Houses of History in the City

Casa Real, photo courtesy of Museo Iloilo

ILOILO is associated with legacies of Spanish colonial era. Most noticeable lies in its architecture where images of the city in the eighteenth century show manorial old houses, in their ornate facades combined with Classical western influences and folk art motifs. Relics and mementos of the past abound. Mute yet eloquent, reminding everyone of Iloilo’s colorful past bequeathed to the present. Wonderfully atmospheric old architecture blends harmoniously with its cosmopolitan landscape.

photo by Bernard Arellano III

Jaro is one of the six districts of Iloilo City. Considered as one of the oldest towns in the country, it was once a thriving river-port long before the Spain colonized Panay and used to be the richest area in Iloilo during the Spanish colonial period. It was also the center of religious and economic power in the Visayas at that time. It is noted for its many nineteenth-century architecture homes of affluent mestizo families.

photo by Bernard Arellano III

The Sanson y Montinola Antillan situated along E. Lopez Street in Jaro district, is one of the very few left intact in the country. Owned by Don Gregorio Montinola y Lozada and Doña Matilde Jalandoni y Habana, It was built at around the turn of the 20th century. The house is rich in variety of textures, colors, materials and pattern. Its lower portion is made of bricks that served as a vestibular area for the main entrance. The upper floor is for the living room. The house sits on a sprawling property that extends up to the other side of the main street. At present, the house is owned and managed by Gregorio Sanson and his wife, Marilou Tirol.

photo by Bernard Arellano III

The Ledesma Mansion was constructed sometime in 1925. Originally owned by Don Joaquin and Doña Pilar Ledesma, the main entrance is made up of Greek columns with colored windows on both sides with a veranda, giving a full view of Jaro plaza. Its rooftop has a big space where family gatherings were usually held. The house was used as a hospital during the Filipino-American War. It was said that the late presidents Ramon Magsaysay and Ferdinand Marcos visited the house.

photo by Bernard Arellano III

The Nelly’s Garden is a much-desired wedding venue due to its elegant facade and garden surroundings. It is a two-hectare property named after the most favored daughter of Don Vicente Lopez y Villanueva and Doña Elena Hofileña y Javelona. The main attraction is its Beaux Art mansion that was designed and built in 1928 by Don Vicente and Engineer Mariano Salas.

Along Sta. Isabel St. in Jaro is a 200–year old house popularly known as Casa Mariquit, home where Mariquit Javellana Lopez grew up before she eloped with Fernando Lopez at a tender age of 16. The house was built by Ramon Javellana, Mariquit’s father, a famous banker. It was later on restored by their grandson, Robert Lopez Puckett. The house is significant for its architectural details, cultural influence and its heirloom furnishings.

The Lopez Boat House in the district of Lapaz, Iloilo City is a stately villa mansion is the ancestral home of former Vice-President Fernando Lopez. Known for its nautical Art Modern style, it was built in 1935 by Architect Fernando Ocampo in collaboration with a Japanese engineer. It features round, porthole-style windows and an expansive upper story deck like that of a ship.

The district of Arevalo in Iloilo City was formerly called La Villa Rica de Arevalo. It became the official residence of the alcalde mayor of Panay and… Negros in The Camina Balay nga Bato or the Avanceña House at Osmeña Street, Arevalo, Iloilo City originally owned by on Fernando Avanceña was built in the 1860s. This two-storey house made of wood and stone has originally 16 rooms. During the revolt of the Ilonggo revolutionaries against the Spanish and American governments, it served as its general headquarters. Presently, it serves as the residence of the Camiña family and its ground floor houses the Mother Theresa North Learning Center.

The Sinamay House along J.V. Jocson Street in Arevalo was established sometime in the late 19th century. Presently owned by Mrs. Cecile Gison-Villanueva, it is one of the few places in the city where one can buy hand-woven textiles such as the sinamay--- a light cloth made of jusi fibers, and hablon, a fabric made of cotton and rayon.

Iloilo Paraw Regatta: A Tribute to Filipino Sailing Ambassadors

The Philippines has emerged as the foremost producer of skilled, experienced and well-trained seafarers in the international shipping arena many, many years ago. At the international maritime industry, everyone knows that Filipino seafarers possess the best traits and attitude and has serviced as the country’s “sailing ambassadors” in the world’s oceans and seas accounting for almost 30% of the global seaborne manpower. This makes them a vital component of the Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) economy.

