^^ Hala! Influx of students or am I seeing "aswangs" (flying voters and dead voters ressurected, wahehehe!! hay Philippine elections! :lol:)

Anyway, hopefully it would be more of economics and not political, yet as the creation of new cities and towns and districts here in Pinas it is not possible if there is no political motive. Maybe Treñas would go south district (Molo area) since he hailed from that area and Gonzales Jr for the north (Jaro area), who knows what will happen in 2010.

Anyway, hopefully they do this for the better and not to repeat history again.

PCU SIFE Team shines in 2007 SIFE Philippines National Exposition

http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/07/26/pcu1.jpg
The delegates from Philippine Christian University
Iloilo.

All roads led to Manila Pavilion and 48 teams representing the more than 300 member schools around the country gathered in a high powered multi-media presentations showcasing the best practices until this years' Philippine entry to the 2007 World Cup to be held in New York on 10-12 October is chosen.

PCU SIFE Team was pitted against the teams from Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion, De La Salle Damariñas, Mondriaan Aura College, Lorma Colleges, Central Luzon University State University, Marbel School of Science and Technology, and the College of St. John (De La Salle-supervised). PCU inched its way to the top 16 and was then advanced to the semi-final round, this time MSU Gen San won the league.

The final round teams are the SIFE teams from Sultan Kudarat Polytechnic State College, Divine World College of Calapan and the Mindanao State University in General Santos City. This year the San Beda College team emerged as the champion. Top CEOs and industry personalities served as final round of judges, namely: Mr. George Sorio, EVP of CyberCity, Mr. Roberto Manabat, chairman of KPMG, Mr. Roger Dallas, president of Bristol Myers-Squibb, Mr. Joey Leviste, president of OceanaGold, executives from the House of Representatives, university presidents, president of FF Cruz, CHED, DTI, and NEDA directors.

PCU team featured their projects conducted in Barangays Nabitasan and Gustilo, La Paz, Iloilo City. Four innovative projects called: SIFE FEED, SIFE SELL, SIFE WASTE, and SIFE PRODUCE benefited about 300 indigents with over 30 SIFErs spending more than 1,000 hours of community service. "It made us responsible, confident citizens of our society", said one SIFEr. "We all came from different communities with varied traits and family backgrounds, but we are all united in SIFE philosophy which is making a difference in the lives of other people."

Next year the PCU SIFE Team will focus on innovative and impactful projects that will bring about greater economic development to the household and the community as a whole. More experts and volunteers will be tapped to assist the team.

On the international scene, an Asian Cup aside from the World Cup will be inaugurated at Kuala Lumpur next year. 1st runner up teams will compete in the Asian Cup while the champion will compete in the World Cup.

Dr. Robert Galindez the president of SIFE Philippines announced that the Philippines is poised to host the Asian Cup and negotiations are underway to hold it in Iloilo City. Since the event is of national significance, support from both the private and public sector will be needed.

source: The News Today (http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/07/26/pcu.sife.team.shines.in.2007.sife.philippines.national.exposition.html)

^^ ^^ ^^ congratulations to Philippine Christian University Iloilo !


Diin ang campus sang Philippine Christian University Iloilo? I haven't heard that there's such a school in Iloilo until I've read it here. :ohno:

Diin ang campus sang Philippine Christian University Iloilo? I haven't heard that there's such a school in Iloilo until I've read it here. :ohno:

If I am not mistaken its within Mary Mart Mall. Or somewhere within the vicinity of MMM.

So far they are getting bigger by the day. Who knows they will have their own campus... shall we say in 5-7 year?. :cheers:

Diin ang campus sang Philippine Christian University Iloilo? I haven't heard that there's such a school in Iloilo until I've read it here. :ohno:

If I am not mistaken its within Mary Mart Mall. Or somewhere within the vicinity of MMM.

So far they are getting bigger by the day. Who knows they will have their own campus... shall we say in 5-7 year?. :cheers:

I thought it was in Casa Plaza Building beside Atrium since a large banner of PCU-Iloilo is displayed there. :)

By the way, you don't have to be shocked why Gonzales is willing to pay the barangay chairpersons in Iloilo City of P20,000 each for 12-0 Team Unity victory (but failed to be delivered in the last elections: click here (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ilo/2007/07/27/news/castellano.withdraws.support.for.tre.as.poll.ambition.in.2010.html)

Traditional Chinese influences on Ilonggo life

One's knowledge of Philippine history tells him that among the foreign people that brought their culture to the country and to Western Visayas in early times were the Chinese. This was done through trade contacts between the two groups of people long before the coming of the Spaniards. As to when the initial contacts between the initial contacts between the Chinese and the Ilonggos occurred, nobody can tell for certain. As to when the initial contacts between the Chinese and the Ilonggos occurred, nobody can tell for certain. However, Philippine and Southeast Asian historical scholars are unanimous in saying that, based on archaeological findings, Chinese trade with other parts of Asia was already in full swing by the 10th and 11th centuries.

The rise in substantial Chinese trade with the Ilonggos coincided with the rule of the Sung Dynasty beginning with 960 A.D. up to 1280 and, later, of the Yuan Dynasty (1280-1368 A.D.). Panay archaeology reveals that the inhabitants of the island had already a well-established trade with the Chinese as early as the 10th century. This was more than 200 years before the supposed coming of the ten Bonean datus and their families to the island. The Chinese were trading with the Ilonggos through Molo, which was serving as the commercial port of Iloilo at that time. They bartered silk, porcelain wares and damasks with the natives, while the latter engaged in trading products from their farms, the sea and the forests. Through time, many Chinese settled down in Molo and took Ilonggo women as their wives. The descendants of these Chinese could be found among families in Molo named Consing, Ditching, Conlu, Ganzon, Guanzon, Jocson, Lacson, Layson, Locsin, Sianson, Yulo and Yusay.

It is claimed that among the legacies of the Chinese in Western Visayas was the introduction of a sugar cane variety called "Sakara", that was thought to have originated either from India or Saudi Arabia. The Chinese, subsequently, also taught the natives how to extract sugar juice from the canes and to transform it into solid granules. From sugar, the Chinese prepared a sweet delicacy known as "pinarak" and out of it, they manufactured an assortment of candies that became popular to the natives (Angayen 1973).

Aside from teaching the Ilonggos how to manufacture sugar, the Chinese also left a lasting influence in the culinary habits of the Ilonggos. Those prominent are: batchoy, bihon, hototai, kimlo, lumpia, pancit (including Pancit Molo), siomai and siopao. Then, there are the more expensive Chinese soup preparations that in English are known as "bird's nest" and "shark's fin", and are still popular today in the region's restaurants.

The other lasting influences of the early Chinese on Ilonggo life are the wearing of the "camisa de chino", which is claimed by some writers as the basis of the "barong tagalog", and of slippers; the popular recreational game of mahjong; the use of firecrackers in important family and community celebrations; and the observance of feng shui, or certain folk beliefs and practices that insure success, stability tranquility and happiness to the doer and his/her family.

With regards to firecrackers, La villa rica de Arevalo in Iloilo became famous all over Western Visayas for its awesome and beautiful fireworks or pyrotechnics. This particular district of Iloilo City was once part of the Parian (Molo), inhabited by the Chinese and was made famous as the home of Iloilo's firecracker industry.

One more lasting monument of early Chinese influences in the lives of the Ilonggos is Fundidor. Fundidor is the place of Molo going to Villa or Arevalo famous for its foundry shops initially established by the Chinese in early times. It was here where tools and utensils needed both in the house and in the farms, such as bolos, plows, knives, hoes, rakes and, later, church bells, were manufactured.

As one can see, the Chinese had made a permanent imprint in the culture and history of the Ilonggos. Many Ilonggo families today can even trace their ancestry to the early Chinese traders and artisans who, for love of Iloilo and its beautiful women, decided to settle down permanently in the area, engaged in trade and agriculture, raised children and grandchildren, and passed on their legacies to the succeeding generations.

Just a reminder guys: Please use the multi-quote function everytime you are replying to multiple posts rather than posting consecutive replies, its rather a waste of space. Hoping for your cooperation, thanks. :)

Treñas creates census coordinating board

ILOILO CITY mayor Jerry P. Treñas recently created the Iloilo City Coordinating Board (ICCB) in preparation for the nationwide population census to be undertaken by the National Statistics Office (NSO) starting August.

“It is mandated by the National Coordinating Statistical Board that local government units should create their respective coordinating groups to assist NSO in the population count that will be done next month,” Treñas said.

The ICCB is also needed to provide support for the increase in awareness and active participation of the general public to ensure the success of the nationwide population census.

The board is composed of Treñas as chair and city population officer Mary Edurese, assistant schools division superintendent Ma. Febe Cang, city social welfare and development officer Clarita Dignadice and city health officer Urminico Baronda as members.

Some of the functions of the board enumerated in Executive No. 32-2007, are providing NSO with the necessary facilities, publicity and other assistance while the population census is going on; enlist the cooperation of barangay officials for the census and if necessary, provide the services of government personnel to the NSO district while the population count is being done.

“I ask all Ilonggos to support the NSO in the conduct of the forthcoming population census. That will ensure a successful population count and credible database for that matter,” Treñas said.

source: The Guardian ILOILO (http://www.theguardianiloilo.ph/)
At last after 7 years, there's going to be a census of the city ... the figures are obviously over sensationalized Mayor Trenas should have used the official population projection of the city for 2007, which is around 400,000 (NSO).

e3QHzHEAug8
General Luna Street before the construction

EwVcLKM6tS4
Ilonggo Animators featured in Sikat Ka Iloilo (Dapat gani In Protest ako sa show ni subong, something personal, wahahaha!!! Ilonggo forumers know about it! :lol:)

I thought it was in Casa Plaza Building beside Atrium since a large banner of PCU-Iloilo is displayed there. :)

^^i saw the banner on casa plaza as well...

by the way .. i saw Kahilwayan Festival Dancers on Yes Magazine...

HI Pac_leopard he he he he... welcome back! :D

i've seen a youtube cilm clip featuring the ongoing ground works of the ateneo de iloilo-smcs campus

DEMOLITION PRICE TAG: P1.5M

CITY Legal Office chief Atty. Edgar Gil yesterday announced the City
Government increased the minimum bid price of P900,000 to P1.5-million for the demolition of the old City Hall building across Plaza Libertad.

Gil, who also heads the City Bids and Awards Committee, said there are at least two prospective bidders during the pre-bid conference conducted earlier that signified interest in demolishing the old structure.

He said the winning firm will be evaluated for its capacity in terms of equipment and workers to implement the demolition process will be known after the 15-day period.

Mayor Jerry Treñas said the City Engineer’s Office personnel have been salvaging galvanized iron sheets and wood from the old building to be made into a temporary warehouse at the city’s motor pool.

The city offices have moved to Robinson’s Place along Ledesma St., City Proper as the mall temporarily houses them during the 17-month construction period of the new government center.

The “city hall at the mall” includes offices of the mayor, treasurer, assessor, accountant, legal officer; permit and licensing departments.

The modern structure will rise at its 2,100 sq.m. old site across Plaza Libertad.

Rising at eight storeys with a roof-deck hall, Treñas said the New Iloilo City Hall will be the highest building in the metropolis.

“The City Hall building will be turned into ‘Ground Zero.’ The debris will be collected and brought to the motor pool which can be used by the city as filling materials for future projects,” explained Treñas.

Meanwhile, pile-driving activities test the solidity of the soil at the site before the construction works start.

Citing rough estimates, Treñas said the New City Hall will cost about P329million.

The City Government secured P350million loan from Land Bank of the Philippines to finance the project.

“It will be the highest building in Iloilo City. Most residents are excited with the completion of the New City Hall,” the mayor said.

He said the high-rise structure will be equipped with four elevators while the parking area will be situated at the third floor.

Treñas said the Land Bank suggested for the installation of a multi-purpose hall at the roof-deck to be open for groups that want to conduct gatherings and meetings.

He added all designs for the New City Hall will be completed this July.

The city has hired the services of Architect William Coscolluela, the same designer for Iloilo Provincial Capitol, for the architectural plan of the new edifice to the tune of P12.9million.

Coscolluela’s services also include space plan, interior design and soil investigation.

Treñas said the Ilonggo architect offered the lowest price during the bidding even as he wanted to make both the Capitol and City Hall as his “legacy projects.”

The city will also hire the services of a construction engineer at P6.5million.

“There are more interested construction companies that will bid for the city’s legacy project,” said Treñas.

http://www.theguardianiloilo.ph/

how arrogant! so it means bahol man gali ang designers! maybe this is refelctive of xavier's exquisite taste!

Dont tell me that u did not see those name on the photo xavier15..yes its iloilo city: UP-Stoplight junction to be specific. The rendering is different from actual. ;)

di nyo na lng pag sapaka ang mga posts ni xavier. ga pinalagpat nah sya nga daan.... :lol: :lol: :lol:

Agree ako kay Hard Ball nga indi dapat sapakon amo 'na nga tawo.

Indi na lang naton sapakon ang mga tawo nga sagi ilusyon kag post nga wala man basihan.

I feel pity sa ila.:ohno:

when this city hall will be completed, it's interesting to note that the highest building in iloilo city will be a government building and not a commercial one.

^^ To be exact, either the City Hall and the Provincial Capitol. The tallest establishments in Iloilo are government offices and church belfries. Only a few commercial buildings stand beyond 5 stories due to risks.

... the beginning of our fashion industry?

Jusi and Piña - Traditional Barong Tagalog Fabric and How They are Made Much of the appeal of the traditional Barong Tagalog draws from its sheer material of jusi and piña - fabrics quite remarkable for their scintillating sheen and strength. Products of the hand looms, these fine woven materials of pale ecru, (their natural color) some with almost the soft, delicate texture of a spider's web, demand the services of only the highly skilled and exceedingly patient weavers. In fact, in the Visayan provinces of Aklan and Iloilo, weaving gossamer fabrics for the Barong Tagalog is as much a craft as it is a commitment. The weavers are mostly old and not so old women whose dedication and skills they have inherited from their elders. This is because in Iloilo and Aklan, weaving is a legacy of the ages. Piña-Weaving in Kalibo, Aklan Kalibo, the oldest town and capital of Aklan, enjoys the prestige of being the center of piña cloth weaving in this province. Weaving in individual houses or backyards is concentrated, however, in the barrios of new and old Buswang and Bachao Sur. The Aklan piña cloth is woven from the finest mature leaves of native pineapples, the wild pineapples called the Red Spanish variety. Two imported varieties, the Smooth Cayenne and Queen, have been reported to yield durable fibers for cloth weaving. Commercial pineapples do not yield a fiber with notable tensile strength. These wild pineapple plants are planted from the cuttings of the wild pineapple fruit and thrive best in open fields with sandy clay soil. After about a year from planting, three to five leaves are cut from each plant. These piña plants are grown in the barrios of Banga, Altavas, Nabas and Tangalan. Stripping or extracting the fiber by hand from the plant is done rather crudely. Recently, the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI), a government agency tasked with the research and development of textiles in the country, came up with a process that would extract the fiber from the leaf in a more convenient and efficient manner, that is, through a decorticating machine. Of course in those individual houses in the provinces, piña fiber extraction is still done by hand. The green epidermal layer is scraped off the leaf by means of a coconut husk or a piece of broken china. The liniwan, being the finest fiber, is used for weaving the piña cloth. The second layer, bastos, is a coarse fiber used in making strings or twine. The finer fiber is called piñukpok. All these fibers are combed to further clean them (usually by the river since it is believed that its water makes the strands whiter) and render them easy for handknotting into continuous strands. Since the individual stripped fiber is no longer than 30 inches, the fibers have to be knotted. This process is known in the dialect as pag-panug-ot, an utterly delicate and laborious task. A piece of bamboo is fashioned into a blade to cut off the end of each knot. The next step is warping. This is done on pegs struck in a board. Another laborious step, it usually takes 15 to 20 days to warp enough yarns to complete a "sucod" of 18 to 20 "bucos" or 54 to 60 meters of cloth. Pag-talinyas or spinning is likewise executed with a crude hand-operated bobbin winder which is turned by the right hand while the left hand drills the strand into a tiny mold made of reed or tabun-ak. These processes over, the weaver is now ready to face the loom, often as old as the first weaver in the family. The loom has foot-operated treadle with an extended overhead warp beam with two harnesses and two treadles. The warp is wound into the warp beam. Then it is treaded into the boddle (benting) reed or sucod. The benting allows the warp to open when the treadle is stepped on the feet. The sucod is used to press the weft to thicken the cloth. The thickness and width of the cloth is determined by the sucod. There are the 65, 70 and 80 types of winder. For instance, the 65 sucod produces a cloth of about 24 inches in width; 70 sucod, 29 inches, and the 80 sucod, 31 to 32 inches. Note that the bobbin with the weft is placed into the shuttle. The bobbin, incidentally, is held in place by a piece of coconut midrib. As the treadle is pressed by the feet, the warp opens and the shuttle is then thrown into the opening. Simultaneously the sucod is pressed into the cloth. Weaving the cloth continues with this cvcle. From the treadle with the feet, the weaver (usually a female) throws in the shuttle with the right hand, and then catches it with the left hand. Next she presses the sucod with the right hand. Then she presses the other treadle again with the feet, throwing the shuttle with the left hand and catching it with the right hand, and then pressing the sucod with the right hand. Dyeing the fiber to any desired color may be executed at this point. Normally piña is beige or dirty white or ecru but dyed piña produces blue or black piña cloth. The result is equally dramatic and charming. In the olden days, the weavers decided on their own which design may be inlaid or embroidered into the thin as hair piña fiber. Usually designs take the form of flowers, fruits, coconut trees, nipa huts or any other designs the weaver's creative imagination concocts. Either the designs are copied from cloths which have already been designed or inlaid into the fabric with the aid of a graphing paper. In the case of the latter, the design is made on the warp. Jusi-and Piña -Weaving in Iloilo Jusi is the Chinese term for raw silk and it has been used to designate the kind of fabric woven from silk. On the other hand,.sinamay is the local term for that type of fabric made of pure piña. Sinamay or piña cloth is therefore costly. The jusi and sinamay of Iloilo, known far and wide, belong to the Ilonggos' time-honored tradition of weaving centuries ago. As a matter of tact, Iloilo's weaving industry reached its peak in the nineteenth century when Iloilo came to bc referred as "textile center of the Philippines". By the time the port of Iloilo was opened to international trade in 1855, there was an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 weaving looms in the province. Some houses had as many as a dozen looms. The largest concentration of weaving looms was in the area comprising Jaro, Molo, Iloilo, Arevalo and Mandurriao, what today corresponds to the territory of the city of Iloilo. But there were other towns that produced big quantities of textile. These towns were Oton,Tigbauan, Guimbal, Miag-ao and San Joaquin. Practically all the municipalities in southern and central Iloilo engaged in weaving. Today the output of the hand weaving industry in Iloilo is small. But the tradition has survived in some towns as in Arevalo, where the weaving industry is engaged in by a almost half of the female population in individual houses or backyards. As in piñacraft, the different phases of sinamay and jusi weaving in Iloilo involves a complex network, not to mention the tedium, challenge and patience which weavers meet headlong. Steps in Weaving jusi-piña The very first step in producing local jusi, which is sometimes called jusi-piña because it is a blend of raw silk yarns and pineapple fibers, is the unwinding of the silk yarns. These locally produced silk yarns come from the Philippine Textile Research Institute. Since 1981, the Institute has locally processed and manufactured silk yarns from the locally grown mulberry silkworm. It has supplied the needs of local silk hand weavers in Iloilo, Akian and Benguet. Although the amount of locally processed silk yarns is still inadequate, it hopes to meet the full requirements of two power-loom silk manufacturing companies in the Philippines, the Fil-Fibers Manufacturing in Marikinal Rizal and Filsilk Manufacturing Corporation in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental. Fil-F'bers, so far, has produced Fil-silk, the brand for the local jusi which is extensively used in weaving Barong Tagalog. At present Fil-silk fabric now comes in attractive pastel colors. In preparation for the laying of the warp threads, the unwinding of the skeins and in turn rolling them around spools (made of pieces of bamboo cut about seven inches long) is a must. The skeins are placed around a rotary skein holder, called badbaran wound around bamboo spools through a spinning wheel, known locally as galingan. Now when enough spools have been filled by silk yarns, the warp threads are ready to be laid. These warp threads are prepared by laying them on a warp frarne or sabungan. The amount of yarn to be used depends on how long and how wide one likes the finished material to be used. The usual length and width of the cloth produced by these warp threads is about 100 meters and 26 inches in one set. By then, the warp is ready to be attached to the looms which the natives refer to as tiral. Similar to all other looms, the looms in Iloilo are made of wood and bamboo. The loom is wound around the warp beam or that wooden cylinder found at the back of the loom. It is pressed through the hardness that controls the yarns, raising or lowering certain warp threads in regular order that the shuttle may pass over or under. Next, the yarn is made to pass through the batten or reed which is used to push the filling yarn together to obtain uniformity in the closeness of weave. How does one produce the design on the fabric? The design is done by another set of harness which raises or lowers certain warp yarns so the shuttle holding the threads for designing may pass over or under, then pushed by the batten. At this point the weaver needs an assistant. Weaving proper follows next and the first basic operation is shedding. Two saddles under the loom, attached to the harness, are stepped on alternately right and left to open up a space in the warp yarn for the shuttle to pass through carrying the filling. This throwing of the shuttle through the opening, leaving a trail of yarn, is termed "picking." This is the second step in weaving. The final step is 'battening" - the beating or pushing close to others with the batten each filling left by the shuttle. Jusi may also be dyed into any desired color. When the cloth is finished, it is removed from the cloth beam. If it is jusi with lace design, this last step requires the cutting of the excess floss from the wrong side so that the design will show clearly. It is fortunate that today, the Philippine Textile Research Institute has undertaken research and cocoon/silk processing in its filature plant in Bicutan, Taguig, Metro Manila while the moriculture and silkworm rearing activities are concentrated in the provincial stations. Production in the reeling plant, however, is not yet maximized due to the inadequate supply of cocoons. The Institute is the only institution in the Philippines which has installed a 200-end, multi-end silk reeling machine with a full complement of other processing equipment. But even if cocoon production is low, the Institute undertakes cocoon testing and classification as well as testing and grading of raw silk yarns. Hopefully silk production in the country shall grow, thereby sustaining silk weaving and its tradition of beautiful and durable jusi for the Barong Tagalog. Popularity of Piña Through the years, the piña cloth has been used as the basic raw material not only for the Barong Tagalog but also for ternos, (the Filipino woman's national costume) and other ladies' dresses, handkerchiefs, handbags, table-napkins, table cloths, mats, room dividers, fans, curtains and altar cloths. An article in a Post-war magazine quoted a writer who.gushed: "Fashionable Filipiñas of bygone days were known to possess piña garments which were veritable heirlooms not only because of their pecuniary value but also because they have been handed down from generation to generation." This further substantiates the belief that the importance of the piña cloth goes beyond its wearing. It sometimes stands as a symbol of this country's richness in culture. Before and immediately after the Second World War, piña cloth, despite the fact that it is most appropriate for our tropical climate, and its attractiveness is singular, declined in popularity. To be sure, the practical consideration of cost and the natural desire for change and variety, had been contributory factors to this sad state of affairs. Less expensive fabrics, largely the synthetic ones grabbed the market and for a while, it seemed the end for the piña cloth and piña embroidery. However, with renewed national consciousness and pride in indigenous culture, local fabrics such as jusi and piña regained prominence and popularity. Piña and Jusi-Weaving Revived As a consequence, the demand for the exquisite piña cloth has seen a steady increase in recent years. The piña cloth weaving industrv in Aklan and Iloilo, fortunately, has been revived by the Philippine Textile Research Institute since 1973. At the same time, other methods of producing textile products from the pineapple leaf have been developed and hence, the steady supply of raw materials has been assured. There is the association of piña cloth growers, who, with the assistance of local government officials in these provinces, have planted wild pineapple plants in commercial quantity. The looms, though, have to be improved or redesigned to produce piña fabrics in commercial quantity without sacrificing quality. This development shall certainly increase production and lower the price of piña cloth. At present a modified hand loom with four harnesses to produce longer and wider pieces of piña and jusi cloth have been improvised while vigorous researches on piña and jusi are on-going. The Philippine Textile Research Institute, attached to the Ministry of Trade and Industry since 1981, has manifested remarkable determination in sustaining the growth and development of both piña and local jusi. Without doubt, both piña and jusi weaving involve intricate and tedious processes. The hands on the rundown loom are poised, the eyes intently bowed and the heart skips with pride each time a piece of cloth is done. The weaver, in an attempt to earn her daily bread, assists as well in preserving an interesting facet of Philippine culture and art. No matter if times change and almost everything gets mechanized, the Filipino hand weaver revels in the challenge of the hand looms. And for good reasons. While other textiles have emerged as a result of sophisticated technology, exquisitely hand-woven piña and jusi remain in demand here and abroad. This is why there is a need to lend hearty support to this cottage industry. It keeps the tradition alive cloth growers, who, with the assistance of local government officials in these provinces, have planted wild pineapple plants in commercial quantity. The looms, though, have to be improved or redesigned to produce piña fabrics in commercial quantity without sacrificing quality. This development shall certainly increase production and lower the price of piña cloth. At present a modified hand loom with four harnesses to produce longer and wider pieces of piña and jusi cloth have been improvised while vigorous researches on piña and jusi are on-going. The Philippine Textile Research Institute, attached to the Ministry of Trade and Industry since 1981, has manifested remarkable determination in sustaining the growth and development of both piña and local jusi. Without doubt, both piña and jusi weaving involve intricate and tedious processes. The hands on the rundown loom are poised, the eyes intently bowed and the heart skips with pride each time a piece of cloth is done. The weaver, in an attempt to earn her daily bread, assists as well in preserving an interesting facet of Philippine culture and art. No matter if times change and almost everything gets mechanized, the Filipino hand weaver revels in the challenge of the hand looms. And for good reasons. While other textiles have emerged as a result of sophisticated technology, exquisitely hand-woven piña and jusi remain in demand here and abroad. This is why there is a need to lend hearty support to this cottage industry. It keeps the tradition alive and sustains the Filipino talent at producing or making fabrics that are unique and beautiful.

