big city, basic street smarts and staying alert go a long way. Cebu is generally considered safe for travelers, but a few spots show up again and again in local chatter and visitor complaints.

    The list below points out places often mentioned as needing extra caution:

    1. Colon Street

    • Known as the country’s oldest street, it’s packed and constantly busy. People often flag it for pickpocketing and quick snatch-and-run thefts. With so many bodies in motion, it’s easy for thieves to zero in on shoppers or tourists who aren’t paying attention.

    2. Carbon Market

    • Much like Colon, this public market is hectic and high-traffic. Typical problems involve pickpockets and stolen belongings, especially bags and phones. In the rush and crowding, items can disappear fast.

    3. General Maxilom Avenue (Mango Avenue)

    • This is one of the city’s main nightlife and entertainment strips. Incidents people mention here often include grab-and-go theft, usually phones or bags, particularly around public transport stops (jeepney or bus stops). Risk tends to feel higher late at night, either when it’s shoulder-to-shoulder or when the area thins out.

    4. Pasil (near the Fish Market)

    • This area is often described as more challenging and residential. Some reports mention that outsiders may face harassment or intimidation, and a few taxi drivers choose to avoid entering the area to prevent confrontations or the risk of vehicle damage. It’s not typically on the usual tourist route.

    5. Kamagayan and Junquera Street

    • Commonly linked with the city’s red-light area. Both locals and visitors mention solicitation, harassment, and uncomfortable encounters at night. If you don’t know the area well, these streets are usually best skipped.

    6. Duljo-Fatima and Alaska (Mambaling)

    • These neighborhoods are occasionally pointed out in local reports for higher levels of illegal activity. Given the character of the areas, tourists and casual visitors generally don’t spend time here.

    Road ‌accidents ‌in ‌Cebu

    Road accidents in Cebu are largely linked to reckless habits on the road, overspeeding, and a common tendency to ignore traffic signs. Law enforcers also cite alcohol-impaired driving as a key factor, along with issues such as driver exhaustion and the risky move of counterflowing just to bypass heavy traffic. On top of that, road conditions add to the danger, many roads remain unpaved, plenty of routes are narrow two-lane stretches, and visibility can be compromised by overgrown shrubs or the absence of traffic lights, putting both drivers and pedestrians at higher risk. Motorcycles, in particular, keep showing up in reports as the vehicle most often involved, and frequently blamed in these crashes. In Mandaue City, motorcycles accounted for more than half of all traffic-related incidents recorded over a 17-month period, and in Cebu City, they remain the most commonly cited vehicle type in daily crash reports.

    The toll on people is climbing. Cebu Province recorded 87 deaths resulting from road crashes between January 1 and May 27, 2026, which represents a 26% increase compared to the 69 fatalities reported during the same period in 2025. What worries authorities is that deaths are increasing even as the total number of road accidents has dipped slightly. Over the years, road crashes have consistently placed among Cebu’s top ten causes of death, and the pace of daily incidents rose sharply, from about 13 a day in 2022 to 24 a day by early 2023. Across the country, the Highway Patrol Group recorded 2,747 deaths from road incidents in 2024, with motorcycles and cars most often tied to these fatal cases.

    Rape and murder cases in Cebu

    Main Causes of Murder

    Murders in Cebu are often traced back to personal grudges and disputes that spiral into violence. Within the foreign community, authorities frequently point to motives such as greed, sexual intent, and the role of illegal drugs like “shabu” (methamphetamine). In many cases involving foreign victims, the suspects are people the victim knew, disgruntled former employees, business partners, or the relatives and partners connected to a victim’s significant other. Some widely reported incidents have also been tied to road rage, gang fights, or contract killings arranged by other expatriates. Police also acknowledge that a notable share of killings in the area connects to the illegal drug trade.