Our country has a proud and great seafaring history stretching to over thousands of years ago. It had long been a seafaring nation. Early Filipino inhabitants came from across the seas in frail boats. For centuries, seafaring natives living along the coastal areas of the country have sailed across the unexplored waters of the surrounding seas. The Filipino seafarers engaged in a very active trade and made regular journeys to neighboring countries in Southeast Asia and the Far East.

The significance of the seafaring culture in the Philippines was demonstrated by the wealth of naval-related vocabularies found in the 17th century Spanish dictionaries of Philippine languages.

When the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines, they found the early ships of the Filipinos to be of excellent quality. This is mainly due to the abundance of thick forests in the area that is teeming with first class hardwoods matched with the artistry and skill of the natives, specifically of the people from the Visayas that were known for their native sailing techniques. From the book “Swish of the Kris” by Victor Hurley, an account from Spanish friar Padre Crevas mentioned that the Southern Filipino ships were faster and swifter than the European ships of that period and they enjoyed the supremacy of the seas.

The paraw is attributed to the Visayan region. It is made up of a bangka (canoe without outriggers); a katig (outriggers); and a layag (sail). It was said that when the Borneans sailed to the country and landed at the mouth of the Siwaragan River in historic San Joaquin in 1212 AD., they used big sailboats that resembled like paraws. It was used for cargo, raiding purposes and significant in spreading settlements of people around the Philippines and neighboring regions in the Malay Archipelago.

Through centuries, paraws became a fundamental part of the maritime life of the Ilonggos. These paraws are used for livelihood in most coastal communities and transportation to nearby destinations in the island of Panay.

As a fitting tribute of its historic significance, an annual boat race of colorful paraws in the straits between Iloilo City and the island of Guimaras is organized. The Iloilo Paraw Regatta Festival, known to be the oldest sailing event in Southeast Asia and the largest sailing event in the country.

The Iloilo Paraw Regatta Festival on the beachfront of Villa, Iloilo City is a metro favorite for the entire family. The event is much more than racing, appealing to so many with a festival atmosphere of food, live entertainment, art show, children's activities and more.

The Iloilo Paraw Regatta Festival will run from the 13th till the 20th of February 2011. The much-anticipated boat race is scheduled on February 20 with the Registration of participants and Measurement of paraws at the Villa Beach shoreline at 6 a.m.; judging of the Pinta Layag competition is at 6 a.m., Villa Beach shoreline; 1st Iloilo Paraw Regatta Airsoft competition finals at Punta Villa Resort, 7 a.m.; Pintawo, a body painting competition is at 7 a.m., Breakthrough Restaurant; Opening Program and declaration of the Race is at 7 a.m. at the main festival stage in Tatoy’s Manokan; Sinamba sa Paraw Regatta Mardi-Gras finals is at 8 a.m. the main festival stage in Tatoy’s Manokan; Mini-Paraw Beach Race at 8 a.m., Tatoy’s beach shoreline; National Invitational Women’s Beach Volleyball, 8 a.m. at the Villa Regatta beach front; Rapid Chess Tournament at 8 a.m. in Breakthrough Restaurant; Iloilo Beach Ultimate Finals at 10 a.m. in Villa Regatta beach front; arrival of the Deep-Sea Fishing competition, 12 noon at the main festival stage in Tatoy’s Manokan; Awarding ceremony at the main stage in Tatoy’s Manokan at 3 p.m. and, GMA Network Beach Party with live band and Manila artists from 5 p.m. till midnight at the main stage of Tatoy’s Manokan.

This event for the last 39 years is a celebration that entertains and educates everyone, and encourages a greater understanding of the impact our seafarers play in our country’s history. It is through this unmatched and globally-recognized celebration that our country be worthy of the recognition as the leading producer of seafaring ambassadors.

A Glimpse of Chinese History in the Philippines and the Celebration of New Year

History tells us that long before the Spanish arrived in the Philippines, Filipinos have already established trade relations with the Chinese as evidenced by a collection of invaluable Chinese artifacts found in the Philippines dating back as early as the 10th century.

Chinese inhabited permanently in the Philippines after the Spanish conquest. In the early development of the Spanish colony, their trade and labor were of great importance, and because of that they became economically successful branching out into leasing land, lending money and later landholding. Spanish authorities encouraged the Chinese male immigrants to convert to Catholicism. They were then converted, baptized and their names were Hispanized, allowing them to marry the locals. They organize themselves as Principalia and were given certain privileges by Spanish authorities.

