Iloilo Features

The worst flood in decades has just hit Iloilo. More than 80% of the Iloilo City was affected and a large portion of Iloilo Province was devastated, damaging homes, agriculture, livestock and infrastructure. The widespread flash floods was caused by the large volume of rainfall from Typhoon Frank and to an extent environmental changes in the uplands and lowlands: global warming, deforestation, urban development.

The flooding in the city was strong enough to drift away vehicles ranging from motorcycles to 4×4s. The photo shows a tricycle perched atop a car in Jaro District. Photo by Ashley Dagdag

Here are some Iloilo Flood Picture Galleries I found online:

Oscar Nava Flickr Photostream
Trigo26 Flickr Photostream
Dinagyang.com Iloilo Flood Thread
Iloilo Province Official Website Photo Gallery (There’s a link on the page for the Typhoon Frank albums)
Iloilo City Official Website Photo Gallery

Iloilo Flood Videos:

Mediascrape News Coverage of Philippine Typhoon - Iloilo Flood
Mediascrape News Coverage of Philippine Typhoon - Iloilo Flood 2

Rescue Operations during the Iloilo Flood in Jaro District

Rescue Operations during the Iloilo Flood in Jaro District Slideshow

Flood in Passi City, Iloilo

Buntalan Bridge Destroyed in Leon, Iloilo

Iloilo needs your help! There are still thousands of families who lost their homes and are currently living in evacuation centers or in makeshift houses beside streets and bridges. These unfortunate people need food, water, clothes, medicines, etc… Any form of assistance extended to the affected families of Iloilo City will be deeply appreciated. Please visit this page for contact details: http://www.exploreiloilo.com/typhoon-frankfengshen-ravages-iloilo-philippines.html

The City and Province of Iloilo is currently under a State of Calamity after a destructive storm, named Typhoon Frank (international name: Fengshen), had just battered the country with Iloilo being one of the worst hit by the disaster. Aside from Iloilo City, most of Iloilo Province’s 42 towns were also heavily affected especially the towns traversed by major rivers.

Photo by Bernardo Arellano III
Continue Reading »

On this installment of the Google Earth Series we’ll be viewing images of Iloilo’s urban structure. Get a closer look of more places in Iloilo from the sky. Google Earth has also added another hi-res satellite image, which made it possible to get a better view of southern parts of Iloilo City including Oton and western parts of Guimaras.

Iloilo City Proper

Apparently, the densest part of Iloilo City is the City Proper. Fortunately, there are less clouds covering Iznart-J.M. Basa Sts because of the recent update, giving a better view of Calle Real.

Other dense areas include the conurbanation of “La Paz and Jaro”

and “Molo-Calumpang Area”

Among newer subdivisions, the most dominant residential developments include:

Savannah Communities

and Monte Rosa - Ana Ros area.

During the first part of the Google Earth Series, I had not included the district centers of Mandurriao and Arevalo. Here’s the pic of Mandurriao Plaza Area (Arevalo’s is unavailable because it’s covered in clouds).

The new hi-res google earth coverage gave a better view of Oton (the plaza area is unfortunately also covered in clouds), Arevalo , Molo, Cityy Proper and Western parts of Guimaras. Here’s a few interesting sights:

Punta Villa Resort Hotel and Convention Center

Jordan Wharf, Guimaras

Calle Real

Iloilo Commercial Fishing Port Complex

During the next post, I’ll be posting about interesting sights outside of the city, in Iloilo’s subsurbs.

Bandera Ilonggo is the chance for Ilonggo rockers to be heard and recognized. If you’re from Iloilo and part of a rock band then compile at least three of your best tunes and get the opportunity to be part of a live-bootleg compilation CD.

If you’re an amateur unsigned band from Western Visayas with pure raw talent, Headtone Music Philippines invites you to take part of “Bandera Ilonggo,” which strives to showcase Ilonggo raw talents and expose them to the world in one tight compact compilation CD.

The auditions start on May 30, 2008 and it will continue on selected dates until June 27, 2008 (see poster for exact dates). It will be held on Metal Mania Rock Bar. During the audition, you may perform as many songs as you want provided three songs from your set are original compositions.

To join, first contact Karen Guanco (Events Coordinator for Headtone Music Philippines) at 0917-9671-838 or 0920-2140-346 or email us at headtonemusic@gmail.com and set a schedule for auditions.

Media Sponsors of the “Women of Rock” concert include: Panay News Philippines, ExploreIloilo.com, HotFM 98.7, Z100 100.7, Cable Start Inc., PULP, Killerbee 106.3, Shine Radio 94.7 - DYMI FM, Radio Natin 91.5.

For more information read this F.A.Q prepared by the organizer, Headtone Music Philippines.

Headtone Music Philippines (HMPH) is a group of Ilonggo music enthusiasts that aims to promote the growth of the independent music scene to give unsigned artists a chance to spread their music and help Philippines make a name through its very own homegrown talents.

What are you waiting for? Get your inner rockstar out and let your talent be heard! Join the auditions for Bandera Ilonngo - live-bootleg compilation CD.

