ILOILO: HEART of the PHILIPPINES

To highlight the importance of health and not delaying healthcare services during this time of the pandemic, The Medical City (TMC) Iloilo recently launched the “Health is Essential, Do Not Delay” campaign. Aimed at making the public understand of the benefit of having early consultation in preventing development of diseases, “Health is Essential, Do Not Delay” Campaign will be underscored with series of online events and webinars that will feature TMC Iloilo medical specialists.  “This initiative is our way to make the public understand how delays in healthcare services affect our patients in terms of developing complications and how early detection and prevention can be of great benefit in terms of saving lives,” said TMC Iloilo Chief Executive Officer Dr. Felix Ray Villa.  Meanwhile, TMC Iloilo Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debbie Noblezada-Uy highlighted that time is an important element in terms of saving lives, specifically for emergency cases such as stroke and heart atta

Capture happiness and take pride in Iloilo’s vibrant music scene as local talents come together in Festive Walk Iloilo’s Ambahanon: an Online Ilonggo Concert in celebration of Iloilo City’s 84th Charter Week celebration.  In partnership with the Iloilo Festivals Foundation, Inc., the Iloilo City Government and MuziCares, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls and Festive Walk Iloilo aim to inspire hope and happiness by showcasing Ilonggo pride through music. Headlining the concert is singer-songwriter Emman Abatayo, a Top 10 Finalist of the Pinoy Dream Academy Season 1. Viewers will also be in for a musical treat with the sets of Noah & Claudette, Noah & Claudette, Fuerza Suave, Ortencio Siblings and Richmond & Klite Candelario. Ambahanon: an online Ilonggo concert will be broadcasted live on Aug. 27, 6:30 via Festive Walk Iloilo’s Facebook page.  Festive Walk Iloilo also invites everyone to spark hope by uplifting Ilonggo pride and talent through its roster of virt

Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. issued Executive Order No. 320 today August 16, 2021, implementing the zoning containment strategy and barangay quarantine in critical areas in the province of Iloilo bringing back quarantine passes in areas affected. From August 17 to 31, 2021, all cities and municipalities in Iloilo province shall enforce the zoning containment strategy and strict barangay quarantine over barangay/s or zone/s with clustering of COVID-19 cases and other indicators set by the IATF. Defensor said there is a need to enforce measures to significantly reduce people circulation in order to address the developing COVID-19 surge in the province and the advent of the new COVID-19 variants. UPDATE As of August 19, 2021 Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. issued a memorandum urging the city/municipal mayors, punong barangays, and all concerned to enforce the BARANGAY QUARANTINE until August 31, 2021 under Executive Order 320, Series of 2021. These critical areas will be identifi

  The Iloilo Provincial Government is the first provincial local government unit (LGU) in Western Visayas that has been granted the Safety Seal certificate by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). The Safety Seal given to the Iloilo provincial government means that it is compliant to the minimum public health standards and protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The DILG provincial inspection and validation team led by provincial director Teodora Sumagaysay conducted an ocular inspection of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol premises on Friday, August 13, 2021 to confirm the result of the remote pre-assessment it conducted two days earlier. Sumagaysay said the Iloilo provincial government passed in all the items listed in the Safety Seal certification checklist.  She lauded the initiatives implemented by the Iloilo provincial government to protect not only its employees but also its clientele.  Provincial Administrator Atty. Suzette Mamon received the Safety Seal

Three government hospitals in Iloilo province will be upgraded to Level 2 as part of efforts to combat the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) outbreak and meet other medical requirements of the residents. In a virtual presser on Friday, Department of Health - Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-WV CHD) Director Adriano Suba-an said the plan aims to decrease the number of patients being confined at the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC), a tertiary hospital here. “All the government hospitals in the province of Iloilo are either infirmary or Level 1. We need to have a Level 2 hospital so that patients going into the Western Visayas Medical Center, which is present in Iloilo City, will decrease and other patients can be accommodated by other hospitals, especially in the province of Iloilo,” he said. The hospitals to be upgraded are the Western Visayas Sanitarium in the municipality of Sta. Barbara and the Don Jose S. Monfort Medical Center Extension Hospita

Sta. Barbara is a colorful, romantic town with rich history and culture. Visitors should check out its historic center , the town’s most eye-catching architecture , the  Baroque-Renaissance architectural style of  the Sta. Barbara Parish Church and Convent. Constructed in 1849 and finished in 1878. The convent was built the same time as the church. Materials used in the construction of the church and convent were of adobe and coral stones quarried from Alimodian and red bricks used for the flooring, walls and posts. Materials were transported to the town through carts drawn by carabaos.  Connected to the side door of the church is its L-shaped convent of Antillan architectural style. The church served as the headquarters for the Ilonggo Revolutionary Forces in Western Visayas under General Martin Delgado in 1898. It was untouched during World War II and had withstood the 1948 earthquake. It was declared as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute in 2013.