Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE VISAYAS
PANAY
Iloilo City and around
ILOILO CITY
is a useful transit point for Guimaras (see p.324) and has good ferry
connections to many other Visayan islands, but there's nothing to keep you here for more
than a day or two. he
city centre
occupies a thin strip of land on the southern bank of the
Iloilo River, with views across to Guimaras.
General Luna Street
runs for nearly 3km along
the northern boundary of the centre, and is one of the city's major arteries, lined by banks,
hotels and restaurants. It's worth heading across the river to the
Smallville Commercial
Complex
for dining and nightlife, while for more of a sense of history, the old areas of
Molo
, 3km west of town, and
Jaro
, 3km north, both make pleasant distractions. There are
also more adventurous pursuits to be enjoyed around Iloilo, including trekking and caving
in
Bulabog Puti-An National Park
, and trips to local Ati villages.
If you're visiting in January, the
Dinagyang
festival, loosely based on Kalibo's
Ati-Atihan, adds some extra frenzy to the city during the fourth weekend. The
Paraw
Regatta
falls in the third week of February and includes a race across to Guimaras.
6
Plaza Libertad and J.M. Basa Street
In the southeastern quadrant of the city is
Plaza Libertad
, where the first flag of the
Philippine Republic was raised in triumph after Spain surrendered the city on
December 25, 1898. There's little to remind you of the history though - the square
today is a concrete affair with fast-food restaurants and busy roads on all sides.
The few old residential and commercial buildings that survive date back to Spanish
and American colonial periods and are mostly to be found in
J.M. Basa Street
, which
runs past the square linking Ledesma Street to the port area.
Museo Iloilo
Bonifacio Drive, just before the river • Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm • P25 • A 15min walk north of town, or hop on a Jaro-bound jeepney.
An engaging and clearly presented repository of Iloilo's cultural heritage, the
Museo
Iloilo
has a diverse range of exhibits including fossils, shells and rocks indicating the age
of Panay Island. There are also ornamental teeth, jewellery excavated from pre-Spanish
burial sites, pottery from China and Siam, co
ns, war relics and some modern art.
Molo
Molo can be reached on foot from the city centre in 20min (10min by tricycle or jeepney; P8)
On the western edge of the city, the district of
Molo
makes for an interesting wander. In
the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Molo was a Chinese quarter like Parian in Manila.
The main sight is
Molo Church
(St Anne's), a splendid nineteenth-century Gothic
Renaissance edifice made of coral, with rows of female saints lining both sides of the aisle.
Asilo de Molo
Visits possible daily 10am-noon & 1-4pm; donation expected •
T
033 338 0252,
W
asilodemolo.com
About 1km west along the road from Molo Church is the
Asilo de Molo
, formerly an
orphanage where vestments were hand-embroidered by orphan girls under the tutelage
of nuns. The orphans have since been transferred to Manila, and the Asilo, still run by
the Sisters of the Daughters of Charity, is now home to Iloilo's elderly poor, who also
manage to turn out local handicrafts.
Jaro
Taxi, or jeepneys marked Jaro or Tiko (P8)
Three kilometres north of the centre across the Forbes Bridge, the historical enclave of
Jaro
is worth exploring. You can also wander among the old colonial homes of sugar
barons and mooch through a number of dusty old antique shops, where prices are
lower than in Manila. Jaro's
plaza
is an inspiring little piece of old Asia, dominated by
Jaro Cathedral (see p.330) and its dignified but crumbling old belfry that was partially
destroyed by an earthquake in 1984.
