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chasing tags in cebu city: a street artist’s notebook

@Mason Grey3/12/2026blog

i rolled into cebu city with a half‑empty spray can tucked under my arm and a notebook full of half‑finished tags, the kind of place where the walls seem to whisper back if you listen close enough. the morning light hit the kolon streets just right, throwing long shadows that made the old storefronts look like they were wearing sunglasses. i swear i heard a stray cat mutter something about the humidity, but maybe that was just the heat messing with my ears.

*weather check: i just glanced at my phone and it’s reading 21.6 °C, feels like a lukewarm shower after a long night of tagging-hope you dig that kind of steady, not‑too‑hot vibe. the humidity’s low enough that my cap doesn’t stick to my forehead, which is a small win when you’re climbing ladders to reach that sweet spot above the bakery.

linked up with a local crew at the colon street wall, we spent the afternoon layering stencils over a faded advertisement for some forgotten soda brand. someone told me that the owner of the shop still leaves a bottle of cola out every night as an offering to the spirits that guard the murals-guess they think the fizz keeps the colors from fading. i laughed, but later i saw the bottle still there, half‑empty, catching the dusk light.

pro tip: always carry a spare nozzle and a rag; you never know when a gust will turn your fresh line into a blur. i also learned the hard way that spraying too close to the surface makes the paint crack like dried mud, so keep that distance, yeah?

after we wrapped up, we grabbed a quick bite at a hole‑in‑the‑wall place near the pier. the vendor swore up and down that his mango salad was the best in the city, and I heard that if you add a squeeze of calamansi it turns into a flavor bomb that’ll make your taste buds do a little dance. i didn’t argue; the plate showed up bright, juicy, and exactly what my hands needed after a day of gripping cans.

if you ever get itchy feet, the quiet towns of moalboal and bohol are just a couple hours’ ride away, perfect for a day trip when the walls start feeling too familiar. i’ve heard rumors that the night market in moalboal sells hand‑made sticker packs that artists trade like baseball cards-worth checking out if you’re into swapping tags.

later, I sat on the seawall watching the fishing boats bob lazily, and a fellow tagger whispered that the city council is thinking about putting up a “clean‑wall” initiative next year. yeah, right-like they could ever erase the stories we spray into the concrete. i laughed, took a quick pic of the sunset behind the old lighthouse, and uploaded it to my story with a link to the TripAdvisor page for the lighthouse () and a Yelp review of the taco stand we hit ().

I also dropped a link to a local board where folks post upcoming jam sessions () in case anyone wants to meet up and trade techniques over a cold beer.

university avenue wanderlust kicked in after dark, so I drifted toward the jinkee market where the neon signs flicker like tired fireflies. there I bumped into a muralist who swore that the big piece on the side of the old cinema was painted using only recycled paint from broken cans-she said it’s a protest against waste, and I heard that the city’s environmental officer actually gave her a nod of approval, which is rare as hen’s teeth.

key advice*: keep your sketchbook handy for those moments when inspiration hits while you’re waiting for the bus; you never know when a stray line will become the backbone of your next big wall. also, never trust a vendor who says their “special sauce” is secret-most times it’s just chili and vinegar, but hey, it still tastes good after a long day of spraying.

The night cooled down just enough that my hoodie didn’t feel like a sauna, and I headed back to my hostel with my backpack full of fresh caps and a head buzzing with ideas for tomorrow’s piece. if you’re rolling through cebu city, keep your eyes peeled for the hidden alley behind the market-someone told me that a new piece is going up there tonight, and it’s supposed to be a tribute to the old jeepney routes that used to snake through town.

so yeah, that’s the lowdown from a street artist’s notebook: stay loose, respect the walls, and always have a snack handy. oh, and if you see a stray cat staring at you from a rooftop, give it a nod-it might just be the city’s unofficial art critic.

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About the author: Mason Grey

Observer of trends, culture, and human behavior.

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