The Guimaras/Iloilo Rush

We had only two days left for our island hopping challenge and we have two more places to visit, so we had to rush or our tour would be incomplete! From Bacolod City, Negros Occidental we took a ferry boat to Ortiz Wharf in Iloilo City.  Our next destination was Guimaras Island, but the ferry from Bacolod was bound for Iloilo, there is a direct ferry trip going to Guimaras in Port of Pulupundan in Bago City but unfortunately we didn't catch the earliest trip. We had no choice but to take the ferry going to Iloilo and from there take another ferry to Guimaras Island. Whew! Can you follow?

Well this is the Ortiz Wharf  in Iloilo where most of the ferries are Guimaras bound, travel time is less than 30 minutes. Well as you can see those clouds are getting heavier and we must leave before heavy rains dumps in the middle of the ocean...and it did! My arrival in Guimaras Island was very wet, it was overcrowded in Jordan Port, all were waiting for the rain to stop but we thought the rain would last long so we rented a vehicle going to the resort. It was late in the afternoon when we arrived at the resort and it was still raining heavily due to the storm, there was nothing we can do but to wait for the rain to stop. We were praying for a beautiful day on the next day. And yes it did!

Guimaras Island  is a small island province which is situated between the islands of Panay and Negros. Its capital is Jordan, the island is famous for its production of mangoes which is one of the sweetest mangoes in the world. The sky was clear on my first and last day in the island,  the water was calm, what a perfect day for island hopping and swimming! So we planned our tour, packed our things and hired a boat for our Guimaras meandering! I never thought that Guimaras Island was so blessed with beautiful landscape and sea, there are rock formations you'll come across in different shapes, if you will just let your imaginations run, you can find so many interesting figures with those rock formations. Can you figure some things in the photo above?

The boat passed by this private resort where we noticed a beach house which stands prominently on a huge coral. The house looks so charming and cozy, and I was excited when I learned that we were going to that place, good thing that boatman knows the caretaker of the private resort and so we went.

This private resort occupies a big area which has a 360 degree view of the nearby islands, the scenery in the balcony is a perfect place for relaxation. I would say it is a romantic venue for honeymooners and playground for nature lovers and artists. This private resort has several cottages where visitors could stay, a chapel, a well-landscaped garden and a wide space around where you can admire and enjoy nature. Unfortunately the owners of the resort had passed away leaving all their mementos in their small paradise.

Well this is just the esplanade of the resort, isn't that so charming? A place where you can sit under an umbrella, read some books, or meditate and commune with nature. Sigh. Honestly I was envious at the sight of this, but that wouldn't be possible because our backyard is commercially occupied so I'll just leave it to my imagination. Anyway, my stay in Guimaras Island even if it's just an overnight stay was very memorable, I may not have the chance to tour around the island and visit some of the interesting places but my fate in dropping by this beautiful resort will forever be remarkable, knowing that it holds a sentimental story. We went back to pack our things for our trip to Iloilo this time, and once again we were rushing for I have to meet some of my relatives in the province which is one of my reasons why I want to visit Iloilo.

The ferry boat from Guimaras Island to Iloilo port is only less than an hour so we were just on time to meet my niece in Iloilo who was waiting in the port to pick us up and eat lunch in the city. Iloilo Province is in the Western Visayas region and is bordered by the province of Antique and Capiz. The people in Iloilo are called Ilonggos and the spoke Hiligaynon. Town fiestas are celebrated and the most awaited event in the province and is often celebrated is the Dinagyang Festival. I haven't been to Iloilo and I never thought that I have relatives in the province, and I haven't met them really.  The rural village where my relatives lives are so simple yet charming. They live a simple life but their happy and contented with what they have. They grow vegetables in their backyard and raise hogs and chicken. They prepared and cooked dinner of grilled oysters and milkfish and it was the most delicious meal I had in Iloilo for the first time.

Another important reason for my Iloilo visit was to see the Church of Santo Tomas de Villanueva in Miag-ao. I have been writing about the Baroque churches in the Philippines and I must pay visit to the church to take a photo and write something about it. Anyway, the church is an Aztec-Baroque architecture and was completed in 1797 and erected on the highest point of Miag-ao, the towers were built as post from Muslim raids during those times. The facade and color of the church is full of vigor and high in spirits with its extravagant carvings which shows the abundance of life as portrayed by St. Christopher dressed as Filipino farmer.

The coconut tree which is easily recognized on the facade and where St. Christopher hold onto, tells a story about a loving mother giving the tree to her children as the only bequest in order to sustain them for life. It is amazing to think and see how the story line of life during those times were gracefully carved on the facade of the church. Can you imagine?


It is so sad that I had a short stay in Iloilo and I have to leave soon. From what I know Iloilo Province has a lot to show in terms of natural resources, culture and traditions. And I must say that the cordinal and generous treatment of the Ilonggos is the most impressive of all and that I cannot forget. I will go back to Iloilo if time permits and I wish it would be soon. Thank you for reading.

How to get to Guimaras Island.
1. There is no direct flight to Guimaras Island, if you're coming from Manila take a flight to Iloilo. From Iloilo take a ride going to Ortiz Wharf. Take a pump boat going to Jordan Wharf and you're in Guimaras already!

2. If  you're coming from Bacolod City, Negros Occidental like we did we took a ferry boat going to Iloilo port and took a ride going to Ortiz Wharf in the city.  Take the pump boat going to Jordan Wharf.

