ILOILO: HEART of the PHILIPPINES

The Iloilo City Police Office gathered its stakeholders, partners and police personnel as the city’s top cop recognized the agency’s outstanding police stations and community partners. Among its esteemed guests and speakers is MORE Electric and Power Corporation President and CEO Mr. Roel Z. Castro.  In his message, Castro recognized the significant achievement of the PNP and its collaboration with its stakeholders which resulted in the steady decline of index and non-index crimes.  According to Castro, both index and non-index crimes in Iloilo City declined between 2024 and 2025. Records from the Iloilo City Police Office show a 31% decline for index crimes and 10% for non-index crimes.  “This may not happen if it is not because of the relationship that police officers have with their stakeholders. It is just fitting that the ceremony that we celebrated is the culmination of the Police Community Relations Month that really highlights the effectiveness of the programs tha...

The biggest fire in Iloilo City’s history erupted on February 7, 1966.  I was in my third grade at San Agustin and as we were bundled out of school I could see the plumes of black smoke beyond the school’s walls.  Fire engines wailed and people rushed about.  News reports say it started somewhere along Iznart, rapidly engulfing Ledesma, Quezon, Valeria, Delgado and Mabini streets, devouring 12 blocks of the city’s stores, theaters, schools, and hundreds of houses.  Photos from that time have an apocalyptic feel. It should have been a major blow, since Iloilo city was slowly recovering from the damage of WW2, had labor troubles at the port and was mired in petty local politics. Its “Queen City of the South” title was relinquished to Cebu.  However, in the conflagration’s aftermath, the city arose, phoenix-like, from the ashes.   Shanties and hovels that used to be in Delgado were relocated; small businesses arose, movie houses rebuilt—some ...

As an SG first-timer, excitement was in the air even days before this upcoming flight. I will be part of the maiden voyage of Cebu Pacific for the resumption of its Iloilo to/from Singapore flights. Together with my fellow Iloilo Bloggers Inc travel buddies, it was time for another adventure outside the country. A month before, we were also part of the Iloilo to-from HongKong maiden voyage, so it'll be another fun and unforgettable travel in the making. Good thing immigration at ILO is just a breeze so it was a great start for our SG adventure.  And just after a little more than 3-hour flight (enjoyed my 1A seat), we touched down at Changi Airport, proving that the airport is among the very best in the world - efficient immigration, spotlessly clean everywhere, conducive to arriving passengers plus a whole lot more! As tiredness kicked in,  we were ready to recharge. We just took a Grab ride from Changi all the way to Downtown SG and  checked in in our "home away from hom...

San Enrique, Iloilo is a truly tranquil and peaceful town guaranteed to help you relax, slow down, and connect with nature. Visit small scale farms— sugar cane and rice fields, corn, water buffalo, and more. Meet happy, smiling people and enjoy their local cuisine. Amidst the bustling and progressive city pulsating with modern life, Pallon Farm is a unique haven for those who long for the solitude and enjoyment while communing with nature. Where the ambiance will surely soothe the senses and calm your nerves, allowing you to achieve one of the best farm holidays of your life. PallonFarm, a privately-owned farm in Barangay Bantayan is one of the unique places in Iloilo where you can come to recharge in beautiful scenery with peaceful silence in the farm fields. Only four (4) kilometers from the town center, Pallon Farm will remind you of a simple yet happy life. This 1.5 hectares developed area of the farm has a fishpond framed by fruit-bearing trees such as r...

Rising generation and transmission costs continue to push up power rates across the country, with distribution utilities affected whenever the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) places the Visayas under yellow or red alert. Manual load-shedding during these alerts, caused by supply shortfalls, has disrupted normal operations. Limited supply amid high demand has driven prices higher, forcing many distribution utilities and electric cooperatives to raise their rates. In June, MORE Power relied more on bilateral suppliers because prices in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) surged. Sixty-two percent of MORE Power’s supply came from bilateral contracts and 38 percent from WESM. Spot market prices climbed from ₱4.45/kWh to ₱10.30/kWh. Overall, the generation rate rose by ₱2.10/kWh, reaching ₱7.735/kWh. Meanwhile, MORE Power’s average distribution charge remains unchanged at ₱1.85/kWh and has been stable for more than three years. This June, MORE Power’s rate reach...

“Getting there is half the fun”.  It depends whether you take it figuratively or literally. In my case, it is always a mix of both as I have discovered in my travels. While leisure travel is not essential right now, a #throwback trip will be as unforgettable. To continue, my most recent visit to Hong Kong was back in 2019, I really enjoyed my journey and discovered a lot - even before I reached my destination! “Asia’s World City” is my first trip abroad and to “celebrate” its anniversary, I went back to rediscover and uncover more, in 2017. Good thing, there’s a direct flight from Iloilo to Hong Kong (v.v.) and there are more to choose from if connecting via Manila, Cebu and Kalibo (to name a few). Once connected, the massive and modern Hong Kong International Airport welcomes you to the city that never sleeps - in this part of the world. And that’s where the discovery of the iconic rides of Hong Kong begins… One of Hong Kong's signature views as seen from The Peak I...