ILOILO: HEART of the PHILIPPINES

A festival dedicated principally to bamboo and its many uses, TULTUGAN FESTIVAL is celebrated every year end in the town of Maasin, Iloilo. The festival performances usually depicting the local culture is a perfect platform to display new creative ways of utilizing bamboo, a widely available material that has been used for centuries in the archipelago, into modern-looking and aesthetically appealing functional products. Different approaches are applied to the transformation and development of various bamboo-based products incorporated in the presentation. The festival costume, prop and musical instruments are all made of or at least inspired by bamboo and it is the municipality’s way of keeping various valuable traditions alive by connecting them to the festival to ensure and safeguard its sustainability for future generations. In addition to seeing and hearing unique dance and music performances, attendees will be able to engage in activities such as the dai...

The National Museum in partnership with the Office of Senator Loren Legarda inaugurated the "Habol Panay: The Woven Artistry of Western Visayas. " at the National Museum - Western Visayas formerly the Prison of Iloilo. It features the textiles, garments, accessories and associated weaving material culture of the region from the survey made by researchers of the NM Ethnology Division over the past few years.  The result is the varied textile traditions from the Panay and parts of Negros Occidental. More than 100 guests attended the event. These include: Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr.; former Antique Governor Salvacion Perez; Antonio Cabrera Legarda, the father of Senator Legarda and her Chief of Staff Tala Maralit; Executive Assistant Dominador representing the Iloilo City Mayor; Iloilo City director Martin Defensor Sr.; weavers from Miag-ao, Iloilo City (Arevalo), Aklan, and Antique, including Ms. Anna India Legaspi and Ms. Nelia Rogano; Wuthle embroid...

Heads up, style junkies, Levi's® just opened its 1st permanent Tailor Shop outside Metro Manila at Robinsons Place Iloilo !   Now, style customization reaches a whole new level in the City of Love as shoppers can step up their denim game through customization and personalization.   “ The Levi’s® Tailor Shop is a way of opening up new possibilities for denim wearers to express themselves and celebrate their authenticity ” says Charisse Chua, Levi’s Philippines Country Manager. “ At Robinson’s Place Iloilo, we found an emerging hub of culture and lifestyle, making it a perfect home for the Levi’s® Tailor Shop ”  Inside the Levi’s® Tailor Shop, customers can work with a master tailor to place original patches, studs, and collectible pins for added attitude.  To give wearers the perfect fit and style, the Levi’s® Tailor Shop also offers alteration services such as hemmings. For those who want an extra touch of ownership and character, there’...

It will be a Christmas to remember at Iloilo Business Park as Megaworld brings the Philippines’ biggest Santa Bear to light up th City of Love this Yuletide season. This iconic 50-feet Christmas Bear will certainly bring smiles and inspire child-like wonder this holiday season as Christmas is bound to get bigger and a lot more fun this year. The Philippines’ celebrated giant Santa Christmas Bear – the biggest of its kind in the country – becomes the star of the season at Iloilo Business Park. The iconic white Christmas bear can be seen seated atop the Iloilo Business Park Show Room along Megaworld Boulevard and is visible across main thoroughfares in Mandurriao and the nearby Jaro district. “Christmas is a very important season for us Filipinos. It is a wonderful time where we all come together to share joyful experiences in love and delight says Jennifer Palmares-Fong, Vice President for sales and marketing, Megaworld Iloilo Business Park. "For us at Megaworld, w...