Let's Travel and Discover the Secrets of ILOILO

WELCOME to Iloilo, A Province that dances with the rhythm of the past and the promise of the future. HALA BIRA!!!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Mo2 Westown Hotel at Smallville Iloilo

Iloilo is known as one of the country's gate cities and tourist destinations and being one of the most traveled parts of the Philippines, Iloilo offers its best hotels where travelers and guests can stay while enjoying the province's beautiful culture and sceneries.
One of the most accessible hotels in the city is the Mo2 Westown Hotel that is located in near Smallville in Pison Street, Iloilo's premier entertainment and dining centre. It has been acclaimed as one of the best and affordable hotels in the city of Iloilo.
What makes it a good place to stay is that it is strategically located in the part of the city that is not far from malls, tourist destinations and entertainment centers and thus guests will find it easy to travel the city without going too far. The hotel is also located near famous ilonggo restaurants like Krua Thai, Freska, Afriques and cofee shops like Cofee Break and Bluejay. Guests who are into nightlife will simply enjoy nearby clubs and bars where people gather to have fun and socialize.
For reservations and more information please contact
Phone No: (033) 5095678 /3202225 / 508-1234 Fax: 320-2225 Mobile: (63)928-502-9585 or email atE-mail: mo2westown_ilo@yahoo.com

Friday, July 24, 2009

El Dorado Waterpark: Iloilo City's Premier Pool Resort

Smallville is known as Iloilo City's most popular dining and entertainment center where people gather to enjoy great food, parties or simply have sometime together with friends. However, tourists and locals can now have fun with the newest feature of Smallville that is the 'El Dorado Waterpark'.
The waterpark which is part of the Mo2 Complex is adjacent to Westown Hotel and is the most accessible inland resort in the entire city of Iloilo. It is located in the smallville area behind Mo2 ice and beside mo2 Westown hotel. It is perhaps one of the most visited waterparks in Iloilo City and a good place for events and daytime parties.
El Dorado is an ancient South American legend about a lost city of gold and thus this inspired the unique theme of the resort which is Pre-Spanish America or Mayan. The resort is known for its lovely pool with features like that of Mayan temples and its fine poolside rooms available for those who would like to spend a night or two at the waterpark.
The entrance fee is 100 pesos but guests and tourists can bring in their very own food. For more inquiries you may contact mo2 Iloilo at (033) 5095678 /3202225 / 508-1234; (63)928-502-9585 or email at mo2westown_ilo@yahoo.com.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Calle Santo Rosario: Iloilo's Heritage Street

Welcome to Santo Rosario street, one of the oldest and most historical avenues in city of Iloilo. Calle Santo Rosario is known for a number of Spanish Era houses that would welcome tourists whenever they would pass by or visit the coastal part of the city. Evident in their architectural forms, these houses typically shows what Iloilo streets looked long before war and modernization changed the humble city.
The street appears to be like a simpler and smaller version of Vigan's Calle Crisologo that is the most well preserved Spanish-Filipino village in all of the Philippines. Another feature that would delight tourists is that Calle Santo Rosario is located very near Plaza Libertad and San Jose Church which are perhaps the most popular tourist attractions in the downtown city. The street also leads to the ruins of Casino Espanol de Iloilo, one of the earliest social centers for Spanish Filipinos in the country.
What makes Calle Santo Rosario special is that, perhaps in the entire province, it has the most intact collection of heritage buildings dating from the Spanish rule to the American colonial period. It adds up as one of downtown Iloilo's historical points like Hughes Street and the famous Calle Real that is definitely touristy in their very own ways.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

The Tree of Bondage: A Monument of Pain

The historic province of Iloilo is known as the last Spanish territory in the Philippines and has been also considered as one if the most heavily hispanized regions in the country, like Manila and Cebu. The province boasts its majestic Spanish heritage like many of its centuries old colonial churches and mansions and so as its numerous traditions that has been preserved and still practiced for many generations.
In the Spanish regime, when the Hispanic government initiated the construction of roads, bridges, churches and other public buildings, a system called 'Polo Y Servicios' arose which stands for 'forced labor' and was practiced in almost every part of Spanish territory in the country. In the town of Cabatuan lies one of the few monuments of 'Polo Y Servicios' in the country. This monument is a centuries old calachuchi tree known to locals as the 'tree of Bondage'. The living monument was believed to have been where Indios (Native Filipinos) were tied and whipped as a punishment. This form of punishment was used during the construction of the great red brick Church and the town's public square in the early 1800's.
The tree of Bondage is indeed a unique monument, a tourist attraction that does not only represent a town but rather, a part of the great Filipino History that was untold for years.