Source: http://www.mybarong.com/jusandpintra.html

^^ after more than a century of existence, our church belfries still hold that distinction!:lol:

^^ after more than a century of existence, our church belfries still hold that distinction!:lol:

got that right.. i still believe that Molo Church Spires are the most dominant skyscrapers in the city, historically and "quite" literally. I hope that the Alimodian Belfry(the tallest Belfry in WV) will be reconstructed...

Agree ako kay Hard Ball nga indi dapat sapakon amo 'na nga tawo.

Indi na lang naton sapakon ang mga tawo nga sagi ilusyon kag post nga wala man basihan.

I feel pity sa ila.:ohno:
thanks for the PM, Lew. All I can say is :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: . It's really funny, mate.

^^i saw the banner on casa plaza as well...
welcome back, Pacific. Nice to see you back diri sa SSC.

when this city hall will be completed, it's interesting to note that the highest building in iloilo city will be a government building and not a commercial one.
I couldn't wait for the new city hall. Cheers. :banana:

DA mulls mango export in the US
By DAVID ISRAEL SINAY

ILOILO City – The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) mulls for the strengthening of the country’s mango industry in the global market.

Dr. Hernani Golez, chief of the National Mango Research and Development Center (NMRDC), said that there are three factors affecting the country’s mango industry to sell overseas, particularly in the United States.

The NMRDC is under the DA-BPI.

“Mango production [in the Philippines] could not meet the export demands because harvest is seasonal. We have low quality control of the yield. And, we could not meet the quarantine requirement of other countries,” Golez said in a press conference Thursday at the Grand Hotel in downtown Iloilo.

The BPI held a seminar on the use of irradiation for quarantine measures on mango in order to meet the requirements of export products. Presently, only the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) has irradiation processes to prevent the spread of diseases on food exports, Golez said.

Golez said the BPI received a $2.02-million grant from the United Sates Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct a study to enhance the competitiveness of the Philippine-produced mango for the global market.

The grant shall be used for the study on the use of irradiation for quarantine measures, conduct a national survey on the presence of insects and pests threatening the mango harvest, come up with comprehensive commercialization and promotion strategies on irradiated products, and using quarantine as an implementing agent for irradiation measures.

The survey seeks to determine if mango produced in the countryside, particularly the Visayas region, are free of mango pulp and seed weevil for them to penetrate the United States market.

He said that the survey will cover five percent of the entire number of all mango fruit bearing trees in order to determine the presence of the pests.

“It would surely create a great impact if they are all qualified [pest-free] to enter the US market,” Golez said.

According to Golez, the Philippines yields 984,000 metric tons of mango annually but with only 6.2 percent of the harvest were being sold to other countries. With the USDA-funded research, Golez hopes to increase the mango export industry from 16 to 20 percent by 2010 and double the figures by 2015.

source: Panay News (http://www.panaynews.com.ph/top%20story6.htm)

DEMOLITION PRICE TAG: P1.5M

“The City Hall building will be turned into ‘Ground Zero.’ The debris will be collected and brought to the motor pool which can be used by the city as filling materials for future projects,” explained Treñas.




What???

Construction debris can never be used as fill material for new buildings, roads or any other structures. Breakwater sa dagat pwede pa siguro.

http://thedailyguardian.com/images/stories/exploration_map1.JPG

^^ ano itey?

http://thedailyguardian.com/images/stories/exploration_map1.JPG

^^ ano itey?

^^ RP's biggest oil well could be off Antique. :cheers:

Culasi Oil Field (http://www.inquirer.net/specialfeatures/thegoodnews/view.php?db=1&article=20070729-79357).

Team Pilipinas, We Believe! (http://justliveasimplelife.blogspot.com/2007/07/team-pilipinas-we-believe.html)

^^ ano itey?

natawa ako sa yo soul... er nagharakhak ako sa gin sulat mo... daw sa ano "iti" sa pamati-an ko... hehehe....

sir berns this is not your geography class. this is SSC. :D

^^ Wahahaha!!! :lol: Yup thats Culasi Oil Fields. :)

Kanami no?

So what will be Antique's share of taxes or income generated from the oil fields kon madayon?

Is there such a thing as provincial maritime boundaries to define the extent of each bordering provinces' hold over the sea?

Kanami no?

So what will be Antique's share of taxes or income generated from the oil fields kon madayon?

Is there such a thing as provincial maritime boundaries to define the extent of each bordering provinces' hold over the sea?

Yes there would be kuno. Out of 60% of the national shares for the oil exploration, 40% will go to the LGUs.

:)

naga pangita ako sang kampo, diri sa negros, somewhere sa south, para i develop, investment for ethanol, preferably, 13000 hectares, thanks. contact nyo lang ko
:speech:

naga pangita ako sang kampo, diri sa negros, somewhere sa south, para i develop, investment for ethanol, preferably, 13000 hectares, thanks. contact nyo lang ko
:speech:

why here in iloilo ka ga pangita juicydude?..hehehe

why here in iloilo ka ga pangita juicydude?..hehehe

Remember? Most of the Ilonggos in Negros Occidental and Bacolod traced their roots in Iloilo? Remember how Negros became a sugar country? Most of the investors came from Iloilo. Jaro, Molo, Guimbal, Miag-ao, Tigbauan and Oton.

I don't think there is something wrong in inviting the Ilonggos in Iloilo in investing at Negros.

Remember? Most of the Ilonggos in Negros Occidental and Bacolod traced their roots in Iloilo? Remember how Negros became a sugar country? Most of the investors came from Iloilo. Jaro, Molo, Guimbal, Miag-ao, Tigbauan and Oton.

I don't think there is something wrong in inviting the Ilonggos in Iloilo in investing at Negros.

i was just wndering, i thought it was a mispost....

read the text

naga pangita ako sang kampo, diri sa negros, somewhere sa south, para i develop, investment for ethanol, preferably, 13000 hectares, thanks. contact nyo lang ko

i was just wndering, i thought it was a mispost....

read the text

naga pangita ako sang kampo, diri sa negros, somewhere sa south, para i develop, investment for ethanol, preferably, 13000 hectares, thanks. contact nyo lang ko

Because Juicydude is in Negros at the time of posting. I don't think there is something wrong.

Because Juicydude is in Negros at the time of posting. I don't think there is something wrong.

oh ok...sorry....i misconstrued the the texts. :) i thought he was asking the people of Negros....

oh ok...sorry....i misconstrued the the texts. :) i thought he was asking the people of Negros....

Its ok. No problem. :) Its ours to share. Its for the benefit of our country. :)

Its ok. No biggie. :)

hehehehehe :) i read jaywalkers inquiry also...its the same as Juicydudes. Thank you bernie for clarifying my thoughts. :) its in a haze right now. :)

Its ok. No problem. :) Its ours to share. Its for the benefit of our country. :)

precisely!!!! and i am happy about it that western visayas is booming. :)

hehehehehe :) i read jaywalkers inquiry also...its the same as Juicydudes. Thank you bernie for clarifying my thoughts. :) its in a haze right now. :)

precisely!!!! and i am happy about it that western visayas is booming. :)

For me, its not the first boom. Its the awakening or the rise from the ashes of the past. Padayon Bisayas Nakatundan! :okay:

For me, its not the first boom. Its the awakening or the rise from the ashes of the past. Padayon Bisayas Nakatundan! :okay:

what does it mean?...hehehehehe daw kadalum sina haw?!

Ari Hiligaynon basics in direction:

North - Amihanan
South - Habagatan/Nabagatan
East - Sidlangan
West - Nakatundan

Ako gani sang 4th year college ko lang nabal-an ina. Sang thesis ko na. hehehe! :lol:

Ari Hiligaynon basics in direction:

North - Amihanan
South - Habagatan/Nabagatan
East - Sidlangan
West - Nakatundan

Ako gani sang 4th year college ko lang nabal-an ina. Sang thesis ko na. hehehe! :lol:

Hey!!!! we can make a thread for that ha!!!! para sa bacolod and iloilo and the rest of western Visayas. :) thats awesome bernie... :) wow!!! i like the sound of it...daw ka italiano sang dating!!!! hahahaha

^^
We did have an Panay-Ilonggo language thread but I can't find it anywhere,.

Hey!!!! we can make a thread for that ha!!!! para sa bacolod and iloilo and the rest of western Visayas. :) thats awesome bernie... :) wow!!! i like the sound of it...daw ka italiano sang dating!!!! hahahaha

i wonder what the name of this thread will be since it covers the whole WV region? there's the kinaray-a of the interior towns of iloilo, the ilonggo language of both cities of bacolod and iloilo and their respective surrounding nearby areas. there's the distinct kind of ilonggo spoken by the people of capiz province. there's the akeanon of aklan. and finally, a number of cebuano speaking places in the negros occidental province! so guys, any suggestion(s) for our region's multi languages/dialects?:)

I believe we already have that kind of thread. It's in the Heritage section. The title of the thread I think is La Lengua Panayana.

Key cities face power, water crises
By Jeehan V. Fernandez

KEY cities in the country including Manila, Cebu and Iloilo are reeling from power and water crises, said Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas.

Treñas, who is also the chairman of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), was referring to the power and water shortages brought about by the looming drought.

The dry spell has spawned power and water scarcities in Manila.
Treñas said two 100-MW coal-fired power plants by Korean Electric Co. (Kepco) is being established in Cebu to address its increasing power demands.

Cebu City is considered the second most progressive urban center in the country next to Manila.

Kepco initially planned to put up the $150-M coal facility in Ajuy, then in Banate in northern Iloilo. But the plans fizzled out amid massive protests from various cause-oriented groups here on the grounds of environmental and health hazards.

The Iloilo provincial board also came up with a resolution rejecting the project in 2004, thus Kepco transferred the installation of the project to Cebu.

Coal plant is seen to offer lower electricity cost to consumers.

Treñas said Cebu City is also experiencing potable water supply problems more than Iloilo City.

“The water situation in Cebu City is even worse than ours. In Manila, the effect of drought is being felt not just in water supply because they also depend on hydropower for electricity,” Treñas told reporters yesterday.

Noting his Manila experience during his college days, Treñas said it used to be difficult to have access to potable water connection.

He added that the entry of private sector in water distribution has paved way for more water connections among households.

Treñas said he initiated the move to privatize the distribution services of Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) which 75 percent of its operations cover the city.

“We want to improve the water supply among city households. The City Planning and Development Office statistics show there are around 82,000 households but the MIWD reported only about 18,000 households with access to pipe water,” he added.

“Around 65,000 households have no connections – it means that majority have to buy water from push carts which is more expensive. The intention of privatization of MIWD distribution is really to increase the number of households which have access to pipe water to improve the quality of life of the residents,” Treñas explained.

Treñas stressed that pipe water is cheaper and safer from diseases than what is being sold around through push carts.

Aside from water woes, Treñas said that Iloilo City is bearing the brunt of costly power.

“The power rate is so expensive here. The City Government was paying P7-milllion a month on electric bills but it has increased to P8.5-million lately,” Treñas said, referring to the fluctuation of bunker fuel in the world market.

The city’s sole power distributor Panay Electric Co. (Peco) sources its energy supply from diesel-fired 72-MW Panay Power Corp. (PPC) in Brgy. Ingore in La Paz district.

Citing a reliable and cheap power source it could provide, Treñas has endorsed the plan to put up a coal plant in Iloilo.

source: The Guardian ILOILO (http://www.theguardianiloilo.ph/)

^^ ^^ hhhmmmmmmmm .... hope they'll solve problems in Iloilo soon.

City transport group: Ban prov’l jeeps
By Francis Allan L. Angelo

AFTER the trisikads and tricycles, provincial jeepneys will be the next target in the ongoing campaign of decongesting Iloilo City streets.

This, after an Iloilo City-based passenger jeepneys urged the City government to impose the perimeter boundary ordinance (PBO) to the letter by banning all provincial jeepneys from entering the city proper area.

In a letter to Mayor Jerry Treñas and Vice Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association (Fejoda) asked the two city officials to prohibit jeepneys from Leganes, Oton and Sta. Barbara from plying city streets.

The three towns are members of the Metro Iloilo Development Council (MIDC).

Fejoda, formerly the City Loop of Iloilo Owners and Drivers of Jeepneys Association (Cliodja), also called for the abolition of the car pass system which allowed MIDC and other provincial jeepneys to bring passengers within Iloilo City proper area.

The PBO prohibits provincial public utility vehicles (PUVs) from entering the city’s main thoroughfares. It also sets perimeter boundaries where the PUV terminals will be located.

Passengers from Iloilo towns will transfer to city loop jeepneys to their destinations in the city proper area.

But some MIDC jeepneys were exempted from the PBO using the car pass system to provide more means of transportation for provincial passengers.

Fejoda president Gaspar Grijarte also urged the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to hold the issuance new franchises to public utility jeepneys (PUJs) because of the moratorium set by LTFRB central office.

Grijarte said they have noticed that new PUJ units continue to secure franchises despite the moratorium.

City Councilor Erwin Plagata, chair of the committee on transportation and public utilities, said he has yet to receive the Fejoda letter but he agreed with the contentions of the transport groups.

“In fact, the PBO stipulates that all provincial PUVs will be prohibited from entering city streets. It’s been a common observation that the MIDC jeeps and other provincial PUVs are congesting the city streets,” Plagata said.

Plagata, who also heads the Traffic Technical Working Group (TTWG), said an estimated 1,500 Leganes-based PUJs ply the city everyday “and 90 percent of these units have car passes.”

Plagata said he will hold a public hearing on the Fejoda request once it is referred to his committee.

“We might prioritize the downtown area in banning the MIDC and other provincial jeeps because that area is very much congested already,” Plagata added.

As regards the issuances of new franchises to PUJs despite the moratorium, Plagata said the LTFRB should coordinate with the city government on this matter.

LTFRB regional director Pofirio Clavel denied the continued issuance of franchises to PUJs saying they have been observing the moratorium since 2001.

Contrary to Plagata’s claims, Clavel said they have been coordinating with the defunct Task Force Traffic.

“But as to the new traffic body (TTWG), we have yet to meet with them. I have talked to Councilor Plagata twice over phone regarding the traffic situation in the city,” Clavel said.

source: The Guardian ILOILO (http://www.theguardianiloilo.ph/)

Megaworld offers P1.2B for old Iloilo airport

Property developer Megaworld Corp. on Monday said it has has submitted to the Department of Finance a firm offer to purchase the 54.5-hectare old Iloilo airport in Mandurriao town for P1.2 billion.

The government tried, but failed, to sell the property last May 9, after the offers made by the three bidders who participated fell below the P1.2 billion indicative price.

Robinsons Land, the company with the highest bid, offered only P1.089 billion for the property while Empire East had a bid of P701 million, and SM Prime Holdings offered P435.7 million. Two other pre-qualified bidders, Ayala Land and Rockwell Land, did not attend the bidding.

Empire East is Megaworld's lower income housing unit.

"Upon acceptance of Megaworld’s offer and consummation of the deal, Megaworld will apply with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority for a special economic zone license for its project aimed at transforming the Old Iloilo airport property into a new business district," Megaworld said in a statement.

"Megaworld envisions its project to become a magnet for major business process outsourcing companies interested to set up shop in the Visayas region," it added. - GMANews.TV

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/53570/Me...Iloilo-airport


^^
Are they the one who constructed the Eastwood City of Libis QC?

yup...

wow, great news para sa local government ta hahaha

Megaworld offers P1.2B for old Iloilo airport

Property developer Megaworld Corp. on Monday said it has has submitted to the Department of Finance a firm offer to purchase the 54.5-hectare old Iloilo airport in Mandurriao town for P1.2 billion.

The government tried, but failed, to sell the property last May 9, after the offers made by the three bidders who participated fell below the P1.2 billion indicative price.

Robinsons Land, the company with the highest bid, offered only P1.089 billion for the property while Empire East had a bid of P701 million, and SM Prime Holdings offered P435.7 million. Two other pre-qualified bidders, Ayala Land and Rockwell Land, did not attend the bidding.

Empire East is Megaworld's lower income housing unit.

"Upon acceptance of Megaworld’s offer and consummation of the deal, Megaworld will apply with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority for a special economic zone license for its project aimed at transforming the Old Iloilo airport property into a new business district," Megaworld said in a statement.

"Megaworld envisions its project to become a magnet for major business process outsourcing companies interested to set up shop in the Visayas region," it added. - GMANews.TV

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/53570/Me...Iloilo-airport


^^
Are they the one who constructed the Eastwood City of Libis QC?

This is good news indeed. I am hoping they will develope this area as soon as they close the deal. :banana:

Mayor Jerry Trena: Grab the oppurtunity na...basi mag bag-o pa isip nila

Also, I think Megaworld is also the co-developer of Manhattan garden and facelift of Araneta Cubao.

Please correct me if I am wrong. :)

^^ Yep, That's correct soul. I am confident in Megaworld capability to transform Iloilo skyline. Their biggest township project, Eastwood City, the country’s first information technology economic zone competes with the likes of FBGC and other major business districts here in MM. I guess Eastwood has even the densest skyline in QC. Their current ventures such as the McKinley hill in fort boni is tagged as the most beautiful village in Metro Mnila. The newport city project will host the first marriot hotel in MM. I hope they'll bring level of township development in Iloilo. :)

Megaworld offers P1.2B for old Iloilo airport

Property developer Megaworld Corp. on Monday said it has has submitted to the Department of Finance a firm offer to purchase the 54.5-hectare old Iloilo airport in Mandurriao town for P1.2 billion.

The government tried, but failed, to sell the property last May 9, after the offers made by the three bidders who participated fell below the P1.2 billion indicative price.

Robinsons Land, the company with the highest bid, offered only P1.089 billion for the property while Empire East had a bid of P701 million, and SM Prime Holdings offered P435.7 million. Two other pre-qualified bidders, Ayala Land and Rockwell Land, did not attend the bidding.

Empire East is Megaworld's lower income housing unit.

"Upon acceptance of Megaworld’s offer and consummation of the deal, Megaworld will apply with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority for a special economic zone license for its project aimed at transforming the Old Iloilo airport property into a new business district," Megaworld said in a statement.

"Megaworld envisions its project to become a magnet for major business process outsourcing companies interested to set up shop in the Visayas region," it added. - GMANews.TV

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/53570/Me...Iloilo-airport


^^
Are they the one who constructed the Eastwood City of Libis QC?
INdeed, a great news for all of us. Megaworld is one of the best property developer in the Philippines today. Just look at their projects in and out of Manila. Go for it ILOILO! I can't wait to see the start of Megaworld's business construction in Iloilo City. Hala Bira ! :banana: :banana: :banana:

2 firms offer to buy old airport site
By Nestor P. Burgos Jr,

After two failed attempts to bid the site of the old Iloilo airport, two prospective buyers have submitted proposals to acquire the 54-hectare prime lot, according to the head of the bids and awards committee of the Department of Finance yesterday.

Finance Undersecretary John Phillip Sevilla said that two parties had beaten the deadline yesterday to submit negotiated proposals for the old airport site in Mandurriao District.

Sevilla refused to disclose the identities of the interested buyers but said one of them also submitted its bid in the two previous bidding of the property. He also refused to disclose the proposed price submitted by the two parties.

"The Privatization Council will decide in two or three days on the proposals," Sevilla said in a telephone interview.

The council is tasked to privatize government assets and is composed of the Departments of Finance, Justice, Budget and Management, Trade and the National Economic Development Authority.

Two more interested buyers are expected to formally submit their proposal for the property, according to Sevilla.

The Privatization Council has pegged the minimum price of the property at P1.2 billion. Sevilla said minimum price remains the same even after the failure of two previous attempts to bid off the property.

Of the five companies that were pre-qualified to bid, only three went to the actual bidding on May 9.

Robinsons Lands submitted the highest bid of P1.09 billion followed by Empire East (P701 million) and SM Prime (P435.79 million). Rockwell Land Corp. and Ayala Land Inc. backed out.

Representatives of the bidders reportedly gave a common comment that the government's minimum price was too high.

The Privatization Council held another conference with bidders on June 13 but the highest bid for the property was reduced to P908 million.

Former Senate President Franklin Drilon earlier blamed the council for the failure of the biddings saying that the floor price of P1.2 billion was higher compared to the appraised value of P800 million to P1 billion as recommended by a private appraisal firm.

He blamed the high price as the cause of the failed biddings after prospective buyers submitted bids lower than the floor price.

Sevilla said they asked interested buyers to submit their proposed price for the property, including those who had submitted bids, after the DOF was approached by interested buyers of the property two weeks ago.

He said they sent letters to all those who have expressed interest in buying the lot asking them to submit their proposals not later than yesterday.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas welcomed the report but said he remained confident that the old airport site will be sold soon at the appropriate time.

"I'm sure there will be a lot of parties interested to invest in that site because of the potentials of the area and the economic development in the city," Treñas said in a telephone interview.

source: The News Today (http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/07/31/2.firms.offer.to.buy.old.airport.site.html)

^^ ^^ Watch out for the winners in a week' time. Or is it done deal with Megaworld already? Yehey ! :banana: :banana: :banana: Soon, the superhighway from Iloilo to Aklan will be realised. Remember, part of the sale will go to construct first class superhighway from New Iloilo Airport to Caticlan, Aklan (Boracay). Also, part of the sale will go to pay the New Iloilo Airport. Yehey !

