I love Manila! I was born and raised here—you can never get me lost anywhere in the National Capital Region.
If you’re also from—or have been to—Metro Manila, you already know how livable it is. Almost everything you need is a stone's throw or an app away! Even before the pandemic, Manila peeps have already been enjoying app-purchase of food, drinks, medicine, and groceries. There’s also a vast array of choices for dining, shopping, and other leisure activities.
Of course, you would also be familiar with the heavy traffic, the overly-populated malls on weekends, the noise and air pollution, and the paranoia when a suspicious man (or group of boys) lurks around, and the waiting game in parking areas.
In one of my recent blog, I listed a few ideas on how to prepare if you’re planning to move out – stuff I learned when I moved to Iloilo City on my own. I’m halfway through my 4th year in Iloilo City and I hope I can already pass to be an Ilongga --though sometimes my Ilonggo vocabulary (local dialect, aka Hiligaynon) still fails me and my accent still gives away the Manileña in me.
Today, I’m sharing the changes I experienced when I first moved here—plus additional tips to make Iloilo City your home away from home.
Traffic & Commuting in Iloilo vs. Manila
When I was working in BGC, there was no one sure way to get me to work on time. I’ve tried it all – having someone drive me to work, riding a motorcycle (you can just imagine the struggle of a skirt-wearing um, lady, side-saddling a motorbike that’s going 80 on the highway!), hailing taxi cabs which often has picky drivers who would also haggle for higher rates instead of going by the meter, book from ride-hailing apps that can either: get lost, cancel on you last minute, or have terribly high surge rates, and the regular commute – which I will not even bother with.
When I first came to Iloilo City, I. Walked. My. Way. To. Work. I wrote about it in my very old blog. In Iloilo City jeepneys– they don’t rush you to your seat. Most of the jeepneys in Manila? You would be head bent looking for a vacant seat while the jeepney has already accelerated to oblivion. Although, I did have trouble getting off once because I kept saying “Para po!” – a phrase used in Manila when you reach your stop and want to get off a public vehicle. I was a few meters away from my stop when all the passengers chorused on my behalf with “Sa lugar lang!” – which is the Ilonggo version of "Para po".
Here are other phrases that I learned on my commute:
- “Bangga lang” – imagine my shock when someone shouted that on the jeepney. ‘Bangga’ in Tagalog means ‘crash’. Apparently, that meant ‘the next corner’ here.
- “Sa babaw lang” – Yes, ‘babaw’ can mean top or above, but it can also mean ‘a little ahead’ if you’re speaking of proximity.
- “Kambyo” – No, that doesn’t mean to shift gear, but here it means ‘change’ (from your payment).
Here is where I’m always wrong:
- “To-o” – means right
- “Wa-lah” – mean left
I always talk to taxi drivers in local dialect because if they find out I'm not from here, they often ask questions like, “Taga-diin ka?“ (‘Where are you from?’), “Ga-ano ka diri?” (‘What are you here for?’) and it can get tiring to answer the questions (LOL -- they are way too friendly for me.) BUT then – I would forget these local terms for directions so I would end up saying, “Liko ka dira, ‘nong -- sa LEFT” .
*face-palm*
Abaw, manong!
Food Delivery & Dining Out: Iloilo vs. Manila
Dining out, just like in Manila, can be hit or miss. If I have to recommend good food and restaurants, here are my top choices (I can—as a matter of fact, I do—eat from the following almost everyday, in turns) not in specific order :
- Akamon Ramen Bar
- Healthy Kitchen Café
- Nicolette’s
- Buto’t Balat
- Monkey Grounds
Safety & Community Life in Iloilo vs. Manila
I have seen people get robbed on the streets of Manila, in broad daylight. First experience was when I had the car window down in the backseat and my brother was twiddling with his phone in the front passenger seat when a man in his twenties just grabbed his phone from MY window-- and ran away. Well, we were dumbfounded and I’m still sorry until now LOL.
Second experience happened when I was in an Uber along C5 and a teenager just opened the door of the car in front of me and took the lady passenger’s bag and ran away.
The traffic was at a standstill both times.
So, can you just imagine an Iloilo cab driver’s look when I got in --- and locked all the doors? They never bother doing that here! I bet you he got dubious of ME! But still – it doesn’t hurt to practice caution and be mindful of your surroundings. I actually had a horrible encounter with a bad cab driver here recently, but he wasn’t from Iloilo (according to him). Overall, people here are honest, polite, and friendly.
K’s Final Thoughts 💜
I wanted to cover shopping and leisure activities, but I rarely go out and I’m dull on shopping trips, even in Manila. I do miss the huge malls though. Iloilo only has a few malls here but the store outlets and food chains are becoming competitive. I do wish they would have North Park and Army Navy here soon. Oooh and Mary Grace. And Lord Stows. LOL.
I guess the major change that happened is that I rarely go out here. I think everyone has been forced to stay at home during the pandemic too, but that made me discover the joys of being alone with my thoughts – well there are downsides, but still preferable for me. I still use social distancing as an excuse to get me out of a social situation.
I still have a lot of places and things to discover in Iloilo City! What would you recommend? Diin kita makadto? 😁
xoxo,
