Iloilo

Guimbal, a coastal town in Iloilo, was founded in 1703 and is one of the oldest in the province. Its name may come from guimba, a local drum of carabao hide, or from a word for a gong.

Its church, San Nicolas de Tolentino, is built of yellow igang, the local sandstone, together with coral stone. In the Spanish era the coast was guarded by stone watchtowers, the bantayan, against Moro raids. Several were built and a few still stand, and the Bantayan Festival re-enacts those old raids in street dance each year.

Near the church is a quiet Adoration Chapel, a small and simple space for prayer, a peaceful counterpart to the grand old church at the town's heart.

The Church of Santo Tomas de Villanueva in Miag-ao, Iloilo, is one of the four Baroque Churches of the Philippines inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It was built by Augustinian friars between 1787 and 1797.

It is a fortress as much as a church, its thick walls and twin bell towers raised against pirate raids. Its famous facade is carved with rural and tropical life: Saint Christopher in native dress carries the Christ Child through a landscape of coconut palm, papaya, and rice, a Filipino reading of a Christian scene.

The town itself, made a pueblo in 1716, is named for a local datu and the native gao tree. It is a place of rice farms, fishing, and the University of the Philippines Visayas, where old faith and new learning stand side by side.

Bucari, in the town of Leon, Iloilo, is called the Little Baguio of the Visayas. High in the Bucari mountains, at around 1,200 meters, it is cool and green, with stands of pine and long views over the valleys below.

Once known only to locals, it has become a favorite for those seeking fresh air and quiet, with trails for trekking and camping and cool mornings that feel far from the tropical lowlands.

Its crisp air and towering pines make it a hidden gem, a small piece of the highlands in the heart of Panay.

Walking clears my head, and in Iloilo City there is one place I always go: the Iloilo River Esplanade. It is a promenade about a kilometer long that runs beside the river, where joggers, bikers, and families come out in the cool of the day.

I went in the late afternoon, in fine weather, and it was the perfect time. The park was clean and calm, lined with coconut palms and free of the tangle of wires you see on the streets. As the sky turned red over the water, I found a spot by the river and simply sat.

A good walk, a good rest, and a quiet, beautiful evening by the river.

The Molo Church in Iloilo City, the St. Anne Parish, is the only Gothic-Renaissance church in Western Visayas. Its coral-stone walls and twin spires make it one of the city's landmarks.

It is fondly called the feminist church, because the sixteen statues of saints that line its aisles are all women. It is a rare and lovely detail in a country of grand old churches.

Standing strong through the centuries, Molo is a reminder of Iloilo's deep history and artistry, and of a people who, like their church, do not easily bend.

The Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral in Iloilo City enshrines Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria, Our Lady of Candles, the beloved patroness of the region.

It holds a singular honor. On 21 February 1981, Pope John Paul II crowned the image during his visit and declared her Patroness of Western Visayas. It remains the only Marian image in the Philippines personally crowned by a pope.

Devotees come to pray and to seek healing, and tradition holds that the stone image on the facade is slowly growing. Faith runs deep here, and Jaro is its heart.