^^ this is some piece of good news!:) after a rather long series of bad ones. i hope this time, it will push through!

Treñas bares officials for 36th Paraw Regatta

This early, the city of Iloilo has started preparations for the 2008 edition of the annual Iloilo Paraw Regatta.

Mayor Jerry P. Treñas has issued an order designating the Iloilo Paraw Regatta Foundation (IPRF) to organize and host the Paraw Regatta Festival slated February 17th next year and creating the working committees for the event.

The festival, first organized in 1973, is a race among native outriggers in the strait between Guimaras Island and Iloilo City.

"The results of the festival handled by the IPRF early this year was satisfactory, and I know that they will do everything they can to make next year's festival even better. I am also issuing the executive order naming the committee members so that they can start working to ensure the festival's success," the mayor said.

The honorary committee is made up of Treñas, Congressman Raul Gonzalez, Jr., and Governors Niel Tupas and Felipe Nava.

The oversight committee will be composed of the IPRF board of trustees namely Treñas, Manuel Villa, Jr., Edwin Trompeta, vice-mayor Jed Mabilog, Dr. Mary Lou Arcelo, Harry Taningco, Honorato Espinosa, Robert Uy, Atty. Edgar Espinosa, Jose Layson, Ernesto Borromeo, Engr. Bernadette Rosales, Godofredo Naces, Capt. Pepito Palmares and Jonathan Grant.

The executive director for the event is city tourism officer Benito Jimena.

The committees and their respective chairmen are sea marshals (Comm. Luis Tuason); technical (Cdr. Harold Jarder, Sr.); beach masters (Jose Piamonte); Judging (John Michael Ng); crowd control (PSI Federico Silvestre, Jr.); special events (Dir. Edwin Trompeta); marketing (Francis de la Cruz); publicity (Amante Espejo, Jr.); medical (Maria Gracia Chua); communications (Engr. Marito Amatorio); communications (Ranilo Pinuela); finance (Joseph Barredo); prizes (Chita Visto); sea and umpires (Iloilo Jaycees).

source: The News Today (http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/07/31/trenas.bares.officials.for.36th.paraw.regatta.html)

^^ ^^ other than Dinagyang, looks like Paraw Regatta is following its footsteps closely. I hope in due time, it will attain Dinagyang's fete being the sole festival supported by United Nations worldwide. :banana: :banana: Kung Dinagyang, "Hala Bira!", ang Paraw Regatta iya, ano?

^^ this is some piece of good news!:) after a rather long series of bad ones. i hope this time, it will push through!

eonynx, I think it will push through now considering that the floor price bidded is offered by one comapny at 1.2 billion pesos already. Now, a final goodbye to the old airport in Mandurriao is just a matter of time.

Iloilo City to be pilot area for educational support program of LCF

Iloilo City has been chosen by the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) to be one of the two pilot areas nationwide for its 57-75 educational support program.

City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Anecito M. Sobrepeña, President of the Metrobank Foundation, Inc., the sponsoring corporation, for this purpose.

The 57-75 program aims to reverse the performance rating of public school students in the National Achievement Test (NAT) from 57 percent to 75 percent.

Mayor Treñas said the support would most likely be provisions of more trainings for teachers and additional equipment for the school children and principals.

The mayor was grateful for the support, citing the impact of the reading program that was introduced by the Synergia Foundation to pupils in the city’s 53 elementary schools.

The reading program was supported by the Ayala Foundation, another LCF member.

Iligan City in Mindanao is the other pilot area for the LCF's 57-75 educational support program.

source: The News Today (http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/07/31/iloilo.city.to.be.pilot.area.for.educational.support.program.of.lcf.html)

Treñas pushes anew for MIWD privatization
By Niña Jane A. Souribio

Alarmed by the “dry spell” hitting Luzon, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas here once more pushed for the privatization of Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) to address water crisis in the city.

Treñas said records will reveal that of the 82,999 households in the city, only 18,373 are MIWD consumers.

”If you would not consider this a problem, ambot lang. I have no personal interest to privatize it (MIWD). Ang nakit an ko lang through privatization, mas mayo ang service. As a leader you have to anticipate possible problems to come,” Treñas said yesterday.

He said there is a pressing need to privatize the water service in the city as MIWD is facing problems not only in its distribution but as well as water sources.

Although Manila and Manila now suffer worse water crisis, Iloilo City can’t afford to experience the same.

Two weeks ago, MIWD officials called for a press conference and declared they see no need for an immediate privatization of the government-run water utility.

Although they are open for any move to privatize the water utility, privatization might not be the answer to the growing demands of water supply, said MIWD Chairman of the Board Norberto Posecion.

Once the MIWD will be under a private company, he added, its existence will be “for business and not for public service.”

The MIWD, however admitted, that they are having a hard time identifying another steady source of water as river water due to pollution are contaminated with heavy metals like lead, mercury and zinc.

Rain impounding is one of those ways they are studying to augment the water supply in the city and other nearby towns of Maasin, Sta. Barbara, Cabatuan, Pavia and Oton.

source: The ILOILO Daily Informer (http://dailyinformer.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1277&Itemid=137)

Hey!!!! we can make a thread for that ha!!!! para sa bacolod and iloilo and the rest of western Visayas. :) thats awesome bernie... :) wow!!! i like the sound of it...daw ka italiano sang dating!!!! hahahaha

i wonder what the name of this thread will be since it covers the whole WV region? there's the kinaray-a of the interior towns of iloilo, the ilonggo language of both cities of bacolod and iloilo and their respective surrounding nearby areas. there's the distinct kind of ilonggo spoken by the people of capiz province. there's the akeanon of aklan. and finally, a number of cebuano speaking places in the negros occidental province! so guys, any suggestion(s) for our region's multi languages/dialects?:)

We did have a thread for this topic. Thread 1 was already archived. Here’s the link:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=418007


I believe we already have that kind of thread. It's in the Heritage section. The title of the thread I think is La Lengua Panayana.


We did have an Panay-Ilonggo language thread but I can't find it anywhere,.


You’re right @bern. Thread 2 was nowhere to be found! It’s suppose to be in the Photography, Heritage and Architecture sub-forum. Pero ngaa wala na sya didto. I looked for it in Thread Archives but it's also not there.

We did have a thread for this topic. Thread 1 was already archived. Here’s the link:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=418007






You’re right @bern. Thread 2 was nowhere to be found! It’s suppose to be in the Photography, Heritage and Architecture sub-forum. Pero ngaa wala na sya didto. I looked for it in Thread Archives but it's also not there.

oh, ok! thanx for the info!:) i'm not aware there are already existing threads about this/these toipic(s).

for Megaworld, :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

grabe na gid ya Manduriao no..pero mas nami man dyapon lapaz eh:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: kompleto..may gina proposed nga sm mall may hospital nga gina prosposed 15 million dollar hospital..may proposed 12 story buildingtv station sang bombo may hotel may sofia lodge bayate store kompleto:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: may pawshop man:nuts: :cheers:

2 firms offer to buy old airport site
By Nestor P. Burgos Jr,

After two failed attempts to bid the site of the old Iloilo airport, two prospective buyers have submitted proposals to acquire the 54-hectare prime lot, according to the head of the bids and awards committee of the Department of Finance yesterday.

Finance Undersecretary John Phillip Sevilla said that two parties had beaten the deadline yesterday to submit negotiated proposals for the old airport site in Mandurriao District.

Sevilla refused to disclose the identities of the interested buyers but said one of them also submitted its bid in the two previous bidding of the property. He also refused to disclose the proposed price submitted by the two parties.

"The Privatization Council will decide in two or three days on the proposals," Sevilla said in a telephone interview.

........

source: The News Today (http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/07/31/2.firms.offer.to.buy.old.airport.site.html)



Sniff! Sniff! Megaworld has come out in the open. Who could be the other one? Is it Ayala Land? ;)

MEGAWORLD WINS THE BID ! Tapos na ang bidding. Any other bidders pasabad-sabad na lang ina. ha ha. Joke only. Here's the best read !

SOLD!
Megaworld bids P1.2B for old airport site
By Francis Allan L. Angelo

FINALLY, a land developer may have won the bidding for the old Iloilo airport lot in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

Iloilo City mayor Jerry Treñas confirmed that Megaworld Corp. met the P1.2-billion minimum bid price set by the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the Department of Finance.

The BAC is chaired by Department of Finance Undersecretary John Philip Sevilla who is in charged of government’s privatization program.
Citing information from Atty. Giovanni Miraflores, the city government’s representative to the bidding process, Treñas said the BAC approved yesterday Megaworld’s bid for the 54-hectare old airport lot.

Treñas said the Megaworld offer will be submitted today to the Privatization Council for its approval.

“It’s (airport lot) considered sold since Megaworld satisfied the bid price set by the BAC and the Privatization Council. They will pay in cash which is a very big help to the government,” Treñas said.

The Privatization Council is composed of the Departments of Finance, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Budget Management, the Department of Justice and the National Economic Development Authority.

The BAC based its bid price on prevailing land valuation and the appraisal of CB Richard Ellis which ranged from P500 million to P2 billion.

Megaworld beat Robinson’s Land Corp. which offered to buy the property for more than P900 million.

Treñas said Megaworld’s bid is the biggest single investment in the city during his term.

“This only shows the business community’s high level of confidence in our city,” he added.

GROWTH AREA

In a statement, Megaworld said it will apply for a license at the Philippine Economic Zone Authority to transform the old airport property into a new business district.

Megaworld, which pioneered the development of cyberparks, said business process outsourcing (BPO) companies may be interested to set up offices in the Visayas region.

The old airport is seen as the new growth area in the city after the New Iloilo Airport in Cabatuan-Sta. Barbara towns opened in June.

Before the bidding was conducted, Treñas met with the developers and encouraged them to put up commercial buildings, Information Technology (IT) park, government offices hospital, convention center and theme park.

Megaworld is one of the five land developers that expressed intention to buy and develop the airport lot.

The other bidders were SM Prime Holdings Inc., the Philippines’ leading mall developer and operator; Megaworld’s Empire East Land Holdings Inc.; Robinson’s Land Corp., the property unit of Gokongwei family-led JG Summit Holdings Inc.; Gotianun family-led Filinvest Land Inc.; and Rockwell Land Corp., the real estate unit of Lopez family-led Benpres Holdings Corp.

The first bidding for the airport lot was held May 9 but it was declared a failure after none of the three bidders met the P1.2-billion price.

Megaworld, through its investment arm Empire East Land Holdings Inc., initially offered P701 million for the property.

SM Prime Holdings Inc. offered P435.7 million for the old airport while Robinson’s Land’s bid was P1.089 billion.

Based on its official website, Megaworld ventured into large-scale developments that combine residential, business and commercial components.

One of its major project is Eastwood City, a “live-work-play” community centered on the Eastwood City CyberPark, the country’s first business process outsourcing hub.

Eastwood City laid out a blueprint for Megaworld’s rise as a developer of mega-projects in Metro Manila that include Forbes Town Center in Bonifacio Global City, McKinley Hill in Fort Bonifacio and Newport City at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

source: The Guardian ILOILO (http://www.theguardianiloilo.ph/)

Sniff! Sniff! Megaworld has come out in the open. Who could be the other one? Is it Ayala Land? ;)
No to Ayala for the old airport's site. Ayala will soon find its own place in Iloilo but not within the city. They're still scouting as far as I know (courtesy of a friend) though the residential Ayala in Iloilo will be up and announce towards the end of the year for their initial project in Iloilo. Ayala needs bigger space since they want more than 54 hectares and the city cannot offer more commercial area for Ayala. I think Ayala is keen on nearby municipalities like Sta Barbara, Oton and Leganes-Zarraga. Just watch out for it in 1 to 2 years time. Definitely, Ayala Land will purchase their own center in Iloilo apart from the upcoming residential one this year.

grabe na gid ya Manduriao no..pero mas nami man dyapon lapaz eh:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: kompleto..may gina proposed nga sm mall may hospital nga gina prosposed 15 million dollar hospital..may proposed 12 story buildingtv station sang bombo may hotel may sofia lodge bayate store kompleto:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: may pawshop man:nuts: :cheers:
uymarcelo, I have no idea what all these proposals? Tuod gid man ini or just a joke. I'm not so sure if SM is still keen in erecting another mall within the city area. As of today, there are already 4 SM in Iloilo City - 1 in Mandurriao (SM CITY), 1 in City Proper (SM DELGADO Mall), 2 in Jaro (SM Jaro and SM Quintin Salas) with Delgado and Jaro undergoing expansion. Maybe sa hospital siguro puwede pa or hotels, etc BUT still no indication that LaPaz is progressing that drastically unless we haven't know things much ongoing dira.

for Megaworld, :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
I'm glad it's Megaworld. Nakibot siuro ang Robinson's gulpi lang nag-offer ang Megaworld sang dako. ha ha. It's a tactic lang before. The developer just want to know how much is the bid florr price. See, they go all the way.

Btw, I agree with Trenas. Maybe this time, Megaworld sees bigger prospects that why a big jump from their earlier offer during the first bid - from 700 million to 1.2 billion. And the see bigger economic activities happening in Iloilo at present. Like you said, old Iloilo Mandurriao Airport will be the NEXT BIG THING - the next Eastwood City in the South. Paspas Noy !

FINALLY, a land developer may have won the bidding for the old Iloilo airport lot in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

Conditional pa. Hindi pa definite. :)

I'm glad all Iloilo's claims are backed up with history. Isn't it amazing? :cheers:

i believe it's a definite now. I don't think the other developer (most likely Robinson's Land) will offer more than a billion peso. Between the 2, I go for Megaworld.

MANDURRIAO AIRPORT
SOLD
:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

uymarcelo, I have no idea what all these proposals? Tuod gid man ini or just a joke. I'm not so sure if SM is still keen in erecting another mall within the city area. As of today, there are already 4 SM in Iloilo City - 1 in Mandurriao (SM CITY), 1 in City Proper (SM DELGADO Mall), 2 in Jaro (SM Jaro and SM Quintin Salas) with Delgado and Jaro undergoing expansion. Maybe sa hospital siguro puwede pa or hotels, etc BUT still no indication that LaPaz is progressing that drastically unless we haven't know things much ongoing dira.


I'm glad it's Megaworld. Nakibot siuro ang Robinson's gulpi lang nag-offer ang Megaworld sang dako. ha ha. It's a tactic lang before. The developer just want to know how much is the bid florr price. See, they go all the way.

Btw, I agree with Trenas. Maybe this time, Megaworld sees bigger prospects that why a big jump from their earlier offer during the first bid - from 700 million to 1.2 billion. And the see bigger economic activities happening in Iloilo at present. Like you said, old Iloilo Mandurriao Airport will be the NEXT BIG THING - the next Eastwood City in the South. Paspas Noy !
daw SM supermarket lang nga may jollibee:lol: :lol: :lol: proposed lang na dugay na..hambal sang taga sulod:)

Business

Megaworld firms up P1.2-B offer for old Iloilo airport

By Zinnia B. Dela Peña
Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Upscale property developer Megaworld Corp. has firmed up its intention to purchase the 54.5-hectare old Iloilo airport in Mandurriao, Iloilo City with a bid of P1.2 billion.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Megaworld said it has submitted to the Department of Finance its firm offer to bid for the property located less than four kilometers from the downtown area of Iloilo City.

Megaworld said it intends to transform the property into a new business district should it win the bidding.

“Upon acceptance of Megaworld’s offer and consummation of the deal, Megaworld will apply with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) for a special economic zone license for the project,” Megaworld said.

“Megaworld envisions the project to become a magnet for major business process outsourcing (BPO) companies interested to set up shop in the Visayas region. In addition to office buildings for the BPO industry, the project will host educational facilities geared to provide value-added training to equip prospective employees with the necessary skills suited to the requirements of the call centers and other BPO businesses that will be based in the Megaworld project,” the company added.

Megaworld is the pioneer developer of urban information technology/BPO parks in the country, leading off with the PEZA-accredited Eastwood City Cyberpark in Libis.

Megaworld is targeting to build at least 500,000 square meters of office space in the next five years as it seeks to address the tight supply of premium space for the burgeoning BPO sector. The company hopes to complete about 200,000 to 250,000 square meters of office space — almost 50 percent of its target — in 2007 and 2008 alone.

The company currently has five new high-tech office projects at Eastwood. One of them, the E-Commerce Plaza, shall make available about 20,000 square meters of office space by yearend. The second phase of 1880 Eastwood Avenue, meanwhile, will offer some 35,000 square meters of leasable space and is slated for completion by the second quarter of 2008.

At present, Megaworld is developing several townships in other parts of Metro Manila, namely Newport City at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, McKinley Hill at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City and Cityplace in Manila’s Chinatown district.

Megaworld reported a 67 percent growth in its first half net income this year to P1.45 billion from P867.55 million a year ago, on the back of robust growth from its core residential and BPO businesses.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Business&p=49&type=2&sec=27&aid=2007073176

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee! The best NEWS ever!

So its MegaWorld! The pioneer in BPO! Wowwowo! MAybe they realized that since BPO is EXPLODING right now (ginakulang gid ya sang floor space)... to think that the income from BPO last year is ALMOST equal to the amount that is being sent as remittance by OFW... BPO HAS LONG WAY TO GO!

Right now... who knows 2-3 yaerrs from now mas dako pa kitaon sang Philippines economy compare sa OFW remittance since this companies bring in dollars as investment and salary to workers. It is expected that the workers will rtriple in numbers in next yaer or two.

:D

GO GO GO ILOILO! ARANGKA NAAAAAAAAAAAA!:cheers: :banana: :banana:

^^ Yehey! Padayon Iloilo! :banana: So, if there is Eastwood, there may be Westwood too? hehehe!! :lol:

finally some great piece of news for the old airport! yey!
with this investment Iloilo will really live up to its theme as The NeXt Big Overture to Innovation!

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Business&p=49&type=2&sec=27&aid=2007073176

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee! The best NEWS ever!

So its MegaWorld! The pioneer in BPO! Wowwowo! MAybe they realized that since BPO is EXPLODING right now (ginakulang gid ya sang floor space)... to think that the income from BPO last year is ALMOST equal to the amount that is being sent as remittance by OFW... BPO HAS LONG WAY TO GO!

Right now... who knows 2-3 yaerrs from now mas dako pa kitaon sang Philippines economy compare sa OFW remittance since this companies bring in dollars as investment and salary to workers. It is expected that the workers will rtriple in numbers in next yaer or two.

:D

GO GO GO ILOILO! ARANGKA NAAAAAAAAAAAA!:cheers: :banana: :banana:
It;s all over the paper, local and national dailies. Iloilo is indeed making wave in business sector. I;m just happy with what's going on in Iloilo at present. I can envision the old Mandurriao airport site turning into the city's newest and most modern business districts. I'm sure, with the entrance of Megaworld in Iloilo, BPOs will start relocating na sa aton. It's a big relief gid sa tanan ining ginhimo sang Megaworld. Now, we xan move to other projects. The list of developments in Iloilo is ongoing. May the force be with us all. Yehey !


daw SM supermarket lang nga may jollibee:lol: :lol: :lol: proposed lang na dugay na..hambal sang taga sulod:)

alrighty. No idea at all. I hope SM will not eat 75% of Iloilo retailing industry. SM is very aggressive in Iloilo. Their developments are very regular. With ongoing expansions of their 2 stores, look like SM is poised is gearing to dominate 90^ of Iloilo retailing industry. I think it's high time for other ig players to enter Iloilo market. Any idea if Robinsons, Gaisano, Iloilo Supermart are planning for another mall within the metro areas?

^^ Yehey! Padayon Iloilo! :banana: So, if there is Eastwood, there may be Westwood too? hehehe!! :lol:

@Sam. Please read your PM, and kindly reply in the PM not publicly. Thank You! ;)
I like that. Westwood City. West and west ang dating.
Keep them all coming - business, investments, projects and proposals alike.


finally some great piece of news for the old airport! yey!
with this investment Iloilo will really live up to its theme as The NeXt Big Overture to Innovation!

That's right, Incognito. We're slowly fully all the "next-es".

grabe na gid ya Manduriao no..pero mas nami man dyapon lapaz eh:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: kompleto..may gina proposed nga sm mall may hospital nga gina prosposed 15 million dollar hospital..may proposed 12 story buildingtv station sang bombo may hotel may sofia lodge bayate store kompleto:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: may pawshop man:nuts: :cheers:

SM Mall in Lapaz? hmm haven't heard of that yet... so far if this would push thru the possible location would be in Coastal Road Area where ST. Pauls is currently building the new campus... plus the area is wide and its near most high end subdivisions....if its just a supermarket like Jaro then pwede gid.

What about the $15M hospital> Is this the chinese hospital? neverheard of this before.

So bombo will be erecting a 12 story building cum tv station? hmm gotta research on this... anyway this is good news if these projects will be in Lapaz!

:banana: :banana:

Sniff! Sniff! Megaworld has come out in the open. Who could be the other one? Is it Ayala Land? ;)

Ayala would probably be in Pavia/Ungka/Sta. Barbara/San Miguel Area or even Leganes....

__________
Megaworld is targeting to build at least 500,000 square meters of office space in the next five years as it seeks to address the tight supply of premium space for the burgeoning BPO sector. The company hopes to complete about 200,000 to 250,000 square meters of office space — almost 50 percent of its target — in 2007 and 2008 alone.

wow! look at that size its like the size of 5 SM CITY... so if we could get around 200-250K sq meters of that... ILOILO surely would be haven for BPOs and would employ more ILONGGOS! Hala Bira! :banana: :banana: :banana:

Arangka na! Hala Bira ILOILO! Sulong sa Pagbag-o!:cheers:

I'm just praying that this time, there would no be no more "Muelle Loney" sagas, extortion from politicians, politics and misunderstandings like what happened to the Sys and the Luzurriagas almost a decade ago.

Kon padayunon ta ni, mas maayo para sa ikausawag sang Kabisay-ang/Bisayas Nakatundan! :okay:

I'm just praying that this time, there would no be no more "Muelle Loney" sagas, extortion from politicians, politics and misunderstandings like what happened to the Sys and the Luzurriagas almost a decade ago.

Kon padayunon ta ni, mas maayo para sa ikausawag sang Kabisay-ang/Bisayas Nakatundan! :okay:

Laban-laban wala na Berns... These will be Mayor Jerry Trenas Legacy to the Ilonggo populace.... and I know he is smart enough not to ruin this. I give him credit for that... I mean a Bar TOPNOTCHER Ateneo Alumni would surely be worth it! Besides this is actually on a national scale even DOF know about this.

He's Legacy would be the NEW ILOILO CITY HALL and the Mandurriao CBD.

Nice work Mayor Jerry!:cheers:

Next JOB to do: What about POWER? We have investors now Mayor Jerry...whats next?

^^ If Megaworld would continue its application thru PEZA, then power rates would go down since right now, PEZA is studying on lowering down the rates on special economic zones and PEZA accredited establishments and parks so that we can be competitive not just for our city but for our country as well.

It would surely attract investors, adding up to the tax incentives in that area and Iloilo has a good market already. The problem really lies either with politicians, infrastructures and some of our citizens as well.

Philippines has one of the most expensive power rates in Asia, not just Iloilo City.

I'm just praying that this time, there would no be no more "Muelle Loney" sagas, extortion from politicians, politics and misunderstandings like what happened to the Sys and the Luzurriagas almost a decade ago.

Kon padayunon ta ni, mas maayo para sa ikausawag sang Kabisay-ang/Bisayas Nakatundan! :okay:
we've learned our lesson in the past. But by saying this, we still need to be viggilant. Likewise, Iloilo City's economy is moving away from politics, etc. It's shaping its own now sans politics ......... slowly.