Better watch out for a special concert by local Ilonggo bands with females as their front man err… woman rather. This May 31, 2008, Headtone Music Philippines (HMPh) present “Women of Rock“, a concert featuring Iloilo’s Six Pounder and Bacolod’s Kill Sofia with performances of Podigy of Eve, Maidens of Jah, Laneaia, Brews, Cuppy Cake Dolls, Anhedonic Paranoia, and more!.

The “Women of Rock” concert will be held at Metal Mania Rock Bar (Formerly Pier 16), located along Diversion Road. The event will start at 8pm, there will be freebies for the first 50! Gate Damage is P75.

Metal Mania Rock Bar Location

View Larger Map

Media Sponsors of the “Women of Rock” concert include: Panay News Philippines, ExploreIloilo.com, HotFM 98.7, Z100 100.7, Cable Start Inc., PULP, Killerbee 106.3, Shine Radio 94.7 - DYMI FM, Radio Natin 91.5.

See you there!

Headtone Music Philippines is a group of Ilonggo music enthusiasts that aim to promote the growth of the independent music scene, to give unsigned artists a chance to spread their music and help Philippines make a name through its very own homegrown talent. With the aim to promote the local music industry of Iloilo, ExploreIloilo.com has opened a Iloilo Music Guide (http://music.exploreiloilo.com), where we will be featuring Iloilo’s music scene. There’s a quick link posted at the main menu in the head part of this website.

Iloilo is known for its educational institutions, which has created a society of intellectuals for more than a century. For the second part of the Iloilo City Google Earth Series, some of Iloilo’s more popular schools will be included along other interesting sites.

Central Philippine University (CPU)

Central Philippine University (CPU) was founded in 1905 as the Jaro Industrial School by missionaries of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society. It is currently the largest university in Western Visayas in terms of student population. The beautifully landscaped 24-hectare campus in Jaro is a declared tourist destination by the local tourism authority.

University of the Philippines in the Visayas (UPV), John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University (JBLFMU), Iloilo Doctors College (IDC), and Iloilo Doctor’s Hospital (IDH)

The lot of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas (UPV) Iloilo Campus was actually formerly owned by the Iloilo City Government and the Main Building (Library) used to be the Iloilo City Hall. In 1945, the Municipal Board of Iloilo, under the administration of former Iloilo City Mayor, Hon. Fernando López, authorized a resolution for the opening of a branch of UP in Iloilo City and donated the lot to the educational institution. One year and seven months years later, the University of the Philippines Iloilo College (UPIC) opened its doors in July 1947.

John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University (JBLFMU) was first founded as the “Iloilo Maritime Academy” in 1948 by Master Mariner Juan Bautista Lacson. Today, it has grown into a pioneer institution in maritime education and has established itself as the first maritime university in Southeast Asia.

Iloilo Doctors College (IDC) is a tertiary educational institution specializing allied health related courses like Dental Care, Physical Therapy, Nursing, Health Aide, Medical Technology, Radiologic Technology, Biological Science, Pre Dental, and Midwifery. They have their own college hospital, the Iloilo Doctor’s Hospital (IDH), which is one of the more popular private hospitals in Iloilo City.

San Agustin University (USA)

San Agustin University (USA) was founded by Agustinian Friars on July 15, 1904. The school was granted university status on March 1, 1953, a year before its 50th anniversary, making it the first university in Western Visayas. The university’s campus, situated in the very heart of the city on General Luna Street, has a modern gymnasium, an auditorium, several conference and seminar rooms, science, computer and speech laboratories, a museum, a bookstore, a library, an instructional media center, and tennis and badminton courts.

Assumption Convent - Iloilo (AC), St. Paul Hospital (SPH), and St. Pauls University (SPU)

Assumption Iloilo is one of the exclusive schools in Iloilo catering to pre-school, elementary and seconary level students. It was established since 1910, and will be celebrating their centennial anniversary in just a few years time.

St. Pauls University (SPU) is also another exclusive school in the City, which offers college courses. The University is most known as a top performing school in the Nursing Licensure Exam. Their university hospital, the St. Paul Hospital (SPH), is the premiere hospital of Iloilo City.

West Visayas State University (WVSU), West Visayas State University Medical Center (WVSU-MC), Iloilo National High School (INHS), Iloilo Mission Hospital, , Western Visayas College of Science and Technology (WVCST), and the Iloilo Sports Complex

West Visayas State University (WVSU) was established in 1902 as the Iloilo Normal School but was subsequently renamed West Visayas State University in 1986. Its centennial anniversary was celebrated in January 2008, a celebration delayed due to an inaccurate review of its history. It is considered as a center of excellence in education in the Philippines and its College of Nursing is recognized as a top performing Nursing school in the country. Its university hospital is the WVSU-MC, which serves as a training hospital for the students and graduates of WVSU.

The Iloilo National Highschool (INHS), established in 1902, is the country’s first provincial high school and is cited as a center of excellence. A innovation initiated by the school is the “schools within a school” program, whereby 8 schools were established within INHS namely: Special Science Class, the School for the Arts, the School of the Future, the Special Class for Sports, Out of School Adult High School, the Evening Opportunity Class, the Non Formal Education and the Class for the Performing Arts.