    Annual Murder Statistics

    In recent years, the number of murders and homicides has generally decreased, although dozens of such cases still happen each year. Cebu Province recorded 110 murders in 2024, then 78 in 2025. Cebu City, for its part, reported 24 murders and 4 homicides in the early months of 2024 alone (January 1 to May 13). Looking at the wider Central Visayas region, which includes Cebu, records show 223 murders in 2024 and 177 in 2025. Even with these totals, police officials often argue the city remains fairly safe, and they describe many incidents as isolated and not connected to broader patterns.

    Main Causes of Rape

    Rape cases in Cebu are frequently associated with poverty and the influence of illegal drugs or the internet. Officials have also raised alarm over the high number of incest-related rape cases, where suspects are commonly fathers, stepfathers, or other male relatives. The problem intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, when restrictions kept victims trapped “under one roof” with abusers for long periods. There are also cases where suspects draw victims in through supposed friendship or small gifts. Some accused perpetrators have claimed intoxication at the time of the assault.

    Annual Rape Statistics and Foreign Victims

    Reported rape cases in Cebu Province went down from 254 in 2024 to 188 in 2025. In Cebu City, 17 rape cases were recorded in the first quarter of 2024. While most victims are local residents, several cases involving foreign women have been documented. In June 2012, two Japanese tourists were raped by two South Korean nationals in a motel in Lapu-Lapu City. Another Japanese citizen was raped by a local man on Bantayan Island after she asked for directions. British women have also been targeted, one avoided an attempted rape by a local in Malapascua in 2013, and another British diver escaped a similar attempt by a driver in Badian that same year. Also, in 2025, two Turkish nationals were arrested over the alleged rape of a 28-year-old woman in a Cebu City condominium.

    Streets Full of Garbage

    If you ever go around Cebu you’ll notice that there’s always an accumulation of garbage everywhere. This stems from a systemic lack of infrastructure where you’ll notice there’s a severe scarcity of public trash bins and dumpsters in commercial and high-traffic areas which makes locals and travelers litter everywhere. This is caused by inadequate collection systems, where many local villages lack the necessary equipment for recovery and to properly process waste. This becomes problematic where the task of collecting trash goes to informal waste workers who operate illegally. They are the ones you see illegally dumping garbages on highways, rivers, and many other public spaces.

    There are laws regarding maintaining public cleanliness funded by taxpayer’s money but due to claims of “budget constraints” and difficulties enforcing existing environmental laws, Cebu ends up having these problems for many years and even in todays modern infrastructure. If this keeps going on, the problem isn’t just going to be environmental but also public health concerns.

    How to fight rabies?

    Dogs and cats are the main animals linked to rabies in Cebu. Domestic dogs remain the primary culprit, making up about 85.7% of reported animal cases, while cats account for 12.5%. Although dogs used to be responsible for most bites by a wide margin, health officials have reported a sharp rise in cat-related incidents, with cats now making up close to 50% of animal bites in some places. Cebu City recorded 31 confirmed rabies cases in 2025 and 32 in 2024. In the first half of 2026, an additional 15 animals tested positive for rabies in the city, indicating that the disease is still spreading, particularly in densely populated urban areas.

    For rabies vaccination in Cebu, the priority is to go at once to the nearest health facility, such as an Animal Bite Treatment Center (ABTC). These are commonly found in Rural Health Units and District Hospitals. The provincial government supplies free vaccines to all 16 province-run hospitals, although availability can run short because of budget limits. In some areas, including Lapu-Lapu City, residents may need to present an “active” voter’s certification to qualify for free government-procured vaccines, while non-residents are often asked to buy their own. As for deaths, rabies remains a serious threat in the region. Central Visayas recorded 19 suspected rabies-related deaths in the first half of 2023 and around 10 deaths in the first quarter of 2026. Over time, the death toll has varied, and Cebu has recorded as many as 21 human deaths in a single year.

    Before you head to the province of Cebu, bookmark this page or take some quick notes so you have these safety essentials ready for your trip. A little preparation goes a long way in ensuring your Cebu adventure stays safe and stress-free!

