Last week, I visited with my bike group ― Boodlers and Bikers, composed mostly of my former military colleagues. We visited the city's impressive museums, including the Museo Iloilo, which is the first government museum outside Manila; the Museum of Contemporary Art (2018), located inside the Emperador building; the National Museum for Iloilo and Western Visayas (2019), which is housed in the former Iloilo Provincial Jail; the Museum of Philippine Economic History (2019), which features a rich narrative of Philippine economic history with particular emphasis on Panay Island and sugar production; and the Museum of Philippine Maritime History, which opened just this year in the old Customs House. The museums highlighted the rich heritage of the city as an important trading post even before the Spaniards came. Iloilo opened to the world of trade and was the biggest port in the country in 1855.
Today, Iloilo takes pride in being the food basket and rice granary of the region with its fertile land and abundant seas. Rice is the major crop with marine products considered as the main source of livelihood. We also did not miss visiting the historical churches and were fascinated by Nelly's Garden, a heritage house built in 1928 of solid concrete. It evokes the bygone years when the grandest social activities among hacienderos were held in Iloilo. The highlight for us bikers was the Iloilo River Esplanade with its wide and picture ready bike lanes. This is a 9-kilometer esplanade and linear park constructed along both sides of the river. It is the longest linear park in the country and was designed by landscape architect Paolo Alcarazen.
Subscribe to unlock this article
Premium + Digital Edition

Ad-free access


P 80 per month
(billed annually at P 960)
Subscribe to the Premium + Digital Edition Plan
  • Unlimited ad-free access to website articles
  • Limited offer: Subscribe today and get digital edition access for free (accessible with up to 3 devices)

TRY FREE FOR 14 DAYS
See details
See details