Dr. Sarabia and other local officials welcomed us in the airport, situated in Mandoriao district. Our tour guide Yehlen Camarista brought us to our designated hotel sponsors.
Our first dinner was sponsored by the Breakthrough Restaurant in Arevalo District, a feast of local delicacies like… crabs (Cruzan), Red Snapper fish (Mangagat), Abalone, and seasonal shell seafoods like scallops, nylon shell (Malinday), diwal, and imbaw (which I liked the most).
After the succulent dinner, we held our night tour of the city with Yehlen. We passed big malls like the SM City near the airport, and the older one in Delgado Street, Robinson’s, Gaisano, four hospitals like Saint Paul, Iloilo Doctors, Mission Hospital, West Visayas University Hospital, and the University of San Agustin.
We were also brought to Sarabia Manor Hotel and Flow Resto Lounge along Benigno Aqui-no Drive to observe the nightlife in the city.
"Before, we had brisk sales only on weekends, but now, we are starting to have good crowds even on weekdays because of the influx of Korean guests, medical representatives, and yuppies who usually stay until midnight," said Ms.Engel Loring, owner of Flow Resto Lounge, one of the most visited watering holes here.
Most of the time, people from Bacolod City come to Iloilo via ferry boats locally known as "fastcraft" the easiest way to reach the city because of its high speed capacity. It only takes less than an hour of travel so they can go back to Bacolod in the afternoon.
The next morning we met members of the Young Thomasian Artists Circle (YTAC) headed by Jocelyn Dare Tullao, assistant curator of the University of Sto. Tomas Museum of Arts and Sciences.
YTAC held an art workshops for hundreds of high school students at the Museo Iloilo as part of the Art Festival. The YTAC is composed of nine alumni visual artists.
They are: Andres Barrioquinto, Lawrence Borsoto, Buen Calubayan, Lindsey Lee, Mark Magistrado, Jaime Jesus Pacena ll, Ivan Roxas, CJ Tañedo, and Wesley Valenzuela.
The Thomasians also conducted interaction workshops with the local artists.
YTAC aims to conduct art tours in different parts of the country and in Southeast Asian countries to share and show their art works.
These Thomasian artists opened their art exhibit entitled "dog god," at the Museo Iloilo.
The month-long exhibit was formally opened by the First Lady of Iloilo City Mrs. Rosalie S. Treñas, Dr. Teresa Sarabia, Jocelyn Tullao, Dr. Alejandro Rivera and Dr. Mary Catherine Rivera of the Iloilo Doctors Hospital, and Dr. Rolando Padilla.
The artworks were mostly done in digital art distortions, mixed media, and multi media.
One of the artworks that caught my attention was done by Ivan Roxas, a realism form of painting.
"My style of art is expressing on how to control the emotion, this is basically the essence of Realism" said Roxas. "Only few artists in the world are now doing realistic paintings," he added.
The festival started on Sept. 26 with an art exhibit dubbed as "ARTE ILOILO," organized by the Zonta Club of Iloilo City led by its president Mafelou C. Leagogo Agriam.
The exhibit held at SM City Iloilo featured 30 local artists and their art works in various forms like paintings, sculptures, and wood carvings or lithographs.
Also one of the highlights of the festival was the "Bayle Ilongga", showing regional dances, and some of them used ballet dance, modern dance, and local dances.
The event started with a parade and a dinagyang dance at Paseo de Iloilo, followed by an invocation by the Kawilihan Dance Group at the Fountain Area of the Robinson’s Place.
Mrs. Rosarie Treñas delivered her welcome remarks, followed by the keynote address of Tourism Usec. Salvador D. Sarabia, Jr.
A dance presentation was participated by the Hugyaw Arts Co. of St. Therese-MTC Colleges, Lambunao Binanog Dance of Sitio Udyang brgy. Jayubo, Lambunao, Iloilo; Irong Irong Dance Company of West Visayas State University; Kawilihan Dance Troupe of University of San Agustin, and Pagasa Dinagyang Tribe.
The West Visayas State University and University of San Carlos performed regional dances.
"This is just the beginning. Next year, Bayle Ilonggo will present more tribal dances," Dr. Teresita Sarabia added.
