The damage wrought by Typhoon Frank to the Tigum Bridge in Cabatuan showed how enterprising Filipinos, or the Ilonggos in particular, are. Residents in the area developed their own version of a Roll-on, Roll-Off facility to ferry motorcycles across the river. The rate is PhP 20.00 per motorcycle.

 
TODAY IS THURSDAY and it’s market day in Jaro. In an alleged ancient Ilonggo-Bisayan calendar*, Thursday is called Baylobaylo (barter) because it’s the usual trading day. Perhaps, the age-old tradition of trading during Thursdays has been carried down in time until the Jaro Thursday Market was established.

 
ILOILO was once dubbed as the “Textile Capital of the Philippines.” The late 18th century saw the development of large-scale weaving industry in the province which propelled its economy. Its products were exported to Manila and other countries. Sinamay, piña and jusi are examples of the products produced by the looms of Iloilo. Because of the rise […]

TAKEN IN 1890 by Dean Conant Worcester (1866-1924), an American zoologist who later became a member of the United States Philippine Commission from 1899-1901, this is the only surviving photograph of the original church and convent of Balete, then a town in Capiz and now part of the province of Aklan.

 
POTTERY MAKING has been a thriving industry in Iloilo since time immemorial, with Hibao-an as its home. In fact, the area has been dubbed as the “Pottery Capital of Iloilo.” Half of Hibao-an belongs to Mandurriao district of Iloilo City and the other half is in the municipality of Pavia.

LECHON is the Spanish word for suckling pig. In the Philippines, it connotes a whole roasted pig, lechón baboy. Chicken and beef, are also popular. The process of lechón involves the whole pig/piglet, chicken, or cattle/calf being slowly roasted over charcoal.

 
CASTLE Brothers, Wolf and Sons is an American trading company with offices in Manila and Iloilo during the 1900s. Its Iloilo building (see photo above) was located along De la Rama Street near the Iloilo port. It figured in a lawsuit in 1912.  

 
YESTERDAY marked the 36th Paraw Regatta, the annual race of native outriggers along the Iloilo Strait, the waters the divide Panay and Guimaras.

“I AM Assistant Matron in this Dormitory and am also teaching Domestic Science.” Thus wrote the unidentified sender of the postcard above featuring the Iloilo Girls’ Dormitory, circa 1920.

BETWEEN 1890 and 1891, Dean Conant Worcester, an American zoologist who later became a member of the United States Philippine Commission (1899-1901), visited Guimaras Island several times to collect specimens of Philippine fauna. He took the photographs above and below right, two of the many albumen prints he produced during his stay in the country.