The term Mestizos de Sangley or Chinese mestizos referred to those children born from the union between a Chinese and a Filipino. Tornatrás referred to those born from the union of Spanish and Chinese. As decades passed, the situation between the Chinese and the Filipinos improved.

The way of living among the Chinese was quite dissimilar from the patterns displayed among the masses of Filipinos and Spanish surrounding them. And one of their most remarkable qualities is their geographic stability that has remained in the same neighborhood with the same rich culture. Binondo and Sta.Cruz in Manila have traditionally been the place where many Chinese Filipinos lived, worked, shopped, and socialized. In 1839 the government issued a decree granting them freedom of occupation and residence.

In the early nineteenth century, the Chinese comprised about 5 percent or 2.5 million of the total population of the Philippines. They concentrated in the more developed provinces of the country, particularly in the areas of Central Luzon and in Manila and its neighboring provinces. Although much less significant number inhabited in places such as Cebu and Iloilo, and on Mindanao

The centers of inter-island trading, besides Manila, were Cebu, and the settlements of Molo and Jaro in Iloilo. These areas have the largest bodies of mestizos. The mestizos of Cebu, Molo, and Jaro carried on an important trade, collecting raw materials in the Visayas and transporting them to Manila where they sold them to Chinese or European merchants for export overseas. The textile industry in Molo and Jaro were dominated by Chinese-Filipino merchants. In the later part of the century, the mestizos de sangley wore embroidered barong tagalog while indios wore multicolored camisa de chino.

In the early 18th century where Molo's population was of 16,000 and 1,000 were mestizos, but it was they who controlled trade and owned the carriages in Molo. European goods were brought from Manila to the port of Iloilo by mestizo and Chinese traders, and subsequently distributed at Molo, Jaro, and other large towns. The goods appear on weekly fair or market of Jaro, and are subsequently offered to be sold in Molo, Mandurriao, Oton, or Arevalo. They are carried to and

from the different towns in cumbrous or solid-wheeled vehicles, drawn by buffaloes and oxen.

The mestizos of Molo and Jaro who traded with Manila owned their own ships and had much invested in the trade. Another enterprise in which the Molo and Jaro mestizos were engaged was the manufacture of pina cloth, a popular export item. Weaving was a home industry, and in houses of the mestizos and rich indios are dozens of looms used to make the prized fabric.

In downtown Iloilo, the streets of Iznart and J.M. Basa or popularly known as Calle Real was once tagged as the “Escolta” of Iloilo. It is lined by businesses owned mostly by Filipino-Chinese traders. The area is the site of most European, Chinese and American retail stores. Presently, it boasts of buildings that date back during the Spanish and American colonial periods.

Tsinoy

At present, a Filipino-Chinese is popularly known as Tsinoy--- a Filipino of Chinese ethnicity but born or raised in the Philippines. Tsinoy is derived from two words, Tsino or Chinese and Pinoy, a slang referring to a Filipino.

Tsinoys in the Philippines preferred to retain as much of their culture as possible.

All over the Philippines, particularly in areas with Chinese districts, the celebration of Chinese New Year are also held and has been an annual event for many years. Generally, these include many of the traditional rituals and some local traditions are also included in the festivities.

History of Chinese New Year

The celebration of the Chinese New Year started thousands of years ago. It began as a legend handed down from generation to generation.

Most popular is the legend of Nian---an awful, fierce beast that has a lion-type head and an elephant-type body that lived beneath the sea or deep in the mountains. The beast would come out every New Year’s Eve to find the food in the cold winter time, because many animals hibernated in the mountains, the beast has to go down from the mountain to find the livestock. Later, Nian become a man-eater and eats enough people to carry on itself until the following year. The villagers knew Nian was afraid of loud noises, fire, and the color red. And to keep them from being eaten by the beast, they all dress-up in red, stay up all night clanging their metal objects, lighting torches and firecrackers to keep Nian at bay.

The entire village survived and celebrated. They felt like a restarting point after passing the disaster. Then, they called Guo-Nian or passing Nian as the day before the new starting day.

Celebrating Chinese New Year

The celebration of Chinese New Year is perhaps the most sophisticated, lively, and important of all traditional Chinese festivities. Celebrated on the first day of the First Moon of the lunar calendar, Chinese New Year falls on a date in the solar calendar and varies as early as the 21st of January till the 19th of February.