^^ If Megaworld would continue its application thru PEZA, then power rates would go down since right now, PEZA is studying on lowering down the rates on special economic zones and PEZA accredited establishments and parks so that we can be competitive not just for our city but for our country as well.

It would surely attract investors, adding up to the tax incentives in that area and Iloilo has a good market already. The problem really lies either with politicians, infrastructures and some of our citizens as well.

Philippines has one of the most expensive power rates in Asia, not just Iloilo City.
I think PEZA will approve it anyway. May backing pa sila sang Capitol and City Hall. I'm sure few BPO investors are thinking of locating in Iloilo by now. It's very exciting time for all in Iloilo. Imagine after the new airport, here comes a billion investment in Iloilo. To say that it is just a land investment. How much more the businesses and investments this Megaworld will bring to Iloilo?

Laban-laban wala na Berns... These will be Mayor Jerry Trenas Legacy to the Ilonggo populace.... and I know he is smart enough not to ruin this. I give him credit for that... I mean a Bar TOPNOTCHER Ateneo Alumni would surely be worth it! Besides this is actually on a national scale even DOF know about this.

He's Legacy would be the NEW ILOILO CITY HALL and the Mandurriao CBD.

Nice work Mayor Jerry!:cheers:

Next JOB to do: What about POWER? We have investors now Mayor Jerry...whats next?
I believe in Mayor Jerry most of the time. I think he's the best mayor Iloilo City has (til the present). By the time he leaves city hall, the hardwork he outs will definitely bear good fruits.

We need intense mobilization since Iloilo City is quite moving forward now. Lacking space, we need now to mobilize the other towns outside the city.

No wonder kada-bulan ila nga executive meeting sa MIGEDC. :D

Congrats ILOILO!!!!!

:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

Guys, remember the Pro-Friends pic that I posted? I think they are creating a new community/subdivision in Aganan Pavia. Haynaku, I still prefer living in the banwa sang Pavia, hehe! :banana:

Guys, on the darker side...Whats happening with the dengue cases? Is it being blown up by the media? Visayas is experiencing dengue cases and fatalities and fogging is not the only solution in minimizing dengue.

We need intense mobilization since Iloilo City is quite moving forward now. Lacking space, we need now to mobilize the other towns outside the city.

No wonder kada-bulan ila nga executive meeting sa MIGEDC. :D
it's not far from reality. If Pavia, Oton and Sta Barbara are all experiencing influx of investors right now, I think it will double or triple in 2 to 3 years time.

I still remember one posters in the past saying that MIGEDC is nothing, only to be slapped in the wrist of what is going now in Iloilo abd the MIG towns. We have laid our foundations supported by international agencies, I don't think we can ever be faulted again.

Take a bow.

Congrats ILOILO!!!!!

:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:
thank you, smile. I'm sure Bacolod is doing well as well. More developments coming to Western Visayas region. And with Boracay on our side, tourism in the region is by far unstoppable. We really need to be assertive to further our economy. The region is growing fast. Although Iloilo is leading, Bacolod is not far behind. These two major cities of the region will surely boost the region's economy in all ways. We can see the changes already. Let's help the ball rolls for our region's development. Soon, Guimaras and Antique tourism will pick up to strengthen our tourism bid.

Guys, remember the Pro-Friends pic that I posted? I think they are creating a new community/subdivision in Aganan Pavia. Haynaku, I still prefer living in the banwa sang Pavia, hehe! :banana:

Guys, on the darker side...Whats happening with the dengue cases? Is it being blown up by the media? Visayas is experiencing dengue cases and fatalities and fogging is not the only solution in minimizing dengue.
More subdivisions for Pavia? Oh my. What happened to RAIC? iS raic turning into Regional Housing Center? We need industries for Pavia. Oton, Leganes, Sta Barbara and San Miguel can take all these new subdivisions. There are already plenty new subdivision in Pavia at present. I don't know why property developers choos Pavia to be the site of their property projects?

thank you, smile. I'm sure Bacolod is doing well as well. More developments coming to Western Visayas region. And with Boracay on our side, tourism in the region is by far unstoppable. We really need to be assertive to further our economy. The region is growing fast. Although Iloilo is leading, Bacolod is not far behind. These two major cities of the region will surely boost the region's economy in all ways. We can see the changes already. Let's help the ball rolls for our region's development. Soon, Guimaras and Antique tourism will pick up to strengthen our tourism bid.


More subdivisions for Pavia? Oh my. What happened to RAIC? iS raic turning into Regional Housing Center? We need industries for Pavia. Oton, Leganes, Sta Barbara and San Miguel can take all these new subdivisions. There are already plenty new subdivision in Pavia at present. I don't know why property developers choos Pavia to be the site of their property projects?

I have no idea but most of the industrial areas in Pavia is along the highway and majority of the lands in Pavia are still agricultural/residential.

Its just in Ungka, ByPass (Mali-ao) and Cabugao Sur and also Aganan are the industrial sites for Pavia.

Anyway, Welcome Megaworld!
http://www.megaworldcorp.com/img/header/topbar.gif

okay then. For me, it's much better if Pavia serves mainly as the industrial hub for Iloilo. Leganes is also developing industrial area and so with Barotac Nuevo but when it comes to place for industrial investments, Pavia is definitely the place to be.

The Asian connection


http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/01/athena1.jpg http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/01/athena4.jpg http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/01/athena6.jpg

Athena Language Center, one of the flourishing centers for English language here in Iloilo City, held its culminating activity at SM City Iloilo recently.

They showcased the Asian, mostly Korean students' learnings in the said center as well as their take on the environment and other issues.

The educational portion was followed by a fashion show featuring the collection of veteran designer Mandy Salcedo. The students were transformed into ramp models and even Salcedo was amazed on how well they could carry his designs.

It was a fun-filled activity at the mall that was hosted by one of Athena's teachers, Candy Doronila.

And as if the enjoyment was not enough, the students trooped to Iloilo City's different clubs and capped the celebration with lots of partying!

As one Korean student said, "Iloilo rocks!"

http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/01/athena5.jpg http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/01/athena3.jpg http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/01/athena7.jpg


source: The News Today (http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/01/the.asian.connection.html)

^^ ^^
Iloilo Fashion Industry is really S O A R I N G - H I G H !

SamwiseGamgee :cheers1: berniemacksouthcentr

^^ Diplomacy is the best policy. :)

Paghidait sa tanan kag maayong gab-i! :)

The Asian connection


http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/01/athena1.jpg http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/01/athena4.jpg http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/01/athena6.jpg

Athena Language Center, one of the flourishing centers for English language here in Iloilo City, held its culminating activity at SM City Iloilo recently.

They showcased the Asian, mostly Korean students' learnings in the said center as well as their take on the environment and other issues.

The educational portion was followed by a fashion show featuring the collection of veteran designer Mandy Salcedo. The students were transformed into ramp models and even Salcedo was amazed on how well they could carry his designs.

It was a fun-filled activity at the mall that was hosted by one of Athena's teachers, Candy Doronila.

And as if the enjoyment was not enough, the students trooped to Iloilo City's different clubs and capped the celebration with lots of partying!

As one Korean student said, "Iloilo rocks!"

http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/01/athena5.jpg http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/01/athena3.jpg http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/01/athena7.jpg


source: The News Today (http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/01/the.asian.connection.html)

^^ ^^
Iloilo Fashion Industry is really S O A R I N G - H I G H !



sorry ha, I just can't help it. Language Center, then culminating activity is fashion show :lol:

keep all infos coming for a progressive Iloilo. Any new commercial establishments coming up? Otherwise, I'll call Iloilo again. he he

it's one of the reason why fashion is thriving in Iloilo. Even sa schools, they are promoting fashion ideas. Yohooo !

gud evening ilonggo....i love iloilo...i been there last yer...great development.......GO forward

We did have an Panay-Ilonggo language thread but I can't find it anywhere,.
Hey!!!! we can make a thread for that ha!!!! para sa bacolod and iloilo and the rest of western Visayas. :) thats awesome bernie... :) wow!!! i like the sound of it...daw ka italiano sang dating!!!! hahahaha
i wonder what the name of this thread will be since it covers the whole WV region? there's the kinaray-a of the interior towns of iloilo, the ilonggo language of both cities of bacolod and iloilo and their respective surrounding nearby areas. there's the distinct kind of ilonggo spoken by the people of capiz province. there's the akeanon of aklan. and finally, a number of cebuano speaking places in the negros occidental province! so guys, any suggestion(s) for our region's multi languages/dialects?:)
I believe we already have that kind of thread. It's in the Heritage section. The title of the thread I think is La Lengua Panayana.
We did have a thread for this topic. Thread 1 was already archived. Here’s the link:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=418007

You’re right @bern. Thread 2 was nowhere to be found! It’s suppose to be in the Photography, Heritage and Architecture sub-forum. Pero ngaa wala na sya didto. I looked for it in Thread Archives but it's also not there.


Did some digging and I found the thread you guys are talking about. Click here (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=464226)! :okay:

Did some digging and I found the thread you guys are talking about. Click here (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=464226)! :okay:

Thanks a bunch kimber! :D

In Iloilo
We've got it all for you...
http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/702/imgp9986vd1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

^^Nice! :okay:

So they converted the SM Supermarket in Jaro as another SaveMore outlet of SM. Good! :okay:

Thanks a bunch kimber! :D

You're welcome Kent! :okay:

looks like they did not go all the way through the parking lot..or its just my eyes playing on me hehehe

In Iloilo
We've got it all for you...
http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/702/imgp9986vd1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Next stop, SM City Iloilo. I've heard from Van that they will be proceeding with renovating SM City Iloilo along with SM City Cebu but I'm not definite on when will they start.

SM City Bacolod has already its Fiesta Strip in the north and soon Iloilo will follow suit.

The concept of Fiesta Strip is simple: A strip of restaurants, bars and coffeeshop similar to Robinsons Iloilo's "Paseo Iloilo".

^^ To be exact, either the City Hall and the Provincial Capitol. The tallest establishments in Iloilo are government offices and church belfries. Only a few commercial buildings stand beyond 5 stories due to risks.

what risks?

;14567152']what risks?

Risks of liquefaction and collapsing buildings. Iloilo City is swampy and bedrock is so deep. Right now, engineers are limiting to a maximum of 8 stories in Iloilo since the foundation may not support the weight of their own building due to the soil classification which is alluvial soil (mostly clay).

As an architect Boyet, unsa nimo nga nahibaw-an para pwede makapatindog og edipisyo nga high-rise given the risk of the soil composition that Iloilo City has? Thanks! :)

piles piles and more piles :D

yan din ang problema sa davao, malambot ang lupa sa donwtown..

my gf (whos a civil engr) told me na dapat daw pala ang mp is nasa 23 pero dahil sa lupa (lumubog daw sabi ng prof nila ) na cut to 19 :D

pero if theres a will (and funds) kahit pa siguro malambot pwede,

^^ Whoa! Shocked there Boyet. Downtown Davao has a soft soil composition? Maybe because of the presence of Davao River.

Pero piles man pud bai but makit-an man pud nimo ang pagka-swampy sa amo nga lugara. Pero anyway, funds and more funds are needed to construct a high-rise in Iloilo City.

yeah mukhang swampy nga ang iloilo considering its bounded by different bodies of water, yung sa davao ewan bat ganun, pero tignan mo kahit ateneo na 7-8 storeys lang ang tagal nag piles nun..im not sure lang sa norhtern area (like sa riverfront cc since matigas daw ang soil dun)

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1264/975386331_ffdcf42c49.jpg?v=0
The Atrium and the Provincial Capitol

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1316/975450745_a3f9448e36.jpg?v=0
Jaro Belfry, Jaro District, Iloilo City

------------------------------------
Did Toto Chy already post this?
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1056/975386321_0636c60bf8.jpg?v=0
Chymera, his classmate and me in Janiuay Cemetery
Picture Courtesy of Chymera00 of SSC.

teka ilang SM na meron sa iloilo? 3? 4? dami nyo SM ha!

^^ four SM branches, two large departmet stores and two malls.

1 SM Department Store and Supermaket StandAlone: SM Delgado
1 SM Supermall: SM City Iloilo
2 SM Savemore: Jaro Plaza and Jaro Town Square, Brgy Quintin Salas Jaro

We had one before, SM Guanco but as what the rumor had told that due to the Luzurriaga and Sy's not so good business partnership, it was renamed Store Ko! and was burned due to an unknown origin.

^^ four SM branches, two large departmet stores and two malls.

how big are the large department stores?

^^@Waway pansin ko naging a la sinjin ka na rin ha!? :D (No offense meant to Master Sinjin :master:) :jk: :nocrook:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1229/976422786_6a45237c9f_o.jpg
Western portion of Iloilo City Proper (viewed from Forbes Bridge)

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1168/976422744_e295b8c067_o.jpg
The Provincial Capitol, The Aduana and the River

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1036/975665293_dec1ce0f81_b.jpg
Calle Real, early in the morning!

ganda ng capitol!

@oboi at bat naman ako naging ala sinjin?

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1292/976663062_b174b73bda_b.jpg
La Aduana by Morning

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1228/976663440_87cee84983_o.jpg
Fontana Arroyo, Iloilo City

The new CBD of Iloilo City: Mandurriao District

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1423/976744020_04b9ff3d19_b.jpg

I adjusted the picture so that you could see the details. This picture has been taken on May 2007.

for me, iloilo has the best setting of all philippine cities

;14568564']
@oboi at bat naman ako naging ala sinjin?

mahilig kasi sya magtanong about malls, etc., etc. tapos he has this thing with figures like GFA and GLA. Yun lang... :)

Sorry OT ako. :D

I'm anticipating more development news to come out on the days ahead.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1316/975450745_a3f9448e36.jpg?v=0
Jaro Belfry, Jaro District, Iloilo City



I like the composition and the angle of this photo. Good job bernie!

The new CBD of Iloilo City: Mandurriao District

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1423/976744020_04b9ff3d19_b.jpg

I adjusted the picture so that you could see the details. This picture has been taken on May 2007.

sa diin diri nayon ang ateneo de iloilo?

In Iloilo
We've got it all for you...
http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/702/imgp9986vd1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
thanks for posting the updates for SM Jaro. It looks really nice, well nicer than the previous one. Pero pamangkot lang, did they expand the store? Facade lang abi makit-an. I hope they use portion of parking space ng space to widen the SM Jaro. Any idea?

Next stop, SM City Iloilo. I've heard from Van that they will be proceeding with renovating SM City Iloilo along with SM City Cebu but I'm not definite on when will they start.

SM City Bacolod has already its Fiesta Strip in the north and soon Iloilo will follow suit.

The concept of Fiesta Strip is simple: A strip of restaurants, bars and coffeeshop similar to Robinsons Iloilo's "Paseo Iloilo".
I'm kinda not sold with the idea of fiesta strip at SM City. It sounds good, etc but I want SM City to expand fully in terms of area like building another building as big as the present one. I think it is much better than creating array of food stalls outside the mall area.

1 SM Department Store and Supermaket StandAlone: SM Delgado
1 SM Supermall: SM City Iloilo
2 SM Savemore: Jaro Plaza and Jaro Town Square, Brgy Quintin Salas Jaro

We had one before, SM Guanco but as what the rumor had told that due to the Luzurriaga and Sy's not so good business partnership, it was renamed Store Ko! and was burned due to an unknown origin.
there was a problem with Sy and Luzuriaga that prompted the closure of SM Supermarket in Guanco. But I think SM is still keen to increase the number of its supermarkets in Iloilo. The Savemore is moving really well considering that there are 2 SM Savemore Supermarkets in Iloilo now, all in Jaro district.

first of all, great pictures Bernie. Thanks.

sa diin diri nayon ang ateneo de iloilo?
Ateneo de Iloilo new campus is somewhere near SM City. I think it's between SM City and Smallville actually. Nalipat na ako. But Wecky has a photo of it sang nagpauli dira siya.

gud evening ilonggo....i love iloilo...i been there last yer...great development.......GO forward
Thank you, transparo. Keep coming back to Iloilo. Right now, Iloilo City is economically moving well. And with all infrastructures ongoing at present, the city evolves quite drastically. I wonder how the city will look like in 3 to five years time. I could not imagine driving back home again cos I might get lost along the way.

So they converted the SM Supermarket in Jaro as another SaveMore outlet of SM. Good! :okay:
Looks much better, isn't it? The colour even suits the new building. Not a regular navy blue and white colour SM used all the time.

Btw, have you read smile77 post regarding SM planning to build SM Savemore in LaPaz? It's a very good move but I'm not supporting it. SM should start relocating outside the city or within the periphery of the city. If another 1 or 2 SM Savemores will be bult in the city area, I think Iloilo City will be saturated by SM then. Imagine if all the districts will have SM in them? My gosh, it's a very strong hold na for SM and will be very difficult for any retailers to penetrate Iloilo. But why Robinson's and Gaisano not aggressive like SM? The only competition SM's have in Iloilo is the Iloilo Supermart where they are almost equal in terms of number of branches plus Iloilo Supermart are now increasing in size as well, with the main center in The Atirum.

sa diin diri nayon ang ateneo de iloilo?

Here we go. ADI-Santa Maria Campus is located here at the indicated label since the bulldozers and a big tarpaulin along the Tabucan-Sn Rafael Road says that it is on this site that the campus will rise.

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h291/berniemacksouthcentral/Image000X-1.jpg

Here we go. ADI-Santa Maria Campus is located here at the indicated label since the bulldozers and a big tarpaulin along the Tabucan-Sn Rafael Road says that it is on this site that the campus will rise.

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h291/berniemacksouthcentral/Image000X-1.jpg

thanks for the info bernie. are they also going to fill up the rest of the swampy area? wow, there's a lot of space for development.

thanks for the info bernie. are they also going to fill up the rest of the swampy area? wow, there's a lot of space for development.

I think so since the Pisons are gradually either selling or leasing their "hasinda" for prospective investors.

In the zoning map of Iloilo City, the area is categorized as Commercial-3 (maybe upscale or something)

on the other hand:

Ilonggo film to vie in Cannes festival

The first full length Ilonggo film in the past three decades will soon see credits at the Cannes Film Festival in France when its producer-director Joenar Pueblo finishes its sneak preview run in Iloilo City cinemas this month.

Sine Ilonggo, in cooperation with Mowelfund and Robinson's Place Iloilo presented a taste of the local film "Dagyang" July 31 at the shopping mall cinema with Iloilo governor Niel D. Tupas and city vice mayor Jed Mabilog leading the early viewers.

Dagyang, a more than one hour film depicting local talents, local scenes and customs, will have its regular one week run in theaters here at the end of this month.

Led by city councilor Julienne Baronda and commercial model Erwin Chiongson, the film shows the much vaunted sorcery of "manoghiwit", the Binanog dance of the "binukot" lass in central Panay, the siege of Iloilo provincial capitol last year and the premier tourism event Dinagyang Festival, on top of various tourism landmarks and places of interest in Iloilo.

It also shows-off the best "La Paz batchoy" soup and delicacies of Iloilo and the tradition of the Ilonggos in respect of their elders.

Pueblo gambled on the film using minimum resources to show off the genuine Ilonggo traits and come up with an indie film which, he said, can capture the hearts of the European and American people.

Other local artists are Edward Divinagracia acting the role of a television reporter, Geoffrey Obe as the mentally retarded, Joanne Paulette Libo-on as the "binukot" maiden, Rleone Gerochi as an NPA sparrow, and some 50 local talents as extras. (PNA)

_______________

Sulong ILOILO! Hopefully we will get recognized in Cannes Film Festival!:banana:

Way back in the late 70's to early 80's there is ILOILO FILM FESTIVAL and this is where MAricel Soriano won her first "Best Child Actress Award"....

Don't know what happened why we stopped having a FILM FESTIVAL here in ILOILO... to think we have one of the Oldest Cinema House (Regent).

Another update:

Megaworld Corp. offers P1.2B for old Mandurriao airport

Large property developer Megaworld Corp. has offered to acquire the 54-739 hectare old Iloilo airport in Mandurriao district here at a price matching the minimum bid price at P1.2 billion earlier cited by the Privatization Council.

The Council has set the approval of the offer Wednesday. The old Iloilo airport property airport is the subject of 63 titles with transfer certificate of titles (TCT).

Mayor Jerry Treñas welcomed the development. Megaworld plans to transform the property into a business district focusing with the mushrooming business process outsourcing firms (call centers), the mayor said.

The property was auctioned last May 9 but the government rejected all bids since none met its floor price of P1.2 billion.

The floor price was revealed to bidders only after they had submitted their respective bids in the afternoon of May 9.

Robinson's Land Corp. submitted the highest bid of P1,089,478,000. Empire East Holdings Inc.offered P701 million, while SM Prime Holdings Inc. bid P435,791,200.

The government pushed for the sale of the old airport site after it decided to transfer airport operations to a 188-hectare lot straddling the municipalities of Sta. Barbara, Cabatuan and San Miguel, some 20-kilometers central part of the provincial capital.

The Privatization Council comprise the heads of the Departments of Finance, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Budget Management, the Department of Justice and the National Economic Development Authority. (PNA)

http://dailyinformer.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=6&Itemid=68
________________________

Since may TCT na kay approval... almost done deal na! A matter of hours na lang today na ma-finalize ang sale! :cheers:

Go go go ILOILO! Arangkaaaaaaaa na!:banana: :banana: :banana:

I think so since the Pisons are gradually either selling or leasing their "hasinda" for prospective investors.

In the zoning map of Iloilo City, the area is categorized as Commercial-3 (maybe upscale or something)
They'll continue to fill the area, Bernie so leave the asinan. The asinan will soon be a new hub of businesses sa aton. Ginatampukan na nila iban eh. I think it has been rezoned na. Maedyo maayo-ayo na palaabuton sang Iloilo. It's shaping up at present and looks like everyone is so excited sa development sa aton.

Another update:

Megaworld Corp. offers P1.2B for old Mandurriao airport

Large property developer Megaworld Corp. has offered to acquire the 54-739 hectare old Iloilo airport in Mandurriao district here at a price matching the minimum bid price at P1.2 billion earlier cited by the Privatization Council.

The Council has set the approval of the offer Wednesday. The old Iloilo airport property airport is the subject of 63 titles with transfer certificate of titles (TCT).

Mayor Jerry Treñas welcomed the development. Megaworld plans to transform the property into a business district focusing with the mushrooming business process outsourcing firms (call centers), the mayor said.

The property was auctioned last May 9 but the government rejected all bids since none met its floor price of P1.2 billion.

The floor price was revealed to bidders only after they had submitted their respective bids in the afternoon of May 9.

Robinson's Land Corp. submitted the highest bid of P1,089,478,000. Empire East Holdings Inc.offered P701 million, while SM Prime Holdings Inc. bid P435,791,200.

The government pushed for the sale of the old airport site after it decided to transfer airport operations to a 188-hectare lot straddling the municipalities of Sta. Barbara, Cabatuan and San Miguel, some 20-kilometers central part of the provincial capital.

The Privatization Council comprise the heads of the Departments of Finance, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Budget Management, the Department of Justice and the National Economic Development Authority. (PNA)

http://dailyinformer.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=6&Itemid=68
________________________

Since may TCT na kay approval... almost done deal na! A matter of hours na lang today na ma-finalize ang sale! :cheers:

Go go go ILOILO! Arangkaaaaaaaa na!:banana: :banana: :banana:
iy would be stupid if they'll reject it. It's a done deal na. Transfer of title or assets na lang siguro ang matabo. Next we will see will be relocation of squatters. Amidst Trenas telling Megaworld that it would be their concern, I think he is paving ways to help help as well. This is a big project and it will be his legacy to the people of the city.

And please, leave Suplico out of the picture. He's nothing but "paasaway" dira sa capitolyo. I wonder why people vote for him for vice-governor. Damo siya proposals pero wala siya hinimu-an.

