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BY ROMA GONZALES
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Thursday. September 21, 2017
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BAD PUBLICITY is still publicity, so they say. However, when it means being generalized as a rotten bunch of people and a city of gloom, scaring away current and potential investors, you can’t really blame the Ilonggos for crying foul when President Duterte repetitively singled out Iloilo as the “most shabulized city.” The past and recent tirades of Duterte against Iloilo has arguably negatively affected the local economy and disturbed the daily J.M. Basa Street pedestrian’s peace of mind.
What did the Ilonggos do to warrant such lashing? According to Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s report last year, Iloilo City ranked 51st and Iloilo Province ranked 79th in the list of cities and municipalities with drug-affected barangays. Davao, on the other hand, placed 20th.
Being popularly known as laid back and sweet, maybe even shy and reserved but also ambitious, the Ilonggo people may have been misunderstood. Perhaps they think we were onto something, and secretly want what we are “smoking.” So let’s have them on it!
- VISIT ON RAINY DAYS. In Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, one of the main characters was so fascinated with Paris that he quipped, “Can you picture how drop dead gorgeous this city is in the rain? Imagine this town in the ‘20s. Paris in the ‘20s, in the rain. The artists and writers!”
However, the proper question to raise when in Iloilo is, “Can you imagine how drop dead gorgeous this city is if it doesn’t rain hard? Or if it does, the drainage will actually work? Maybe Iloilo in the ‘20s was even better!”
If you are in Iloilo when it rains, you’d want to get on high…ground. More widely relatable than our drug problem is our drainage system.
- GET EDUCATED. There are nine main colleges and universities in Iloilo City, all of which are not even more than an hour away from each other by public transport. Year after year, they produce licensure examination topnotchers, notably in the fields of Education, Nursing, Pharmacy, Medical Technology, and Nautical and Marine Engineering. The schools here attract learners from Mindanao and even Luzon because the cost of living is relatively low, and Iloilo, with its simple ways and laidback charm, is more conducive for getting degrees.
Anybody who thinks Iloilo is some remote, undeveloped city that breeds househelps with Bisaya accents (nothing wrong with them; it’s just an annoying stereotype) has some backward thinking. Obviously.
- GET ARTSY. There are three regular art exhibit centers in the city, not to mention several art-themed cafes that hang the works of their artist-owners (or their friends). Of the five FDCP Cinematheque centers in the country, one of them is in Iloilo. There’s a good concentration of writers, film directors, and artists here. Sometimes, you could walk into one of the “poetry nights” and get the chance to speak before the open mic. And we are careful about not making offensive statements and tasteless jokes. Just art.
- HAVE SOME ENDORPHINS. An emerging stereotype here (one that we support and even spread) is that if you’re an Ilonggo, you most probably own a bike, a Strava/Runkeeper account, or at least a 30L hiking bag. The recent years has been accompanied by a surging love for the outdoors and outdoor activities, probably set into motion by the construction of the bike lanes along Diversion Road or of the conversion of the Iloilo riverside into a tree-lined strip now frequented by joggers and walkers. We have a decent amount of trail runners, triathletes, road and mountain bikers. There are judo, MMA and other martial arts gyms, too.
- LITERALLY, TO THE CLOUDS. Just hour or two away from the city center are numerous hiking trails in various municipalities. There is beautiful Igbaras that has breathtaking waterfalls and caves and mountains like the famous Mt. Napulak (1,200 masl) and Mt. Taripis (1,300 masl), which is reputedly the highest in the province. Then there is Miag-ao with its Lake Danao, and trails favored by off-road runners. Leon has Bucari and its abundance of pine trees. Alimodian has the “Seven Cities” where vegetables grown under the shadow of Mt. Agua Colonia that houses Bato Dungok, the famed “Pico de Loro” of the Visayas. Furthermore, Iloilo is a great access to the province of Antique, home of few of the most revered mountains in the country, namely Mt. Madjaas, Mt. Nangtud, and Mt. Baloy.
- METAPHORICALLY, TO THE HEAVENS. Due to its rich history, Iloilo City is dotted with century or decades-old churches. Foremost, is the Jaro Cathedral, home of the Archbishop of Jaro, and the supposedly miraculous statue of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria. The altar is lined with gold and the ceiling is painted with angels and clouds, reminiscent of the Sistine Chapel. There is also the magnificent Molo Church or Parish of St. Anne. With its towers like minarets, it was (and still is) a grand piece of Gothic architecture. In the province, there are several churches from the Spanish era too, the most famous of which is the UNESCO Heritage Miag-ao Church.
- Sky Scrapers. There haven’t been sky scrapers in the city, except for the last five years or so. Now there are about five or so tall buildings that could potentially paint a distinguishable skyline of Iloilo. Economy has been palpably thriving especially in the last few years. If only the momentum could be sustained!
- ALTA SOCIODAD. Remnants of the rich families are the grand mansions that lay scattered throughout the city. Many of these are open to the public like Casa Mariquit in Jaro and Camiña Balay na Bato in Villa Arevalo where furniture and things that belonged to their owners can still be admired (even held!) by tourists.
- DRUGS. Why, of course! What modern metropolis has no drug problem? It will exist especially if poverty and limited access to jobs, health, and education do too – problems that should be addressed by both the local and the national government as these are the root causes for most users and peddlers.
- EAT! It’s not a particularly standout cuisine, we admit. However, there is something comforting with a warm bowl of La Paz batchoy or Pancit Molo or KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, Langka) (especially if you are stranded somewhere because the streets are flooded). There are bread stores whose histories are intertwined with wars and revolts. There are special siopaos and even special fish balls. Seafood, particularly oysters and shrimp, are abundant. Modern and international restaurants and cafes are plenty, often married with the subtle Ilonggo cuisine.
It is not about being singled out that offends us, but being singled out unfairly. Life goes on in this little corner of the country, and Ilonggos keep doing what they do best – quietly working, quietly persevering. If things turn out fine for us, we’ll overlook the slight, simply because it is not in our culture to hold grudges – or we’re so high it’s really just beneath us. (rr_gonzales316@yahoo.com/PN)
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