The festivity is a time of congratulating themselves and each other for making it through the year and welcoming the new year. It is also a time for family reunions, and for visiting friends and relatives. It emphasizes the importance of family ties where the celebration is strictly a family affair. All members of the family would gather for the significant family meal on the eve of the new year. At midnight following the feast, the younger members of the family would bow and pay their respects to their parents and elders. Children were given red envelopes known as Lai-See where money is wrapped as a sign of good luck.

On its second day, Chinese go out to visit their friends and relatives and give gifts and be greeted with traditional Chinese New year delicacies like melon seeds, flowers and fruits such as tangerines, oranges and pomelos that are frequently displayed in their homes and stores. They are symbols of good luck and wealth. Most Chinese families also keep a tray full of dried fruits, sweets, and candies to welcome guests and relatives. This tray is called Chuen-hop or Tray of Togetherness, traditionally made up of eight compartments where each is filled with special food items of significance to the New Year season. They also prepare New Year cakes known as Niangao.

Most Chinese stores are closed for the entire first week of the New year is a time for meeting people and enjoyment. Lion dances, acrobats and theatrical shows are performed on the streets along with other pastimes. They also enjoy lighting firecrackers almost every day of the week in their belief that it drives away evil spirits that brings bad luck to the family. On its seventh day of the celebration, everyone is considered a year older. Traditionally, every Chinese add a year to his age at New Year rather than during his birthday.

The celebration ends on the 15th day with a festival of lanterns. On the evening of that day, people carry lanterns into the streets and take part in a great parade. It is highlighted with a dragon dance.

Calinog Celebrates their Cultural Origins through HIRINUGYAW-SUGUIDANONAY Festival

The municipality of Calinog will be celebrating its annual Hirinugyaw-Suguidanonay Festival on January 28 to February 6, 2011. Visitors will witness the town’s cultural celebration through literature, dance and arts. The celebration aims at giving today’s generation an overview of their heritage dating back to pre-Hispanic times.

Hirinugyaw is coined from a Hiligaynon word hugyaw or cheer, joy or triumph. The festival was inspired by Iloilo City’s Dinagyang, a festivity showing the people’s devotion to the Sto. Niño or Child Jesus and where they make effort to perform colorful cultural dances and other festive commemorative rites in His honor. A fascinating feature of the celebration is the Suiguidanon.

Suguidanon is an oral tradition of the Suludnon of Panay---an ethnic group that lives in the interiors of Panay, specifically in the mountains of Capiz and some part of Calinog. The name was coined from a local dialect, sulod or interior, and later evolved into the word Suludnon. In the subsequent Spanish conquest and colonization of our land, the Sulodnons were one of those principal pagan or traditionalist groups that refused to submit to Spanish authority.

Just like any other ethnic groups, the Suludnon of Panay have an ancient and rich ethnic cultural background; they have chanting, playing on musical instruments. Music and graceful dancing to intricate rhythms occur in their festivities of social celebrations, and reciting the adventures of the folk hero Humadapnon. They managed to keep their own arts and literature. The most popular is the folk epic poem Hinilawod performed through a chant. It is orally transmitted by a Sulodnon from one generation to another and is still very much a part of their culture. It is performed on considerable gathering or during the festival. The Sulodnons memorize the song which they knew by heart and were learnt in their childhood. They say, it would take about three days to perform the Sulod Hinilawod of Panay epic in its original form, thus, making it as one of the longest epics in the world.

Hinilawod means tales from the mouth of the Halawod River. Known to be the oldest and longest epic of Western Visayas, it has 8,340 verses divided into four episodes, namely: Pangayaw, Tarangban, Bihag, and Pagbawi, and deals with the adventures of our local mythical heroes Labaw Donggon, Humadapnon and Dumalapdap. The epic is of profound significance not just as a piece of literature but it furnishes us of history, sociology, psychology, religion, and so forth of the ancient Sulodnon of Panay.

To know the Sulodnons of Panay is to figuratively take a trip centuries back, through the time tunnel of history, and see to how well they have preserved for us, this present generation, a great source of cultural traditions that might otherwise have vanished forever. Hirinugyaw-Suguidanonay Festival made possible the preservation of the Sulod culture with practices providentially still untouched.

The Sulod customs and traditions is the highlight of the annual tribe competition of the festivity that showcases dancers moving to the rhythm of chanting vocals from the epic. Marked by mimicry and symbolism this non-religious dance, more freedom is allowed where fascinating movements are achievable.

