Cruising to Ilo-Ilo and Bacolod via 2GO Travel (Part02)

Meet the Bloggers! (L-R) Allan, Ross, June, Willa, Anne, Mae, Jirbie, Pong, Eco, Mommy Lariza, Tracy, Rodel, Pax, Tin, Ana and Paul.

After almost 21 hours of travel at the sea, the adventure continues after the ship docks at the pier. Bloggers, Welcome to Ilo-Ilo!

This has been my first time to be in this place, and also my first to be here at the Visayas region.

From the pier, we were picked by a tour bus that will gave us a short tour within Ilo-Ilo City, I know there are a lot to look forward to and all of us are thrilled and excited! Ms. Melanie Ortega, DOT licensed and accredited tour guide, gave us information overload about Ilo-Ilo.

Our lovely tour guide Ms. Melanie

Here are some of the information I’ve learned from the start of the tour.

1. Ilo-Ilo is also called as the City of Love, because of its location being at the heart of the Philippines
2. Port of San Pedro, where the ship docks, is considered as the safest port here in the Philippines
3. First settlers here are the Malays.
4. The word Ilo-Ilo came from the name of the river which is called Iron-Irong River, the Chinese have the difficulty in pronouncing the name of the popular river, hence the word Irong-Irong became Ilo-Ilo.
5. Iloilo City was Spain’s last capital in the Philippines. It was here where they finally surrendered the country to the revolutionaries led by. Gen. Martin Delgado on December 25, 1898 at Plaza Libertad.

My POV inside the van

That was definitely information overload, but wait for there are a lot more to discover later here in my post. After a few minutes, we came to our first stop, and this time, after filling our brains with worthy information, we will then taste feast and enjoy the Ilo-Ilo way of dining.  Let’s have a lunch and taste Ilo-Ilo’s Chiken BBQ!

 

BBQ Park serves barbeque and other delicious Filipino cuisine. The casual dining fast food chain offers as low as Php 49 as value meals. Bloggers who were invited to dine have been very surprised to all the foods that have been served, most especially to the dessert which a bit big to be eaten by just a single person.

Buko Halo (Yum!)

BBQ Park located at Gen. Luna, 5000 Ilo-Ilo, Philippines

After our delicious meal, our next destinations are some of the notable landmarks that could be found in the city. Ilo-Ilo is knowed to be a colony of the Spaniards, as to what I have said a while ago, Ilo-Ilo was Spain’s last capital in the Philippines. Hence Catholicism is really prevalent in the place. In this small city covering a total land area of 70.3 kilometers (27.1 sq mi) and is divided into 180 barangays, can be found seven different old Catholic Churches.

Molo is also known as the Athens of the Philippines

Second stop was at the Molo District, which is the home of many intellectual and political leaders in Iloilo, the place was once a Chinese enclave. Overlooking the plaza is St. Anne’s Church or Molo Church or also known as women’s church, a nineteenth century, gothic renaissance, coral stone structure with twin spires and a domed roof. Located west of the city centre.

 

Did you know that IloIlo is also called as the city of first?? Here are some of the reasons why… Ilo-Ilo have the

1. first and oldest Protestant hospital in the country
2. first American hospital in Asia
3. first Baptist and second American University in the Country and in Asia (Central Philippine University)
4. first Baptist church in the country (Jaro Evangelical Church)
5. first Protestant hospital in the country (Iloilo Mission Hospital)
6. first to offer assistance to the Spanish Crown
7. first royal decree that created a city declaring Iloilo as a city from it’s former townhood status. (Maria Christina, Queen Regent of Spain)
8. first colony to be established by the Spaniards

and so on …

According to Ms. Melanie (tour guide) this house owned by Graciano Lopez Jaena was the most photograph icon in Ilo-Ilo.

I know there are still a lot of first when it comes to Ilo-Ilo but we need to move on to our next destination. And now, foodies will truly enjoy, its time to buy some pasalubong! And Biscocho Haus is one good place to buy it. Original Biscocho Haus (OBH) started since 1975 as  a humble bakeshop at the garage of the late Dr. Carlos Guadarrama and Teresa Jalandoni-Guadarrama. The Iloggo pasalubong house are famous for its butterscotch, banana marbles, galletas, and of course, the name sake of the store, biscocho.  I actually spent around Php 500 for all the pasalubong I have bought from the store.

