CBOA Cebu Blue Ocean Academy (CBOA)

CBOA's main campus is inside the EGI Hotel (Cebu Blue Ocean) on Mactan Island, Cebu, Philippines, at Buyong, Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City. When taking a taxi or Grab, just tell the driver "EGI Hotel" or "Cebu Blue Ocean". The school also offers premium off-campus accommodation at Ocean Suites, located at 3 M.L. Quezon National Highway, Lapu-Lapu City, 6015 Cebu, about an 11–13 minute drive from the main campus.

Check-in is after 14:00 on Sunday, and check-out is before 11:00 on Saturday. Early check-in or late check-out must be requested from the school in advance and incurs an extra fee; availability is not guaranteed.

The first day is mainly the placement test and new student orientation. From 09:00–11:00 you take the level test (which decides your class level); from 14:00–16:00 there is an orientation explaining the school rules; after 16:00, staff take everyone to Savemore supermarket to exchange money and buy daily necessities.

Please bring two 2-inch US-standard photos with a white background for your SSP (Special Study Permit) and school ID card. If you forget, you can have photos taken in the Philippines, but we recommend preparing them in advance to save time.

Paid airport transfers are available. Pickup: PHP 1,200 during regular hours (Saturday 10:00 – Sunday 02:00), PHP 1,500 at other times; drop-off: PHP 1,000 (separate request required). After you arrive at Mactan-Cebu International Airport, school staff will take you to the dormitory.

CBOA offers ESL (general English), Business English, TOEIC, IELTS, Family, and Junior courses. Monday to Thursday, each lesson is 45 minutes with a 10-minute break; on Friday, lessons are 40 minutes with a 10-minute break. Courses combine one-on-one and 4:1 group classes, and the first lesson starts at 08:00.

The ESL course has 11 levels, from Level 1P to Level 10, and your level is decided by the placement test on your first day. Students must follow their placement results and cannot choose their own level; a level-up test every four weeks then reassesses you and adjusts your materials and class.

A typical day: 07:00–08:00 breakfast; regular classes, periods 1–12, from 08:00 (until around 17:00); 17:10 elective class; 18:00 dinner; 19:00–24:00 self-study (Study Café). Monday to Thursday, regular classes run until 17:00; on Friday they finish earlier, around 16:10. There is an evening roll call after 22:00.

Level tests are held every four weeks (usually on a Friday). You apply for and take the ESL check-up test in week 2, then take the ESL level-up test in week 4. On the Sunday of test week, pick up your new textbooks at school and get your updated class schedule. Students staying only two weeks or in their graduation week may choose whether to take the test.

Changing your course or teacher requires consulting the manager and filling out a request form, and students cannot choose their teachers or class times. The deadline for course changes is noon on Tuesday; after you apply, the academic supervisor observes your classes, announces the result on Friday, and the change takes effect the following Monday. If you apply during your first week, the supervisor will observe your class first; from the second week on, the change is made the day after you submit.

The main local fees are the SSP (Special Study Permit), dormitory deposit, facility maintenance fee, ID card fee, and charges such as utilities and laundry that are deducted from the deposit. Approximate amounts: SSP PHP 6,800 (+ E-Card PHP 4,000), dormitory deposit about PHP 4,000 per 4 weeks, maintenance fee PHP 500 per week, ID card PHP 300, and textbooks about PHP 1,100–1,800 each time (depending on the course). Actual amounts are subject to the school's announcements.

Electricity is charged by each room's own meter at PHP 25 per kWh; water is PHP 140 per unit. Both are deducted from your dormitory deposit, with any difference refunded or collected. We recommend saving power and water — turn off the air conditioner and lights when you leave the room so you don't lose too much of your deposit. (If you choose off-campus Ocean Suites, utilities are a flat PHP 1,000 per week.)

Stays longer than 30 days require a visa extension, and stays longer than 59 days also require the mandatory ACR I-Card (Philippine alien registration ID card). The SSP (Special Study Permit) is about PHP 6,800, the E-Card about PHP 4,000, and the ACR I-Card about PHP 3,500. Visa extension fees increase with your length of study (e.g., about PHP 5,410 + I-Card for 5–8 weeks, about PHP 8,850 for up to 12 weeks, and so on). Actual fees are subject to announcements from the school and the Philippine Bureau of Immigration.

Laundry is a paid service that uses laundry tickets (PHP 200 each, sold at the Bookstore on the 3rd floor), up to 7 kg per load, and includes washing, drying, and folding. Put your clothes in a laundry bag and leave it with the ticket and a list in front of the laundry room before 12:00 noon; pick it up after 5:00 PM (items dropped off after 12:00 are returned the next day). Men and women have different drop-off days: women on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; men on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. The school provides detergent but not fabric softener.

The dormitory deposit is about PHP 4,000 per 4 weeks (increasing proportionally with your length of study, e.g., PHP 8,000 for 8 weeks, PHP 12,000 for 12 weeks). Before check-out, your room will be inspected for damage, and utilities, laundry, elective class fees, etc. will be deducted. The balance is refunded in cash in pesos on your last class day; if the deposit doesn't cover everything, you'll need to pay the difference on the spot.

Yes, but you need to consult the manager first. Note that you cannot ask to switch a group class to one-on-one or change group classrooms; however, if there are no other students at the same level, the two group classes will be converted into one one-on-one lesson.

To cancel a course, notify the manager and fill out an application form at least 10 days before the start of the new term; the refund is 70% of the total amount after deducting the enrollment discount. Students expelled for rule violations receive no refund and no certificate of completion. Tuition, dorm fees, and other fees are also non-refundable if classes are suspended due to natural disasters or other force majeure.