Hirinugyaw Suguidanonay Festival of Calinog will open on January 28 in the afternoon with a Mass, Torch Procession and Lighted Sto. Niño Contests and the Presentation of Lin-ay Kag Ulitao Kang Hirinugyaw- Suguidanonay 2011; January 29 with a Cultural Presentation from the Liga ng mga Barangay and SK; January 30 with a Cultural Presentation from Mary Immaculate Academy; January 31 with Talent’s Night of Lin-ay kag Ulitao and Linghuron nga Lin-ay kag Ulitao kang Hirinugyaw-Suguidanonay 2011; February 1 with a Cultural Presentation from District I and District II; February 2 with a Cultural Presentation from the West Visayas State University Calinog Campus; February 3 is for the Coronation Night of Linghuron nga Lin-ay kag Ulitao kang Hirinugyaw-Suguidanomay Festival 2011; February 4 is set for the Coronation Night of Lin-ay kag Ulitao Kang Hirinugyaw-Suguidanonay Festival 2011; February 5 is for the Cultural Presentation of Calinog Stall Owners and Vendors Association in cooperation with OFW Incorporated and February 6 highlights with festival Tribe Competition at 8 in the morning.

Calinog’s culture is very interesting because they have adhered to their traditions and beliefs. Their traditions, rituals, dances are all retained in near- untouched form and offers precious evidence with today’s exploration for the genuine roots of pre-historic Iloilo.

Living in Harmony with Nature at LSDC in San Joaquin

The natural beauty of San Joaquin continues to be one of its greatest assets. With an extensive town of almost 23,135 hectares, the town is located wholly along the coastal area south of the province of Iloilo. Its lengthy coastline confers the town's potential of a maritime power. Most of the town's beautiful beach locations are sure targets for investors. The town offers a wide variety of tourist attractions such as extended and roomy beaches ideal for swimming and fishing and other water sports that highlights its unique marine life particularly conducive to holidaying.

A 53-kilometer bus or jeepney ride from the city and you will be transported from one of its most interesting attractions. Set in an area surrounded by coconut trees, visitors will find a friendly relaxed atmosphere. Lhetz Snorkel and Dive Camp (LSDC) in Barangay Cata-an promises a pleasant outing with safe swimming conditions where one gets an awning on the beach for relaxed, casual comfort. The area is ideal for swimming, scuba diving and snorkeling. The cove has a beautiful marine garden which interests dive enthusiasts.

Nowhere else do you have such an ease of access to miles of pristine waters with diverse life and highlights. Other areas in Iloilo, one can collect good dive sites together over large areas however on a long and arduous boat journeys in between and might not even get close to what this resort offers out there.

This resort is within the boundaries of a reserve for terrestrial wildlife. Its coastline has been turned into a sustainable protected marine park. LSDC and its surrounding communities have "bought in" to the conservation plan and as a result, illegal fishing, reef walking and other activities detrimental to the coral reef have been halted.

Officially opened in the year 2000, the resort is set on a 7,000 square metered developed area owned and managed by Mr. and Mrs. Abdon and Reine Andrea Santocildes. The resort has been an excellent choice for those who prefer to enjoy peace and quiet time with family and friends. It has nine (9) very affordable rooms where guests can enjoy spectacular sea views from your their cottages. It has air-conditioned single and duplex rooms and fan rooms. These comfortable cottages are located amidst beautiful coconut trees. Guests can come for the day for P30.00 as entrance fee and P50.00 for those staying overnight. Guests can also pitch a tent for P150.00.

The receiving area has an ocean view where guests can hear the gentle waves and listen to the birds while seated on the balcony in one of the lounge benches. Its dining hall can accommodate 50 persons, a perfect venue for intimate wedding receptions. It also offers food service to go with your event. Local dishes such as kadios and tambo are popular to guests.

The wealth and diversity of San Joaquin’s tourism resources hope to provide investment opportunities for the province through the development of picnic and camping sites at strategic locations within trail circuits; building of tourist lodges; beach tourism potentials; establishment of boating and sports fishing facilities; educational facilities for water sports; and establishment of holiday resorts along the coasts.

The town has something for everyone. Those who wish to experience Iloilo at a slower pace would do well to visit San Joaquin that offers opportunities to relax and enjoy the sun and scenery, where there is always something new and exciting taking place.

