After the activity, I proceeded to Jaro to meet up with Eugene Jamerlan of the Iloilo City Cultural Heritage and Conservation Council (ICCHCC) who took me and HCS Youth members Bernard Arellano and Gian Alvarez on a walking tour of Jaro. We first entered the Locsin House and walked around the plaza towards the Magdalena Jalandoni House.
We also passed by the Old Jaro City Hall which is now a police station. Before Jaro and the other districts of Iloilo City were merged together, Jaro was a city itself. Of course there's the Ledesma Mansion, one might say a story of stupidity. They thought that there was treasure buried in front of the mansion and started to dig. As a result, the facade of the mansion collapsed. They did not realize that the treasure was their house.
On the way, we bought some Iloilo bibingka from a street vendor. These are flat pancakes about two inches in diameter sold in paper bags of 10 pieces for PHP20. I really like trying out the local street food since it gives you a feel of the locality.We also visited the ancestral home of Marikit Javellana which is now in a rundown area of Jaro. How sad it is to see how these grand streets have deteriorated through the years.
Our last stop is the Lizares Mansion which is now the Angelicum School. We got to check out the interiors as well. The grand ballroom inside is now a chapel. But despite the years of wear and tear, you can still see its former grandeur.
I went shopping at the Original Biscocho House since I am a fan of their butterscotch. I was introduced to these baked delights way back in high school by my friend Babits Guadarrama who is a granddaughter of the owner if I'm not mistaken. The are more goodies inside and to me, it's a must for pasalubongs.
I then met up with the rest of the Ateneo people at SM City Iloilo since Francis Trenas was treating the Jesuits and us to dinner at his David's Tea House. After that sumptuous dinner, the Jesuits dropped us off at Smallville again where we had some drinks. More photos in Multiply.
DAVID'S TEA HOUSE?!!?!? DAVID'S TEA HOUSE?!?!?!? SA DINAMI-DAMING RESTAURAN (yes, still with a silent T) DIRA SA ILOILO YOU CHOSE TO EAT AT DAVID'S TEA HOUSE?!!?? WHYYYYY!?
ReplyDeleteKasi nga, Francis Trenas owns the place and he treated us and sina Fr. Daniel, Fr. Manny and company there. And yes, bitin ako sa Iloilo restaurants! I might be back in November :D
ReplyDeleteWELL, YOU SHOULD BE BACK! YOU HAVEN'T TRIED PEPPY THAI DELI, BUTO'T BALAT, TATOY'S, HK KITCHEN, NES N TATS, ANOTHER ROUND OF BREAKTHROUGH AND ALL THAT!
ReplyDeleteGrabe, ang daming pwedeng kainan! Haha!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your pics of Iloilo. My mother-in-law is from there and hasn't been back in 30 years. She enjoyed seeing the photos as well.
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