We drove all the way across Panay Island to reach Iloilo City, the home of Cynthia's oldest sister. It was a long six hour drive through many small towns, cities, and farms. Our stay of almost two weeks provided a chance to relax and spend time with family. Cynthia and I were fortunate to catch the Dinagyang Festival which was one of the highlights of our trip.
The Dinagyang Festival is a religious and cultural festival held annually on the fourth Sunday of January in Iloilo City, Philippines, in honor of Santo Niño, the Holy Child, and to commemorate the historic pact between the Malay settlers and the indigenous Ati people of Panay. It is considered one of the largest festivals in the Philippines, attracting 1 to 2 million people during the annual celebration.
Our grandstand seats provided the perfect viewing spot to see all the many tribal entries. The music, costumes, dancing, and choreography which was carried out by the different communities around Panay was truly a feast for all the senses.
The Biscocho Haus in Iloilo is "the" place to purchase (pasalubong) food gifts. If there’s one thing that Filipinos always do when traveling, it’s making sure that they bring something home from the places we visit. This pasalubong custom not only creates opportunities in the tourism economy (food, handicrafts, and the like), it also strengthens the bond between families and friends as you share part of your travels with them.
Molo Church, is a Spanish neo-Gothic Roman Catholic church located in the district of Molo in Iloilo City. The church is recognized as "the women's church" or "the feminist church" because it only features images of female saints inside.
Miagao Church, is a Roman Catholic church located in Miagao, Iloilo. In Baroque-Romanesque style, the church sinks six (6) meters deep into the ground with walls one-and-a-half (1 1/2) meters thick and buttresses thrice thicker. The church was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on December 11, 1993
We spent 2 weeks in IloIlo with Cynthia's oldest sister. Pia, Cynthia's niece, greeted us with a welcome note.
Our traveling group went to dinner with Cynthia's family.
