Dinagyang Festival: Where adventures in Iloilo take off
For first time visitors to Iloilo, a sprawling city on the island of Panay, three days are enough to experience a heady mix of old world charm and striking modernity, century-old churches in districts adjacent to a high-tech township, a cuisine that is both cutting edge yet also deeply rooted in tradition, and through it all, a heartwarming hospitality that never goes out of style.
We were poised to take off on our new adventures, appropriately enough, in the Megaworld township whose main thoroughfare used to be the runway of the old airport. Driving down that eight-lane boulevard with gleaming buildings, hotels, museums and convention centers on either side, it truly felt that we were in for new experiences and we were right. How perfect that we were in town for Dinagyang, the beloved festival that draws visitors from near and far, and which starts off the year on a high note.
Even if the Megaworld township sparkles with highly modern buildings, other new structures have a European feel to them that blends tradition and modernity seamlessly. It’s this juxtaposition, of how Ilonggos can slip so easily from one world into another, that makes it so charming.
For instance, after checking into our hotel, the Courtyard by Marriot, the Megaworld Public Relations Team walked with us past the striking Iloilo Convention Center with its ridged facade to arrive at another hotel, the Richmonde, for dinner. But neither the famed Ilonggo batchoy nor Pancit Molo was on the menu.
Instead, chef Rey Perreno II started us off with a trio of appetizers based on sampaguita flowers. The salpicao made with lengua, the mango jam, and the white cheese spread were all made with the essence of sampaguita, which is like a floral symbol of the city. It’s a concept that’s edgy yet old-fashioned at the same time. In the same vein, mongo was cooked with wild greens, which the chef learned to use from his grandmother, and he partnered the dish with a roulade of chicken inasal.
That first meal, which also included an exquisite salmon sinigang whose rich broth was served separately in teapots, was a harbinger of meals to come. It’s a good thing that after dinner, one can walk up and down Megaworld Boulevard, go shopping at the Festive Walk mall that had just launched its Dino and Dina Dinagyang dolls, or visit the night stalls set up for the festival.
The next morning, we walked to the nearby Ilomoca, the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art. This world-class museum showcases both upcoming and established Filipino artists but right now, the focus is on Patis Tesoro’s “Filipiniana is Forever” exhibit. Her richly detailed gowns and artwork reflect a take on the Philippine costume that is both elegant and playful. Guided by Ilomoca’s Joane Paulette Libo-on, we viewed a collection of art that included paintings, sculptures, and installations that truly expressed a range of Filipino values and aesthetics.
Then it was off to the nearby Brandy Museum, housed in the white Casa de Emperador building. This time, the focus was on the art of making world-class brandy, exploring its history through the centuries to its roots in Spain. One is guided through the personalities, the equipment and process needed to produce this distilled spirit. On display were many kinds of Fundador brandy for sale, but the most striking were those in bottles designed to look like pieces of art. We ended our visit with a demonstration of how to appreciate a shot of brandy. You swirl the glass for five seconds, take a sip, savor the flavor for a few more seconds, inhale and exhale, and then swallow.
After a lunch of adobo, pastas and burgers at Protagonist, we returned to our comfy rooms at the Marriott to rest before the night’s activities that included the ILOmination parade and a number of street concerts afterwards. We had an early dinner at Buto’t Balat, which can refer to the key ingredients needed to make a flavorful stock. Seafood and native dishes are the offerings of this homegrown brand.
Then we settled into our reserved seats right outside the Festive Walk Mall for a parade of colorful floats, dancers in costumes with lights built into them and rousing music. Thousands of people lined the streets, and even as we later returned to our hotel it felt as if, in the words of Megaworld director for PR Glenn Reyes, the entire Philippines had turned up for Dinagyang! There were people from all walks of life viewing from streetside cafes, from all levels of the carpark, and from the bridgeway of Festive Walk Mall. There was a show of fireworks that went over 10 minutes. We needn’t even have ventured so far, as the ILOmination parade also went past our hotel and through the night, we could listen to concert performances from the comfort of our hotel room!
The next morning, we were up before seven to travel to La Paz for the famed batchoy, a hit at Netong’s, located at the shiny new public market. Somehow, from the early hours of the morning when all the shows ended to the time we stepped out of the hotel, the streets were clean, as if there had not been thousands of merrymakers just a short while ago.
Once we secured a table at Netong’s, the “Original Special La Paz Batchoy,” we spied the produce market and did a quick tour. We ended up with bags of kakanin, athe local souring agent batwan and fat pink shallots. Then we savored the best bowl of batchoy we had ever tasted with its perfectly cooked noodles in a flavorful broth with plenty of good chicharon. Truly worth waking up early for.
But we didn’t leave the market right after that, proceeding instead to the second floor for another beloved Iloilo institution, Madge Café, which has been around since 1940. The robusta coffee, whether drunk black or in any kind of iced preparation, is smooth and delicious, while suman makes the perfect accompaniment. One will quickly notice that most of the staff look rather senior, yet their movements are deft and energetic. Currently run by Peter de la Cruz, he explained that “Madge” is Magdalena, his grandmother, who cared for generations of their employees and made sure they had an education. That heartwarming story was as wonderful as the coffee, and such loyalty echoed the loyalty from its many customers. They filled the café in a never-ending stream and even had their own personal mugs on display!
But there were still two more food stops to come. The Original Biscocho Haus is a must for pasalubongs that include butterscotch cookies, ube-filled piyayas, barquillos, and all manner of toasted bread, as the name of the establishment implies. From there, we proceeded to the old section of Iloilo, the Calle Real with its cobblestone streets and buildings dating to the twenties. It was completely free of “spaghetti wires,” which have all been buried underground.
Even in the middle of a Saturday morning, contingents of dancers from all over the country were already starting to march or dance their way down the Calle Real. We headed for another of Iloilo’s culinary treasures, Roberto’s “Home of the Queen Siopao since 1978.” Crowds throng around this popular eatery serving up huge siopaos that are mostly filling rather than bread, and stuffed with a meaty pork mixture that also includes a salted egg and sliced sausage. One heavy siopao is good enough to feed two people!
From this morning food crawl, we proceeded to visit two of Iloilo’s most iconic churches. First, we stopped at the Jaro Cathedral of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. It is rather unusual for having its bell tower a distance away from the church, plus an exterior staircase to reach the shrine of Our Lady of Candles. Jaro is a district of Iloilo, and nearby is another district, Molo, home to the Molo Church or the Santa Ana Parish Church, built in 1831. This landmark is known for its Gothic-Renaissance Revival architecture and red spires. It sits in front of a huge plaza with a fountain and a gazebo filled with statues. Across is the Molo Mansion, just one of many historical houses in Iloilo.
Then we proceeded to lunch and to our surprise, a few minutes driving brought us back to where our adventures started, to the Megaworld Boulevard and Marriott hotel! It’s amazing that the boulevard is still a runway, a place where new experiences, friendships and memories can take off. Truly, in Iloilo the old sits practically side by side with the new, and it is amazing to discover both faces of this amazing city.