Here we go. ADI-Santa Maria Campus is located here at the indicated label since the bulldozers and a big tarpaulin along the Tabucan-Sn Rafael Road says that it is on this site that the campus will rise.
when are they planning to start the construction of their first building? I've heard a very positive response from their alumni here abroad. I think they already have funds for the construction. Ano pa ang ginahulat nila?


Sulong ILOILO! Hopefully we will get recognized in Cannes Film Festival!:banana:

Way back in the late 70's to early 80's there is ILOILO FILM FESTIVAL and this is where MAricel Soriano won her first "Best Child Actress Award"....

Don't know what happened why we stopped having a FILM FESTIVAL here in ILOILO... to think we have one of the Oldest Cinema House (Regent).
Man nagdaog si Rossana Roces sa Iloilo sa Manila wala. ha ha. Anyway, I hope they'll revive the defunct Iloilo Film Festival. I still remember that one time, there's also a Parade of Stars in Iloilo to complement the festivity. Kasadya pa. Anyhow, we're liking to have it all back again. Who knows? :)

^^ They are already. Amo na gani ginatumpokan na sang duta ang lugar para ipreparar ang campus. Indi bala pagdali-dalion ang tanan kay may ara pa da engineering works like soil investigation (since ADI Campus sits on a former salt bed) and they are still using their old campus behind UI.

Sacred Heart School (the Jesuit school of Cebu) had that similar trend. They moved out from their old campus in Mango Avenue (which sometimes creating horrific traffic congestions) to their new campus in Mandaue City. Their move was also gradual.

well, make the pace a little bit faster. :) I'm so impatient about the new AsI campus. I would really love to ask my mga hinablos to go there for their schooling. Paea maiba naman. Loos like we will all be graduating from same school, CPU. Nangin family school ina sa amon pamilya.

well, make the pace a little bit faster. :) I'm so impatient about the new AsI campus. I would really love to ask my mga hinablos to go there for their schooling. Paea maiba naman. Loos like we will all be graduating from same school, CPU. Nangin family school ina sa amon pamilya.

Wait lang toto Space...Patience is a virtue. Ipasulod na bala sila sa Santa Maria School sa downtown. They are still developing the area. Anyway, Oton jeepneys (since the rerouting for the Infante flyover construction) has been passing by the San Rafael By Pass road (which is across the new campus), TMEU might find it feasible.

that I am trying to tell myself. But I had enough of patience already. he he. Nanami-an takon magbasa newspaper about Iloilo subong ah. Kapin pa Business News. Imagine everyday is a developing day for Iloilo. Nver in my entire life I stayd in Iloilo nga amo sini kadasig sang pacing. That's why I can never forgive Ganzon's stupidity for ruining Iloilo City's progress in the past.

^^ Puli na bala di. :D

looks like they did not go all the way through the parking lot..or its just my eyes playing on me hehehe

Next stop, SM City Iloilo. I've heard from Van that they will be proceeding with renovating SM City Iloilo along with SM City Cebu but I'm not definite on when will they start.

SM City Bacolod has already its Fiesta Strip in the north and soon Iloilo will follow suit.

The concept of Fiesta Strip is simple: A strip of restaurants, bars and coffeeshop similar to Robinsons Iloilo's "Paseo Iloilo".

thanks for posting the updates for SM Jaro. It looks really nice, well nicer than the previous one. Pero pamangkot lang, did they expand the store? Facade lang abi makit-an. I hope they use portion of parking space ng space to widen the SM Jaro. Any idea?

I'm kinda not sold with the idea of fiesta strip at SM City. It sounds good, etc but I want SM City to expand fully in terms of area like building another building as big as the present one. I think it is much better than creating array of food stalls outside the mall area.

there was a problem with Sy and Luzuriaga that prompted the closure of SM Supermarket in Guanco. But I think SM is still keen to increase the number of its supermarkets in Iloilo. The Savemore is moving really well considering that there are 2 SM Savemore Supermarkets in Iloilo now, all in Jaro district.

They did not expand SM Jaro. It was just a renovation, inside-out. It could have looked much better if they made it 2 storeys though. If not for the renovation, I'd say SM Jaro was the ugliest SM in the world:lol:

My friend, whose sister works in SM City, said they will convert the parking lot at the right side of SM City into the Fiesta Strip. In that case I think they should expand their parking area because it fills up quite significantly on special occasions.

^^ Puli na bala di. :D
In due time Bern. Basi makibot ka lang. he he. I'm into hibernation at present. Sako pa di and I'm enjoing as well. Needless to say, I want to see family and relatives back home. But I have cousins here already so medyo okay pa. Two years more, basi makabisita naman ko da. :)

Hala namiss ko bigla mga updates ni Chy... TOTO CHY balik na di. :D I know your busy... :D

They did not expand SM Jaro. It was just a renovation, inside-out. It could have looked much better if they made it 2 storeys though. If not for the renovation, I'd say SM Jaro was the ugliest SM in the world:lol:

My friend, whose sister works in SM City, said they will convert the parking lot at the right side of SM City into the Fiesta Strip. In that case I think they should expand their parking area because it fills up quite significantly on special occasions.

With regard to SM Jaro....hmm I thought they have the area expanded and and made use of the parking space on the left side? Na bla ang terminal sang mga VAn going to Roxas, Pototan etc etc?

For SM City....Well nice! Daw ma pareho na di sang Fiesta Strip sa sa Mega Mall. So ang right parking area gali. So amo na siya ang lapit sa isa ka chinese restaurant. Tani maopen na da ang Starbucks, Teriyaki Boy etc etc. :banana:

They did not expand SM Jaro. It was just a renovation, inside-out. It could have looked much better if they made it 2 storeys though. If not for the renovation, I'd say SM Jaro was the ugliest SM in the world:lol:

My friend, whose sister works in SM City, said they will convert the parking lot at the right side of SM City into the Fiesta Strip. In that case I think they should expand their parking area because it fills up quite significantly on special occasions.
that's right, IAMME. I hope they'll reconsider the expansion soon. Problem with SM Jaro is there's no enough space for future expansion unless INC will sell its property at the back and few residential homes will sell their lots as well.

RP’s next prez arrives today

ILOILO City – Sen. Mar Roxas, dubbed as the country’s next president by former Senate President and 2007 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Jovito Salonga, arrives today from Manila as part of his regular “Palengke” visits.

In a recent forum, Salonga, Chairman Emeritus of civic group Kilosbayan, introduced Roxas as speaker, saying “Ikinararangal kong ibigay sa inyo, ang susunod na pangulo ng bansa.”

Roxas will visit five wet markets, ensuring that prices of commodities remain affordable to consumers despite abnormal weather patterns nationwide.

Roxas, a former Capiz representative and Trade secretary, earned the moniker “Mr. Palengke” as a result of his advocacies for consumer protection. He has been eyed as one of the leading presidential contenders for 2010, bringing an established name in the field of governance and a notable record of contributions to both legislative and executive branches of government. He also garnered 20 million votes when he was elected senator in 2004, the most ever for any elected official in Philippine history.

Roxas is now at the forefront to bring quality affordable medicines into the country by amending the Intellectual Property Code to allow importation of patented drugs. He also authored a bill exempting minimum wage earners from income tax, and has proposed to earmark EVAT proceeds exclusively for health and education purposes. These reforms are among the Liberal Party’s seven-point legislative agenda to “put people first.”

He is set to arrive at 6:45 a.m. at Roxas City, Capiz, coinciding with a visit of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He will then meet with mayors of the province, and visit the Passi, Pototan, Sta. Barbara and Oton Public markets in Iloilo during the day.

Tomorrow, Roxas will continue his travel in Iloilo province, visiting the Iloilo public market and meet with local officials and media, as well as attend the Barangay Health Workers Event at Jaro Plaza, before heading back to Manila in the evening.

source: Panay News (http://www.panaynews.com.ph/top%20story2.htm)

^^ ^^ is this for real? I like Roxas though but seems too early for politics. We still have three more years to go. But if ever Roxas decides to run for President, I'll totally support him. Goodluck !

The endless view of Bucari
By Bombette G. Marin

http://thedailyguardian.com/images/stories/tour_a3.jpg
Imoy Falls


IF YOU are looking for outdoor experience, Bucari has all the you can handle.

Enclosed by the gentle grace of beautiful mountains, Bucari has something for everyone – cascading waterfalls, centuries old rice terraces and hundreds of acres of old forest that excite the senses.

Declared as an Eco-tourist zone, Bucari has a land area of 10, 432.90 hectares and is 60 percent forested.

Its straddles the towns of Leon, Alimodian and San Miguel.

It is 53 kilometers away from Iloilo City and is popularly known as the “Summer Capital of Iloilo.”

It is a great place to visit any time of the year. Summer can never be hot and humid due to its high elevation and temperature of six to seven degrees centigrade, lower than that in the lowlands.

Whether you delight in the challenge of an arduous hike or prefer to park yourself quietly and catch the sun set, Bucari is considered a gateway to outdoor recreation in the central part of the province and offers a myriad of activity for everyone to enjoy.

Travelers stand in awe at this great gateway and the miles of trails and scenic features found in the area provide the opportunity to explore the great outdoors.

The cool, moist environment is ideal, especially among hikers. Visitors hike well-worn trails to view the pine-clad Barangay Tabionan, a picnic site that is open year-round. Escape in its wilderness renowned for its spectacular display of forest pine trees and wild flowers blooming year-round along roads and trails. It is a haven for backpacking adventurers or for those who opt for a tamer excursion in the areas’ developed campgrounds.

If you feel the need to cool off, take a dip and share the beauty of Imoy falls. The trail to the falls traverses 30-50 year old forests. Visitors will be greeted by a hanging bridge suspended 30 feet from the ground.

The hike from Barangay Camandag takes about 30 minutes and considered moderate in terms of difficulty. Although only 10 feet high, the large volume of water rushing over the falls makes up for its lack of height.

The deep pool at its base is very picturesque. A good swimming skill is required to enjoy the pool.

Leon has all the wholesome, small town charm of times long past, but its diversity of attractions never ceases to surprise visitors. Waterfalls… old-growth forests… endless view where you can spend a lifetime trying to see everything.

Visit and you will understand why Leon is one of Iloilo’s top destination areas to see and play.

source: The Guardian ILOILO (http://www.theguardianiloilo.ph/)

Sen. Mar Roxas is the leading presidential contender for 2010, i too would support this Ilonggo. Even my Favorite Statesman, Former Senate President and Former Presidential Candidate Jovito Salonga supports him.

^^ I heard that also Manny Villar is another candidate for presidency. Mar and Manny both trace their roots in Panay, the former in Capiz and the latter in Miag-ao.

Edificio Quijano

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1435/995832536_23ac8bf616.jpg?v=0
Casa Ancestral de Familia Lacson (besides San Jose de Placer Chruch)

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1014/995832530_80f5d3f91c.jpg?v=0
Catedral Metropolitan de Jaro

A Flickr/DPP find:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1171/891907725_77afe460c2_o.jpg
Guess where's this place? (Picture by Jake Borres)

From the book "Explore Philippines: Third Edition" sometime in the late 1980's. They are still advertising Sicogon Island in the 80's. A paradise lost in the eyes of tourism industry.

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h291/berniemacksouthcentral/P1140118.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h291/berniemacksouthcentral/P1140119.jpg

Friday, August 03, 2007
Separating the models-to-be from the wannabes
By Vincent Alocada

BEYOND the shadow of doubt, no other mall here in Iloilo places more importance on fashion and beauty as much as Robinson's Place Iloilo does. Barely a month after it heralded Dawn Jover as the victor in its Design Lab contest, a competition that draws a bead on discovering new fashion designers, it launched another tilt related to beauty and fashion--- its Campus Fashionista Model Search.

Eighteen aspirants (nine males and nine females) sashayed, showed their form and gave stern look on the runway with hopes to join the ranks of previous winners such as Grendel Alvarado and Luigi Deocades (2005) and Shinn Salaya and James Garcia (2006). Others slouched. Some looked bloated. A few must have been too gullible and believed their family and friends that they have what it take to conquer the ramps. Despite the tedious task of scrutinizing the looks, poise and moves of the contenders, the judges (composed of your Wonder V, fashion stalwart Jaki Peñalosa and Campus Fashionista 2005 runner-up and now one of the hottest models in this part of the country, Ian Alla) were able to separate the wannabes from the models-to-be. Kyle Chua, Sweden Falsis, Fred Christopher Espino, Bonita Palma, Dimple Sican and Carlyn Casten have advanced to the grand finals (which will be on October 5) after standing out from the rest.

The next batch of finalists will be determined on August 17 as a new set of aspirants will try to outdo and outshine each other in their quest to penetrate the modeling world.

Campus Fashionista Model Search is the only local existing model search in the region that aims at discovering walking mannequins from different schools and opens doors of bigger opportunities for the deserving ones. Its first female grand winner, Grendel Alvarado, won the plum in this year's Philippines' Next Top Model.

The event was hosted by Robinson's Place Iloilo PR man Rofel Parreño.


Link : http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ilo/2007/08/03/life/separating.the.models.to.be.from.the.wannabes.html

Found this in the book "Kasaysayan: The History of the Philippines" by Reader's Digest. British troops entering Iloilo City.

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h291/berniemacksouthcentral/P1140128.jpg

Another infrastructure development in Iloilo.:banana:

DA commits P15-M to Iloilo Fishing Port facilities improvement

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has acceded to the request of the fishery sector in Iloilo to improve and strengthen the facilities of the Iloilo Fishing Port.

This was confirmed by DA regional executive director Larry Nacionales, who met with Secretary Arthur Yap in Manila last week.

Nacionales said the agency committed to release P15-million to be sourced at the Agriculture Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF). However, it was not yet known when the fund will be made available.

Meantime, Nacionales lauded the move of their national office to provide support to the fishery sector here, adding that Western Visayas, Iloilo in particular, makes a great contribution to the country's aqua-culture production.

Nacionales underscored the impact of the project to the fishery sector because it would hasten the processing of fish produce that will be shipped outside of Iloilo.

The regional director said Iloilo is making waves when it comes to municipal and commercial fishery and aqua-culture.

(PNA)

Link : http://thenewstoday.info/2007/08/03/da.commits.p5m.to.iloilo.fishing.port.facilities.improvement.html

Hala namiss ko bigla mga updates ni Chy... TOTO CHY balik na di. :D I know your busy... :D
hehe sorry guid liwat ^^ Ga lurk man ko di gyapon ah
ari lang man ko di :D

Ma miss ko man gani mag lagaw, maski sa downtown lang ... kag mag post di

hehe sorry guid liwat ^^ Ga lurk man ko di gyapon ah
ari lang man ko di :D

Ma miss ko man gani mag lagaw, maski sa downtown lang ... kag mag post di

Basi mapuli ko da next week. Medyo lawig ang bakasyon (tani). :D

Anyway, found this inspiring post from Michael Tan, a professor for sociology in UP Diliman.


PINOY KASI
Filipino cities
By Michael Tan
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines -- Whenever I’m in Cebu or Iloilo, I go through the ritual of discussing with my friends the possibility of moving from Manila and living there.

The reactions are always of two kinds. One is great enthusiasm, “Yehey, yahoo, now na,” sometimes accompanied with job offers. The other, which used to surprise me, is: “But why?”

“Why?” I would retort. “Because I’m not sure I want my kids to grow up in Manila.” I would mention all the problems we have: pollution and traffic, malls and fast-food (read junk food) joints on every corner, the extreme consumerism.

I then turn to the attractions of Cebu and Iloilo (and occasionally, Davao). Cebu and Iloilo have a certain Old World charm, metropolitan yet small town, of department store (yes, they still have them) clerks who will engage in a bit of banter, of istorya-istorya while they’re wrapping up your purchases. And I remind my friends of how close they are to nature. You can live in the middle of Cebu and yet see both the mountains and the sea, and if you can’t, well, the sea’s never more than an hour away.

But my friends warn me about not having good bookstores, no good libraries, no good concerts, no good European films and how they look forward to visiting Manila to get those things. I smile back and explain that even in Manila, I don’t have time to watch the not just good but great films and concerts at UP, where I teach. As far as I’m concerned, I could live even in one of the smaller cities like Tagbilaran and still get a cultural life of sorts, via DVD (again, assuming I have the time to watch) and high-speed Internet (these days you can subscribe to Internet services like High Beam Research and Questia and get access to thousands of books and journals).

Some of my friends would persist: “You won’t have anyone to talk to here.” They would claim there’s no intellectual life in Cebu and Iloilo. Perhaps most shocking is, “We don’t have good schools here for your kids.”

So I actually end up defending my friends’ cities: “But Iloilo is like Athens: you have schools on every corner.” And I’m serious, it’s not just the number of schools, but some rather innovative and progressive ones.

Let me assure my friends in Manila that I’m not about to move . . . yet. I have too many commitments here that will make that move difficult. The biggest factor that keeps me in Manila are my parents, who are quite old. Both are big-city people who think of any place outside of Manila as “probinsya.”

Balik-Manila’

It’s not snobbery on their part. The paradox is that even if our smaller cities now have malls and other trappings of modernity, they do lag behind in terms of economic infrastructure and many social services.

I’m going to be specific now and refer to the experiences of two of my former employees who did pull up stakes here in Manila to move back to their home cities, one in the Visayas and the other in Mindanao. Both now have regrets about having moved back and are asking me if they can do a reversal, a “balik-Manila.”

Yes, they say, the air is cleaner and they have the mountains and the sea, but they’re overwhelmed by problems. The kids complain all the time, missing Manila. It’s mainly their friends and the malls and “gimmicks” of Manila, but the parents have greater concerns. They moved back thinking that it would be easier to make ends meet, with better prospects for small business ventures amid lower costs of living.

They were wrong on both counts. The costs of setting up businesses, even in small cities, can be quite high. Rent and utilities aren’t cheap, while potential customers haven’t been coming in because the purchasing ability is just too low. And yes, they do see now the problems of lower standards of education, especially as their kids are about to enter college. One of them wonders if her very ill mother might be better off in Manila for specialized care.

Their sad experiences remind me that more than many other countries, the Philippines is plagued by having one primate city while the others remain quite neglected by the national government. In Thailand, Indonesia and China, capital cities are still prime attractions, but they are primus inter pares (first among equals). Shanghai has as much, if not more, allure than Beijing. In Indonesia, Yogyakarta’s Gadja Mada University puts up stiff competition against the University of Indonesia in Jakarta. In the Philippines, the best universities are still concentrated in Manila.

Rethinking cities

The Philippines is supposed to be 64 percent urbanized, but “urbanization” is a relative term. We’ve had an epidemic of municipalities converting themselves into cities, with even the League of City Mayors complaining about the newcomers not coming up to standards.

The UNFPA’s latest yearbook suggests new ways of looking at urbanization. In the past, development planners tried to discourage migration from rural to urban areas, fearful of squatters and urban poverty. Today, the thinking is that we should encourage such migration because it alleviates rural poverty. One interesting research finding is that cities can be more eco-friendly because they can be more efficient in terms of using land and other natural resources.

But poverty alleviation and environmental conservation depend on how much government is committed to ensuring that the cities have adequate housing, jobs and social services. The problems we have today is that city politicians welcome rural migrants because they become cheap labor and bring in more votes during elections, but provide them very little by way of economic and social services.

Another point raised by UNFPA is that countries should develop several urban centers so hordes of rural poor don’t stream into the capital city. I’d add here that we need a major cultural shift as well, to get Filipinos to move away from “Manila imperialism.” We forget that Cebu and Iloilo were originally considered to be more sophisticated and advanced than Manila, centers of “urbanidad” or a sense of civility and civilization. If they’re losing that urbanidad, it’s because they try too hard to imitate Manila. If they could just keep their small-town charm and urbanidad, they might attract more professionals, artists and business people.

Meanwhile, those of us in Manila should also expose our kids to other urban centers, from Vigan and Tuguegarao up north, down to Zamboanga and General Santos in the south, so they can expand their horizons and their ideas of what a city should be. Hopefully, someday they will have more choices and options of where to live. Even better, they can contribute toward recreating and revitalizing our urban areas.

For full article, click here (http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view_article.php?article_id=80296)
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer. August 03 2007

PINOY KASI
Filipino cities
By Michael Tan
Inquirer
...
If they’re losing that urbanidad, it’s because they try too hard to imitate Manila. If they could just keep their small-town charm and urbanidad, they might attract more professionals, artists and business people.
...

For full article, click here (http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view_article.php?article_id=80296)
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer. August 03 2007
:applause: I'm still against several flyovers in the city.

If they could just keep their small-town charm and urbanidad, they might attract more professionals, artists and business people.


^^ I agree with this statement. The number one reason why I love Iloilo and Cebu is that it has that laid-back charm with the sense of urbanidad that is not as chaotic as Manila. I love Iloilo the way it is, i wanted Iloilo not to remove its famed very laid-back charm along with its progress.

If you are wondering what happened after the 70 year old Grand Mandurriao Lady was after its closure, better watch thisL

What happened to Old Iloilo Airport
FXsQh0PIoYw
remote controlled aircraft na lang lumilipad

And another of Mayad's creation (Alvin, Jamil and Jose)
PanayNews Corporate video
KgcVi4jJOMQ

PROMISING BUSINESS HUB
Megaworld to make old airport ‘a city within a city’
By Francis Allan L. Angelo

MEGAWORLD Corp., the property development firm which offered P1.2 billion for the old Iloilo airport lot in Mandurriao, Iloilo City, envisions “a city within a city” in its development plan for the property.

In an interview with Aksyon Radyo, John Hao of the Megaworld Investor Relations described the 54-hectare property as “a promising business center.”

Hao said their priority is a cyberpark that will house business process outsourcing (BPO) firms such as call centers, accounting and human resource services and computer animation companies.

“If the property is awarded to our company, we will apply for a special economic zone license with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) to transform the old Iloilo airport into a new business district,” Hao said.

Hao said they will replicate in Iloilo City the Eastwood City CyberPark, the first Philippine Information Technology park to provide special government incentives to locators.

Instead of high rise buildings such as those in Makati City, Hao said they will put up buildings with wide spaces which suit the needs of BPO firms.

“Most of the third generation BPO buildings are not high rise but have big spaces,” he added.

Aside from the BPO offices, Megaworld is also proposing residential buildings to be constructed on the property.

Hao said they can also develop restaurants and a commercial complex.

Megaworld aims to start developing the old airport lot in the second quarter of 2008.

“We will wait until the property is awarded to the company then we will start planning,” Hao said.

Megaworld has submitted to the Department of Finance a firm offer to purchase the old Iloilo airport lot for P1.2 billion in cash.

The government’s Privatization Council is still deliberating on Megaworld’s offer.

In its official website, Megaworld envisions its Iloilo City project as a magnet for major BPO companies interested to set up shops in the Visayas region.

In addition to BPO office buildings, the project will host educational facilities geared to provide value-added training to equip prospective employees with the necessary skills suited to the requirements of the call centers and other BPO businesses that will be based in the Megaworld project.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas hailed the impending airport sale as the biggest business investment during his term.

Megaworld is the pioneer developer of urban information technology/BPO parks in the country starting with the PEZA-accredited Eastwood City CyberPark. The CyberPark is a centerpiece of Eastwood City, its premier live-work-play project in Quezon City launched in 1997.

