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Bacolod Masskara Festival 2010

Marcos — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 01:48:09 +0000

The City of Smiles, Bacolod City, will once again pulsate with the latin beat and throb with the colorful and fun spirit of the Masskara Festival this October 2010. The highlights of the Masskara 2010 will be on October 17Â to 19 and will feature a competition among various dance groups clad in very colorful costumes.

MassKara is coined from two words: Mass, which means “many, or multitude,” and Kara, a Spanish word for “face,” thus MassKara is a mass or multitude of smiling faces.

Bacolod Masskara Festival 2010 Schedule

October 1, 2010 - Opening of the Festival Site (Public Plaza,SM MassKara Village
October 9, 2010 - MassKara Queen (University of St. La Salle Coliseum)
October 15, 2010 -Â Electric MassKara (Tourism Strip, Lacson St.)
October 16, 2010 - MassKara Street Dance Competition – School Category (Araneta St. to Public Plaza
- Electric MassKara (Tourism Strip, Lacson St.)
October 17, 2010 - MassKara Street Dance Competition – Barangay Category (Araneta St. to Public Plaza)
October 18, 2010 -Â Countdown to the Charter Day Giant Street Party Celebration (New Government Center)
October 19, 2010 - 73rd Charter Day Anniversary

Daily fastcrafts or fast ferries ply the Iloilo City (Muelle Loney River Wharf) to Bacolod City (BREDCO Port). Travel time is 45 minutes to one hour. There are also roll-on roll-off (RORO) vessels or slow ferries plying the Dumangas Port to Bacolod City (BREDCO Port) daily. The van terminal going to Dumangas is located at Baldoza Terminal in La Paz, Iloilo City. Travel time from Iloilo City to Dumangas is 20 minutes and from Dumangas Port to Bacolod via RORO, it is around two and a half hours.

Photos and Videos of Iloilo Festivals during the Aliwan Fiesta 2010

Marcos — Sat, 08 May 2010 14:14:50 +0000

It was yet another successful showcase of the colorful history and culture of Iloilo during the Aliwan Fiesta 2010 held last month in Manila by three Ilonggo Festivals. The Dinagyang Festival, Paraw Regatta Festival, and Kasag Festival of Banate were among the crowd favorites and were included in the top 10 of the street dance competition with the Dinagyang Festival emerging as the champion and Kasag Festival as 2nd runner-up. Here are photos and videos during the Aliwan 2010 Fiesta:

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Aliwan Fiesta 2010 Schedule

Marcos — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 04:00:00 +0000

The Aliwan Fiesta stage will be set again in Manila this April 22-24 2010 for the annual gathering of the Philippines’ biggest and best festivals. During the main highlights, spectators will be able to experience the colorful festivals coming from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Aside from being showcase of tourism in the Philippines, the Aliwan Fiesta is also features a street dance competition, where performing groups battle it out to win the Aliwan Championship title. For the Aliwan Fiesta 2010, Iloilo will be sending two groups: Tribu Paghidaet of the Dinagyang Festival, Iloilo City and Tribu Kasag of the Kasag Festival of Banate, Iloilo Province.

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About Iloilo

Marcos — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:28:01 +0000

Iloilo is a province of the Philippines, located in the center of the Philippine archipelago. The province comprises the southeastern part of Panay Island with island-province of Guimaras just across its coast. The capital city of the province of Iloilo is the City of Iloilo, which is also one of the major urban centers in the Philippines

The busy City of Iloilo with the Island of Guimaras off its Coast.

Iloilo has always been one of the country’s most important provinces. Merchants from China and India have long traded with the Ilonggos even before the Spaniards came; evidences of this flourishing civilization are displayed in Museums and Private Galleries.

Museo Iloilo serves as a repository of Iloilo’s cultural heritage.

Even during the Spanish and American colonial period, Iloilo still proved to be an important trading post. Iloilo has a beautiful harbor with serene and calm waters, safe for navigation because it is protected from the open sea by scenic Guimaras Island. This excellent port facility made Iloilo the center of trade at the turn of the century, with the whole world doing business in this port especially during the heyday of the sugar industry. In fact, Iloilo was given the title of “Queen City of the South” for being the Philippine’s second city, after Manila.

You can still see the old buildings that surprisingly are European and American inspired such as stately mansions, majestic century-old churches, and heritage commercial buildings.

The Iloilo Customs House watches over Iloilo’s River Wharf. The building is a remnant of Iloilo’s glorious past

The Miagao Church is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO

Iloilo’s rich heritage is showcased in multifarious festivals celebrated in the city and various towns of the province. Dubbed as the “Province of Festivals“, Iloilo is proud of its nationally acclaimed Dinagyang Festival, together with smaller but similarly riveting festivities in the province, blends the pagan and the Christian in a street dance masquerade honoring Sto. Nino.

The famous Dinagyang Festival is held every 4th week of January

Iloilo is endowed with natural wonders. Highland attractions from the cascades and waterfalls of the mountains of Iloilo to rice terraces and heights in its hinderlands. Worth visiting are various islands and islets of Iloilo that abound with white sand beaches and ornamented with tropical palms. Experience breezy fun while on an island hopping getaway. Explorations in Iloilo’s northern coast such as the myterious caves of Gigantes island and the sea charms of Sicogon and nearby islets, as well as the splendid silhouette of Pan de Azucar in Concepcion town herald quaint stories and enchanting folklores.

Agho Island, one of Concepcion town’s 16 islands, with the towering Pan de Azucar in the background

Rice terraces and lush mountains of Bucari, Leon

Iloilo takes pride in being the Food basket and Rice Granary of the Region owing to its fertile lands and seas that yield plentiful harvest. Rice is the major crop in the province of Iloilo. Fish and marine products are considered the main source of livelihood in the southern and northern Iloilo. Tourists will find many restaurants offering a gastronomic treat of fresh sea foods and famous Ilonggo dishes such as La Paz Batchoy, Chicken Inasal, and Pancit Molo.

