The Rural Beauty of Duenas

Duenas, Iloilo attracts people who seek out some kind of a magical and mystical energy believed to inhabit this strangely beautiful town. Though a lot of Ilonggos do not really believe in mysticism, many visitors are swayed by this town’s ethereal landscape. Duenas has a special sort of enthralling beauty.

The beauty of this town is not natural. Many are isolated in its remote barangays. Many who fancy a little outdoor adventure and getting away to the remote locations and enjoying the activities that come with it is much more satisfying.

The present church of St. Jerome Parish is of Baroque – Romanesque architectural style was constructed under the supervision of Father Nicolas Gallo in 1878. Materials used were of stone and bricks. Its interior of Tuscan design with an exterior of Doric design measured 65 meters in length and 16 meters wide. The church was damaged during World War II and in the 1948 earthquake.  The dome and transept were reconstructed in 1982. It was said that first church was made of wood but was destroyed by an earthquake in 1787.

Believed to have been the ancestral house of an American family during World War II, the Miller house in Hacienda Jaguimit  is abandoned and in ruins. It has a crumbling beauty on its own and they inspire dreams of what they might be turned into if these former mansions, once owned by rich businessmen during the early 19th centuries in rural Iloilo. The house had been stripped of nearly every architectural element–from doors to floor tiles to fixtures. Yet, it retains elegance in the middle of a sugarcane field. A few meters across the house is the famous remain of a Muscovado Sugar Mill.

Kalingawan Picnic Area is a pleasant family-friendly inland resort situated in Barangay Punong Grande almost 100-meters away from the National Highway. It has two (2) concrete homey air-conditioned accommodations awaiting its guests with rooms accommodating 3 to 5 persons. Guests can hold small parties and gatherings at the resort's mini pavilion. Other facilities like adult and kiddie pools, picnic hut and mini-store. 

Located in Barangay Cabudian is another family-owned inland resort, Rocky’s Place with its accommodation and amenities surely to bring enjoyment to its visitors. It features outdoor pool for your swimming pleasure, dining facilities, meeting rooms for your corporate/private functions, and free parking area, 24-hour security to assist/guard you within the property.

They offer packaged catering services for special occasions such as weddings, baptismal and parties. Visitors can take a tricycle from the poblacion to the area with a fee of P20.00 per person. Entrance fee is P50.00.

CPU tourism students in Barangay Calang calamansi plantation

Aside from being the Eco-Historical destination of the town, Barangay Calang is known for its calamansi also tagged as the “Golden Lime,” a citrus fruit grown all over the Philippines. It is rich in Vitamin C content that helps boost the body’s immune system as it eliminate the toxins that result to a faster weight loss. The barangay through Real Harvest started in October of 2015 produces fresh juices and concentrate from calamansi handpicked within half a hectare plantation in the area. Drinking calamansi everyday increases the body’s resistance to disease, prevents eye disorder and aids the healing of wounds. It also prevents tooth decay, bleeding of gums and loosening of teeth due to its vitamin C content which helps in maintaining the health of the teeth. Calamansi tarts and jellies are also popular by-products of Real Harvest owned by Miss Rhellen Uyhamco at 09214056866.

Duenas is a 4th class municipality is 46.1 kilometers away from Iloilo City. The town is politically subdivided into 47 barangays sprawling to an area of 9,052 hectares. To get to the town, air-conditioned bus is available daily at the New Ceres Terminal in Barangay Camalig, Jaro, Iloilo City. For more information, Please contact Mrs. Susan Labro Laboriante-Pacheo- Municipal Tourism Officer at 09199943188.

Know more about Duenas, Iloilo on the 12th TUMANDOK, a Tourism Month celebration on September 22-25 at the fountain area of Robinsons Place Iloilo organized by the Provincial Culture, Arts, History and Tourism Office of the Iloilo Provincial Government, the Department of Tourism Region VI, the Iloilo Tourism Officers Association, Inc. and Robinsons Place Iloilo in cooperation with Central Philippine University, Tinukib, Department of Trade and Industry and The Daily Guardian.