Our Iloilo Interests

We went back to Iloilo a day before the Dinagyang festival. A lot of the streets were already closed since the street dancing apparently has started. So we had to walk from Ortiz port to Four Seasons Hotel. We passed by the Iloilo public market which was part of the route for the participants of the Dinagyang. We stayed for a while to watch the presentations of several tribus.

One of the tribes that participated

Dancers in blue at the Dinagyang festival

We were starving by the time we checked in at the hotel. Fortunately, there is a Deco resto inside the hotel so we treated ourselves with Iloilo’s famous La Paz batchoy. It was sweltering hot that day so we decided to stay at the hotel instead of going to Miag-ao as planned. The 1050 php for the double room was well-spent. The We went out at night to check the scene at the street party and got stressed for the effort.  

 

Deco's La Paz batchoy

Before the street party

During the street party: It was so packed you can hardly move

The following day, while everyone was in Iloilo City to watch the street dancing, Glenn and I went to Miag-ao to visit Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Church. It is one of the 4 Baroque churches in the Philippines that were inscribed on the World Heritage List.

Another UNESCO Heritage Site off the list

Beautiful facade of Miag-ao church

We heard mass then took a jeepney back to the city for 40 php. Lunch was at Breakthrough for some seafood delight.