Photography and video footages by Nico Blanco, Redd Layne Odilia and Ahka Space. Video edited by Edd Dampios.

Makers Make the Future

This initiative aims to bring all creatives and makers together, uplift Cebu’s creative industry, and provide a place where everyone is welcome.

At Makers of Midtown, we believe in the power of creativity and diversity. Our mission is to transform spaces into hubs of innovation and art, creating a maker district that inspires creativity and artistic expression.

COOKS BAKERS ACTORS TAILORS WRITERS DANCERS BARISTAS PAINTERS PRINTERS CURATORS MUSICIANS INVENTORS GRAFFITISTS ARCHITECTS LOCKSMITHS CARPENTERS SIGN MAKERS TOOLMAKERS SHOEMAKERS UPHOLSTERERS TYPEFOUNDERSWOODCARVERS TATTOO ARTISTS PHOTOGRAPHERS GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

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Musicians

Artists

Gastronomy

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Creative Spaces

Events

Talks Around Town

JUNE 22, 2024

A free event where experts in different creative industries gather to share their experiences and knowledge to the community.

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Find us on Google

You can find a compilation of all creative spaces so you know which one is nearest you.

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Pioneers & Partners

“I really feel like this book is very important for the kids. It preserves our heritage. Kids these days are... The irony of it is they are more interested in the Japanese language rather than our own language. This book will counter that interest I hope.” - Cheryl @tambolbeedraws @lostbookscebu

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

"I started this book when my daughter was still in Kinder 2. She was still six or seven years old. There was this subject called the Mother Tongue. Around that time, there were no Bisaya books, games or songs for the kids. I was in my designer problem-solving mode so I taught her Bisaya words through illustrations. That is how the Alpabetong Bisaya was born." - Cheryl @tambolbeedraws @lostbookscebu

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“and when I came back to Cebu, after years of practice in Makati, I noticed that there’s not much space that’s offering that — a comfortable space where you can focus all day long. And that’s why, to fill the gap in the market, we decided to open.” - Rheland of @sync.cebu

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“When I reviewed for the bar, what I really noticed is that bar reviewees really look for a place where they can dedicate into studying, focus on the lessons that they have to learn. Having that kind of space helped me to focus and actually pass the bar with flying colors.” - Rheland of @sync.cebu

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

"You might be wondering why we named it Flinders. It's actually a street in Melbourne. Flinders Lane is actually where we got engaged. That's the start of not just our forever, but also where we have decided that we were going to build businesses together." - Jacque of @flinderslanecafe

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

"I didn't expect that, you know, I thought namaligya ra mi'g coffee, but then now, we're like part of their lives na" - Jacque of @flinderslanecafe

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

"Unity Coffee & Vinyl is a special coffee shop that has a little community of vinyl enthusiasts. Concept was heavily inspired from our visits in London, the U.S., Tokyo, and probably even Bangkok." - Trisha from @unitycoffeeandvinyl

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

"Our vision was to create a mesh between the music world and coffee, which everybody loves" - Trisha from @unitycoffeeandvinyl

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“Every time we have events here, we promote it and people would want to have their events here with us.” - Pia of @teamocafe_cebu

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

"We always invite people for collaborations. We also invite other small businesses, like starting out businesses, like us." - Pia of @teamocafe_cebu

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“Overall, just like, I get to learn more from working here.” - Rigo on his favorite thing about being a barista at Peak and Pi
#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“It’s the vibe technically. I get to explore more in my being a barista here. I talk to customers better. I get to brew better. I get to do espresso better.” - Rigo on his favorite thing about being a barista at @peakandpi

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“For me, it (Pi) also represents the daily routine of getting coffee, talking to people, connections, and also living life.” - Dan on why he named his cafe Peak and Pi

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“It’s actually Peak for coffee. Peak is a small window sa coffee after roasting nga pwede namo siya ma gamit. So we try to serve the coffee nga naka peak na.” - Dan on why his cafe is named Peak and Pi

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“It usually helps my peace of mind. It helps me to somehow escape and get away with life.” - Jul on why she loves acrylic painting

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“I do acrylic and I mostly do landscape because I love nature so much.” - Mariane on her favorite art medium

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“We envision a place where you can like enjoy yourself reading in a quiet place and also drink something. It’s mostly coffee before, but we imagine like if you drink cocktails, maybe it can also open up something while reading.” - Julie on what inspired her to open Owl Stories and Spirits

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“During gathering of friends or board games nights, I really enjoy mixing drinks for my friends. It inspired me to open a bookshop and a bar” - Julie on what inspired her to open Owl Stories and Spirits

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“There’s also a sort of spiritual thing for me with nature. A lot of those images, I think manifest sa tattoo designs.” - Jul of @studioamping

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“A lot of my life I’ve spent trying to make pretty pictures and here, I can just make pictures for notes. I interact with nature physically” - Jul of @studioamping

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“It provides these students the motivation and drive to keep going” - Owen of @usc.cinematacebu