The Sweet Life In Negros Occidental

We all know that Negros Island is known as the Sugarbowl of the Philippines, and for my readers who are not familiar with the Philippines, the Negros Islands produces more than half of the nation's sugar output. Perhaps due to its volcanic location, its soil is so fertile that makes it suitable for agricultural products particularly sugarcane. Negros Islands was once a big mass of island but was cut off due to a continental drift that is why it was originally called "Buglas", an old native word which means "cut-off". And so the island was divided into Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental which are both progressive and developed due to its large profits from sugar industry. History tells that the Spaniards who came to the island saw black natives who were the early dwellers of the said island that's why they called it "Negros".

From Dumaguete, Negros Oriental we took a bus going to Bacolod City the capital of Negros Occidental which took 5 hours  and started our tour with a hot bowl of  "Kansi" a cross between bulalo (beef bone marrow and vegetable soup) and sinigang (meat in tamarind soup). It was raining that day and the hot soup was so perfect for the weather!

After lunch we went straight to Silay City which is only 15 minutes travel by land from Bacolod City. The rustic city was on old Spanish settlement and was liberated in  1898 by the Iloilo migrants who made the town prosperous through their cultivation of sugarcane. .

Silay City is famous for its  artists and cultural shows and has became the "Paris of Negros". Zarzuela and operatta performers from Europe were often invited by a pianist and philantrophist Jose "Pitong" Ledesma. Below is a photo of the Jose Ledesma's ancestral house in Silay City.

One of the famous landmarks in Silay City is the San Diego Pro-Cathedral which has a dome that resemble St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, it was constructed in 1920 and designed by Italian architect Antonio Bernasconi.

There are several ancestral houses in Silay City which are mostly owned by Silay's prominent families. The Balay Negrense is the ancestral mansion of the Gastons, at present it is converted to a museum showing how sugar planters lived during the early centuries. The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday at 10 am to 6 pm, located at Cinco de Noviembre Street, Silay City, in case you pass by Silay City in Negros Occidental don't forget to drop by. Unfortunately we went there on a Monday the museum was closed so we weren't able to come in.

Another ancestral house in Silay City is the Manuel Severino Hofileña Ancestral House. It was supposed to be closed but the resident of the house Ramon Hofileña was kind enough to let us in and toured us around the house. It was the first house in the city to be opened to visitors and it shows a collection of work of arts of the country's top artists. Picture taking without flash are allowed in the museum to protect the art works.

It was raining that day and walking around the city was a little hard so we went to one of the oldest and popular bakeshop in Silay, the El Ideal Bakery. Your tour in Silay wouldn't be complete without having a taste of the bakery's delectable baked products. It is famous for its cookies and pies. they have all sorts of sweet delicacies stack up in several storage, this just proves that the Negrense really lived a sweet life in the early times and even until now!

The bakery is also famous for their guapple pie which is always their bestseller, if you are planning to take home some be sure to place your order in advance because the pies runs out so fast! Oh how I love sipping a hot cup of coffee with my guapple pie while raining, it makes me feel so sated.

The afternoon snack was quite appetizing and the restaurant has a delightful ambiance, we thought of staying for a while before going to our next destination. It was dark when we left Silay bringing us a bunch of take home goodies from El Ideal Bakery. We hit the road and headed to Talisay City where the famous "Ruins" can be found. Just ask the locals how to get to "The Ro-wens", that's how the locals pronounce it, and they'll give the directions right away. It is unfortunate that it was already dark when we arrived there, we missed the sunset which was said to be the best time to take a photo of the place, but there's always a next time and I'll be early for that!

At the end of the road you'll find a huge house, a skeletal mansion which looks so charming despite of its situation, I have no doubt that it looks remarkable during its heyday, when it was the center of attraction among the vastness of sugar fields. According to history, the mansion was built by Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson, a sugar baron in the early 1911 in memory of  his Portuguese wife, Maria Braga, who met a tragic death while carrying her 11th child, that is why it's been tagged as the "Taj Majal" of Negros Island.

The mansion was made from solid concrete with a touch of Italian architecture as seen on its neo-Romanesque columns. Some materials were imported from Spain, since Maria's father was a ship captain and  was capable of importing materials easily.  Unfortunately, this huge mansion was burned down by the guerilla forces during the Japanese Occupation after learning that the Japanese forces were planning to make it as their headquarters. At present the ground floor has been made to a restaurant so as to cater tourists who would drop by. It is also a favorite venue for occasions like weddings and other important events. The Ruins is a symbol of an endless love, its walls, floors and each columns has a seat of human feelings which is unfading and will glitter forever. Oh well, it was getting dark and we have to eat dinner and go back to the hotel, and prepare for the next day's tour.

The following day, we headed to Victorias City early in the morning. Victorias City is just 45 minutes travel by land from Bacolod City and is known for being the site of the Philippine's largest sugar refinery. The church of St. Joseph the Worker or popularly known as the Church of the Angry Christ, can be found inside the Victorias Milling compound which is well-known for the mural of the rugged-faced of Christ in psychedelic colors. The mural was painted by the international artist Alfredo Ossorio in 1950.

Another remarkable work of art found inside the Victorias Milling compound is the carabao sundial which was built by Don Bosco students in 1975. "Time wasted is existence; used is life" are the words inscripted on this valuable structure of art. Okay, that makes up our Negros Island trip, we are always on a rush.  I know we have so much to see in this island but time wasn't enough for us to see more about this place. We have to catch up with our ferry ride to Iloilo and of course we made a quick breakfast, and where would that be? Of course, in El Ideal where we had some hearty meal of fried rice, longaniza and fried egg and it wouldn't be complete without that brewed coffee and egg pie for dessert!

By the way, Negros Occidental is so blessed with topographic location, it also has long coasts suitable for beach bum. There are a number of dive sites waiting to be explored. So what are you waiting for? Come and see and explore the sweet life in Negros Occidental. I suggest that  you rent a vehicle in going around Negros Occidental, so you can explore and enjoy the trip well.

Thanks for reading!