Cebu Stories

They were eight bright stars, burning too fast, too close. Ten years ago, they were an inseparable constellation bound by secrets and reckless dreams. But a single, devastating betrayal, buried deep within that unwritten summer, shattered their lives and sent them scattering across the world, successful but profoundly incomplete. Now, fate has forced an immediate, brutal eclipse: the sudden death of their Mayor demands their return to the quiet town-and to the grand estate-that witnessed their downfall. The inevitable collision begins with Pen Casquejo, the successful architect whose quiet composure is designed to forget, and Fourth Jimenez, the heir defined by unforgiving duty and tightly controlled grief. The unresolved tension between them forms the devastating catalyst: Fourth never forgave himself for the choice he made or the forbidden love they denied, and face to face, they are forced to confront the wreckage of their past, as he looks at her like he is her lost destiny. The rest of the constellation is unstable too: Jax Casquejo, the steady teacher, and Reg Madrigal, the renowned star, must navigate the electric tension between his quiet life and her global fame; Lau Monteza and Raf Acuzar hide deep resentments behind loud, easy banter; and Safi Lacerna and Ace Sarmiento's perfect facade is threatened by the true cost of their ambition and the secret role they played ten years ago. Eight broken stars return to one town where the past refuses to stay buried. When the past demands a price, how much of the future are they willing to burn to pay it?

During a vacation in Cebu, an NBSB Filipina finds herself falling for a professional hockey player from Slovakia. After a month of unexpected connections and shared memories, she gathers the courage to offer him a gift just before his flight back home. But as the gift is handed back and a final truth is spoken, her summer dream shatters into an unexpected reality. It is a story of a connection that felt like destiny, only to leave her standing alone with a choice, to break or to become stronger. START: JANUARY 19, 2026 ENDED:

In Cebu City, Ino Miguel Dela Cruz is hiding a huge secret - he's a billionaire who lives like a regular handyman. Still hurting from his breakup with Thea Marie Dizon, he thinks he'll never feel that spark again... until he meets Pauline Andrea Santos at a family party. She sees him for him - not his money - and as they talk under the stars, something magical begins to grow. But can he leave his heartbreak behind? And when the truth about his wealth comes out, will their connection survive? Sometimes the spark you think you've lost was just waiting for the right person to light it up.

What If the Wind Blew Differently is a politically inclined, Cebu-based story that follows Shinea, a driven law student and consistent achiever at the University of San Carlos. Surrounded by ambition, pressure, and the weight of expectations, Shinea begins to question the system she's part of, the choices she made, not only her path, but the very direction of the wind that once carried her dreams. In a world of ambition, love, and unrest, she is forced to confront what it truly means to follow one's truth-even if it leads to an unexpected end. It's a story of self-discovery, resistance, and the quiet rebellion of a woman who dares to ask, what if?

[ e p i s t o l a r y ]

In the historic district of Villa Perpetua, 1980s Cebu, Renato-better known as Boyet-is the neighborhood's "good kid." A talented artist who stays away from the vices of his parents' "Little Casino," Boyet sees the world differently. But when a mysterious man in a white barong begins watching him from the shadows, Boyet is offered a version of faith that sounds like a dream but feels like a cage. ​Are they worshippers, or are they just The Carved People?

As long as she doesn't do anything that could jeopardize significant events in time, Filomena Esteban y Molina is free to do whatever she wishes in the 19th century. She is so absorbed in the upkeep of her painting career that she fails to notice she's already being surrounded by beings who have their own designs on her. The mysterious and charismatic mind seer, Salazar Alcantara, seems a likely candidate. Filomena will need to figure out who's an ally or an enemy in a century that is in great danger of changing. And fast!

Personal Essays by Filipino American author, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, who was born and raised in Cebu, Philippines. Many of the personal essays in this book explore the author's Cebuano ties, including colorful accounts about her mother's political family, the Cuencos. The collection of 28 prose pieces also includes accounts about the author's life and travels outside of Cebu. This completed work is shared here in Wattpad. Enjoy. While this book was published by the University of San Carlos Press in Cebu, it is no longer in print. You can still find hard copies as well as the Kindle format in Amazon. PS I'm looking for an international publisher for all my works.

GRS #1 (Scent Trilogy) "Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses." Ecclesiastes 3:1-21 J.A.S. April 24, 2024 -

Just when 17 year old Malcom Leonel Diwa thought he's had enough of swerving to different paths in life, he finds himself in another one. When stumbling upon a road towards his childhood home, he finds out it's fantastically not the same as it used to be. As he transplants his roots once more, he finds himself entangled in a new scape of world where he's forced to dig deeper and deeper through the history that surrounds his very own. With familiarity and ignorance, Leonel now has to navigate on this unfamiliar side of the world full of mystical entities and historical drama.

I always daydreamed. I met you and it stopped. - Lovemeuna

They say opposites attract. Kaylie says that's full of bull. Whoever said that was either drunk or on drugs, devoid of reality. There was nothing that Kaylie liked about James and vice versa. But to get her mom off her case, she agreed to date him. Unbeknownst to Kaylie, James had his own agenda of why he wanted to date her. What will happen when a jaded lover and a passive realist collide? © Copyright 2014 --------------------------------------------------------- New cover design by a very good friend of mine @inspiringwords12. Danke! ♡ Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any similarities to any persons, places and/or events are purely coincidental. Please do not copy in any way, shape or form. Otherwise you will get whipped by me. Mmmkay? Happy reading. Please follow, vote and comment. Thank you.

Denzil Villamoore is a pilot and was caught in a plane crash that lead him to be temporarily blind and the sole survivor. Drown in misery and grief, he met a young woman named Lily in a prestigious hospital in Cebu. For 20 days, Lily is with him to his quest to bring back his normal vision. In that little span of time, the two shared a strange yet special bond. The cover is not mine. (Credits to the rightful owner)

The Summer We Turned Blue "Do you believe people meet for a reason?" "I used to think no. But then I met you... and now, I'm not so sure anymore." What happens when two souls-one chasing dreams, the other running from expectations-collide in the middle of a humid Cebu summer? Chihiro "Chi-Chi" Escharelli, a fourth-year nursing student from SMILE University, has always been the type who hides behind his laughter. He's bubbly, kind, and effortlessly friendly-the kind of boy who seems like he has life figured out. But behind his bright smile is a quiet soul, an overthinker with a heart that feels too much and speaks too little. He was never supposed to meet Skyler Kang-the Korean exchange student who seems to shine wherever he goes. Skyler is everything Chihiro isn't: confident, popular, effortlessly magnetic. A business student, basketball captain, and walking contradiction who calls everyone "bro" but looks at Chihiro like he's trying to read his soul. It all starts with an accident- a basketball flying straight into Chihiro's face, and suddenly, the summer that was supposed to be ordinary turns into something neither of them were ready for. From stolen glances in class, awkward Instagram chats, and photobooth pictures that hold too many unspoken feelings... to late-night walks, shared bracelets, and rooftop beers that taste like almost. Chihiro finds himself wondering- Is this just friendship? Or the kind of connection that only happens once in a lifetime? And Skyler... Is he just being kind, or is there something deeper behind that easy smile? But summer never lasts forever. And sometimes, even the brightest blue fades with the season. A coming-of-age story of friendship, love, and the fleeting beauty of summer.

the odd ones | part 1 What do you do when someone's chasing you with a chainsaw? Start running.