To get there, one can take a tricylcle from the town market to Barangay Cata-an. For those who wish to avail of its scuba instruction and services, please contact Mr. Abdon Santocildes at 09186033946/ 09167656146 or 09164938633 or Mrs. Erlyn Alunan, Municipal Tourism Officer at 09179857804.

Short Summer Escapes in Iloilo

Nature in Iloilo is spectacular with breathtaking sceneries of evergreen vegetation, jungles with impressive waterfalls, rare wildlife, mangrove forests, hot springs and an array of islands and islets with sandy beaches. With adventures that include kayaking, mountain biking, horseback riding, inter-island tours, and cave exploration, Iloilo peaks in the summer with a variety of experiences available for a unique and exciting Eco-adventure.

the cabin type rooms of Casa Fiammeta in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo , photo by Pearl Arroyo

If you have always wanted to have a ‘real west’ adventure and maybe even ride a horse then Casa Fiammeta is just for you. This is a guest ranch located in Barangay Tabucan, Barotac Nuevo (a 28-kilometer or 40-minuter drive north of IIoilo). This five-hectare ranch has riding, camping and kayaking activities. It also has horse and bike trails and a 60-meter swimming pool. It has a riding school that offers lessons on English Equitation with modules from basic, intermediate and advance courses. It also has a covered riding rink situated just opposite its campsite. And of course their horses and staff are capable of working with all riding levels. Great care has been give to make the ranch accessible without being obtrusive so everyone will feel welcome. Accommodations include six air-conditioned log cabins with bath suitable for singles and couples and family. Commanding views, excellent food are but a few of the reasons to visit Casa Fiammetta.

photo by Ramon Ramirez

Exploring caves is a timeless outdoor activity that can provide a unique and alternative path to learning about nature. With a number of locations to enjoy across Iloilo, caves, especially in the central part of the province are in no short supply; the adventure of spelunking is a great pursuit. Cave explorations involve crawling through passages, walking and crawling through maze-like tunnels, all while discovering geological formations such as crystals and walls. The 854-hectare protected area of Bulabog Puti-an National Park in Barangay Moroboro in Dingle is gaining popularity especially among the students as one destination for their field study. Known as one of the very few remaining forest in Iloilo, Bulabog Puti-an showcases many attractions like caves, springs, and old growth forest trees. The caves are its main asset. One of its caves, Lungib, was even used during the Spanish occupational period of the Philippines as a hideout for the revolutionary forces in Iloilo. There are 33 known and named caves here lined with limestone edges, and a many of more to explore. To get to there from Iloilo City, a Dingle jeepney in Tagbak Terminal in Jaro is readily available. Upon reaching the town proper, hire a tricycle going to the park. There is a very minimal entrance fee and professional local tour guides are readily available inside the park.

Every island especially in the northern area of Iloilo is different. Each has its own character made up of beaches, mountains and mangrove forests. Some, even uninhabited, others are shelter for small fishing villages and their local inhabitants. With small pockets of mangrove and little beaches which nestle in the many coves, tiny seaside villages, secluded swimming beaches and areas of wilderness are tucked away all over Ajuy. This is a beautiful destination for a weekend drive - especially in the bright sunlight of summer. If you fancy staying longer, there are plenty of things to do. Activities include sailing, fishing and scuba diving and trekking. You can beach-hop your way down the Island of Binongan-an, home of Marbuena Island Resort. It is situated seven kilometers from the poblacion of Ajuy, a two-hour bus ride north from the city of Iloilo. It boasts of white sand surrounding the island; home to birds and fruit bats; and perfect for scuba diving and snorkeling. Marbuena Beach Resort is located at Barangay Pantalan Nabaye. To get there take a pump boat to Marbuena at Barangay Mangorocoro in Ajuy.

photo by Ramon Ramirez

Located at the center of Panay is the municipality of Lambunao, an hour jeepney ride from Iloilo City. It is known for its many waterfalls and cascades. Some of the most popular is the Maasin Falls with an elevation of 30 feet and drops 2,000 gallons of water every minute to its basin with a depth of 20-30 feet. It is considered as the most famous in the province. Another breathtaking waterfall is Mahangin measuring about 140 feet in height and is 3,360 feet above sea level and because of this it has a cold and windy atmosphere. It is located in Sitio Budian, Cabatangan. Found in the lower cascade of the Mahangin Falls is the Dalhayan Falls with a smaller area for swimming, it is a sanctuary of freshwater crabs and shrimps. An ideal hideaway for swimming and picnics is the Inas Falls located inside the premises of the West Visayas State University College of Agriculture and Forestry in Barangay Jayubo. It measures 15 feet in height and with a swimming area of 320 square meters. Nalisong Falls in Sitio Budian has a small area for swimming. It is located in a rainforest where it is quite dark and the water is very cold. The ambiance is very tranquil and is described by some as seemingly enchanted.

