ILOILO: Fall in love with the City of Love

Let’s take a glimpse of the enchanting beauty of Iloilo, the Heart of the Philippines.

If you check out the Philippine map, you’ll notice that Iloilo is an island in the Visayan region that takes up the shape of a heart. Also, it is located at the very center of our country and that's why it was remarked as the Heart of the Philippines. When you get the chance to visit the City of Love, you will get to experience the exotic charm of the province. I bet that you would all really love to be in an island surrounded by pristine beaches, scenic seascapes, rich culture, colorful traditions and its hospitable people. One of the reasons that it remarked as the City of Love is because of its very sweet and hospitable locals. Ilonggos are very malambing when they speak, you won’t even notice if they are mad because of their sweet tone of voice. Iloilo is famous for its pristine beaches like the famous Islas de Gigantes and many more with diverse marine life. Aside from attractions, you would also get to fall in love with its delicious food and delicacies. Be caught by the taste of the famous La Paz Batchoy at the La Paz market, the brewed native coffee, native foods like KBL (Kadios, Baboy, Langka) Adobo w/ Atsuete, Valenciana (Paella) and of course its famous delicacies for pasalubong, the pinasugbo, piaya, butterscotch, biscocho and other native delicacies. The astonishing attractions, delicious foods delicacies, sweet treats, and the loving locals will surely leave an imprint in the hearts of every tourist. If Iloilo’s tourism spots attest anything to its tourists, it is that Ilonggos have a strong sense of heritage and history, that they let this sense guide them in creating a path toward a future that encourages development and prosperity, and it does not fail to keep the past in the picture. The province and its modest and quiet municipalities occupy an essential role in our history. One of these towns is Santa Barbara, for it is the first town in the whole Visayan region to declare independence from Spain. It is also the first outside Luzon to raise the Philippine flag. November 17, 1898, declaration of independence took place and was called as the “Cry of Santa Barbara.” It was led by General Martin T. Delgado, who also became the first governor of the Iloilo province. He was recognized last National Hero’s Day 2015 by our former President Noynoy Aquino at his monument at the Santa Barbara Plaza.

Iloilo is where the past and present meet for the future. It is a place where the classic, the colonial and the contemporary not only co-exist, but also complement one another. You will get to see the classic downtown streets, old banks, offices, shops and prewar buildings that existed during the colonial era. You will be enchanted with the stunning old churches. You will also notice the Hispanic influence of Spain where the church, the plaza and the municipal halls are located right in the middle of the towns. These classic structures co-exist with modern establishments like malls, huge modern buildings, hotels, party clubs, restaurants and many more. You may feel as if you are being dragged into the past and then pushed back into the present with every edifice you pass by while having a tour in the City of Love. The old and the new co-exist to an encouraging glimpse of the future. Visit Iloilo so you can get to feel the love in the City of Love.

#coms109 #EmpireCastaway #Empireph