Is a One-Day Cebu Trip Worth It?

When I moved to Iloilo four years ago (before the pandemic hit), I planned to explore the province as much as possible and discover its heritage and culture.

Iloilo is known for its old heritage houses (which I am so curious about!) and Spanish colonial churches being the second Spanish colony in the Philippines after Cebu. In Spanish, Iloilo has been dubbed “La Muy Leal y Noble Ciudad de Iloilo”“ which translates to "Most Loyal and Noble City".

When the establishments fully opened, I got the chance to tour 4 Iloilo museums and I highly recommend these as a go-to place for some art therapy and cultural education. Of course, not all of them will fit everyone's liking.

Find out which one you should not get your hopes high on and which one you should mentally prepare for!

1. ILOMOCA (Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Arts) 

I first visited ILOMOCA in 2019 and definitely loved all the pieces. 

According to its website, ILOMOCA is the first museum in the Visayas region dedicated to modern and contemporary art. The museum has 3 floors—but don’t
worry, they have escalators! It is also conveniently located in Iloilo Business Park so it’s close to hotels and malls.     

Entrance Fee:

• Regular: P150.00
• Senior/PWD: P120.00 (ID required)
• Students: P100.00 (ID required)
• Children (4 years below): FREE

They are open daily from 10 AM – 6 PM, except on Mondays. 

Personal take: Aside from the beautiful pieces, I love the ambiance of the place! The soft lighting and relaxing music makes it perfect for some art therapy—or even a casual date. 😉 

I recommend going to this museum first and grab lunch in nearby mall restaurants/food chains before heading off to the next museum destination!

2. Museo Iloilo

Entrance Fee:

• Adults – P50.00
• Students – P25.00

They are open daily from 10 AM  - 4:30 PM, except Mondays. 

Personal take: I was expecting more cultural pieces since this was supposed to be a provincial museum. Its main hall showcases a few artifacts, religious statues and some framed bits, and pieces of old, random items. 

Another smaller room houses some war relics, potteries, and brief history and background of fabric pieces in Iloilo. I think we stayed here for less than 20 minutes because some of the random pieces did not really pique my interest.

Check out some snaps on my TikTok vid by clicking here.

3. National Museum Western Visayas

You can’t miss this museum on your museum tours. I actually thought it was going to be a long walk down the road, but it’s literally just right beside Museo Iloilo.

National Museum Western Visayas was actually an old provincial jail built in 1911
(more than a hundred years ago, wow!). It was already up during WW2 and had been used by Japanese soldiers back then as an internment camp for prisoners of war. 

Now, aside from the prison bars which would remind visitors of the building's former function, this two-storey building has been converted into a museum and the place boasts of Ilonggo Heritage and cultural pieces. 

Entrance Fee: FREE 

        They are open daily from 9 AM  - 5 PM, except Mondays. 

Personal take: No shade to the previous museum, but this one has no entrance fee but looks better maintained, has cooler air-conditioning, and is more child-friendly. 

They actually have some stations where kids and adults can have some activities like drawing and knitting (materials provided). The roof deck is also a good place to visit, it has nothing really-- just faux grass (I think?) but the old prison guard towers just gives a glimpse of the building’s history. 

Check out some snaps on my TikTok vid by clicking here.

4. Metro Iloilo Modern Arts Park (MIMA) or Musée d' Arsie 

Metro Iloilo Modern Arts Park (MIMA) or Musée d' Arsie is not an actual museum, but a 7-storey commercial building with pieces of thought-provoking art displayed along walls and staircases. Don’t expect a hall full of paintings and sculptures, but also, don’t underestimate the displays!

The arts would send your imagination to another level, especially the ones that are kept in the basement. 

• Adults – P100.00
• Students – P50.00 

They are open daily from 9 AM  - 6 PM. 

Personal take: When we were told that the viewing would start at 7th floor, my first thought was “wow, that much?” – and then we got to 7th floor and was told to just take the stairs down until the we reach the basement. The key to touring this museum? Take it easy. Absorb each art pieces, no matter how weird some of them are (for me, at least), taking time to really strike a conversation with a friend (or with your self) will help you forget the many flight of stairs you have to go through. But it’s not that hard, because every art piece and sculpture here is really interesting – weird (again—for me!), but interesting! 