  • What sells most on Fiverr?

    I have been reviving my freelance career for a while and nothing has been working out pretty well. Of course, things have changed and the landscape of what gigs sell the most on Fiverr will constantly be shifting. In the past, I used to believe that I could take on any project I wanted and simply hope for the best. However, the reality is that the freelance work I did years ago no longer works the same way. This is because new skills and tools, such as AI, are constantly evolving, which significantly changes the competitive landscape.

    The market evolves and so does the demands of clients. Back in the day, my services online by being a digital artist were in demand. I had clients from Tier 1 countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom who asked me to create artwork for their t-shirts, album covers, and even video game designs. However, I have now lost my former recognition and appeal due to inactivity. Today, things have become more sophisticated with technology evolving and they come real fast.

    I’ve come prepared my mind and body to dominate the freelance world once again and have been researching online on what the modern day Fiverr experts had to say. I have reviewed their content and according to their reports, it is essential to revise the game plan.

    Therefore, here are the high-demand opportunities that we should prioritize at this time:

    1. Social Media Content Strategy

    Businesses want to establish a professional presence but most of them don’t know where to start. So that’s where a social media expert comes in by providing them not just “SEO posts” but a blueprint that guides them to success.

    What you should provide

    • Overhaul their social media profile by optimization: It gives them a better presence when customers visit their page.
    • Aesthetic feed previews: Make photo posts catch eyeballs by making them look good. Think about Instagram where the photo-grid looks stunning by carefully planning every photo posts.
    • Custom color palettes: Colors can set the mood and evoke the emotions of customers. It is a powerful psychological tool.
    • Bio makeovers: Organize the profile layout that give viewers an easy understanding of what the business is all about by setting a clear profile message, pinned posts showcasing what the business offers best, and a layout that will convert viewers to long-term customers.

    2. Organic Growth and Platform Manager

    General “social media management” niche is overcrowded, but if you narrow it down, you can hit the bullseye.

    • Pinterest Marketing: A better goldmine than Instagram that comes with lower competition. Clients pay for attractive boards, creating pins that are Search Engine Optimized, and viral strategies that catch the eyeballs of viewers. Pinterest’s nature heavily relies on being a visual search engine and your major task is to leverage this by creating metadata-rich pins that gives long-term organic traffic to the client’s website. By being a “Pinterest SEO Expert” for clients, you solve a critical problem for business owners who want to overcome the volatility of social media trends and build sustainable visibility.
    • LinkedIn Profile Optimization: This is some premium service. The pros have an asking price of $1,300 or more to transform profiles for entrepreneurs and job seekers to land their dream roles or attract premium B2B leads. You position yourself as a “career strategist” or “personal branding consultant” that provides them beyond the basic formatting and improve on high-conversion copywriting, headlines hooks, value-driven summaries.
    • X.com Management: They say this type of gig is growing in popularity. By focusing on organic audience growth, follower engagement, and consistent content delivery. It’s not just about posting but actively driving visibility by making high-value replies to niche influencers and building a community together. By packaging this into a “growth engine” gig, this can transform a client’s profile into a valuable lead attracting machine.

    3. Paid Ads Management

    Everyone is into social media and businesses need you to reach their customers. Either it’s Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok, being able to manage ad campaigns is a service that never goes out of the trend. It’s a high-demand skill that keeps businesses coming back for more.

    It’s in demand because this skill will generate more revenue for your client. Business will pay a good amount of money to someone who can turn their $1 ad expense into a $3 or more in sales. To be noticed in this gig, you need to focus on end-to-end campaign management, which needs keen understanding of audience targeting, and A/B split testing of high-converting creative ads.

    You will become their “Expert Marketing Specialist” that provides them detailed data reporting by showing them the good results of the ad campaign’s ROAS (Return on Ad Spend).

    4. Short-Form Video Editing

    Editing videos can still make you money. The demand for vertical videos like Reels, TikToks, and YouTube Shorts is still big. Most businesses have no time to edit their long-form content, so it’s going to be your job to make these podcasts or vlogs into viral short-form clips.

