LOYALTY GAME, a joy to watch (Featuring Iloilo and Negros old buildings, houses & public spots)

                                          The Quezon Hall of the West Visayas State University

           I had been meaning to write about Loyalty Game, a mini series aired in Prime TV starring Jericho Rosales and Janine Gutierrez. I thought the story would revolve around politics but it turns out, it is a loyalty game involving spouses with, well, some politics. While the story has an admittedly novel plot, and fitting actors for the characters, its winning feature is in the production location which highlighted different heritage houses and public places in Iloilo and Negros Occidental. Also, the thriller-suspense aspect of the story may not have been sustained given the early give away of the simple predictable plots, yet that is all clouded by the visually delectable location and all good actors.   

        

           The iconic Greek-inspired columns of Quezon Hall building of the West Visayas State University became the hallway of the fictional Hall of Justice while one of the classrooms is turned into a fictional courtroom. This scene became extra-exciting because the Quezon Hall was where I was perched for four years in college as a student and as a campus writer as it housed the College of Arts and Sciences as well as the editorial office of The Forum, the university paper. The football field / open grounds also became a venue of the fictional awarding ceremony.     

                                   Casa Mariquit

        In the story, the childhood home of the Madrigals is at a fictional Bais and the location was in Casa Mariquit, a mansion marked by a Lunok Tree. I was able to visit the same Lopez Ancestral Houses in Jaro, Iloilo City before. It houses the mementos of former Vice President Fernando Lopez Jr. and family. It was not curated at the time but we had a wonderful time exploring the classic Balay Na Bato. No wonder that at first, I thought it was the Camina Balay Na Bato in Molo District as they resemble, just like the low window and the style of the grills. You may check my earlier visit of Casa Mariquit here. Meanwhile my blog on Camina Balay Na Bato may be checked here.

 

                                    Inside the charming Eagle House/Mansion 

                                    declared as a National Heritage recently 

        The house of of Imelda Madrigal played by Carmina Villaroel is located at the Celso Ledesma Mansion, popularly known as the Eagle Mansion because of the eagle statue on each fence post. It got many beautiful shots and scene. The caretaker showed me of Imelda's room in the house. It was original a twin's bedroom. She pointed to the ceiling which has a big painting too. The mansion is spacious and has a unique feature of her walls being painted with nature and landscapes. Also, her window panes are still intact, clear and colorful. Check our Instagram photos inside the Eagle Mansion here.  

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                        The Ruins in Talisay, Negros Occidental is the set of the opening party scene

        From memory, I loved the Molo Plaza as Benjamin Santos' morning run venue and the Iloilo River Esplanade scenes where and he and her secret meet up with a girl happened. I have not seen the Lopez Boathouse because it's walled and gated private property though I passed by it many times when I was a student at the West Visayas State University going to and fro Gaisano City, Iloilo Sports Complex, and PLDT Business office among many others.

Other Locations found in the series:
Coffee Culture, Bacolod City

Audie Gemora's Ancestral House, La Paz District, Iloilo City (Private residence)

Ceres Liner Terminal, Jaro District, Iloilo City