EDITOR’S NOTE
One could argue that while the appreciation of function is inherent in every culture, the importance given to form appears only after a level of sophistication is reached. In the case of Cebuanos who have been trading with the world since the 10th century, our head start gave us an (unfair) advantage.
Cebu’s creative types can build a mountaintop home literally from scratch; architect Tessie Javier’s aptly named bukid is made from recycled materials from former projects. Cebuanos can also build a name separate from the shadows of industries that preceded them, as in the case of minaudière designer Neil Felipp San Pedro, whose creation is mentioned in Kevin Kwan’s Rich
People Problems. And then there’s the colorful eye of artist Lean Reboja, whose monster-filled world invades Qube Gallery’s walls this June. We also scored a coup with our cover story, bringing together the first and last Miss Cebu winners for a candid chat about—what else— this hometown we love.