Iloilo: Gateway to Western Visayas
Iloilo ranks as one of the country’s foremost centers of culture, industry and trade. Aside from being at the geographic center of the Western Visayas Region, Iloilo acts as its administrative, institutional, and economic center. Iloilo serves as a gateway to other places in the region namely Guimaras, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, and Negros Occidenal. A trip to Iloilo is never complete without a visit to these places, each endowed with myriads of attractions just waiting to be explored.
Iloilo: Heart of the Philippines

Gateway Destinations
Aklan

Boracay

Negros Occidental

Bacolod City

Guimaras

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Latest Posts Under 'Western Visayas Travel Guide'
Picea Restaurant and Bakeshop
Picea is known as a cake and dessert shop in Iloilo City. For quite some time now, they have been creating sumptuous cakes for Ilonggos during their most special celebrations like weddings, baptisms, and birthdays. After reading about Picea on MyIloilo, I learned that they weren’t all about cakes and had other foods in their menu as well. Curiosity had lead me to their shop in Mabini Street, near Central Elementary School and SPED.
Baras Beach Resort - A peaceful enclave in Guimaras
Baras Beach Resort is a great island hideaway in Guimaras. Hidden in a sheltered inlet, it’s the perfect place to take a relaxing break from the fast paced city life. Upon entering the bay, you will see several cottages built with inspirations of Indonesian architecture each hovering on the coast overlooking the sea and surrounded by verdant foliage.


Table tennis, Pool Table, Darts, Volleyball, Basketball, Dinghy Rowing and Canoe Paddling are available free of charge in Baras Beach Resort. You can take one of the boats around the bay and snorkel around the coral gardens near the coast.


Visitors can hire a pumpboat in Baras Beach Resort for a tour around interesting places to explore like caves, interesting coral formations, a turtle sanctuary in turtle island, SEAFDEC Research Station, Taklong Island Marine Reserve, Pulang Pasayan, Natago Beach Resort, and Isla Naburot.

One of the turtles in Turtle Island
Baras Beach Resort has a total of 10 cottages with rates starting at only P700. Each cottage can accommodate two to six persons and the resort can hold a total of 30 pax. The jump-off point to Baras Beach Resort is in Alubihod Bay in Brgy. Poblacion, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras, which is just 15 minutes away by pumpboat or motorized outrigger.When planning to go to Baras Beach Resort, it is important to inform the resort of your arrival so that they can prepare the transportation and accommodation.


Contact Details:
Baras Beach Resort
Contact Person: Mike Araneta, Resort Owner
Mobile: 09102101768
Aliwan Fiesta 2008 Winners
The results are in for the Aliwan Fiesta 2008. Congratulations to all the winners especially to our very own Tribu Saad from Leganes and Tribu Paghidaet for representing Iloilo well and entering the top 10. Here’s a rundown of the Aliwan Fiesta 2008 Winners:

Winning performance of Tribu Paghidaet during the Dinagyang Festival in January
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Katagman Festival 2008

KATAGMAN FESTIVAL is unique for its great variety of special events.
Celebrating 436th Foundation Day celebration.
Oton, under the dynamic leadership of their municipal mayor, Hon. Vicente FLORES, welcomes everyone to their KATAGMAN FESTIVAL that will formally open Salvo Parade on April 28, 2008.
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Iloilo Festivals off to conquer Manila in Aliwan Fiesta 2008
Tribu Paghidaet of the Dinagyang Festival and Saad Festival of Leganes Town performed a preview of their performance for the Aliwan Fiesta 2008 last friday. Both contingents are determined to make the Ilonggos proud by putting up a good show.
Earlier during the event, it rained so heavily that the city officials advised both tribes to cancel their performance for the afternoon to avoid accidents. There was some drama during this time because the tribes were so eager to perform. The Ilonggo spirit finally reigned after a large cheer from the crown convinced the officials to allow them to perform
Here is a preview of the performance of Iloilo’s Festivals for the Aliwan Fiesta 2008:
Tribu Paghidaet of Dinagyang 2008
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Fun things to do for the summer when in Iloilo
Our list of fun things to do for the summer highlights fun things to do at the best places to be during the height of the season, from the inviting waters of Iloilo’s many beaches, to the refreshing retreats at Iloilo’s cool highland attractions, even to the eco-adventure attractions of nearby Guimaras Island.

Browse though Explore Iloilo’s list of fun things to do for the summer
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Muelle Loney (Iloilo’s River Wharf) - Hub of the Booming Sugar Trade in the Visayas during the 19th century
Muelle Loney (pronounced as Mool-ye) refers to Iloilo’s River Wharf and the street at the western side of the river. It is being used today as a port for inter-island vessels such as ferries and “Roll-on Roll-off” (RORO) boats plying the Iloilo to Bacolod route. Thousands of passengers, pedestrians, and motorists pass by Muelle Loney everyday. Unknown to most of them is the history of Muelle Loney and its central-role in the birth of the prosperous sugar industry of the Visayas during the 1800s to 1900s.

Iloilo’s River Wharf, a natural harbor for ships seeking protection from strong winds and tropical monsoons.
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2007 Iloilo Population Census Released - 2.1M in Iloilo

Find out the latest population levels in Iloilo. The data is based from the 2007 Population Census recently released by the National Statistics Office (NSO). Listed here are demographic information of Iloilo including 2007 population levels, annual population growth rate (2000-2007), projected 2008 population level, and population density (persons per square kilometers). Here are the 2007 Population Census data:
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Iloilo Flood Control Project: April 2008 Update
The Iloilo Flood Control Project is running in full swing and it looks like the project might be finished on time based from the latest accomplishment reports and a general physical assessment of their construction sites.
Here are some updates on the Iloilo Flood Control Project:
Construction of the 4.75km Jaro Floodway, which will provide a channel from the floodplains of Pavia-Jaro to the Iloilo Strait.

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Iloilo Festivals vie for Aliwan Fiesta 2008 Champion: Dinagyang, Saad of Leganes and Kasag of Banate
This first week of May, the top festivals of the country will converge in Manila to compete for the title of Aliwan Fiesta 2008 champion. For those who don’t know yet, Aliwan Fiesta is the ultimate competition of festival champions with their beauty queens and floats. The highlight of the Aliwan Fiesta 2008 is the street dance competition, where spectators get to experience a non-stop explosion of color, sound, culture, and synchronized movement during the street dance competition.
This year, two festival champions of Iloilo and a special contingent, which will be taken into the limelight later, will be joining the Aliwan Fiesta 2008.
Representing the City of Iloilo will be Tribu Paghidaet, champion of the Dinagyang Festival 2008 - Ati Competition.

Tribu Paghidaet to join the Aliwan Fiesta 2008. Click here to view more pictures of Tribu Paghidaet.
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