The Western Visayas College of Science and Technology (WVCST) was established in 1905 as an elementary trade school known as the Iloilo Trade School. The College has grown into a leading technological and professional manpower development institution as it serves Region VI and the whole country. It is currently gearing towards acquiring a university status.

Iloilo Sports Complex (ISC) is a multi-use stadium in Iloilo City, Philippines. It is currently used mostly for football matches and hosts the home matches of Iloilo Football Association. The stadium has a capacity of around 10,000 people.

Click Here, in case you’ve missed the first part of the Iloilo City Google Eath Series. Iloilo City’s residential areas and ubran concentrations will be featured during the next installment, so watch out for that!.

Now that hi-res images of Iloilo City can be accessed in Google Earth, let’s tour around the prominent and interesting landmarks around the city.

From well … space, Iloilo looks quite messy compared to other cities in the country. This could be owed to the fact that Iloilo is an old city and no careful urban planning was done during waves of urbanization over the decades. Urban development is densest in the city proper, which then stretches either inland or southwards. Although, quite dense there are still large spaces of land, mostly utilized for fishponds or saltbeds, in between or just beside the dense areas.

One such area is the area around the airport in Mandurriao, where majority of the land there is owned by a few individuals/families and development was limited because of proximity to the airport. Another is the area near the Jaro River, found at the northern and eastern portions, which has a low desirability for development because the area gets easily flooded whenever the river overspills during heavy rains.

Iloilo Seaports

The hive of Iloilo’s seaport operations in the Iloilo River Wharf, a natural harbor considered as one of the safest in the world. Docked at the river wharf are cargo ships and along it are ferry and RORO terminals servicing the Iloilo-Bacolod, Guimaras, Palawan Routes. Near the mouth of the River is the Domestic Port and further south is the Fort San Pedro. Iloilo’s International Port is located in La Paz District, at the northeastern part of the City.

Iloilo City Proper

This is a part of the Downtown of Iloilo City, the other parts are inconveniently covered by clouds. Dominating the cityscape of Iloilo are its malls, which reflects the city’s consumer driven economy. Robinsons Place is the largest mall in the city proper followed by Marymart Center, which is composed of three buildings connected by bridges. Near Marymart are: SM Delgado, Amigo, and The Atrium (not shown in picture). Calle Real is the old shopping district of Iloilo City and the hive of downtown Iloilo. It’s a great place to look for inexpensive buys.

This is one of the Provincial Gov’t lots in the city. At the far right is the Iloilo Provincial Capitol. Beside it is the Old Rehabilitation Center (Square-shaped building), Museo Iloilo (Green Roof), and the Department of Tourism (White Roof) regional Office. The large building at the left side is the Hall of Justice and the white building in front of it is Castle Hotel.

Diversion Road Area

The area surrounding Benigno Aquino Jr. Ave. (more commonly known as Diversion road) looks like its mostly composed of idle land, fishponds, and salt beds. It’s actually a prime space in Iloilo and will be the future Central Business District of the City. This satellite photo was shot in 2005 and you could still see a plane in the airport terminal. It’s closed now after the new airport in Santa Barbara was completed and the old airport lot was bought by Megaworld Corp, one of the country’s largest property developers. Other prominent places in the area is SM City, Iloilo’s largest mall and Smallville, a complex of restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, bars, and clubs.

In case you’re wondering low long SM City’s length is, well its 200 meters.

Molo District

This is Molo. The building shaped like a cross in the right side is ofcourse the Molo Church and infront of it is the Molo Public Plaza. The subdivision in the upper left with the swimming pools is Southville.

Jaro District

This is Jaro District, the most populous district of the city. The cross-shaped building is the Jaro Church and infront of it is, yes you’ve guessed it, the Jaro Plaza

La Paz District

This is La Paz District. I decided to post this picture instead of the plaza-church area. The big building is Gaisano Capital Mall.

During the next post, I’ll be posting the different schools and hospitals in Iloilo City.

Watch this video and take a tour of one of the major facets of Iloilo’s Society: Food. Get to know what Ilonggo Cooking is about and what sets it apart from other cuisines in the provinces. Feast your eyes on a colorful array of delightful treats and be acquainted with many of Iloilo’s foods like laswa, KBL (Kadios, Baboy, Langka), Biscocho, Seafoods, Batchoy, Pancit Molo, Lengua Estofado, Tinuom sa Uhong, Baye-baye, Bibinka, and so much more.

You can now get to see actual buildings in selected areas of Panay Island through Google Earth, which has recently released high-resolution images of the island. Google Earth is a free virtual globe application, where you can tour around the world and see satellite images of places. About 2 days ago, Google Earth released the hi-res images for Iloilo City, Guimaras (Jordan, Sibunag, San Lorenzo), Aklan (Kalibo), Antique (Pandan, Hamtik, Sibalom, San Jose), and also Negros Occidetnal (Moises de Padilla, Isabela, Murcia and La Carlota). Having high-resolution images mean that you can see buildings, houses, and even cars on the road.

Patches of high-resolution images of Western Visayas on Google Earth

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.

Continue Reading »