    You don’t need to be a big-name Hollywood director to crush this gig. The simple ingredient is where you take a client’s hour-long Zoom call, podcast, livestream VODs, and even YouTube videos and make a good edit. Create the best 30-second clips that catch people’s attention and keep them watching for more by cutting out the unwanted scenes and adding dynamic texts and animations.

    You won’t land that order on a Fiverr gig just by selling “video editing” in the title. Sell them the convenience of “hands-off” and “you’ll handle everything” for them strategy. Give them something like “I will turn your 1 podcast episode into 5 viral TikToks” or “I will edit 10 Reels with engaging captions.” Let businesses know that you can handle the heavy lifting of cutting footages of their content and make it a viral clip. These clients will be happy to hire you regularly to keep their video feeds alive.

    5. Banned Account Restoration

    I’ve had an experience before that my Youtube got banned and tried to appeal to recover it back but nothing happened. It sucks and drains your soul from all the effort you’ve done through all the years and everything just vanishes. I’m not an expert at this and what pros say might also help me and you in the future.

    If you are an expert at this (or an attorney), maybe helping businesses recover their banned social media accounts might give you good reputation points for brands. Solving critical business problems like this makes you a high demand freelancer.

    It’s because when a business loses its platform, they’re losing a lot of money every single hour. Sadly, majority of business owners don’t have any idea how to go through the confusing process of appealing to get their accounts back and often get rejected by an automated reply from a bot. This is where you’re crucial to save their day by bridging them and the platform’s support system.

    You should have the skills to audit their account and find what is the exact policy violation, be able to draft a very professional appeal letter that cite the platform’s specific terms of service, and guide them step-by-step until you’re able to reach the right people.

    The Best Move

    Becoming successful in Fiver this 2026 has been a challenge by adapting to the newest standards of skills, tools, and technology. Like becoming a Social Media Expert for Online Stores or LinkedIn Strategist for High-Profile individuals. You need to be outside of your comfort zone to get the orders coming. After going through this research, you need to solve specific problems for targeted audiences and not just a broad solution. Don’t forget to optimize your profile with high-intent keywords and portfolio-backed descriptions that build trust with clients. It’s proven that things do change through time but opportunities for Fiverr freelancers who adapt is bigger and better. I’ll be tackling these niches that the pros are recommending. How about you?

  • My Professional Fiverr Revamp

    My Professional Fiverr Revamp

    Logging back into my Fiverr account recently was like uncovering a buried treasure chest from 2021! It’s a blast from the past to see my old digital design and anime art gigs, ranging from intermission screens to full character concepts. But man, seeing that old analytics dashboard again was a massive wake-up call! I had exactly one completed $20 order, which left me with a lifetime earning of just $16 after fees. While I’ll always be nostalgic for that art style, seeing those old gigs sitting at zero impressions and zero clicks made me realize it was time for a total profile rework!

    My profile in Fiverr with an updated about page description that is tailored for my writing skills.

    I am absolutely pumped to announce that I’ve officially kicked off a total profile revolution! I’ve completely overhauled my profile by manually importing my entire Upwork Project Catalog and shifting my focus away from the art world to showcase my power in writing and editing. The imported active lineup is looking incredible, featuring services like SEO-optimized blog posts, cutting-edge AI articles, and specialized food writing! It feels that everything might not work out but I’ve read by other’s reviews that you need to study what Gig niche or market is sought after to be successful. Absolutely not a problem, I just need to study my strengths and weaknesses to fit in perfectly!

    Active Gig Lineup

    My new writing gig line-up that showcases generic SEO content writing, AI writing, Food Blogging, and Proofreading and Editing skills.