The La Paz Batchoy, which originated from La Paz District of Iloilo City, is an Ilonggo dish that has achieved nation-wide popularity.

Iloilo is a fast-growing modern city but has kept its old charm and unspoiled environment. Today, Iloilo is a popular convention and meeting destination, with its many first class accommodations and New Airport of International standards. Tourists will find sprawling malls scattered across the city wherein they can replenish supplies as well as their energies for the hectic sand-and-water environment that are soon to follow. Hotels and restaurants abound; a world-class golf course is located just outside the city proper in Sta. Barbara.

Bars, Restaurants, Clubs, Hotels, and Coffee Shops line “Smallville“, Iloilo’s most popular night spot

The Santa Barbara Golf Course located 30 minutes from the city is the oldest Golf Course in South East Asia

Iloilo serves as the gateway to the region. It is a stopover for tourists heading to the beaches of Boracay and Palawan and the nearby provinces of Guimaras, Antique, Capiz, and Aklan.

Iloilo boasts of a new airport, considered as one of the most beautiful and modern in the country

Ilonggos travel daily to Guimaras as if it was next door, and so with Guimarasnons to Iloilo. The trip across the strait taken only 15 minutes on a smooth sailing pumpboat, or 25 minutes by barge if you are bringing your vehicle.

Guimaras is a popular weekend destination because of its white sand beaches, tranquil waters, and peaceful countrysides

People from Iloilo are called Ilonggos. They are known for their charm and sweetness that comes from the musical tonation of their dialect, Hiligaynon. You would not be able to tell if an Ilonggo is mad at you by the way they speak, which always sounds like some one crooning a love song to you. Kiniray-a, which is a dialect very similar to Hiligaynon is used in Iloilo’s countrysides. English and Tagalog are also widely spoken and understood especially in urban areas.

A nightshot of General Luna St., one of Iloilo’s major roads

Metro Iloilo-Guimaras or MIG is a metropolitan area encompassing the highly urbanized city of Iloilo City, nearby towns, island of Guimaras. Guimaras Province assumes the role of agri-eco-tourism center; Pavia as the agro-industrial center, Leganes as the center for light industries, San Miguel as the agricultural basket, Oton as the dormitory and Sta. Barbara as the international air travel gateway. Iloilo City will remain as the residential, financial, commercial, governance and educational hub not only for Guimaras Island and the five satellite municipalities but also for the entire Region VI.

A busy sunset rush hour with Iloilo City’s old structures “woven” into a modern lifestyle.

Source: Department of Tourism – Western Visayas, Wikipedia, Iloilo Province Official Website, Iloilo City Official Website
Iloilo Province Brochure by Bombette Marin, Iloilo Provincial Tourism Officer.

Dinagyang Festival Parade Route

Marcos — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:00:36 +0000

Know where the action is during the Dinagyang Festival and view the parade route where the tribes will be passing by and staging their performance for the Kasadyahan and Dinagyang Ati Competitions. There will be 4 judging areas namely: Freedom Grandstand, Provincial Capitol (Arroyo Fountain), Robinsons Place (cor Ledesma-Quezon), and Maria Clara Monument(Iznart-Rizal Sts. intersection, infront of Iloilo Grand Hotel).

Photo by Habagat Central

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Dinagyang Opening Salvo 2010

Marcos — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:03:22 +0000

The Dinagyang fever is back in Iloilo! Hundreds gathered in the streets of Downtown Iloilo to watch the opening salvo of the Dinagyang 2010 and catch a glimpse of the competing tribes joining the Dinagyang Ati contest on Sunday morning. Here are the opening salvo 2010 pictures if you weren’t able to witness the event.

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Aliwan 2009 Winners – Results for Streetdance, Float, and Festival Queen Pageant

Marcos — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:40:28 +0000

Here are the winners of the recently concluded Aliwan Fiesta 2009 in Manila for the street dance category, float design, and festival queen pageant. Congratulations to all the winners!

Aliwan 2009 Street dance Winners:

Champion – Buyogan Festival of Abuyogan, Leyte

2nd Place – Kasag Festival of Banate, Iloilo

3rd Place – Tribu Paghidaet from Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo

Runner Up:

Siloy Festival of Alcoy, Cebu
Karatong Festival of Dulag, Leyte
Kadayawan Festival of Davao City
Lapay Bantigue of Masbate City
Kalilangan Festival of General Santos City
Lambayok Festival of Batangas.
Ibon-Ebon Festival of Candaba, Pampanga

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Aliwan 2009 heat is on!

Marcos — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:14:25 +0000

Iloilo Festivals will once again heat up Aliwan 2009 slated this April 23-25, 2009 in Manila. The Aliwan Fiesta is the ultimate stage of the biggest and grandest festivals in the Philippines. Winners of the major festivals throughout the islands would converge in Manila during the Aliwan Fiesta to showcase the colorful culture of their hometown.

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Salakayan Festival 2009 Photos

Marcos — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:00:27 +0000

Five tribes performed this year during the street dance competition of Miagao’s Salakayan Festival 2009. The event was a great way to learn about the rich history and culture of the town through a series of colorful dance dramas that centered on the resilience of the people of Miagao against unfortunate events during the town’s past such as the frequent attacks of Moro pirates and natural calamities.

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Iloilo Festivals vie for Aliwan Fiesta 2008 Champion: Dinagyang, Saad of Leganes and Kasag of Banate

Marcos — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:00:36 +0000

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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