ILOILO: HEART of the PHILIPPINES

Ilonggo "jeep-setters" rejoice! Starting July 31, 2018, the Department of Transportation-Land Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (DOTr- LTFRB) is set to deploy 45 brand new modern PUVs from Metro Express in three (3) newly-approved routes in Iloilo. The new routes will be connecting the three major terminals in the in boundary of Iloilo City and adjacent towns via the centrally located Vista Mall Iloilo in Oton, Iloilo, serving as the 4th terminal.

It's the tallest building in the region! The 18-storey, 80-meter high SM Strata Tower stands like a sentinel along Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue (Diversion Road) watching over the Iloilo C ity’s principal transport backbone. With an estimated project cost of around PhP 2 Billion, construction began in March 2016 and two and a half years later, SM Strata is ready for occupancy. So whats it like to be inside and atop the tallest building on this side of the country? Let's have a virtual visual tour... At the Ground Level  is the newly opened Savemore Strata   plus another SM Transport Hub serving Leganes jeepneys and other PUJs giving customers and employees ease of accessibility to public transportation. There are also spaces for more tenants that ready for occupancy. The main entrance to building is also found here with 6 high speed elevators servicing the upper floors. On one end is the entry point to the pedestrian overpass that connects t

GT Town Center Pavia is NOW OPEN! And it has almost everything one needs - a supermarket, a "Calle Real-inspired "department store, homegrown restaurants and cafes, an appliance store, a medical and diagnostic clinic, fashion and jewelry stores, spa and salons, and government services (SSS, LTO, NBI etc), among others! " Great Things are going to happen with GT Town Center " opens up Mr. Allan Ryan Tan, VP for Real Estate and Land Development. of GT Town Center during the mall's grand opening last July 19, 2018. Allan Tan at the grand opening of GT Town Center Pavia. Thanks Andrea for this photo GT Town Center comes from a vision of work, play, and green living spaces. This makes it easier for shoppers from nearby towns and areas to actually just go and get items from the mall.  The shopping center is named in honor the GO-TAN family, parents of Mr. Alfonso Tan, father of Allan, who migrated here from China and raised their fam

When Amigo Terrace Hotel ceased operations starting January 1, 2018, it was a "renovation"  according the grapevine. Since then little was heard about the refurbishing works on one of the more prominent local hotels in the City of Love. Until recently... In an article published by the official website of Ascott entitled Ascott Gains Access To 1,600-Unit Pipeline In The Philippines Through Strategic Alliance With Cebu Landmasters , it mentioned that...  In the Philippines, Ascott currently has 20 properties offering over 4,300 units across key cities in Metro Manila, Bacolod, Cebu, Davao, and Iloilo.  Furthermore it shed light to the status of Amigo Terrace These include 13 properties that are slated to open from 2018 to 2023. Citadines Bay City Manila will open this year, followed by Citadines Amigo Iloilo and Citadines Cebu City in 2019 . Despite the lack of official press release unlikei ts counterpart in Bacolod and other cities, it will open ahead of t

I have always associated Fiesta with fine quality shirts that go beyond the design but more on the durability and make of the clothes. I mean, I still have their shirts from 5 years ago and it is still in good shape, color and size - no shrinkage!  But with the opening of its concept souvenir store, Fiesta has evolved from shirts to having a wide variety of souvenirs.  Offering the best of Iloilo and Western Visayas , FIESTA FAVORITE SOUVENIRS  celebrated its 15th anniversary with the opening of its newest and one-stop flagship store at the  Festive Walk Iloilo  mall at Iloilo Business Park. A blessing and ribbon-cutting rites were held last July 3, led by its owner/founder Atty. Jobert Peñaflorida and wife Rhea together with patrons and guests including  Department of Tourism Region 6 regional director Atty. Helen J. Catalbas and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Iloilo director Diosdado Cadena Jr. With over 30 outlets across the country at present, Fies

“We are pioneering the ‘lifestyle mall’ concept in Western Visayas with the opening of Festive Walk Mall." says Kevin L. Tan, new CEO of Alliance Global Group Inc. and head of Megaworld Lifestyle Malls. "What we are bringing to Iloilo are things that every Ilonggo will be proud of!" Tan led Megaworld's opening its first full-scale lifestyle mall in the Visayas and Mindanao - the Festive Walk Mall at  Iloilo Business Park in Mandurriao, Iloilo City last June 30, 2018. The P2.2-billion Festive Walk Mall offers 90,000 square meters of gross floor area of shopping, dining, leisure and entertainment.