I’m not usually the type to get homesick, but whenever I do, I always take a stroll down memory lane. My “memory lane” isn’t the usual photos of home and family, though. I discovered the Facebook group Memories of Old Cebu last year during the height of ECQ and it gave me a sense of comfort I never even knew I longed for.

*The old Capitol building (which is still standing) from the ’70s. Screengrab from Memories of Old Cebu Facebook group*

In case you aren’t aware, Cebu City is the oldest city in the country. Aside from having amazing food (which is irritatingly hard to find in Manila) and beaches to die for, it’s also rife with culture and history.

Most of the posts in the group consist of black-and-white photos of scenery, old photos of Cebu’s prominent families, and major throwbacks of establishments that don’t even exist anymore in their heyday.

*A series of photos of Raintree Mall which houses Cebu’s first Jollibee branch. Screengrab from Memories of Old Cebu Facebook group*

A glance at the comments section will have you scrolling for hours on end. A post about an ancestral home, for example, will garner comments about memories people had in that shared space and how it’s changed—or very rarely—stayed the same. There’s usually an entire history lesson in the comments section, especially if the photo shared is circa World War II.

*The alleged first KFC in the country back in the ’60s*. *Screengrab from Memories of Old Cebu Facebook group*

Aside from learning things about my hometown that I never even knew about (like how we had KFC way back in the ’60s), it also gives me a sense of community. I’ve been to most of the places that were posted in the group (or at least the ones that still existed in the ’90s), and it evokes such a feeling of warm nostalgia to see that all of us who are in the group are connected in one way or another.

*A photo of the then picturesque Fuente Osmeña Rotunda from the ’60s. I’m genuinely saddened it doesn’t look like this anymore. Screengrab from Memories of Old Cebu Facebook group*

Even if you’re not from Cebu, taking a few minutes (or hours, if we’re being honest) to scroll through the group gives you a glimpse into how people used to live their lives and provides actual pictures of them doing so. It’s absolutely fascinating. And you always close the tab learning something new.