Showing posts with label architecture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label architecture. Show all posts

Iloilo City Tour

9:39 PM
After the amazing Gigantes Islands adventure, we went back to the Iloilo and had one day to explore the city. Joed and Den-den, my high school classmates who works now in Iloilo, were so kind to take a leave at work and guided us around the city. It was 10 years since i've been to Iloilo and now it's more developed and beautiful.

We went to famous tourist spots like churches and old buildings and tasted local food like the famous La Paz Batchoy. We went around by commuting and a lot of walking but it's all worth it! Here's how our day tour in Iloilo went:


Starting our morning tour at the Esplanade, a river side walkable area where people exercise and just relax.


The Iloilo riverbank was once crowded with informal settlers. With the efforts of the local government, they rehabilitated the river and developed the esplanade.


Datu Paiburong statue at the Esplanade. According to stories, he was one of the 10 datus from Borneo who fled the tyranny of Sultan Makatunaw and found refuge in the island of Panay in ancient Philippines.

It is said that in the year 1212 AD, the datus along with their families landed at barangay Siwaragan in San Joaquin, Iloilo. There, they met the Atis or Panay aborigines and bartered golden necklaces and salakot (headgear) filled with gold in exchange for land.




We had breakfast at the oldest coffee shop in Iloilo, Madge Cafe, known for its homebrewed coffee.




At the Jaro Church. The image is of La Virgen de Candelaria which is said to be a growing image, according to the seamstresses who dress up the image.




The Jaro Belfry across the street.


Inside the Jaro Cathedral. This church is said to be a masculine church. All saints that are displayed on the pillars are men only.


The all-male cast adorned at the pillars of the Jaro Cathedral




Up close the Jaro Belfry






Casa Mariquit




The Lizares Mansion




Left to right: Me, Joed, Den-den, Ms. Rory (tour guide), Jotie




Time for the famous La Paz Batchoy! We




Up Next: Museo Iloilo






The Provincial capitol central dome








Masonic floor tiles


Fountain at the courtyard at the Provincial Capitol

The old fountain in front of the old provincial capitol.



View of the river from the roofdeck of the City Hall




The old Provincial capitol now serves as a convention center and function hall for art exhibits or other events.







In just one day we have visited the must-see places in Iloilo, special thanks to our local guides and best friends, Joed and Deet! I've been in Iloilo before but this tour made me realize how beautiful and how much of the city could still be explored. It's full of history, colorful culture, and wonderful people, and I don't even wonder why my friends chose this city as their new home. Iloilo is a liveable, innovative, and advanced city yet it maintained its classic charm. Can't wait to go back in the City of Love!
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Bacolod Day 2: Silay City and The Ruins

4:21 PM
October 17, 2016 - After the refreshing nature adventure in Mambukal, our next adventure is in the old city of Silay. Silay is often referred to as the "Paris of Negros" due to its artists, cultural shows and large collection of perfectly preserved heritage houses. More than thirty of these houses have been declared by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines as part of the Silay National Historical Landmark. In 2015, the city celebrated its 58th charter anniversary.


Just arrived at the old town of Silay. Walked around and saw so many heritage houses and mansions like this. This is the Dr. Jose Corteza Locsin Ancestral House


The Cesar Lacson Locsin Ancestral House turned into a bakery/restaurant, El Ideal


This mansion that looks like a location for a pinoy horror movie.


The Negros Revolution, now commemorated and popularly known as Al Cinco de Noviembre or Negros Day, was a political movement that in 1898 created a government in Negros Island in the Philippines, informally ending Spanish control of the island and resulting in a government run by the Negrense natives, at least for that part of the archipelago and for a relatively short period. The newly established Negros Republic lasted for approximately three months. American forces landed on the island unopposed on February 2, 1899, ending the island's independence.


Balay Negrense, the mansion of the son of the first Negrense sugar baron, Yves Leopold Germain Gaston and the Hofileña Ancestral House built by Manuel Severino Hofileña for his wife, former Miss Silay Gilda Ledesma Hojilla.


Also known as Victor Fernando Gaston Ancestral House, it showcased the lifestyle of a late 19th-century Negrense sugar baron. It is notable for being the first museum to be established in the province of Negros Occidental.


House of Rene and Jessica Velez Dimacali. Looks like an American period mansion.


I love the Baroque-style ornaments of this building's facade.


Lino Lope Severino Ancestral House

"Purchased by the Silay Branch of Republic Commercial Banking Corporation in 1992, the house was restored and was ready for occupancy by 1993. The house is an excellent example of architectural reuse. The lower floor of the house which was rented out to shops has been renovated to house a bank. The bank’s interior, though new, is done in a style consonant to the general design of the house.

Heritage Features: The residence is planned as a town house which combines living space on the upper floor with commercial spaces on the lower floor. Art Deco elements, especially in the archways, and the corner entrance and Classical motifs;masques and caryatid and lion heads decorate the house. "-Heritage Conservation


Pop art painted fence and gate of one of the houses. Cool!



The San Diego Pro-cathedral is named in honor of Didacus of Alcalá, the Franciscan saint more commonly known in the Philippines as San Diego de Alcalá.

After this, we rode a jeepney going to Talisay City to visit the Ruins. From the highway, We hired a tricycle to bring us to the place which is 3kms away.


Snapshots from the tricylce: harmony of the old and new..rural and urban.

You know you are in Bacolod if you see these plants along the road for miles. These are sugar canes, which made Negros the Sugar Capital of the Philippines.

And we're here at the Ruins! Welcome!


And there it is, "The Taj Mahal of Negros!"



At the Mansion's lobby. Don Mariano built the mansion in honor of his beloved wife. Proof of his unwavering love for Maria, he had their initials molded on every post of the mansion. The 2 Ms, facing each other, stands for Mariano and Maria.


Epic jump shot!


"The 4-tiered fountain in front of the mansion makes the landscape a perfect replica of ancient homes with spacious gardens. Sights like these bring a feeling of bliss, gratitude, and yes, that fleeting feeling everyone seems to be chasing: peace."-Rappler


The A-grade concrete and oversized twisted bars used in its construction had contributed much to the strength of the skeletal frame of the structure.


"The finishing touches on the walls and posts were a mixture of pure concrete with egg whites, resulting in a marble-like finish which can be seen and felt even to this day."-Rappler

Beauty among the ruins.

Beautifully intricate lobby adorned with bougainvillea

"The structure of The Ruins is of Italianate architecture with neo-Romanesque columns, having a very close semblance to the facade of Carnegie Hall in New York City."-Experience Negros

The checkered red and white tiles of the floor were imported from Europe!


Mr. Roger Lucero, the famous tour guide who became viral in social media after a tourist posted a video of him doing his comedic spiels. Because of this, he also became a housemate in the reality TV show, Pinoy Big Brother.


"The tiles in the mansion were brought in from Spain. Arrays of varies designs of tiles used throughout the mansion have been grouped together at the foyer of the back entrance of the mansion. It is believed that the excess tiles were used in this area which was masterfully laid out."-Experience Negros


Mariano and Maria's portrait and family pictures at the former sala or living room of the house.




A little gallery of news clippings and photos about the Ruins and Roger, its famous tour guide.


With Kuya Roger


I love the contrast of the blue sky with the yellow ambient light of the mansion.


My favorite shot. Exquisite! Isn't it?


Today, The Ruins – as the mansion is now called – has gained the reputation of being one of the top tourist destinations of Negros Occidental.

The ruins illuminated at dusk. Taken with a GoPro

This place is truly beautiful with a rustic charm. For our next stop, we will visit Bacolod's famous theme park, Campuestohan.
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