"My Hometown (ILOILO City)" tricks_blueberry's Profile

Iloilo is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Iloilo occupies the southeast portion of Panay Island and is bordered by Antique to the west and Capiz and the Jintotolo Channel to the north. Just off Iloilo's southeast coast is the island of Guimaras, once part of Iloilo but now a province in its own right. Across the Panay Gulf and Guimaras Strait is Negros Occidental. Iloilo's capital is Iloilo City. Iloilo is the capital province in Region VI.

People from Iloilo are called Ilonggos. There are two local languages spoken in the province: Hiligaynon sometimes called Ilonggo, and Kinaray-a. Hiligaynon and variants of it are spoken in Iloilo city and a few towns of the province.

Spanish architecture can be seen in old buildings in downtown Iloilo. Chinese Merchants and Indonesians were trading with the Ilonggos long before the Spaniards came. The ruling Spanish government encouraged these foreign merchants to trade in Iloilo but they were not given privileges like ownership of land. The Mestizo a class eventually was born from the intermarriages of the locals and Chinese merchants, Spanish with the local Melayu people. They later emerged as the ruling class of the Ilonggos (see Principalía).

The town fiesta is one of the most important events for Ilonggos. Almost every town (municipality) in Iloilo has a fiesta and festival celebrated annually.

As a leading province during the Spanish Colonial Era, the province of Iloilo is widely known for its beautiful old world architecture similar to that of Latin American Countries. Spanish colonial Churches are amongst the well knowned tourist sites in the province

Based on my research, the celebration of Dinagyang began after Rev. Fr. Ambrosio Galindez introduced the devotion to Santo Niño in 1967. After a year, a replica of the original image of the Santo Niño de Cebu was brought to Iloilo by Fr. Sulpicio Enderez as a gift to the Parish of San Jose.

When the Confradia del Santo Niño de Cebu, Iloilo Chapter gave a fitting reception from the airport down to the streets of Iloilo City of the image upon its arrival, it was a good sign to finally celebrate it in a more festive way. Confradia this time patterned the celebration on the Ati-atihan of Ibajay, Aklan (my hometown), where natives dance in the streets, their bodies covered with soot and ashes, to simulate the Atis dancing to celebrate the sale of Panay. Actually, the festival was named Iloilo Ati-tihan before. Until such time Dinagyang was coined by an old-time Ilonggo writer and radio broadcaster, the late Pacifico Sumagpao Sudario, who first used the word to name the festival when it was launched in 1977.

The novena masses during Wednesdays for our Mother of Perpetual Help crowds this white church along Luna St. La Paz. This church managed by Redemptorists started the novena after the war. Then extended to Baclaran and Cebu and other churches throughout the country.
On November 9, 1931, the building was completed and the inaguration took place. It was blessed by Bishop McClosky. This church was selected as the patron of the Redemptorists because of its influence over students.

In May 13, 1962 the parish was created by Msgr. Jose Maria Cuenco.

The church of where the Our Lady enshrined, the famous Parish of Our Lady of Candles, is also known as Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral, is also the site of the miraculous image of Virgin Mary, which was canonically crowned by Pope John Paul II in 1982. It is the only religious image to have personally crowned by a Pope.
The church is built in 1864 with fossil stones of creamy color compared to most of the Hispanic structures in Iloilo that were built over bricks and sandstones. . Its baroque architecture features designs of entwining of many neoclassic features. Stained glass windows of Romanesque designs contribute to unique balance between baroque and classic style. The dominance of baroque style is seen through the small rose window at the upper half of the churchís facade, which is typical to gothic churches.

Iloilo is a known religious province and the number of pilgrim sites scattered all over the land testify the Ilonggo's strong faith and devotion to God. Amongst these shrines of faith, the church of San Vincente Ferrer in the town of Leganes is perhaps the most visited because people from all over the country would come to pay homage and display their acts of faith with hopes that the desires of their hearts might be fulfilled.
Declared as a diocesan shrine, the imposing baroque structure stands facing the town plaza as it struck passersby with its captivating beauty. The facade is an elaborate example of the usual baroque church common in the Philippines and in other countries around Europe. Without the canopy, the facade would have shared a lot similarities with the Church of Saint Theresa in Lithuania. Though it was just recently rebuilt, the architects and engineers did choose the best details that could make an astonishing facade that depitcs nothing else but elegance, faith and magnificence.

The University of San Agustin is a private university in Iloilo City, the Philippines.

The university is named in honor of fourth century saint Augustine of Hippo, a key figure in the doctrinal development of Western Christianity and a Doctor of the Church. Two of his surviving works, "The Confessions" (his autobiography) and "The City of God," are regarded as Western classics. Augustine is often considered to be one of the theological fountainheads of the Reformation because of his teaching on salvation and grace. Martin Luther, perhaps the greatest figure of the Reformation, was himself an Augustinian friar.

Leganes is a 4th class municipality in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. It is located 11 km north of the capital Iloilo City. Like most Philippine towns that sprawl outward from the capital, is made up of houses, farms and light agricultural industry. The major throughofare runs right through the center of the town. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 23,475 people in 4,533 households.