ILOILO: HEART of the PHILIPPINES

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 ...

Iloilo City - MORE Power President and CEO Mr. Roel Castro is finally seeing some positive development amidst the power crisis affecting the country.  With the recent pronouncement by the Bureau of Internal Revenue removing the VAT on systems loss, Castro welcomes this move even if it is just a portion of a percentage comprising the entire monthly bills of consumers.  "This is a welcome move by the government especially by the Bureau of Internal Revenue by removing the VAT on system loss. We have to understand, this is a certain percentage of a certain percentage. We have to be thankful that goverment acted on this quickly so consumers can realize the reduction as soon as possible,” says Castro.  But the systems loss is just a small chunk of the problem by the power industry. The daily monitoring of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines shows a decline in power supply from the power generators. Continuous lack of power supply would still result to higher power ...

  Taking another major step toward building one of Iloilo’s most complete master-planned communities, Megaworld subsidiary Global-Estate Resorts, Inc. (GERI) welcomes the opening of The Abba’s Orchard School, one of the country’s leading Montessori institutions, as a pioneering addition to the growing lifestyle ecosystem of its 173-hectare Sta. Barbara Heights. The new campus marks The Abba’s Orchard’s first-ever presence in Iloilo, bringing its distinctive Montessori education system to a one-hectare, tree-covered site at the heart of Sta. Barbara Heights. This much-anticipated milestone signals the evolution of Sta. Barbara Heights into a more complete, family-oriented community—one designed around where people live, but more importantly, how they learn, grow, work, and build their lives. For GERI, bringing a respected educational institution into the township is part of its broader vision of creating a fully integrated, future-ready lifestyle community that responds to the needs...

September is bringing a whole lot more to look forward to at SM City Iloilo. From can’t-miss shopping deals and magical moments to travel inspiration, family celebrations, and food discoveries, the month brings together different ways to shop, explore, bond, and simply enjoy the season. At the most-loved mall in Iloilo, September is shaping up to be a month where different interests and generations come together. 3 DAYS. MORE REASON TO SHOP The SM City Iloilo 3-Day Sale on September 18, 19 and 20 brings up to 70% off on favorite finds, giving shoppers a chance to refresh their wardrobes, upgrade their essentials, or pick up something they’ve been eyeing. There’s another reason to shop: customers can get a chance to drive home a brand-new Suzuki Fronx GLX AT Hybrid. For every ₱1,000 purchase, shoppers receive one (1) e-raffle entry, with more purchases giving them more chances to win. The mall will be open until 11 PM on September 18 and 19, and until 10 PM on September 20. So whether ...