At present, Megaworld is replicating its initial success in Eastwood City in other parts of Metro Manila, Newport City at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City and McKinley Hill at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.

source: The Guardian ILOILO (http://www.theguardianiloilo.ph/)

Megaworld bids 54.5-hectare Old Iloilo airport


Megaworld Corporation has submitted to the Department of Finance a firm offer to purchase the 54.5-hectare Old Iloilo airport in Mandurriao, Iloilo City, for one billion two hundred million pesos in cash. The property is less than 4 kilometers from the downtown area of Iloilo City. Iloilo is the center of commerce and education in the Western Visayas region. It is home to six universities: the University of the Philippines-Iloilo, San Agustin University, University of Iloilo, West Visayas State University, St. Paul University and Central Philippine University. Upon acceptance of Megaworld’s offer and consummation of the deal, Megaworld will apply with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) for a special economic zone license for its project aimed at transforming the Old Iloilo airport property into a new business district. Megaworld envisions its project to become a magnet for major business process outsourcing (BPO) companies interested to set up shop in the Visayas region. In addition to office buildings for the BPO industry, the project will host educational facilities geared to provide value-added training to equip prospective employees with the necessary skills suited to the requirements of the call centers and other BPO businesses that will be based in the Megaworld project. Megaworld is the pioneer developer of urban information technology/BPO parks in the country starting with the PEZA-accredited Eastwood City CyberPark. The CyberPark is a centerpiece of Eastwood City, its premier live-work-play project in Quezon City launched in 1997. At present, Megaworld is replicating its initial success in Eastwood City in other parts of Metro Manila, namely, Newport City at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City and McKinley Hill at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City. McKinley Hill is the second township project of Megaworld after Eastwood City to have its own PEZA-accredited cyberpark. Within the next five years, Megaworld plans to build around 500,000 square meters of BPO office space across different locations not only in Metro Manila but also in key centers outside the National Capital Region. Megaworld’s BPO office development program aligns closely with the government's strategy to build an IT Corridor throughout the country. The company is investing substantial resources to continue its leadership in providing complete live-work-play communities for the BPO industry.

Igbaras Scenery
By Alexander Esteba
-T3SJevYDVs

Basi mapuli ko da next week. Medyo lawig ang bakasyon (tani). :D

Anyway, found this inspiring post from Michael Tan, a professor for sociology in UP Diliman.


PINOY KASI
Filipino cities
By Michael Tan
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines -- Whenever I’m in Cebu or Iloilo, I go through the ritual of discussing with my friends the possibility of moving from Manila and living there.

The reactions are always of two kinds. One is great enthusiasm, “Yehey, yahoo, now na,” sometimes accompanied with job offers. The other, which used to surprise me, is: “But why?”

“Why?” I would retort. “Because I’m not sure I want my kids to grow up in Manila.” I would mention all the problems we have: pollution and traffic, malls and fast-food (read junk food) joints on every corner, the extreme consumerism.

I then turn to the attractions of Cebu and Iloilo (and occasionally, Davao). Cebu and Iloilo have a certain Old World charm, metropolitan yet small town, of department store (yes, they still have them) clerks who will engage in a bit of banter, of istorya-istorya while they’re wrapping up your purchases. And I remind my friends of how close they are to nature. You can live in the middle of Cebu and yet see both the mountains and the sea, and if you can’t, well, the sea’s never more than an hour away.

But my friends warn me about not having good bookstores, no good libraries, no good concerts, no good European films and how they look forward to visiting Manila to get those things. I smile back and explain that even in Manila, I don’t have time to watch the not just good but great films and concerts at UP, where I teach. As far as I’m concerned, I could live even in one of the smaller cities like Tagbilaran and still get a cultural life of sorts, via DVD (again, assuming I have the time to watch) and high-speed Internet (these days you can subscribe to Internet services like High Beam Research and Questia and get access to thousands of books and journals).

Some of my friends would persist: “You won’t have anyone to talk to here.” They would claim there’s no intellectual life in Cebu and Iloilo. Perhaps most shocking is, “We don’t have good schools here for your kids.”

So I actually end up defending my friends’ cities: “But Iloilo is like Athens: you have schools on every corner.” And I’m serious, it’s not just the number of schools, but some rather innovative and progressive ones.

Let me assure my friends in Manila that I’m not about to move . . . yet. I have too many commitments here that will make that move difficult. The biggest factor that keeps me in Manila are my parents, who are quite old. Both are big-city people who think of any place outside of Manila as “probinsya.”

Balik-Manila’

It’s not snobbery on their part. The paradox is that even if our smaller cities now have malls and other trappings of modernity, they do lag behind in terms of economic infrastructure and many social services.

I’m going to be specific now and refer to the experiences of two of my former employees who did pull up stakes here in Manila to move back to their home cities, one in the Visayas and the other in Mindanao. Both now have regrets about having moved back and are asking me if they can do a reversal, a “balik-Manila.”

Yes, they say, the air is cleaner and they have the mountains and the sea, but they’re overwhelmed by problems. The kids complain all the time, missing Manila. It’s mainly their friends and the malls and “gimmicks” of Manila, but the parents have greater concerns. They moved back thinking that it would be easier to make ends meet, with better prospects for small business ventures amid lower costs of living.

They were wrong on both counts. The costs of setting up businesses, even in small cities, can be quite high. Rent and utilities aren’t cheap, while potential customers haven’t been coming in because the purchasing ability is just too low. And yes, they do see now the problems of lower standards of education, especially as their kids are about to enter college. One of them wonders if her very ill mother might be better off in Manila for specialized care.

Their sad experiences remind me that more than many other countries, the Philippines is plagued by having one primate city while the others remain quite neglected by the national government. In Thailand, Indonesia and China, capital cities are still prime attractions, but they are primus inter pares (first among equals). Shanghai has as much, if not more, allure than Beijing. In Indonesia, Yogyakarta’s Gadja Mada University puts up stiff competition against the University of Indonesia in Jakarta. In the Philippines, the best universities are still concentrated in Manila.

Rethinking cities

The Philippines is supposed to be 64 percent urbanized, but “urbanization” is a relative term. We’ve had an epidemic of municipalities converting themselves into cities, with even the League of City Mayors complaining about the newcomers not coming up to standards.

The UNFPA’s latest yearbook suggests new ways of looking at urbanization. In the past, development planners tried to discourage migration from rural to urban areas, fearful of squatters and urban poverty. Today, the thinking is that we should encourage such migration because it alleviates rural poverty. One interesting research finding is that cities can be more eco-friendly because they can be more efficient in terms of using land and other natural resources.

But poverty alleviation and environmental conservation depend on how much government is committed to ensuring that the cities have adequate housing, jobs and social services. The problems we have today is that city politicians welcome rural migrants because they become cheap labor and bring in more votes during elections, but provide them very little by way of economic and social services.

Another point raised by UNFPA is that countries should develop several urban centers so hordes of rural poor don’t stream into the capital city. I’d add here that we need a major cultural shift as well, to get Filipinos to move away from “Manila imperialism.” We forget that Cebu and Iloilo were originally considered to be more sophisticated and advanced than Manila, centers of “urbanidad” or a sense of civility and civilization. If they’re losing that urbanidad, it’s because they try too hard to imitate Manila. If they could just keep their small-town charm and urbanidad, they might attract more professionals, artists and business people.

Meanwhile, those of us in Manila should also expose our kids to other urban centers, from Vigan and Tuguegarao up north, down to Zamboanga and General Santos in the south, so they can expand their horizons and their ideas of what a city should be. Hopefully, someday they will have more choices and options of where to live. Even better, they can contribute toward recreating and revitalizing our urban areas.

For full article, click here (http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view_article.php?article_id=80296)
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer. August 03 2007

the article says it all. I love reading it again, again and again. Cheers.

Mar bats for modern ‘palengke’
By DAVID ISRAEL SINAY

ILOILO – To pursue his quest for the model modern palengke (markets), “Mr. Palengke” himself, Sen. Mar Roxas, made a marathon visit of three wet markets in Iloilo.

Known for his support for the market as the basic unit of the grassroots economy in the countryside, Roxas said “we should not only make sure that prices of goods are fair and affordable. We also want to pursue the modernization of the market, making sure these are responsive to the needs of our countrymen.”

A native of Roxas City in Capiz province, Roxas visited the wet markets of Passi City, Pototan and Sta. Barbara to check the prices and quality of goods sold, and to inspect the improvements and expansions made to modernize the said markets.

Aside form the initiatives of the local government units where the markets are located, the senator made contributions for the improvement and expansion of wet markets in these municipalities.

Roxas had contributed P1 million for the construction of modern market infrastructures.

“Innovation and progress in the world have brought us immeasurable possibilities, but it has also created great inequities. Sure, the computer today is more advanced and sophisticated than yesterday, but the common man is hungrier than before,” he said.

Roxas cited a survey conducted by the Social Weather Station in June this year pointing out that 14.7 percent of the Filipinos report involuntary hunger. Though this is an improvement from the 19 percent hunger rate reported in February 2007 and in November 2006, it is still much higher than the average rate of 11.6 percent for the past nine years, he said.

“Our own inequities in the Philippines are vast and complex but we can start addressing this from the bottom by making sure that our markets are efficient, and that food and consumer goods sold to the common man are affordable and of quality,” he said.

During his visit, Roxas involved the market vendors in the discussion to familiarize himself with the situation of the vendors and to check if his market initiatives have helped alleviate products in the market.

Today, Roxas will be checking the Iloilo Public Market.

source: Panay News (http://www.panaynews.com.ph/top%20story3.htm)

Robinson's Place Iloilo is very much supporting these Fashion Industry and Arts, Cultural exhibits. Looks like they are developing another Iloilo's hidden potentials. And it starting to shape now.

Old city hall building set for demolition this month

ILOILO CITY — The abandoned old building which used to house offices of the city hall here is up for demolition before the end of this month to pave the way for the construction of a P350-million eight-story new city hall.

This was bared by city legal officer and chairman of the bids and awards committee Atty. Edgar Gil after two contractors bid out the P1.5-million ceiling for the demolition of the old building in front of Plaza Libertad, this city.

Gil said the demolition bidding was held last Tuesday and the committee will still have to evaluate the bids of contractors Dolar and Solis before the winning bidder is announced on Tuesday, August 7.

After a notice of award is sent the winning bidder, demolition will immediately start and it will take about two months to clear up the more than 1,200 square meters area. Pile driving is also set to start as soon as the winning bidder of the new city hall is known.

The new city hall perspective and design was made by Ilonggo architect William Coscolluela that shows an integration of at least four famous Iloilo City landmarks into one big building at the same site.

These landmarks are the façade of the University of the Philippines city campus, Customs building, Masonic Temple, and the old city hall. The new city hall will also include a penthouse at the ninth floor and parking area at the third floor.

Gil said the plan is to house all offices of the city government in one building for a one-stop shop of public services to city constituents.

Presently, offices of the city government are scattered in different areas in the city. The city mayor’s office, treasurer, budget, accountant and general services are at the third floor of a shopping mall here. Offices of the city council, Comelec, library, PLEB, scholarship, and task forces are located at the terminal market while offices of the city planning, tourism, environment, city health, and civil registrar are left at the old COA building.

Other city offices are scattered in different areas such as health stations, senior citizens office, and district barangay federation offices.

source: Manila Bulletin (http://www.mb.com.ph/PROV2007080599511.html)

Roxas guarantees improvements
for Iloilo markets
By DAVID ISRAEL SINAY

ILOILO City – Following his visit of several public markets in the province on Friday, Sen. Mar Roxas visited the biggest public market in the metropolis in his pursuit for the modernization of markets.

Roxas, known as “Mr. Palengke” for his support for the market as the basic unit of the grassroots economy in the countryside, made the visits to ensure that prices of goods are fair and affordable.

Aside from checking the prices and quality of goods sold, Roxas inspected the improvements and expansions made to the Iloilo Central Market on Saturday, particularly the project that he had initiated.

The senator had allocated P5 million for the rehabilitation of the roof at the wet and dry goods section of the marketplace. The city government has started implementing the rehabilitation of the market’s dilapidated roofing.

Roxas had been allocating funds for the improvement and expansion of wet markets in the countryside on top of the initiatives of the local government units where the markets are located.

A native of Roxas City in Capiz province, Roxas involved the market vendors in the discussion to familiarize him with the situation of the vendors and to check if his market initiatives have helped alleviate products in the market.

The senator said that his rounds at the different public markets in the countryside was to ascertain that the markets are efficient, and that food and consumer goods sold to the common man are affordable and of quality.

source: Panay News (http://www.panaynews.com.ph/top%20story1.htm)

Try to visit this site and be proud.

http://www.pbase.com/hammerslag/iloilo

A foreigner's life in Iloilo City

Iloilo does not seem to have such a large population of foreigners as other places such as Cebu, Manila and even Dumaguete and Bohol. An exception to this is there are many Koreans here studying English. Based only on a few months in Cebu and Iloilo, I find Ilonggos, male and female, to be more reserved with each other and especially reserved with foreigners. They seem serious, proud, industrious, honest, sober and pious compared the more outgoing and fun-loving Cebuanos or even Tagalogs. There's certainly nothing unusual about young Cebuanas dating foreigners but this does not seem common here. Dating a "white" guy may be quite daring. I rarely see young Filipinas with older foreigners, a very common sight in Cebu. While Iloilo has a few "girlie bars" it does not have the kind of abundant sex tourism/bar scene found in Angeles or Cebu City. To us that's a good thing. Many of the Filipina-foreigner couples appear to be married couples who have grown plump together over the years.

The upside of this is that the foreigner is more a curiosity than an opportunity and is generally left in peace and treated with respect. I can't recall being overcharged because I'm a foreigner. There are not so many beggars. Sometimes when I do see children begging money, they will approach other Filipinos or my wife but not me. I have never been approached by prostitutes or other hustlers. "Hey Joe give me money" is rare here. Maybe I'm just to old and scary!

We do not own a car. I ride jeepneys almost every day. I walk the streets downtown. I have never had even a hint of a problem with crime or pickpockets. On the contrary, I left a bag with cellphone and digital camera behind when getting off the jeepney. Fellow riders stopped me to be sure I did not forget the bag. If I drop something, multiple people rush to make sure I get it back. There is a very robust police presence in Iloilo. I do not wander the streets at night. If you do your mileage may vary.

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/3994/drainageworkcy5.jpg
Workers from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) work double time to finish the rehabilitation of the drainage system in Gen. Luna Street which normally becomes flooded during heavy rains.


source: http://www.thenewstoday (http://www.thenewstoday.info/#)

What's happening with the Iloilo's threads? Hiatus period? Is it down time?

Hello! Me, I'm just looking at the posts everyday. Wala pa ako sing may ma-contribute...

Me too! Galili-lili lang ako sa site. Daw mingaw gid subong! Where are they?

Sleepy huh?! Tan-awa ta pagpuli ko da this week. Indi pa sigurado kon san-o gid ko kapuli. :)

Consultation on railway
development kicks off

ILOILO City – The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) started its series of consultation on the proposed public-private partnership in the development of a railway system in the country.

The consultation was in line with the planned establishment of a National Railway System now being pursued by Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

The consultation kicked off simultaneously in the cities of Iloilo and Cebu on Thursday last week.

The activity is aimed to spur interests of private sector as well as local government units to build and operate their own railway systems.

In Iloilo, the participants were composed of the members of the Regional Development Council (RDC), local government officials, business groups and other stakeholders.

"Another attractive option is for the private sector and the LGUs providing for the rolling stock for the new railway projects in the Metropolitan areas while the government could take care of civil works under terms and conditions beneficial to all parties," Usec. Guiling Mamondiong said.

One of the highlights of the presentation was the proposed rehabilitation of the 117-kilometer Panay Railways, to be built in two phases.

The first phase would be the construction of a railway from Iloilo City leading to the new airport in Sta. Barbara and Cabatuan towns.

The second phase is the revival of the railway from Iloilo City to Capiz covering 27-30 towns.

source: Panay News (http://www.panaynews.com.ph/top%20story8.htm)

The endless view of Bucari in Leon
By Bombette G. Marin

http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/07/bocari1.jpg
Imoy Falls

* Bucari has something for everyone---cascading waterfalls, centuries old rice terraces and hundreds of acres of old growth forest

If you are looking for an adventurous outdoor experience, Bucari has all the adventures you can handle. Enclosed by the gentle grace of beautiful mountains, Bucari has something for everyone---cascading waterfalls, centuries old rice terraces and hundreds of acres of old growth forest excite the senses and provide the opportunity to experience the area up close.

http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/07/bocari2.jpg
University of San Agustin tourism
students for Tumandok at Imoy Falls

Declared an Eco-tourist zone, Bucari has a land area of 10, 432.90 hectares and is 60 percent forested. It is located in the north-western part of Leon comprising of 20 barangays; 14 from Leon and 6 already from Alimodian. It is 53 kilometers away from Iloilo City. Bucari is popularly known as the "Summer Capital of Iloilo."

It is a great place to visit any time of the year. Summer can never be hot and humid especially because of its high elevation with a temperature of six to seven degrees centigrade lower than that in the lowland.

http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/07/bocari3.jpg
The pine clad Tabionan

Whether you delight in the challenge of an arduous hike, or prefer to park yourself quietly and catch the sun set, Bucari, considered as a gateway to outdoor recreation in the central part of the province, offers a myriad of activity for everyone to enjoy.

Travelers stand in awe at this great gateway and the many miles of trails and scenic features found in the area provide the opportunity to explore the great outdoors. The cool, moist environment is ideal especially among hikers. Visitors hike well-worn trails to view the pine-clad area of barangay Tabionan, a picnic site that is open year-round. Escape into its wilderness renowned for its spectacular display of forest pine trees and wild flowers blooming year-round along roads and trails. It is a haven for backpacking adventurers or for those who opt for a tamer excursion in the areas' developed campground.

http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/07/bocari4.jpg
Rice terraces with hues of green are a
popular site in Bucari

If you feel the need to cool off, take a dip and share the beauty of Imoy falls. The trail to the falls traverses 30-50 year old forest trees along the creek. Visitors will be greeted with a hanging bridge suspended 30 feet from the ground. The hike from barangay Camandag takes about 30 minutes and considered moderate in difficulty. Although only 10 feet high, the large volume of water rushing over the falls makes up for its lack of height. The deep pool at its base is very picturesque. A good swimming skill is required to one when swimming in the pool at the base of the falls.

Leon has all the wholesome, small town charm of times long past, but its diversity of attractions never ceases to surprise visitors. Waterfalls...old-growth forests...endless view where you can spend a lifetime trying to see everything. Visit and you will understand why Leon is one of Iloilo's top destination areas to see and play.

source: The News Today (http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/07/the.endless.view.of.bucari.in.leon.html)

Oh how I miss Bucari!

Modern wet markets eyed in provinces
By DANNY FAJARDO

ILOILO City — Senator Mar Roxas, also popularly known as Mr. Palengke, is pushing for the modernization of markets, especially in the countryside.

During his recent visit at several public markets in the province recently, he checked the status of improvements at the Iloilo Central Market, a project which he had initiated.

The senator had allocated P5 million for the rehabilitation of the roof at the wet and dry goods section of the marketplace, while the city government has rehabilitating the market’s roofing.

Roxas has been allocating funds for the improvement and expansion of wet markets in the countryside..

In giving importance to the improvement of "palengke", Roxas supported market as basic unit of grassroots economy in the countryside.

A native of Roxas City in Capiz province, Roxas held dialogs with market vendors to find better ways to help them and at the same time, involve them in his legislative efforts to improve wet markets.

The senator explained the need to improve conditions at wet markets to improve trading activities in these areas and bring about fair but competitive pricing of commodities.

"We should not only make sure that prices of goods are fair and affordable. We also want to pursue the modernization of the market, making sure these are responsive to the needs of our countrymen," he said.

Among the markets visited by Roxas were the wet markets in Passi City, Pototan, and Sta. Barbara.

He also donated another P1 million for the construction of modern market infrastructures in these places.

"Innovation and progress in the world have brought us immeasurable possibilities, but it has also created great inequities. Sure, the computer today is more advanced and sophisticated than yesterday, but the common man is hungrier than before," he said.

Roxas cited a survey conducted by the Social Weather Station in June this year pointing out that 14.7 percent of the Filipinos report involuntary hunger. Though this is an improvement from the 19 percent hunger rate reported in February 2007 and in November 2006, it is still much higher than the average rate of 11.6 percent for the past nine years, he said.

"Our own inequities in the Philippines are vast and complex but we can start addressing this from the bottom by making sure that our markets are efficient, and that food and consumer goods sold to the common man are affordable and of quality," he said.

source: Manila Bulletin (http://www.mb.com.ph/PROV2007080899767.html)

Iloilo City mayor cites Germany’s decentralization

ILOILO CITY — The successful German experience in decentralization is expected to guide this city in its quest for more autonomy and responsibility to local government units.

Arriving from a group study tour in Germany, City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said they studied the different German decentralization approaches in the fields of economic development policy,and on fiscal and environment protection matters.

The study tour was held on June 21-29, 2007 and participated in by selected Philippine officials upon the invitation of the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), one of the international partners of the city in its solid waste management program.

The Philippine delegation also visited the University of Cologne which plays an important role in the technological and economic development of the Republic of Germany.

They also went to Koln where they discussed Economic Development Policy of a Federal State and/or City, as well as discussions on the role of the private sector in boosting local economic development.

The second stop is Berlin for a study on culture and a dialogue on Federalism in the Federal Republic, Fiscal Equalization Scheme Bund-Land and Economic Promotion.

The delegation also visited Bundesrat or the Federal Council of Germany for an overview of the federal set-up and to get a better understanding of the functions of the Federal Assembly in Germany.

source: Manila Bulletin (http://www.mb.com.ph/PROV2007080899769.html)

Downtown Iloilo City by Night

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1278/1046248331_271ec9f3ce_b.jpg

Old city hall building set for demolition this month

ILOILO CITY — The abandoned old building which used to house offices of the city hall here is up for demolition before the end of this month to pave the way for the construction of a P350-million eight-story new city hall.

The new city hall perspective and design was made by Ilonggo architect William Coscolluela that shows an integration of at least four famous Iloilo City landmarks into one big building at the same site.

These landmarks are the façade of the University of the Philippines city campus, Customs building, Masonic Temple, and the old city hall. The new city hall will also include a penthouse at the ninth floor and parking area at the third floor.

Other city offices are scattered in different areas such as health stations, senior citizens office, and district barangay federation offices.

source: Manila Bulletin (http://www.mb.com.ph/PROV2007080599511.html)

Hmm GREAT idea. FUSION of 4 iconic ILOILO buildings under 1 NEW new structure. Im so excited to see the final design. And it now 9 storey high including the roof deck. Just GREAT news! :cheers:

Roxas guarantees improvements
for Iloilo markets
By DAVID ISRAEL SINAY

ILOILO City – Following his visit of several public markets in the province on Friday, Sen. Mar Roxas visited the biggest public market in the metropolis in his pursuit for the modernization of markets.

Aside from checking the prices and quality of goods sold, Roxas inspected the improvements and expansions made to the Iloilo Central Market on Saturday, particularly the project that he had initiated.

The senator had allocated P5 million for the rehabilitation of the roof at the wet and dry goods section of the marketplace. The city government has started implementing the rehabilitation of the market’s dilapidated roofing.

source: Panay News (http://www.panaynews.com.ph/top%20story1.htm)

Another welcome development for ILOILO! Go go go ILOILO! Amo na ya! Dapat kung may ILONGGO SENATOR nga gapadalagan suportahan ta gid kay bisan ano matabo ang ila FUNDINGs kag PROJECTs sa aton gid syudad kag kabanwahanan matupa! :banana:

Try to visit this site and be proud.

http://www.pbase.com/hammerslag/iloilo

A foreigner's life in Iloilo City


We do not own a car. I ride jeepneys almost every day. I walk the streets downtown. I have never had even a hint of a problem with crime or pickpockets. On the contrary, I left a bag with cellphone and digital camera behind when getting off the jeepney. Fellow riders stopped me to be sure I did not forget the bag. If I drop something, multiple people rush to make sure I get it back. There is a very robust police presence in Iloilo. I do not wander the streets at night. If you do your mileage may vary.