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“I think the legacy that will be left behind by this year’s Sinedisipulo is the fact that we opened doors to Visayas and Mindanao and provided a platform for them to share their stories, share their voices that are unique to the regions.” - Owen of @usc.cinematacebu

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“Lost Books is really for the community. This is a third space for every creative who love their reading form.” - D of Lost Books

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“When everything is said and done, and we’re all dead, we want that Lost Books will be that place where you get all kinds of books written by Visayan authors imaginable.” - D of Lost Books

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“Then after two years na sige mig sturya, mao na ni siya, ni dive ko.” - Bernie on how Ban Khafe started

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“It started because I wanted to cook and initially, I asked my yaya na let’s go make a carenderia.” - Bernie on how Ban Khafe started

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“Sa colors kay cool toned siya. I actually got the idea from Van Gogh” - Ayesha on how she composed her artwork

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“Imagine naa ka sa classroom that you feel so drowsy and sleepyand you feel like you’re in this dream-like space of comfort, such like your home.” - Ayesha on how she composed her artwork

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“Don’t be afraid to really reach out there and create more art and pieces because we can now have a place we can call our own.” - Red, Exhibitor at Lucid @swu.sdplusc

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“You just really have to be confident in yourself because even at first I was comparing my artworks to the others pero look at it now, it’s one of the main pieces of stages of dreams. Your art will always hold something.” - Red, Exhibitor at Lucid @swu.sdplusc

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

"I feel like I'm giving more life to secondhand fashion clothes." - Lia of @gotostyle_ on why she opened a thrift shop

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

I feel like dili ko pwede mo stop kay I created a community nga na open ilang mind ba nga not because it’s ukay, dili na siya nindot tan-awon ing-ana.” - Lia of @gotostyle_ on why she opened a thrift shop

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

"Any kind of cookie would be amazing to pair with matcha. Since it has a bitter taste, with the cookie, it could be sweeter and it could be a balance of both." - Chia on her favorite food pairing for matcha

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

"My favorite matcha drink from Strange Matcha would be the Purple Matcha. You can taste the flavor of the matcha as well as the ube. And once it's mixed together, it's really a very good combination." - Chia on her favorite matcha drink

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

"Sa journey itself, lingaw siya and exciting. Wala mi kibaw kung asa mi padung, pero naa mi'y goal in the long run." - Paul on the lessons he learned upon opening their shop

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

"Very technical siya, in terms of in and out sa mga stocks, also sa pag handle sa mga budgeting." - Paul on the lessons he learned upon opening their shop

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

"My favorite way of enjoying matcha is with my friends." - Sean

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

"When I'm with my friends, I enjoy talking to them. Having a little catch up is a way of making life livable." - Sean on her favorite way to enjoy matcha

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“We were basketball players back then. Mao nang di ko mahutdan ug ideas kay normally through sports, then amo nalang i transition to lifestyle” - Mac on how his lifestyle influences his brand

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

"We were basketball players back then. Mao nang di ko mahutdan ug ideas kay normally through sports, then amo nalang i transition to lifestyle" - Mac on how his lifestyle influences his brand

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“We would like to mix and match drinks from a local perspective” - Yza of Strange Matcha

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

"Matcha is not for everyone. It is a specific taste. It's kinda a unique taste. It's not for everyone, hence, strange." - Yza on why she named her cafe Strange Matcha

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“I prefer working onsite because as an introvert myself, I would like to grow as a person in different situations.” - Sheninne on her preferred working setup

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“There’s no growth in comfortable places. Working onsite would help me deal with different situations and different kinds of people.” - Sheninne on her preferred working setup

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“That’s why I think that co-working spaces here in Cebu are important because I see a lot of people who want to be productive.” - Jared

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“Productivity is infectious in a way. When you see someone being productive, you also want to be productive” - Jared

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“Responsibility gyud siya. It’s a new experience to be in charge of a place.” - Gab on being a new tattoo shop owner

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“It’s been fun learning. Stressful siya pero worth it ra man. Lingaw ra man” - Gab on being a new tattoo shop owner

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“Initially, I had an original character which was based on a mango sticky rice concept and then eventually I thought, isn’t that kinda parallel with puto maya combination?” - Ralph on his favorite product from his toy line

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

“I feel like it represents the brand well as much as my design sensibilities. It’s very bold, it’s very colorful. It made the name for the brand in the sense that people associate the brand with that type of aesthetic” - Ralph on his favorite product from his clothing brand

#StoriesAroundTown #MakersofMidtown #CebuCity

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Know their stories.

@makersofmidtown

Makers Make the Future

COOKS BAKERS ACTORS TAILORS WRITERS DANCERS BARISTAS PAINTERS PRINTERS CURATORS MUSICIANS INVENTORS GRAFFITISTS ARCHITECTS LOCKSMITHS CARPENTERS SIGN MAKERS TOOLMAKERS SHOEMAKERS UPHOLSTERERS TYPEFOUNDERSWOODCARVERS TATTOO ARTISTS PHOTOGRAPHERS GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Join in on the Fun

Creative Spaces

Events

Events

Talks Around Town

JUNE 22, 2024

Pioneers & Partners

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Know their stories.