ILOILO: HEART of the PHILIPPINES

Among the most illustrious in Iloilo City is the heritage district of Jaro. Home of the national hero Graciano Lopez y Jaena, the district pays him tribute through numerous streets, building and statues in his honour throughout the place. Jaro has brilliantly combined heritage and gastronomy amidst the changing times. Its glorious past is now being enjoyed at present and what its future may hold depends on the present. Here are some places of interest in Jaro and visiting them all may take a little more than half a day. Enjoy the heritage and gastronomic attractions of this district. Mansions Known to have the first millionaire’s row in the country, Jaro boasts of numerous grand and stately mansions. Most well known of which is Nelly Garden , former home of one of the country’s richest families, the Lopezes. The mansion’s grandeur is matched by the vast expanse of its front lawn making it a sight to behold . Toursits can arrange for a tour a day before their visit for PhP200/p...

Sarabia Jewelry redefines people's stories through stories. This December 10 at Museo Iloilo, this Iloilo-born jewellery unlocks a treasure trove of tales to unveil the pioneering collections of its three design houses - Amor, Regina and Amparo. Forming the first chapter of the brand's expansion, Sarabia Jewelry turns the page to focus on its home city, Iloilo, as inspiration.   Molo Church The first designer collection for AMOR crafted in collaboration with George Ong of Alchemista fuses the cutout fretwork of Molo Church intricate windows with the angular form of the Lapaz church. Miag-ao Church AMPARO presents heritage pieces not bound by age. Named after the brand's matriarch, this collection is the symbol of Sarabia'scraftmanship and tradition of excellence as attributed to Jaro Cathedral and Miag-ao church. Santa Barbara Church The first collection of the REGINA design house is dedicated to San Joaquin and Santa Barbara Churches. The pie...

A stone's throw away from the plaza of Villa-Arevalo is the Avanceña ancestral house known today as the Camiña Balay nga Bato . Characterized by the yellowish hue of its exteriors, it may look like any two storey-old house from the outside but inside, it's a rich depository of Iloilo's colonial heritage as this was built in 1865. Renovated a few years back, it is now (sort of) a museum and a gift shop as the ground floor houses an antique shop of which some are Luth and Gerard's Camiña's personal collections. Weavers demonstrate their craft as they make some designs for hablon, patadyong and more. Antique plates adorn the walls and fill in the cabinets plus numerous paintings and other antiques are one display for the buyers. But among the more interesting items found in the shop are those related in making a sumptious cup of tsokolate. From the tablea to the metal pitchers and the wooden batidor/batirol, each is as interesting as the other items yet stand...

Slowly but surely the realization of the Calle Real Pedestrianization Project is definitely taking shape. A few weeks ago, when the plans were bared by Councilor Jason Gonzales, Ilonggos took the news with great interest. As the first plans stated " CALLE Real in Iloilo City is envisioned to become a public park for pedestrians and bikers starting November 30 to December 28 to explore the viability of a pedestrianized downtown core. The one month experiment proposal will temporarily close the street junctions from JM Basa and Arroyo to JM Basa and Mapa at 5 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. every weekend." - as published on SunStar Iloilo . At first, the plan was stalled from its Nov. 30 target date but the overwhelming support of the Ilonggos to the project failed to dampen and now the latest update has the project's introduction phase being extend to three months. Starting Dec. 14, and every weekend thereafter, the portion of Calle Real from Plazoleta Gay to Freedom Grand...

A little more than a year after international flights to and from Hongkong and Singapore have opened for the Ilonggo travelers, Duty Free Philippines complemented this by opening a duty free shop right at the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan, Iloilo.  ( Where to stay in Iloilo ) (From Skyscrapercity Iloilo ) Opening yesterday, Dec. 2, 2013, this is the third Duty Free Store on the island of Panay after Kalibo and Caticlan, both serving the top Philippine tourist destination - Boracay. ( Dinagyang 2014 Guide ) Duty Free Philippines - Iloilo is open from 430am to 800pm . It is located just outside the arrival area of the airport. ( What to do in Iloilo ) Photos courtesy of DUTY FREE Philippines Facebook Page

I've followed the movie ILOILO when it appeared to be the toast of of the Ilonggo online community a few months ago. A movie produced in Singapore but paid tribute to my beloved hometown is something to be proud of. Below are photos from  ILOILO - The Philippine Premiere FB Page   of the special screening of Ilo-Ilo movie at SM City Iloilo The real "Auntie Terry"Teresita Sajonia (left) joins ILOILO director Anthony Chen, Angeli Bayani (Auntie Terry in the movie) and Koh Jia Ler (who portayed the young (and very naughty) Anthony Chen in the movie) at SM City Iloilo cinema Angeli and Auntie Terry pose with 1Meal, the beneficiary of the premiere screening. Proceeds will be donated for 1Meal's program for the rehabilitation of Norther Iloilo. ILOILO in Iloilo City with around 1,000 Ilonggos attending the premiere at SM City Iloilo Cinema Meet and Greet ILOILO at the SM City Iloilo Activity Center 

The quiet street of San Jose in Molo is home to many ancestral houses and standing out among them is the ancestral house of former governor Don Raymundo Melliza . Now known as the Arcenas-Lazaro ancestral House , this 19th century lavish residence is now being developed into a museum of sorts highlighting its connection with our national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. As the late eminent historian Dr. Henry Funtecha writes, “ After shopping at the Escolta or Calle Real, Dr. Jose Rizal took a calesa for Parian or Molo to visit Don Raymundo Melliza, a close friend and classmate in Manila and Madrid. Rizal took his lunch at the house of Don Raymundo and they talked about Cuba. Don Raymundo just arrived from Cuba where he served as magistrate in the Supreme Court of that country and knew well the situation in Cuba .” The road which Jose Rizal took from the vicinity of Calle Real to Molo is now named after him and it traverses the Tanza and Baluarte sections of Molo. The proximity of th...