Check out some snaps on my TikTok vid by clicking here.

All in all, including taxi fares, I spent less than P500 pesos on cabs with Iloilo Business Park as my start and end point. It was really nice to just sit and relax in one of Festive Walk Mall’s al fresco cafés and watch the afternoon sky turn from blue to indigo after a long day. 

There are many other cultural places in Iloilo that I wish to go to soon (and hope to share via this blog too) – so let me know if you any suggestions!

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

When I first came to Iloilo, they already had the GREEN food delivery app. BUT there was no store catering past 8 PM yet. So I had to make sure to order before then, or suffer the whole night craving. This is a huge lifestyle change for me as we would often order in or drive to a fast food or coffee shop in Manila at any given time. 

Eventually, the PINK food delivery app was introduced, and just right on time too, because the pandemic hit, and more stores were extending their hours. (There are 24-hours food chain here now!)

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,

After spending the New Year's Eve in Nature's Eye Resort in Guimaras, I wanted to try other resorts in the area so I came across Mamaley's Resort and made a reservation. I made my booking last May 2021 and was not able to go there until July 2022. Reason? Local travel restrictions.

They were super nice to still honor my reservation, and I was so glad I finally got to visit!

MamaLey's Resort is also located in Brgy. Tando, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras and offers a quiet, relaxing stay that's very close to nature. They only have four guest rooms which means only a limited number of people are at the resort in any given time.

I honestly appreciated the serenity that the place provided especially after a recent trip to Boracay Island (don't get me wrong, I fell in love with Boracay, but the crowd and energy of the place can be draining).

How to Get There? 

What I would recommend though is to take the boat or ferry heading to Jordan Wharf so you're closer to Nueva Valencia. From the Wharf, there are public tricycles and jeepneys that can take you to Mamaley's in Brgy. Tando.

I contacted the same private car driver I rented last year, so I can share his number if you prefer a private ride. (I highly recommend renting a van—the road to Brgy. Tando is narrow and bumpy!)

The rental rate has increased from last year's PHP 800.00 to PHP 1,000 for a trip from Jordan Wharf to Brgy. Tando, and might change depending on the number of passengers. 

What to Expect

This area in Guimaras still has poor cellular network -- therefore, do not expect a real-time upload of your GGSS selfies. I know that the resort has a WiFi area, but the network was down during our visit so just set your expectations well. You should also let your friends and fam know that you might be out of reach so they don't contact the authorities and report you as missing. :)

They have good food! They would ask in advance what you want for dinner so they cook it for you ahead of time. I didn't see any snacks though, but I'm sure they would be able to provide your requests with ample time. 

The resort has access to public beach, but it's secluded so there were really no other people along the shore aside from hotel guests and a couple of fishermen prepping their boats, at least during our stay. 

To get to the shore and back to the resort, guests would have to go through a flight of stairs -- about 53 steps (yep, we counted it lol), so this is not recommended for the centenarians and above.

There were kelps and other debris on the beach area so I would suggest to rent a boat that will take you to other islands and white sand beaches around the area (costs PHP 1,000 for a 2-hour boat ride, and PHP 1500 if you're a group of  5-10 people).

What to Bring

Aside from your swimming attires and usual travel stuff, here are some items that I recommend:

• Insect Repellant Lotion/Spray - I didn't notice a swarm of mosquitoes, but just to be on the safe side, bring a sachet or bottle in your stash.
• Your Own Water Bottle - Mamaley's Resort has a water dispenser so you can help save Mother Earth by skipping the disposables and just refilling anytime. 
• Pre-downloaded Movies/Music - Since internet connection is slow, quality time is mandatory here. I recommend spending hours by the shore, but if weather decides to be gloomy, at least you have an indoor activity prepared.
• Book/Kindle - For the bookworms :)
• Chocolate/Energy Bar - It would be really hard to get or look for food if you get hungry in the middle of the night, so best be prepared!

K’s Final Thoughts 💜

This is a family resort, so don't expect fancy stuff. However, the cleanliness inside and outside the rooms are commendable. The staff are all friendly and approachable, and their food service is good!

Rent a kayak and a boat trip to maximize your experience, and enjoy nature's best (especially the scenic sunset!). Comment below if you need the car rental recommendation! :)

xoxo,

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