The options vary by districts, and guidelines to carry forward your summer adventure are necessary for the best trip. These escapes are made to quickly unwind you and spellbind you.

For more information, please contact the Provincial Tourism Office at (033) 3384910.

Life in the Wild at the Mari-it Wildlife Conservation Park

Habagat, the famous Dolongan bird at the sanctuary with University of San Agustin junior tourism students for Tumandok 2010-Lambunao group

Eco and adventure tourism have reached an all-time high in popularity. Attendance rates at some known conservation parks have soared in recent years and people have started moving towards these wildlife conservation parks as a tourist destination.

Wildlife conservation is a process where individuals and organizations are involved in analyzing, protecting and preserving various life forms existing in our ecosystem. Scientists have documented that human influence over the last 10,000 years in our ecosystem had been wide-ranging that they have difficulty estimating the total number of species lost in this era.

Many species are at risk of becoming extinct because it is threatened by changing environment caused by overpopulation of humans--- identified as a major threat and with it comes mass agriculture, deforestation, overgrazing, slash and burn, urban development, pesticide use and global warming. By acknowledging these problems that we can find solutions for them, although most solutions require enormous economic aids which may anchor these coherent problems.

There are many wildlife conservation societies and organizations all over the world that work untiringly to save wildlife through conservation education. And one organization that strives to change attitudes towards the protection of wild populations of, including endangered species is the Mari-it Wildlife Conservation Park in Lambunao, Iloilo. Situated inside the College of Agriculture and Forestry of West Visayas State University in Barangay Jayubo, 16.3 kilometers from the town’s poblacion, is this 2.5 hectare conservation park, a captive breeding center for endemic animals in the Island of Panay.

The park is a safe haven where endangered species such as the Panay tariktik hornbill; Visayan warty pig; Banog (hawk); Malayan palm civet; leopard cat; Visayan writhe hornbill; Raquet-tailed parrot; Visayan spotted deer and the Panay bushy-tailed cloud rat are given the opportunity to live in a protected environment that is as close to their natural habitat as possible. The habitat preserved within the park boundaries affords many of these species an oasis of survival and some of the last bastions of intact ecosystems found today.

entrance at the conservation park with University of San Agustin 

junior tourism students for Tumandok 2010- Lambunao group

But these living, breathing monuments to Iloilo's landscape, culture and history need care and support to overcome the many dangers that threaten to destroy them forever. At the Mari-it Wildlife Conservation Park, advocates work every day to ensure our conservation park get that vital care and support. The park is headed by Project Director, Prof. Lucia Lastimoza who works under the notion that all animals in the area, human and non-human, are of equal importance. Her biggest task is to educate the public and work to help change the way humans think of, and treat these endangered animals. Inside the park, she tries not to allow any activity that would place the animals in an unnecessary stressful situation.

The Conservation Park and natural sites of Lambunao embody the Ilonggo spirit. They are windows to our past, homes to some of our rarest animal and plant species, and places where every Ilonggos can go to find inspiration, peace, and open space. All of us have crucial roles in ensuring that these magnificent lands and landmarks are protected in perpetuity

Want an experience to remember? The area also provides a range of activities for all visitors to the parks and its neighboring reserves.

University of San Agustin junior tourism students for Tumandok 2010-Lambunao group

Lambunao's outstanding reserve system inside WVSU-CAF also offer visitors a wide choice of opportunities to discover spectacular landscapes, from cool, silent and rich wilderness park of temperate rainforest to beautiful cascading sceneries of waterfalls. The park encompass a diversity of unspoiled habitats and ecosystems which offer refuge to unique, and often ancient, trees found nowhere else in Iloilo. It offers versatile trekking opportunities. The trail leading to Montillano and Inas waterfalls inside the reserve offers walking experiences for all - from short strolls to challenging wilderness treks covering a diverse array of environments, from ancient rainforests to inspiring walks through Lambunao's most mountainous landscapes.

This is a park for every season, and a park for every person. Discover the natural and cultural values the Mari-it Wildlife Conservation Park protects and the enjoyment it offers.