Next destination was called the Men’s Church, for the reason that this church houses all male Catholic saint images unintentional place inside the church. It is also a unique church having its bell position across the main church.

Iloilo is also the home of the popular La Paz Batchoy. La Paz is one of the seven districts of Iloilo City. According to Ms. Melanie, batchoy started from a butcher in the world war era, where the remains of the pork he sells was recycled and used to make broth and then called it “Bats”. One Chinese settler suggested to put some miki on the broth to make it more fulfilling. Making the word “batchoy” coming from the two word “Bats” and “Choy” which in Chinese means “to mix”.

Deco’s started to serve Batchoy since 1938 in the wet market in La Paz, Ilo-Ilo

Batchoy is a native dish (from Iloilo) cooked with an odd mixture of broth, pork, rind, noodles, fried garlic, pork meat, diced onions, and some flavoring.

After our short dinner, we paid a visit at the IloIlo capitol, wherein bloggers had a chance to share their blessings and help the people who were devastated from the Yolanda Super Typhoon. Some parts of Ilo-Ilo province were also been hit by the typhoon, yet the people of the province stand tall to make it through. The bloggers was very thankful to 2go travel for letting us do our share that even in our small ways we have contributed something in making the people of this area rebuild their future.

Bloggers with the City Councilor

After our short tour over IloIlo city, alot of things are still waiting for us to discover on our next destination. We took a ride via Supercat, which is a small vessel owned as well by 2go travel to take us in a less than 2-hour sea travel going to the “City of Smiles“, Bacolod City.

Crossing the sea via Supercat with an estimated less than 2 hours trip from Ilo-Ilo to Bacolod

Blogger had a chance here to enjoy watching a movie or take a short nap while being cradle by the wavy sea. Upon our arrival in Bacolod, this is what we’ve seen . . .

A mini Mascara festival!! Yey! A wonderful welcome for all the bloggers from the city of Bacolod! Thou we came a bit late, I thought this could be even awesome if we viewed it when the sun is still up! Nevertheless this show makes me more excited to see the true Mascara Festival.

From the pier, we headed to the popular tourist attraction here in Bacolod City called The Ruins. The mansion was built in the early 1900’s by the sugar baron, Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson (1865-1948) And was home to his unmarried children with his first wife, Maria Braga Lacson, a Portuguese from Macau.

The Lacson Mansion also known as the Ruins

The mansion was the largest residential structure ever built at that time and had in it one of the finest furniture, chinaware, and decorative items, as the father of Maria Braga was a captain of a ship that sailed across Europe and Asia.

The Lacson family is one of the richest and well-known families in Negros Occidental up until today

The strong foundation of the Mansion is reason why the remains still stands until today.

The place was so serene and peaceful. Aside from the attraction, the owners also decide to put a cafe, restaurant and souvenir shop at the side to complete the tourism experience.

The mansion was intentionally burned down by the owners …

According to history, workers who built the mansion were instructed to use lime stones and egg whites.

At the Ruins, you will meet Roger the funny tourist guide, he takes care of this place and his funny antics and bisaya accent makes his tour more entertaining, fun and engaging. He tells the history of the journey on how The Ruins were built, and burned and now became a history and tourist destination here in Bacolod City.

Meet Roger, the Ruins Caretaker/Tour Guide

Here’s a video grabbed over youtube, learn and enjoy!

[youlist vid=”iy_8TdfvJWs” width=”560″ height=”315″]

Before heading back to the vessel, last stop for the bloggers is to taste the delicious treats from the popular pastries and coffee shop called Calea. Here we enjoyed chatting and getting to know more of my new found blogger friends while having a sip to the delicious coffee and tasty slice of specialty cake.

Calea Pastries and Coffee

The Bloggers enjoying the cakes and coffee!

Calea Pastries & Cakes is located at 1st Level, Robinsons Place Bacolod, Lacson St, Bacolod City 6100, Philippines

This one looks like the Post Office in Manila

After our memorable short trip from Bacolod City, St Michael The Archangel is now waiting for us for boarding.  The fun never stops because inside the vessel this is what we were not expecting to happen … The midnight beer pong competition!

Willan Pagayon  against the world hahaha!

Part 3 of the article will be all about the people that I have met, the new friends I have earned and the learning’s I have gathered throughout the travel! Plus a tribute video about this exciting vacation! click here

Read the fist part of this trip about our 2GO Travel stay click here .

Until our next discovery in the City! 

またね Mata ne! 

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