    I have activated four specific gigs. These services are based on my existing Upwork Project Catalogs and focus on professional writing and editing:

    • SEO Content Writing: This gig provides search engine optimized blog posts, articles, and general copywriting services.
    • Professional Proofreading and Editing: This gig is designed to take a rough draft and refine it through editing and proofreading into a polished final document.
    • Artificial Intelligence Writing: This gig focuses on the creation of professional articles and blog posts specifically centered on artificial intelligence.
    • Food Industry Writing: This gig provides blog content tailored for food-related publications and their readers.

    The Spam Bots

    I thought I’d have a few days to settle in, but literally minutes after publishing my first two Gigs, my inbox didn’t just exploded. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the flood of dream clients I was hoping for. Instead, I was immediately bombarded with messages from fake profiles, many of which had no stolen photos, no descriptions, and zero history. It is almost impressive how fast these scammers find new sellers, often appearing in the inbox within 30 minutes of a gig going live.

    These messages are almost always traps involving fake links or requests to move the conversation somewhere else. I did precautions and read about these and they come with lots of warning signs:

    • Phishing Portals: Some links lead to fake websites that look exactly like Fiverr or Gmail login pages, designed to steal your password or OTP to hijack your account.
    • Fake Verification: You might see a link claiming you need to “authorize” a payment or “verify your email” before an order can be placed.
    • External “Project Files”: Scammers often send links to “project details” on unknown domains (like “digital-project-pro.com”) which can contain malware or spyware designed to infect your device.

    You must avoid these links at all costs for your own safety. The moment you click or move communication off-platform, you lose all of Fiverr’s security protections, including their escrow payment system and dispute mediation. Even worse, Fiverr’s automated systems are incredibly good at detecting when you share contact info or external links. Ironically, just replying to these scammers with your email can get your own account flagged or permanently banned for a Terms of Service violation before you even land your first real job. Good thing I did my research first than becoming a victim.

    Pay-to-Win with Fiverr Kickstart

    While navigating my new dashboard, I noticed Fiverr is now pushing a premium service specifically for beginners called Fiverr Kickstart. For a $15 monthly fee, this program claims to help you land that elusive first order faster by providing “exclusive tools” and AI-powered feedback to optimize your Gigs. It includes live sessions to help with business setup and allows you to showcase your professional work experience more prominently once your ID is verified. It’s essentially a “starter pack” for those who don’t want to wait months for the algorithm to finally notice them.

    So, why are these freelancing platforms suddenly obsessed with offering premium subscriptions like Kickstart or Seller Plus? Some veteran sellers are even starting to feel like these programs are becoming a “paid requirement” just to keep your Gigs visible in an increasingly overcrowded marketplace.

    This shift toward “pay-to-play” leads me to a bigger realization: these traditional freelancing platforms might be dying, losing the battle to AI agents. It’s a sentiment shared by many in the community who feel the platform is “crumbling” or “about to end”. We’re seeing a “skyrocketing” of new sellers while the number of actual buyers takes a plunge. If an AI agent can write the copy, design the logo, and manage the project, the need for a massive, middleman marketplace starts to vanish and these premium fees might just be a last-ditch effort to keep the lights on.

    Plan B with Etsy

    For now, I’m playing the waiting game with my free Fiverr account, opting to see how the organic algorithm handles my new gigs rather than springing for the $15/month Kickstart premium service. My initial analytics are modest; my SEO content writing gig currently has 22 impressions, while my proofreading service is sitting at 18 impressions, each with just a single click. My lifetime earnings are still holding at that familiar $16.00, but this “wait and see” phase allows me to monitor my progress without the pressure of a paid subscription.

    While I wait for those kind-hearted clients, I’m deep-diving into expanding my skills to Etsy, specifically focusing on the “make it once, sell it forever” model of digital products. I’m looking to blend my writing and design degree into high-demand assets like PNG clipart sets, printable wall art, and any digital templates. My research shows that the secret to Etsy success is volume and bundling, following a “one theme, many products” strategy. I’m already sketching out ideas in my head and hoping to see if this pivot will be the next big chapter in my road to escaping the rat race.