Hmm nice observation! I like the reviews about ILOILO! Simply shows may URBANIDAD gid kita! ILONGGO ipabugal! :cheers:

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/3994/drainageworkcy5.jpg
Workers from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) work double time to finish the rehabilitation of the drainage system in Gen. Luna Street which normally becomes flooded during heavy rains.


source: http://www.thenewstoday (http://www.thenewstoday.info/#)

Good! Amo ni tani ang mga projects ni Raul Jr dko pa bulig! Priority gid dapat improvemnet sang sidewalks, canals kag sewers!


Consultation on railway
development kicks off

ILOILO City – The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) started its series of consultation on the proposed public-private partnership in the development of a railway system in the country.

The consultation was in line with the planned establishment of a National Railway System now being pursued by Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

The consultation kicked off simultaneously in the cities of Iloilo and Cebu on Thursday last week.

The activity is aimed to spur interests of private sector as well as local government units to build and operate their own railway systems.

In Iloilo, the participants were composed of the members of the Regional Development Council (RDC), local government officials, business groups and other stakeholders.

"Another attractive option is for the private sector and the LGUs providing for the rolling stock for the new railway projects in the Metropolitan areas while the government could take care of civil works under terms and conditions beneficial to all parties," Usec. Guiling Mamondiong said.

One of the highlights of the presentation was the proposed rehabilitation of the 117-kilometer Panay Railways, to be built in two phases.

The first phase would be the construction of a railway from Iloilo City leading to the new airport in Sta. Barbara and Cabatuan towns.

The second phase is the revival of the railway from Iloilo City to Capiz covering 27-30 towns.

source: Panay News (http://www.panaynews.com.ph/top%20story8.htm)

I like this piece of news! Yup, they should start with phase 1 then pag operational na ang phase 1... phase 2 naman! :banana:

Tani ASAP na! Guys ty for all the info here. I as out for around 5 days. :)

Quick update on the flyover..
http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/4397/imgp0748ve7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Daw kahinay gid sang construction nila haw. ^^

^^ maybe because of the consistently bad weather. been like that for maybe about a week now in iloilo

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1278/1046248331_271ec9f3ce_b.jpg

nice shot! i especially like the reflections sa river and the customs(?) building sa background :) is that building still serving its original purpose or museum na yan ngayon?

could you guys please show me more pics ng iloilo lalo na yung mga "by the river" shots? :D thanks

i like this thread, words backed up by pics and not speculations

^^ i think it is still used as a government office although i'm not sure if it still functions as a customs building. the thing i notice about this building is that it can really be iconic because of its long existence and prewar architecture. i just hope the city government would do its best to preserve this structure in good condition

http://www.geocities.com/marexflores/images/LapazPlaza_dayshot.JPEG

from:angelicaambos.wordpress

http://static.flickr.com/85/238499179_936d9ddef9.jpg

Lapaz Church
Source: Explore Iloilo

La Paz, called Lobo, Llaunon or Ilawood, then Iznart after Gov. Manuel Iznart, was a newly established as a parish in 1868. In 1847, Fr. Candido Gonzales built a temporary church and convento of wood, bricks and tabique pampango. The present church was constructed from 1870-74. The church is a squat and less elegant version of the San Jose church in Iloilo. Neoclassic features, and rustication stand in sharp contrast to the bricks used in the church. Two engaged columns supporting a triangular pediment bear the date 1970, apparently recent additions.






http://www.geocities.com/marexflores/images/LapazPlaza_nightshot.JPEG

source:angelicaambos.wordpress

ELEGANT, NOT EXTRAVAGANT
Architect defends New City Hall project

http://thedailyguardian.com/images/stories/front_a9.jpg
An artist’s perspective of the new Iloilo City Hall
By Jeehan V. Fernandez

“NOT extravagant but elegant!”

This is how architect William Coscolluela described the eight-storey New Iloilo City Hall building that will rise on the 2,100 square meter old site across Plaza Libertad.

Coscolluela met with Mayor Jerry Treñas and other architects at the latter’s office at the temporary City Hall in Robinson’s Place to discuss the establishment of the New City Hall.

Treñas said the City Government has hired the services of Coscolluela, the same designer of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol, for the architectural plan of the new edifice to the tune of P12.9 million.

Coscolluela’s services also include space plan, interior design and soil investigation.

Treñas said the Ilonggo architect offered the lowest price during the bidding even as he wanted to make both the Capitol and City Hall as his “legacy projects.”
Coscolluela said he has been doing a lot of buildings in Manila including those of insurance companies, real estate developers’ offices and malls.

“We have been preparing the final plan and schedule the construction of the New City Hall. We are doing the space planning to see where the different departments will be located and make sure to accommodate and provide the spaces,” Coscolluela explained.

He added the high-rise structure will have a total floor area of 14,000 square meters.

As to the building design, Coscolluela said they had sat down with the city’s heritage council to promote the preservation of traditional architecture.

“It’s a different architecture with a touch of structural designs found in the existing buildings here—the detail goes with the local architecture. It’s not extravagant but elegant. It also features ‘all windows’,” Coscolluela said.

The building will also be equipped with three elevators—two for public use and one for the executives.

He said the high-rise structure will be equipped with four elevators while the parking area will be situated at the third floor.

The rest of the floors will host the city offices while the eight-floor will have a conference room as suggested by the Landbank of the Philippines “to service the people,” said Coscolluela.

Citing rough estimates, Treñas said the New City Hall will cost about P329 million.

The City Government secured P350 million loan from Landbank to finance the project.

“Most residents are excited with the completion of the New City Hall. There are more interested construction companies that will bid for the city’s legacy project,” the mayor said.

Meanwhile, the City Bids and Awards Committee (CBAC) awarded to demolition firm BF Solis that bid P1.3-million, winning over RB Dolar’s bid of P1.4 million, the job of demolishing the old building.

Coscolluela said the demolition process would take one-month while the board pile driving activities to test the solidity of the site would follow for two months, after which the actual construction works start.

The city will also hire the services of a construction engineer at P6.5 million.

The city offices have moved to Robinson’s Place along Ledesma St., City Proper as the mall temporarily houses them during the 18-month construction period of the new government center.

The “city hall at the mall” includes offices of the mayor, treasurer, assessor, accountant, legal officer; permit and licensing departments.

source: The Guardian ILOILO (http://www.theguardianiloilo.ph/)

More investments, tourist hub eyed in new airport site
By Florence F. Hibionada

Efforts are underway to officially study and deliberate the planned establishment of a Special Economic Zone in and around the new Iloilo Airport in Sta. Barbara and Cabatuan, Iloilo.

Proposed by Third District Board Member Arthur Defensor Jr., the matter has been referred to the Committee on Economic Affairs and Investment. Members of the 9th Sanggunian Panlalawigan (SP) were presented of the first endorsement yesterday with the draft resolution entered as among the agenda under the Provincial Matters.

Defensor Jr., son of former Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor took note how the State recognizes the indispensable role of the private sector, encourages private enterprise and provides corresponding incentives to needed investments.

"In pursuance of these policies, the government shall actively encourage, promote, induce and accelerate a sound and balanced industrial, economic and social development of the country in order to provide jobs to the people especially those in rural areas," excerpts of Defensor Jr.'s draft Resolution stated.

Under Republic Act 7916, Special Economic Zones are to be established in selected areas that are highly-developed or which have the potential to be developed into agro-industrial, industrial tourist and recreational, commercial, banking, investment and financial centers.

With the new Iloilo Airport operational, Defensor Jr. further pushes for the Special Economic Zone here saying one major criteria has already been met.

"There is a need to study the potentials of the Iloilo Airport and the establishment of a Special Economic Zone in the area," he added in the draft Resolution. "And that its use as a resource may be maximized and that it may generate revenues for the development plans, programs, objectives and priorities of the province."

source: The News Today (http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/08/more.investments.tourist.hub.eyed.in.new.airport.site.html)

Helping Foundation, Inc. merges with TIIC

HELPING Foundation, Incorporated (HFI) and the Technical Institute of Iloilo City (TIIC) will be working as one organization..

Mayor Jerry P. Treñas has signed an executive order integrating the operation, management and administration of the two organizations.

The HFI is a livelihood and training productivity center being run by the city government while the TIIC offers free technical college education to the youth of the city.
“Since both centers are being managed by the city government, it is best that they are integrated so that there will be similar forms of training, services and support that will be given,” Treñas said.

The executive orders states that the HFI shall now be subject to all the rules, regulations, and guidelines of TIIC and its budget will be integrated with the budget of the Institute.

With Treñas’ order, the HFI will now be known as the TIIC - Bo. Obrero Campus and shall now be considered as the extension campus of the Institute and under the latter’s administration.

“We also have plans of further improving the livelihood training and other services of the Bo. Oberoro campus by offering vocational courses that will be accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA),” Treñas said.

“The TESDA accreditation will be a big boost to the Bo. Obrero campus since it will now be able to offer opportunities for beneficiaries to work abroad or apply for higher paying jobs,” the mayor said.

source: The Guardian ILOILO (http://www.theguardianiloilo.ph/)

Study tour helps city on decentralization

Germany’s successful implementation of its decentralization program will guide the Iloilo City in its own search for better governance.

Mayor Jerry P. Treñas made the observation after his return from a study tour of some cities in Germany to observe the program as well as economic policies on a decentralized level.

The study tour was held on June 21-29, 2007 and participated in by selected Philippine officials on the invitation of the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), one of the international partners of the city in its solid waste management program.

The mayor said the topics discussed were on the different German approaches in decentralization in fields of economic development, policy, fiscal and environmental matters.

The Philippine delegation also visited the University of Cologne which plays an important role in the technology and economic development of the Republic of Germany.

The group went to Koln where they discussed Economic Development Policy of a Federal State and/or City as well as the role of the private sector in triggering local economic development.

The next activity was a study of culture in Berlin where the delegation had a dialogue on Federalism in the Federal Republic, Fiscal Equalization Scheme Bund-Land and Economic Promotion.

The delegation also visited Bundesrat or the Federal Council of Germany for an overview of the federal set-up and to get a better understanding of the functions of the Federal Assembly in Germany.

They also passed by Thuringen, Frankfurt to discuss Municipal Taxes, Tax Administration of the country and on the level of municipalities. Last stop is at Frankfurt, Eschborn for a workshop on Capacity Development on a Large Scale and Climate Change and Energy Security.

With Treñas in the Philippine delegation were National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director Roderick Planta, NEDA director Jonathan Uy, Department of Interior and Local Government undersecretary and OIC Austere Panadero, Negros Oriental governor George Arnaiz, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) undersecretaries Jose Ferrer, Jr. and Manuel Gerochi, Southern Leyte SP member Eva Tomol, League of Provinces of the Philippines assistant secretary-general Alex Villano and League of Municipalities of the Philippines executive director Lilian De Leon.

source: The Guardian ILOILO (http://www.theguardianiloilo.ph/)

Japan-assisted shelter for girls mulled in Iloilo
By LYDIA C. PENDON

ILOILO CITY — This children-friendly city government will construct a Japan-assisted shelter for abused girls in cooperations with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

This will complement the Children’s Code that is being finalized by local officials here as the city has launched a campaign to be known in the country as the most children-firendly.

Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said the proposed area for the shelter is the city-owned ABC Hall at Duran Street here which has been unoccupied for a long time.

Representatives of the Japanese Embassy are scheduled to visit the city next week to check the proposed site and inform city officials about its commitment to provide financial assistance for the needed building improvements.

Treñas said the city needs a shelter for young abandoned girls and the proposed shelter for girls in conflict with law (CIC).

The city also built a half-way shelter for boys in conflict with law.

The boys’ shelter called Dalayunan is located at Bo. Obrero district here and implemented by the Iloilo Juvenile Welfare Foundation. The shelter currently houses 32 young boys who are being trained in some short term vocational courses.

The girls’ shelter will house victims of parental abuse, neglect, rape, and prostitution.

They were rescued by the IJWF, Task Force Adams Apple and the Department of Social welfare and Development and some of them were placed under the custody of DSWD.

source: Manila Bulletin (http://www.mb.com.ph/PROV2007080999871.html)

Rexie Ian Alla: From campus fashionista to Iloilo's top model
Interview by Kathy M. Villalon

You see him in every fashion show at Robinsons Place Iloilo or even in other venues where his favorite designers are showcasing their collections.

Gifted with a great body because of a religious workout and healthy lifestyle and a face that every company would want for their commercials, he's no other than Rexie Ian Alla.

Here are some tidbits about Iloilo City's top male model.

Age: 22

Hobbies: Basketball, watching TV and going to the gym

Year started modeling: 2005
Ian Alla
During Havaianas fashion show

How were you discovered? I was malling and fashion designer Bo Parcon approached me to join Robinsons Place Iloilo's Campus Fashionista model search.

What's your first fashion show? Campus Fashionista for Levi's

How did that experience go? I was excited. I had mixed feelings that I can't explain.

http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/06/ian3.jpg
Going military during Havaianas fashion
show, wearing Bo Parcon's design

Embarrassing experience during a show: When we were made to wear briefs hahaha

Best fashion show you've joined: Boracay Nestea Ice Fashion Show

Favorite designers: My favorite local designer is Bo Parcon; national, Gian Romando and international, Dolce & Gabbana

How do you keep yourself fit and looking good? I go to the gym and I watch what I eat

You probably have some female fans swarming at you like hungry bees , so how do you with them? I accommodate all of them, hahahaha! No, I just make friends with them but I don't take it seriously.

What's inside your closet? Designer outfits from my fashion designer friends and ukay-ukays.

Favorite get-up: Fitted tees and skinny jeans

http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/06/ian2.jpg
Going military during Havaianas fashion
show, wearing Bo Parcon's design

source: The News Today (http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/06/rexie.ian.alla.from.campus.fashionista.to.iloilos.top.model.html)

More investments, tourist hub eyed in new airport site
By Florence F. Hibionada

Efforts are underway to officially study and deliberate the planned establishment of a Special Economic Zone in and around the new Iloilo Airport in Sta. Barbara and Cabatuan, Iloilo.

Proposed by Third District Board Member Arthur Defensor Jr., the matter has been referred to the Committee on Economic Affairs and Investment. Members of the 9th Sanggunian Panlalawigan (SP) were presented of the first endorsement yesterday with the draft resolution entered as among the agenda under the Provincial Matters.

Defensor Jr., son of former Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor took note how the State recognizes the indispensable role of the private sector, encourages private enterprise and provides corresponding incentives to needed investments.

"In pursuance of these policies, the government shall actively encourage, promote, induce and accelerate a sound and balanced industrial, economic and social development of the country in order to provide jobs to the people especially those in rural areas," excerpts of Defensor Jr.'s draft Resolution stated.

Under Republic Act 7916, Special Economic Zones are to be established in selected areas that are highly-developed or which have the potential to be developed into agro-industrial, industrial tourist and recreational, commercial, banking, investment and financial centers.

With the new Iloilo Airport operational, Defensor Jr. further pushes for the Special Economic Zone here saying one major criteria has already been met.

"There is a need to study the potentials of the Iloilo Airport and the establishment of a Special Economic Zone in the area," he added in the draft Resolution. "And that its use as a resource may be maximized and that it may generate revenues for the development plans, programs, objectives and priorities of the province."

source: The News Today (http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/08/more.investments.tourist.hub.eyed.in.new.airport.site.html)

Finally! This is what Im talking about! YES, we need a SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE in the NIA.

Good Job Mr. Defensor!

gO GO GO!

;14691399']http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1278/1046248331_271ec9f3ce_b.jpg

nice shot! i especially like the reflections sa river and the customs(?) building sa background :) is that building still serving its original purpose or museum na yan ngayon?

could you guys please show me more pics ng iloilo lalo na yung mga "by the river" shots? :D thanks

i like this thread, words backed up by pics and not speculations

@Waway and Eonyx. That is still functioning as an Aduana or still houses the Bureau of Customs of Iloilo.

http://images.habagatcentral.multiply.com/image/16/photos/43/500x500/65/P1130158.JPG?et=xFN1AFsmWznHF%2B516%2CnHHg

http://images.habagatcentral.multiply.com/image/15/photos/43/500x500/72/P1130168.JPG?et=G24HxcJYrUK0Jvkl1M1a4w


ELEGANT, NOT EXTRAVAGANT


Architect defends New City Hall project

http://thedailyguardian.com/images/stories/front_a9.jpg
An artist’s perspective of the new Iloilo City Hall
By Jeehan V. Fernandez





“NOT extravagant but elegant!”

As to the building design, Coscolluela said they had sat down with the city’s heritage council to promote the preservation of traditional architecture.

“It’s a different architecture with a touch of structural designs found in the existing buildings here—the detail goes with the local architecture. It’s not extravagant but elegant. It also features ‘all windows’,” Coscolluela said.



It should be in sync with the heritage conservation efforts since the area is part of the Calle Real CBD Heritage Zone.

Modern wet markets eyed in provinces

By DANNY FAJARDO


I was disgusted by the color of the Central Market...Light Blue and Yellow. Treñas colors but very inappropriate for its architecture which is art deco.

So I just made it black and white. :D

http://images.habagatcentral.multiply.com/image/18/photos/43/500x500/15/P1130075.JPG?et=GjXgpOX2wsoXLNqB%2CPq1Pw

Aside from the Central Market, the city has adopted the blue and yellow color scheme for the overpasses, street lights, railings, plant boxes, and even the Muelle Loney concrete fence. I'm even guessing they will paint the flyover with yellow and blue.

^^ about the 4 iloilo city landmarks that will be used in the design and construction of the new city hall, i think the facade is patterned/copied after that of main library in UP's iloilo cty campus right? the one that tops off the structural design- seems to be copied after the aduana (bureau of customs). i just don't know what are the other 2 landmarks that are incorpoprated in the design.

The windows are patterned after those of the masonic temple.
Uhmm... sorry but I hope they will further improve the design. That triangle-like shape on top of the main arch bothers me. The top of the building can hardly be seen from the street level. Can they make that a little higher? Well, I'm ready to be frustrated.

The 8th floor seems rather small.. Am I seeing it right? That's the conference room.

http://thedailyguardian.com/images/stories/front_a9.jpg

Once completed, I'm sure it would be difficult to see the building in its entirety considering its location. (It would be hard to take a picture of it :D)I'm sad they chose to build it in that cramped area.

Lastly, these two paragraphs..
The building will also be equipped with three elevators—two for public use and one for the executives.

He said the high-rise structure will be equipped with four elevators while the parking area will be situated at the third floor.
:ohno:

Aside from the Central Market, the city has adopted the blue and yellow color scheme for the overpasses, street lights, railings, plant boxes, and even the Muelle Loney concrete fence. I'm even guessing they will paint the flyover with yellow and blue.


Why these colors? Weird?

The windows are patterned after those of the masonic temple.
Uhmm... sorry but I hope they will further improve the design. That triangle-like shape on top of the main arch bothers me. The top of the building can hardly be seen from the street level. Can they make that a little higher? Well, I'm ready to be frustrated.

The 8th floor seems rather small.. Am I seeing it right? That's the conference room.

http://thedailyguardian.com/images/stories/front_a9.jpg

Once completed, I'm sure it would be difficult to see the building in its entirety considering its location. (It would be hard to take a picture of it :D)I'm sad they chose to build it in that cramped area.

Lastly, these two paragraphs..

:ohno:
that's right. It will be hard for photographers to take pictures of the new city hall. It's almost the same thing when you want to take photos of St Anne's Cathedral in Molo. Hay.

The new Iloilo City Hall is indeed very elegant! :)

^^ i think it is still used as a government office although i'm not sure if it still functions as a customs building. the thing i notice about this building is that it can really be iconic because of its long existence and prewar architecture. i just hope the city government would do its best to preserve this structure in good condition
Customs House in Aduana is very much functional. Aside from being the province/city's Bureau of Customs, the tower houses the city's main post office.

http://www.geocities.com/marexflores/images/LapazPlaza_dayshot.JPEG

from:angelicaambos.wordpress

http://static.flickr.com/85/238499179_936d9ddef9.jpg

Lapaz Church
Source: Explore Iloilo

La Paz, called Lobo, Llaunon or Ilawood, then Iznart after Gov. Manuel Iznart, was a newly established as a parish in 1868. In 1847, Fr. Candido Gonzales built a temporary church and convento of wood, bricks and tabique pampango. The present church was constructed from 1870-74. The church is a squat and less elegant version of the San Jose church in Iloilo. Neoclassic features, and rustication stand in sharp contrast to the bricks used in the church. Two engaged columns supporting a triangular pediment bear the date 1970, apparently recent additions.






http://www.geocities.com/marexflores/images/LapazPlaza_nightshot.JPEG

source:angelicaambos.wordpress
Thanks for the pictures, uymarcelo.

Finally! This is what Im talking about! YES, we need a SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE in the NIA.

Good Job Mr. Defensor!

gO GO GO!
The best thing they can do to speed up the development around the new airport's area.

Rojas bats for Gawad Kalinga in all Iloilo towns
By Florence F. Hibionada

Fifth District Board Member Jett Rojas is pushing for Gawad Kalinga, a highly-successful private sector initiative to be established in all Iloilo towns.

Presented in Tuesday’s regular session of the Iloilo Sanggunian Panlalawigan (SP), Rojas got the easy nod of the SP body with the Gawad Kalinga seen as a "doable, sustainable and replicable strategy."

Gawad Kalinga as designed is aimed at alleviating the plight of the marginalized poor "with the end goal of rebuilding the nation."

Rojas in pushing for the Resolution stated how it is acknowledged that "traditional and conventional ways of helping the poor have not worked."

"The culture of charity and giving of dole-outs has demeaned the self-worth and dignity of the poor thereby perpetuating poverty in the country," Rojas said while adding how despite programs of the government, "poverty indexes continue to forecast a blank future."

Gawad Kalinga began in 1988 with the Couples For Christ behind the project. A holistic and sustainable community development program, it has since empowered the poorest of the poor from select communities nationwide.

"The program is not based on dole-outs but on sharing and mutual help using the capabilities of all concerned particularly the poor and building the dignity of disadvantaged and exploited people by having the families contribute "sweat equity" toward the payment for the house," excerpts of the Resolution stated.

source: The News Today (http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/09/rojas.bats.for.gawad.kalinga.in.all.iloilo.towns.html)

^^ ^^ let's help rebuild Iloilo. Cheers !

Filipino communities in Lebanon, Brunei donate classrooms to Iloilo

Two Filipino communities in Lebanon and Brunei showed support to government’s effort to address classroom shortage in the country by donating two buildings to Iloilo Province under the Classroom Galing sa Mamamayan Abroad (CGMA) project.

The two buildings with two classrooms each were turned over recently to the Alimono Elementary School and Passi I Elementary School all in Passi City.

Each school building is worth P400, 000 or about US$ 4,000.

Amy Judicpa, Information Officer of the Department of Labor and Employment, said the latest donations came from the Bistang Filipino Lebanon and the Mary Lim and Guo Zhan Sheng, Brunei Darussalam with the Sugar Tripartite Council as their local counterpart.

As of July, Judicpa said a total of 18 two-classroom buildings were donated by Filipino communities to various areas in Western Visayas.

The CGMA program is a joint classroom project of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc (FFCCCII).

DOLE and DFA are responsible for sourcing out funds abroad while the DepEd identifies areas where the classroom building will be constructed.

FFCCCII is tasked to undertake the construction of the project.

source: The News Today (http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/09/filipino.communities.in.lebanon.brunei.donate.classrooms.to.iloilo.html)

for wayway :D

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/47/111916139_dd1dbdfb3d.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/184/476327623_09ed387600.jpg?v=0

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1168/976422744_995c0933ea.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/66/172602301_1148400693.jpg?v=0

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http://farm1.static.flickr.com/221/472077357_57402dddc2.jpg?v=0

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http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1197/1045384963_70f5899283.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/184/423065557_97d81e5ee5.jpg?v=0

credits to respective photographers .. taken from flickr.com

welcome back, Chymera. Lovely photos indeed. :banana: :banana: :banana:

Toto Chy, we miss you! wahehehhe!:D

[QUOTE=spacewagon1;

Thanks for the pictures, uymarcelo.