The main campus dormitory is right inside the EGI Resort — it's just a 1–2 minute walk from the dorm to the academic building, and some rooms even have sea views. Rooms are cleaned twice a week, and bedding is changed every 4 weeks. If you'd like to change rooms, let the manager know and you'll be notified when one becomes available.

The on-campus EGI Dormitory offers single, double, and triple rooms (additional accommodation fees of about PHP 2,500 / 2,000 / 1,500 per week, respectively), and there is also premium off-campus accommodation at Ocean Suites. Ocean Suites offers hotel-standard single rooms and opened in February 2025. Room types are Ocean View (sea view, king-size bed, about US$1,600), Deluxe (double bed, about US$1,400), and Superior (street view, double bed, about US$1,250). Each room is about 26 square meters and comes with a TV, refrigerator, safe, hair dryer, desk lamp, and more, plus access to a rooftop bar, Sky Lounge, swimming pool, gym, and an hourly shuttle (weekdays 6:30–18:30).

Free WiFi is available in common areas (lobby, cafeteria, café, and study rooms) (ID: C1/C2/C3, password: blue123456). The signal in dorm rooms may be weaker, so we recommend getting your own SIM card for data. The school only arranges Globe numbers (3F Bookstore, where you can top up both Globe and Smart). Internet in the Philippines can become unstable in bad weather, which is normal.

The swimming pool (08:00–21:00), gym (06:00–22:00), and study rooms (06:00–24:00) are all inside the EGI Resort and can be used with your student ID. Before using the pool, get an entry wristband from the EGI hotel front desk (if studying 8 weeks or more) or the academic building security guard (if studying under 8 weeks); warm up first and stay safe — minors must be accompanied by a guardian. There is also a Business Lounge (LP floor of the dormitory, Monday–Saturday 8:00–23:00, ages 18+ only) and the on-campus CBOA Cafe.

Rooms are cleaned twice a week, and all bedding is changed every 4 weeks. Each floor has different cleaning days (floors 9 and 10 on Monday and Thursday; floors 7 and 8 on Tuesday and Friday; floors 5 and 6 on Wednesday and Saturday). Please put away your valuables on cleaning days. If you want extra bedding changes within the 4 weeks, or if your sheets get stained, housekeeping will replace them and deduct the cost from your deposit (about PHP 200 for a full set).

Curfew is 12:00 a.m. (midnight) every day (Monday to Sunday); returning after curfew results in a warning. Students under 18 (aged 17 and below) must be back at school by 22:00. Night roll call takes place in two parts: from 22:00 to 23:00, security guards check each floor of the dormitory and academic building; from 23:00 to 24:00, individual roll call is held on the 1st floor of the academic building. Accumulated warnings may lead to expulsion.

Strictly prohibited. Alcohol and smoking are completely banned in the dorms and on campus; violators receive one warning and a PHP 2,000 fine (deducted from the deposit). Smoking is allowed only in designated outdoor smoking areas, and alcohol may be consumed only in designated areas before 10:00 PM. If a guard finds alcoholic drinks on a table after 10:00, everyone at that table (even those not drinking) will receive a warning and a fine. Portable gas stoves and other fire-hazard appliances are also prohibited in the dorms.

No. Outside visitors may only meet you in the lobby and are strictly prohibited from entering the dormitory area; entering rooms of the opposite sex is also prohibited. Violations result in warnings for both parties, and letting outsiders enter or stay in the dormitory or campus without permission may lead to immediate expulsion with no refund.

Yes. To stay out over the weekend, you must submit a Stay Out Form by 5:00 PM on Friday that week; late submissions are not accepted. Students who have filed the form may not return to campus between 00:00 and 06:00. For weekday trips, you must inform the manager in advance and provide your flight or ferry tickets and hotel details; trips can last up to 4 days and must include Saturday and Sunday. The school does not give refunds or make-up lessons for classes missed due to travel. Staying out without approval or returning after curfew will result in a warning.

Three warnings result in expulsion. Behaviors that lead to a warning include bringing in or drinking alcohol, smoking outside designated areas, entering other people's rooms, missing curfew or staying out overnight without approval, not completing mandatory make-up study sessions, leaving class during lessons, and going on two or more weekday outings. Behaviors that lead to immediate expulsion include prostitution, gambling, fighting, intentionally damaging school property, sexual harassment, self-harm, publicly insulting staff, sharing confidential information (such as tuition discounts) with others, and letting outsiders into the dormitory. Expelled students receive no refund and no certificate of completion.

First, go to the clinic for help. The clinic is on the 2nd floor of the academic building (Blue 6 – G208), and a nurse is on campus on weekdays from 08:00 to 17:00. The school doctor visits every Thursday (book by Wednesday if you need to be seen; consultation fee PHP 500; medicine must be bought at an outside pharmacy, and the school provides only two free doses). If you need to go to a hospital, the nearest are ARC Hospital and Mactan Doctors' Hospital — please also notify the student manager.

Contact the student manager for your nationality, or go to the 24-hour security office (1st floor of the academic building) for help. Guards are stationed on the 6th and 9th floors of the dorm and the 1st floor of the academic building; in an emergency after office hours, you can also contact a manager or the nurse directly. If you need the nurse to accompany you to an off-campus clinic, an escort fee applies; if not, the nurse can help you communicate by phone.

Go out with friends, and use Grab or a taxi when possible; try to avoid jeepneys, buses, motorcycles, and tricycles (tricycle fares must be negotiated first). Keep your valuables with you, don't accept food or drinks from strangers, and stay safe during water activities. When seeing a doctor, be sure to get an English medical certificate and the original receipts — overseas medical care usually has to be paid in cash upfront, and you can claim reimbursement from your insurer after returning home. Mactan Island has many tourists, so please don't go out alone at night.