I had the extra time last Saturday, September 4 to do a recorded bike ride in Iloilo City and my destination was the Iloilo Instagramma Walls located in Brgy. Punong, Lapuz. It is barely just a few kilometers away from my location and is pretty much accessible as it is beside the main road going to the Lapuz Roro Wharf area.

The Iloilo Instagramma Walls is one of the projects of the Iloilo City LGU in collaboration with the local Ilonggo artists and the officials of Brgy. Punong, Lapuz.

I decided to video the bike ride going there and also on the Diversion bike lane update where the city is placing these metal frames for the planned green tunnels along the lane. Check out my latest bike vlog below.

The Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art or short-termed as ILOMOCA is the first museum in Visayas and Mindanao area that is dedicated to contemporary Art. It exhibits the various works of Ilonggo, Filipino and International artists. It also has a function room for lectures and art film viewing, an art bistro and a brandy museum. It is located at Casa de Emperador Festive Walk Parade, Mandurriao, Iloilo City and started its operations last March, 2018. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday.

I consider this as the first modern museum of sort in the city, with Museo Iloilo as the one for the history and arts.

My first time to visit the place was during our data gathering on the Iloilo City tourism and heritage site visit conducted last September for the Iloilo City Tourism Development Plan being formulated and headed by the City Tourism Office.

Check out the pictures I took during the tour.

The prestigious Iloilo Dinagyang will be held this coming January 25-26, 2020 which is just barely two weeks from now. This event is a symbol that cores on the heritage, devotion, and history of Iloilo and the Ilonggos.

Each year, however, features something in these modern times. This year’s list of activities has a lot of varieties and some of them are mostly new. I might try to participate but we shall see with the office schedule.

Check out the Iloilo Dinagyang 2020 activities below.

Source: https://web.facebook.com/Iloilo-Dinagyang-2020-2309637079252976/

Joining the technical working group in the development of the Iloilo City Tourism Development Plan in the several steps from data gathering up to the strategic planning workshop has made me realized that there is a whole lot that my beloved city has to offer in terms of tourism. It is just that we have not come up yet with the means of promotion and that will be fully utilized. Hence, the development of this plan is very essential.

As for my role in my part-time being a blogger about Magic: the Gathering stuff, I am thinking to post more city-related topics aside from the weekly local tournament scene. Blogging and vlogging has been one of the major ways of online marketing and advertising at almost zero cost. You just need to come up with a good write up and enticing pictures of the food, place or event. I have learned that more heritage sites are not yet widely known to most tourist and this is a good basis to visit the place and get to know more of its origins. This is already I think is a wide range for promotion blog posts.

For the food trips, I can schedule one or two places each week that I can check to try their dish and blog about it. There are new shops and restaurants already opening in various malls and locations in the city and that I needed to somewhat catch up. If only I have the money and time to do that.

We will see on what plan I can come up with to be able to promote Iloilo City to tourists and investors.

*Banner image is the Iloilo Convention Center.

Last Friday, my officemates decided to lunch out at a nearby Carinderia and I decided to join them since I haven’t visited that place yet. This is one way for me to promote the local food spots along with what delicious recipes they can offer for the tourists. I have not yet blog posted about it on my recent food trips which I only done on Facebook but this time I will try to post in detail along of course with the pictures.

Going back to that Carinderia spot, the name is Beige Eatery and it is located just across the National Economic and Development Authority Regional Office 6 and within the road going to Fort San Pedro. It was jam-packed when we arrived since it was nearing 12noon and we had to wait a few minutes for a vacant table. There was a variety of pork, chicken and fish dishes served at their front display rack and they also have steamed talaba being prepared beside it.

After ordering, I then noticed the lady hauling the sliced chunks of beef that were boiled for their Nilaga dish along with the diced jackfruit. I should have waited for it before we had our orders but knowing that my officemates won’t eat pork or beef, I will just reserve it for the next visit. I took this pic below.

We ordered biga-biga, grilled Bangus and kinilaw tangigue and rice and the total cost was around 500+ for the five persons. It was quite cheap given the quantity and quality of food.

Come Saturday, I went to SM Delgado to check on a semi-Barong Tagalog outfit which we needed to wear for the University of San Agustin event that night. After buying the suit, I walked past the Valeria Street side of the mall and noticed a small Thai Resto across the road. I was thinking of getting a cup of coffee that time but since it was nearing lunch time, I decided to just check the place and the menu.

Sen Lek Thai’s menu was mostly composed of different style of Thai Noodles with side dish of Thai Spring Rolls, meatballs and siomai. See it below for the individual prizes.

I ordered the Mix Thai Noodles (costs P120) for an initial taste and it did not disappoint. The noodles ain’t that firm and soup mostly tasted like an ordinary beef but the added mix of legumes and herbs made the flavor more interesting. I just wished I also ordered a side dish for an added appetizer.

I might come back there by next week if given the time and try their other dishes. The location is across SM Delgado Valeria Street and is situated between the BPI bank and the Dapli food house which is currently being renovated.

That is a wrap for now. I promise to post more food trip content to promote local Iloilo food and related events so just stay tuned for those. Until the next blog post.

I am sharing this short writeup about the City of Iloilo which I wrote and contributed to the Grand Prix Manila Travel Guide handbook. The guide was initiated by the Philippine MtG judges as a reference for those coming over to participate in the event. This was also another opportunity for me to promote tourism in the city.

Iloilo City

Iloilo is a province of the Philippines, located in the center of the Philippine archipelago in the southeastern part of Panay Island. The capital city, Iloilo City, is considered one of the major urban centers in the Philippines and continues to become one of the major industrial and eco-tourism destinations in the country. The city was a conglomeration of former towns which are now turned into geographical districts. These are: Jaro, Mandurriao, Molo, Villa Arevalo, La Paz, Lapuz and Iloilo City Proper.

Iloilo City is just 55 minutes of flight away from Manila and is a hub for trade, commerce, technology, and of course, tourism. The nationally acclaimed Dinagyang Festival has been the flagship yearly event of the city and is celebrated every January. There are many travel treasures you can hunt around the city. From mouthwatering delicacies to mesmerizing and splendid architectural heritage and modern designs, these are a few of the many things the city has to offer for tourists and locals to enjoy.

The Top 10 you can have as your checklist are the following:
1. Eat Batchoy & Pancit Molo
2. Pray at historic churches
3. Love the skyline at the Iloilo City Hall Rooftop
4. Stroll at Iloilo Esplanade
5. Bike at Benigno Aquion Avenue
6. Time Travel at Calle Real
7. Joy Ride in a Jeepney
8. Party at Smallville Complex
9. Brew at Madge Café
10. Bask at Fort San Pedro Baywalk

Touring around the city is easy as most of the major roads are served by public utility jeepneys, taxis, and tricycles as your transport options. Most of the locals are very friendly so it is also easy to ask around for directions as guide or if ever you get lost. Start by greeting them “Maayong aga” for good morning or “Maayong hapon” for good afternoon, then follow it up with your inquiry. Other relevant lingo are “kamusta ka?” for “How are you?” and “Tagpila ni?” for “How much is this?” Lastly, always say Thank you or “Salamat”.

Traveling to the outer municipalities is catered by five major transport terminals located at the city’s parameter areas which offer large jeepneys and buses.

Iloilo City also serves as a gateway to other nearby tourist spots in the provinces of Guimaras, Antique, Aklan, and Capiz. Examples are Boracay Island, Isla de Higantes and Mararison Island.