[/QUOTE]

I was born in Cadiz City Negros sa lugar sang father ko..pero halos diri nako na
tubu- an, bu ot kag nag daku sa lapaz Iloilo sa lugar sang nanay ko:lol: kaya bisan diin nga forum gina promote ko gid ang Lapaz kag Cadiz sa bilog nga kalibutan:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

Kis a gale ang Guimaras gina promote ko man ang lugar sang girlfriend ko:lol: :lol:

Aside from the Central Market, the city has adopted the blue and yellow color scheme for the overpasses, street lights, railings, plant boxes, and even the Muelle Loney concrete fence. I'm even guessing they will paint the flyover with yellow and blue.


lovely colors! bweh!
ugh! i guess they want Iloilo to look weird... why these colors? why not stick to the usual colors of public buildings like white or sand ochre?...hmmm..

http://thedailyguardian.com/images/stories/front_a9.jpg

I think the taller the better..parang 6th floor lang..sabi ng mayor 9th floor sa radio interview...hindi pa yan final ang design.but it looked really cool..daw sa Amerika kalang :lol:

Team Panay of Digital Photographers Philippines had a 2 day photo safari in Iloilo themed "Unseen Iloilo" last July. The members are professional and amateur photographers led by Mr. Jake Borres (tag-iya sang Chinos)

Click here (http://digitalphotographer.com.ph/forum/showthread.php?t=7532) to view the pictures*

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1230/893178914_a98d462be5.jpg
Source: Digital Photographers Philippines - Panay Chapter

------------------
*The site is also a forum and not a gallery.

I was born in Cadiz City Negros sa lugar sang father ko..pero halos diri nako na
tubu- an, bu ot kag nag daku sa lapaz Iloilo sa lugar sang nanay ko:lol: kaya bisan diin nga forum gina promote ko gid ang Lapaz kag Cadiz sa bilog nga kalibutan:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

Kis a gale ang Guimaras gina promote ko man ang lugar sang girlfriend ko:lol: :lol:
Keep on promoting the whole of Western Visayas, uymarcelo. We need to strengthen our tourism bid in all ways. Cheers and welcome.

lovely colors! bweh!
ugh! i guess they want Iloilo to look weird... why these colors? why not stick to the usual colors of public buildings like white or sand ochre?...hmmm..
maybe it's official colour na gid man ini. Or intended lang ang colur nga ini sa heritage site sang Iloilo City? I don't know how to describe the colour scheme Iloilo City is having right now. Just look at the Museo Iloilo and Department of Tourism Regional Office. Guess its technicolor and looks very lively.


I think the taller the better..parang 6th floor lang..sabi ng mayor 9th floor sa radio interview...hindi pa yan final ang design.but it looked really cool..daw sa Amerika kalang :lol:
looking forward for this new development in th ecity. It looks really grand to me.

Team Panay of Digital Photographers Philippines had a 2 day photo safari in Iloilo themed "Unseen Iloilo" last July. The members are professional and amateur photographers led by Mr. Jake Borres (tag-iya sang Chinos)

Click here (http://digitalphotographer.com.ph/forum/showthread.php?t=7532) to view the pictures*

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1230/893178914_a98d462be5.jpg
Source: Digital Photographers Philippines - Panay Chapter

------------------
*The site is also a forum and not a gallery.
Thanks Bern. Ganda. And I like the promotional feature. Well done gid. I think their next features will cover other towns of Iloilo.

City gives livelihood training for Brgy. Airport residents
August 5, 2007

Iloilo City -- The city government through the city social welfare development office, in collaboration with the Technical Institute of Iloilo City (TIIC) and West Negros College sponsored a livelihood training program for the residents of Brgy. Airport, Mandurriao last August 4th and 5th.

Executive assistant to the mayor, Matty Octavio said that since the closure of the old airport in Mandurriao, numerous families lost their basic income which they used to acquire through porterage or selling various products.

“It has come to our attention that a lot of individuals working at Mandurriao Airport are now jobless and we hope that through this free skills training that we will be giving them, they will be able to start a new business to cover up for the lost income since the transfer of the airport to Cabatuan,” Octavio stated.

More than a hundred families have been identified to attend the Food Trade and Beauty Care skills training. Instructors from the TIIC will teach them basic skills like cosmetology, hair cutting and food processing.

“We will share this knowledge with them for free and nursing students from West Negros were kind enough to shoulder all the expenses necessary for the duration of the training like the ingredients needed for the demonstration. The students also donated cooking equipment like steamers, gas stove, pans and manicure and pedicure sets for the barangay,” Octavio further said.

“All the skills taught here are actually available at TIIC, Bo. Obrero and anyone can enroll and learn for free. Requirements for enrollment are barangay clearance, residence certificate and an ID picture,” Octavio also stated.

source: Iloilo City Official Website (http://www.iloilocity.gov.ph/autogeneratedpagenews.php?id=67)

Treñas bares officials for 36th Paraw Regatta
July 30, 2007

ILOILO City -- This early, the city of Iloilo has started preparations for the 2008 edition of the annual Iloilo Paraw Regatta.

Mayor Jerry P. Treñas has issued an order designating the Iloilo Paraw Regatta Foundation (IPRF) to organize and host the Paraw Regatta Festival slated February 17th next year and creating the working committees for the event.

The festival, first organized in 1973, is a race among native outriggers in the strait between Guimaras Island and Iloilo City.

“The results of the festival handled by the IPRF early this year was satisfactory, and I know that they will do everything they can to make next year’s festival even better. I am also issuing the executive order naming the committee members so that they can start working to ensure the festival’s success,” the mayor said.

The honorary committee is made up of Treñas, Congressman Raul Gonzalez, Jr., and Governors Niel Tupas and Felipe Nava.

The oversight committee will be composed of the IPRF board of trustees namely Treñas, Manuel Villa, Jr., Edwin Trompeta, vice-mayor Jed Mabilog, Dr. Mary Lou Arcelo, Harry Taningco, Honorato Espinosa, Robert Uy, Atty. Edgar Espinosa, Jose Layson, Ernesto Borromeo, Engr. Bernadette Rosales, Godofredo Naces, Capt. Pepito Palmares and Jonathan Grant.

The executive director for the event is city tourism officer Benito Jimena.

The committees and their respective chairmen are sea marshals (Comm. Luis Tuason); technical (Cdr. Harold Jarder, Sr.); beach masters (Jose Piamonte); Judging (John Michael Ng); crowd control (PSI Federico Silvestre, Jr.); special events (Dir. Edwin Trompeta); marketing (Francis de la Cruz); publicity (Amante Espejo, Jr.); medical (Maria Gracia Chua); communications (Engr. Marito Amatorio); communications (Ranilo Pinuela); finance (Joseph Barredo); prizes (Chita Visto); sea and umpires (Iloilo Jaycees).

source: Iloilo City Official Website (http://www.iloilocity.gov.ph/autogeneratedpagenews.php?id=66)

thanks for the photos chymera :D (teka bat wayway? lols)

ganda talaga ng setting ng iloilo..the sepia shot na may rdbd is my favorite

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ilo/2007/08/08/article_223420_08-08-2007.jpg

Gov. Niel D. Tupas, receives the marker shown by Provincial Director Melvin Mongcal yesterday while Provincial Administrator Manuel "Boy" Mejorada looks on. The marker is intended for the new building recently constructed under the administration of Gov. Tupas which will be inaugurated on Thursday at Camp Sumagaysay, Sta. Barbara, Iloilo

source: Sunstar ILOILO (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ilo/2007/08/08/index.html)
^^ ^^ any idea what building they are talking about? Seemed that Sta Barbara is full of surprises huh !

Maspasan farmers get 700T dam

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) under its Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) for the Rice recently turned-over the P 700,000-worth Maspasan Check Dam to the Maspasan Farmers Association of the municipality of Calinog.

The Masapasan Check Dam was completed in just two months, from April 17 to June 15, this year. It is the first irrigation facility in the municipality and will service an area of 30 hectares benefiting 35 farmers.

During the turn-over ceremony, Engr. Remelyn Recoter, DA 6 OIC-Regional Technical Director urged farmer beneficiaries to maximize the use of the check dam and must make sure that water is evenly distributed. She said the area can be classified as irrigated instead of rain fed wherein farmers can have three croppings a year.

The DA has been seriously working double time on dramatically raising farm productivity in keeping with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's 8 by '08 agenda of the social payback to the people as a result of the country's economic turnaround.

GMA RICE, is one of its banner programs that aims to attain national food security and reducing poverty incidence in the rural areas while ensuring sustainability of the resource base and enhancing people empowerment.

Meanwhile, Recoter lauded the local government units for facilitating the project and the residents of the said barangay for their determination and hard work to implement the check dam.

The local government of Calinog and the provincial government of Iloilo are the implementing agencies of the project.

source: Sunstar ILOILO (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ilo/2007/08/08/news/maspasan.farmers.get.700t.dam.html)

lovely colors! bweh!
ugh! i guess they want Iloilo to look weird... why these colors? why not stick to the usual colors of public buildings like white or sand ochre?...hmmm..

^^right you are gian, i don't like the current color scheme of the city. it looks tacky and cheap instead of classy and decent.

JARO CATHEDRAL virtual reality (http://tourguide.panoptics.co.uk/view.php?pid=482)
:eek2:

^^WoW indeed!

^^ Ey, the Archdiocese of Jaro is having a fund raising project named "20/11 BC" for the renovation of the Cathedral.

Visit their website at: http://www.jaroarchdiocese.com/20_11%20BC.htm for more information.

All of the pictures were part of the calendar that Paloma Photography published for 1997 featuring some old pictures of Iloilo.

All Rights Reserved.

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h291/berniemacksouthcentral/Iloilo%20and%20Negros/Iloiloprimero00044-1.jpg
Aduana and Muelle Loney (circa 1950's)

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h291/berniemacksouthcentral/Iloilo%20and%20Negros/Iloiloprimero00043-2.jpg
Cathedral de Sta. Elizabeth de Ungria (Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral)

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h291/berniemacksouthcentral/Iloilo%20and%20Negros/Iloiloprimero00045.jpg
Plazoleta Gay

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h291/berniemacksouthcentral/Iloilo%20and%20Negros/Iloiloprimero00048.jpg
Old Iloilo Provincial Capitol

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h291/berniemacksouthcentral/Iloilo%20and%20Negros/Iloiloprimero00050.jpg
2nd Paraw Regatta

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h291/berniemacksouthcentral/Iloilo%20and%20Negros/Iloiloprimero00047.jpg
Aerial View of Iloilo City by 1960's.

----------------
From "Angels in Stone" by Fr. Pedro Gallende OSA

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h291/berniemacksouthcentral/Iloilo%20and%20Negros/3.jpg
Catedral de Jaro circa late 1800's

that's right. It will be hard for photographers to take pictures of the new city hall. It's almost the same thing when you want to take photos of St Anne's Cathedral in Molo. Hay.

Hmm Saka ka sa San Jose Church Bell tower... or sa dira ka kuha dampi lapit sa may old house nga gina lutuan sang Dunkin Donuts :)

http://thedailyguardian.com/images/stories/front_a9.jpg

I think the taller the better..parang 6th floor lang..sabi ng mayor 9th floor sa radio interview...hindi pa yan final ang design.but it looked really cool..daw sa Amerika kalang :lol:

Indi pa gid na guro final ang design... maybe before this month is over... we will know what it will finally look like.

So far OK man ang design... elegant gid man!:)

All of the pictures were part of the calendar that Paloma Photography published for 1997 featuring some old pictures of Iloilo.

All Rights Reserved.

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h291/berniemacksouthcentral/Iloilo%20and%20Negros/Iloiloprimero00047.jpg
Aerial View of Iloilo City by 1960's.

----------------
From "Angels in Stone" by Fr. Pedro Gallende OSA

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h291/berniemacksouthcentral/Iloilo%20and%20Negros/3.jpg
Catedral de Jaro circa late 1800's


These 2 pics are breath taking... I liked the aerial view... nice shot. It would really be nice to do a comparison with berns latest photo.

The Jaro Cathedral is really in good condition with the original tower intact.

Thanks a lot for the photos berns! :)

More to come please....

I think Toto Chy already went here. Hidden jewels of Iloilo. Not very exposed to tourism and almost virginal.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1050/987620418_e0c9e3d7f5_b.jpg
Concepcion, Iloilo. by Stoicinluv (Flickr)

^^pwedi lang gali maka kapa-kapa langoy pakadto sa pihak...kaya ko na guro ayyy para nga ma virginized man sya,,,hehe...

every year ga youth camp kami sa mga beaches ang iloilo, always in Bantayan beach.

^^ nice pictures Bernie. An Old Charm of Iloilo. Cheers.

Concepcion beaches remains beautiful and untouched. I hope they'll start promoting beaches in the north to attract more tourists and investors in Northern Iloilo.

TEAM FORMED FOR THE SEARCH
Wanted: Investors for city coal-fired power plant
By Niña Jane A. Souribio

The city government has formed a team that will look for investors to put up a coal-fired power plant that is expected to solve the power crisis in Iloilo City, Vice Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog disclosed yesterday.

Mabilog said the team has started searching for companies with good track record on environmental concerns and that can meet the fast growing power demand of the metropolis.

“We’re looking for an efficient, reliable and cheaper power supply. A coal-fired power plant can be the answer to the crisis,” said Mabilog.

If a coal-fired power plant will be put up here, about P2 to P3 will be reduced from the present power rate every kilowatt hour, he stressed.

COMPANIES

“By the end of August, the team could have already identified several companies,” the vice mayor said.

It was reported that from P7 million in June, city hall’s electric bill for July ballooned to P8.5 million.

The Panay Electric Company (Peco) did not readily give the exact amount of the bill but disclosed that it covers the power consumption of city schools, city offices, street lights and barangay halls.

Of the P45, 492,392.20 2007 revised supplemental budget, P34 million is allotted for electricity.

CONNECTIONS

To slash electricity expenses, Mayor Jerry Treñas said power connections in several public gyms will be cut off.

“There gyms nga surprising ang balayan sa kuryente. May ara nagakalab ot P80,000,” said Treñas.

Treñas said with the booming economy, the city will soon have an investor for a coal-fired power plant.

By the time when the old airport lot is converted into a commercial complex, Iloilo City, he stressed, definitely will need even more electricity supply.

source: The ILOILO Daily Informer (http://dailyinformer.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1331&Itemid=137)

^^ And yes, in Radio and TV Malacanang, Gloria told the press that they wanted to capitalize renewable energy within 5 to 10 years. Ironic?! :ohno:

they are encouraging renewable energy but she did not mention that renewable energy is the answer to power crisis.

^^ Still ironic. Whats next, the sinking of every major city in the world? :ohno: Weather has gone freak here in Pinas and I assueme that some parts of the world also.

I don't think it's ironic. It simply is practical.

The theory of climate change remains a theory. I don't think there will be major catastrophy to bring major cities of the world under the sea. In all ways, weather is always unpredictable. We have such thing anywhere in the globe. The warning of increase CO2 emission is comparatively high (or maybe hgher) with airline industry and other industrial manufacturing compared to the coal plant using modern technology.

^^ Still, i'm not convinced with practicality. Why tap with coal power plant if we have a surplus of power in Panay Island?

And I don't think that climate change is a theory. Even though if aviation is to be blamed but coal plant still emits carbon dioxide. A simple help by putting up by investing to renewable energy sources would be better than a quick remedy. Maayo pa ang iban nga mga ciudad kay nagasugod na sanda sa ila nga Clean and Green programs pero kita, hay coal pa man guihapon.

I'm still not convinced of putting up a coal power plant in Iloilo. What a lame excuse if it is "modern" and still emit humongous carbon dioxide or monoxide in the atmosphere. No no...

well, we have different in opinions. But I guess the environmental group in the city is just as stubborn as anyone else to accept the modern technology. What else can I say?

I think Robinson's Iloilo is releasing more and more workshops/catwalks/shows, etc to spur the city's growing fashion industry.

When Dreams Come True: Neny Dawn Jover talks about designing for Barbie dolls and girls
By Kathy M. Villalon

http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/10/nenys2.jpg
Neny Dawn Jover is in the lookout for
fresh ideas and chic designs

BEING part of the Robinsons Design Lab 2007 was a dream come true for Neny Dawn Jover. The realization of such dream was even sweeter when she emerged as the winner, paving the way for her to showcase her bright and new ideas in designing.

Get to know more about this 22-year-old Hotel and Restaurant Management student and one of Iloilo City's young dynamic designers.

Kathy M. Villalon (KMV): Describe your collection during the Robinsons Design Lab 2007.
Neny Dawn Jover (NDJ): My collection was inspired by water. During dawn, water comes in hues of pink, blue and chartreuse so the dresses used those colors. The shapes of my designs were inspired by waves. I used glue stick to create droplets. The cloths that I used were organza, satin and stretched tulle with glitters.

KMV: What were your prizes?
NDJ: P10,000 cash, junior membership with the Designers Guild of Iloilo, one year free membership in Winners Gym and packs from Karatworld.

KMV: Your course seem to be a bit far off from designing.
NDJ: Yes. In fact, before I took up Software Engineering. Four years later, I enrolled in HRM because I wanted to get into Culinary Arts.

KMV: No plans to study fashion designing?
NDJ: At present, I am still struggling on what to take – Culinary Arts or Fashion Designing. I love to cook, too.
http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/10/nenys3.jpg
Neny's design

KMV: How early did you get into designing?
NDJ: When I was still a child, I started sketching. I already had that desire to design since then. I would design clothes for my Barbie Dolls. My mother influenced me by buying me dresses of dolls. I dreamt of designing clothes for Barbie or for girls.

KMV: As a young designer, what influence can you make in the industry?
NDJ: The use of bright colors, fresh look, chic and minimal designs but with striking shapes, fun and the use of new medium like the glue stick.

KMV: Speaking of glue stick, how were you able to come up with that idea?
http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/10/nenys4.jpg
Neny and a model during the Robinsons
Design Lab 2007 finals

NDJ: When I was taking a shower, I marveled at how the water droplets formed on the tiles. I wanted to apply that in my collection but it seemed impossible at that time. So, I said, what if I'll change my inspiration to flowers? But then, that concept is already overused. A few days later, I remembered plastic flowers and realized that their dew drops were done with a glue stick.

KMV: Is winning in the Robinsons Design Lab a dream come true?
NDJ: Yes. I dreamt of having my collections worn on the ramp and I thought it was impossible because I had no name and no financier. But, when I saw the competition's poster at the mall, I got excited. It was time for me to join. I'm glad I did.

source: The News Today (http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/08/10/when.dreams.come.true.html)

^^ I don't blame them for being stubborn. Coal has been causing some environmental concerns within the vicinity and outside.

We have been importing coal from Australia and China (and now that the latter needs more coal to fire up its surging economy) and this gives us dependency to import resources and thus vulnerable to price increases (since majority of our coal resources are imported) and might be also affecting the electricity bills of the consumers as well.

Welcome to the Philippines!

well, we have abundant coal reserve in Antique. I think its high time to use them for our benefits.

^^ Semirara? It was closed due to its adverse effects to the Semiraranhons.

that can be revived, if needed. Kung supply lang pag-istoryahan, we have enough of it. We just need to take onboard new technologies to make it work for us.

Landslide imperils UPV-Miagao bldg
By Roy Cejar

A portion of the University of the Philippines-Visayas (UPV) administration building near the foot of Barangit-itip Hill in Miag-ao, Iloilo is now restricted due to threat of further landslides. Globe Telecom likewise decommissioned its existing cellsite and tower located on top of the hill. This was learned lately from other sources despite refusal of Chancellor Glen Aguilar to grant interview to members of media...

link: http://dailyinformer.info (http://dailyinformer.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1327&Itemid=137)

quarrying pala....

looks like some piece of bad news from my alma mater.

Landslide imperils UPV-Miagao bldg
By Roy Cejar

A portion of the University of the Philippines-Visayas (UPV) administration building near the foot of Barangit-itip Hill in Miag-ao, Iloilo is now restricted due to threat of further landslides. Globe Telecom likewise decommissioned its existing cellsite and tower located on top of the hill. This was learned lately from other sources despite refusal of Chancellor Glen Aguilar to grant interview to members of media...

link: http://dailyinformer.info (http://dailyinformer.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1327&Itemid=137)

quarrying pala....

looks like some piece of bad news from my alma mater.

It has been restricted since last October. The Registrar's office and Cash office was moved in the CUB and former PNB Buildings.

It shows how Miag-ao is very fragile when it comes to geological issues. Most of the establishments in Miag-ao stood on "stilts" because of the uneven topography.

Ey, Eonynx...Isko ka gali? Sa san-o ka ya nagraduate haw? CAS, CM, SOTECH or CF (formerly CFOS) ka? PM lang details megs. :)

ILOILO ONFOOT (http://www.iloiloonfoot.blogspot.com) PHOTOS

Riverside Boardwalk
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1081/1068014983_ed22dc3922.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1426/1068877432_a976989617.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1394/1068009803_0dfb6043ca.jpg

Churrisguresque Church of Tigbauan

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1428/1061364951_bd1ee24a63.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1093/1061364921_f886853df9.jpg

Cabatuan Church and Plaza

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1408/864329816_336ceb1ec1.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1359/993435914_58c19646c9.jpg

Santa Barbara Convent

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1007/864329804_8bc82fb01e.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1358/864329794_2e34a583a6.jpg

Iloilo Onfoot (http://www.iloiloonfoot.blogspot.com) Photos

Jaro City Hall
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1052/917607248_51478ff310.jpg

The Largest Library in WV
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1061/985724930_7f6f8ad3ec.jpg

The Provincial Capitol
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1050/768202272_0a3abfc874.jpg

CPU College of Nursing
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1374/985724946_66b676d71f.jpg

^^cool pics Gian! love the angles of the shots.

ILOILO ONFOOT (http://www.iloiloonfoot.blogspot.com) PHOTOS
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1358/864329794_2e34a583a6.jpg

Scary...is that little girl there already when you took the picture? :D

Nice Gian. Nice shots! Hopefully your midterm is done. Tani makapasyal man ta liwat sang SSC Iloilo next weekend kon bakante kamo.

Scary...is that little girl there already when you took the picture? :D

Nice Gian. Nice shots! Hopefully your midterm is done. Tani makapasyal man ta liwat sang SSC Iloilo next weekend kon bakante kamo.


haha.. gani man daw ka ghostly...hehe.. daw may ginpalagyuhan ang bata..hehe

Hey guys! Kumusta ang tanan? Miss ko na mag post di ah. By the way, lots of good development recently ah. Excited na gid ko magpuli da sa october ba. Dira gid ko ma landing sa bag-o nga airport...yehey!

It has been restricted since last October. The Registrar's office and Cash office was moved in the CUB and former PNB Buildings.

It shows how Miag-ao is very fragile when it comes to geological issues. Most of the establishments in Miag-ao stood on "stilts" because of the uneven topography.

Ey, Eonynx...Isko ka gali? Sa san-o ka ya nagraduate haw? CAS, CM, SOTECH or CF (formerly CFOS) ka? PM lang details megs. :)

haha! that was then bernie and, it's a past life of eonynx! i'm a nurse now!:nuts: graduated in 1997 pa, CAS. seems like eons ago! so any new buildings/structures in the u.p. miagao campus? do you have an aerial shot of the school? greatly appreciated it if you can post it here and other pix too of the school!:)