Foot and Fire

I decided to send out my thoughts to sail despite the fact that the stirred waters seem to calm down now sometime after Tiktoker Euleen Castro, also known as "Pambansang Yobab," shared in a video her experience in Coffeebreak Iloilo stating that everything she tasted were tab-ang and then freely swore under her breath before a spread of food on her table. This blogpost of mine then is the quiet water coming back to its body after noisily hitting the seawall. Anyhow, I was gently reminded to write this down after reading the news that the Iloilo City Council is being pushed to declare vlogger Euleen Castro as persona non grata. Consultant for the Iloilo UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy PJ Arañador recommended such a move and noted that declaring her as such will set as a precedent among content creators who should all be sensitive to the livelihood sectors and enterprises whose long years of toil a blogger can only disregard out of his or her own self-promotions, whims a...

Time is relative. Entering Casa Mariquit is like being transported to the late 19th century and early 20th century. Located just a little walk from Biscocho Haus in Jaro and with Lunok Tree as the corner landmark, this heritage house has an intact brick facade with wooden veranda in good condition upstairs. Upon entering, one is welcomed by the caretaker who will act as the tour guide as he is also the curator and framer as well as the securty guard of the property. We posed beside the portrait of Former Vice President Fernando Lopez and the caretaker informed us that it is a Manansala rendition. The house is not big but it houses some pretty interesting memorabilia like the symbolic keys to the city and lighters housed in a photo frame and a steel plane which also serves as paperweight. The polaroid cameras displayed are also functioning as well as the 116-year-old grandfather clock. What I liked most about this house is that it still has good wooden floors and furnitures. Time see...

The Molo Church and the Molo Plaza need no further introduction as this is one of every visitor's favorite churches in Iloilo City. If one happens to be in Molo, one cannot stop by without gazing up to the cathedral's facade and without taking a photo of it. Same is true with the gazebo found in the Molo plaza. So here, I am sharing to you the church and the plaza in Molo, Iloilo City. *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

En route to Camina Balay Nga Bato in Villa Arevalo, we passed by the Molo Plaza and noticed the newly opened Yusay-Consing Mansion which was earlier bought and restored by SM Corp. It was APEC week in Iloilo City then, so inside the mansion were endless pasalubong ideas from the well-loved biscocho to many pretty native handbags. I just took a photo of the scarf and shawls as they are the apples of my eye as well as the business card of a cooperative producing them.  ***     *** *** *** *** More on the Yusay-Consing mansion : http://www.mb.com.ph/iloilo-heritage-structure-will-be-preserved-sm/ http://www.mb.com.ph/iloilo-heritage-structure-will-be-preserved-sm/ Here too:  http://historicphilippines.com/sights-of-ilo%C2%B2-series/sightssounds-of-ilo%C2%B2-2/the-historic-yusay-consing-mansion-molo-iloilo/the-yusay-consing-mansion-molo/

If you have a half day to spare when you get to visit Iloilo City, a visit to Camina Balay Nga Bato in Villa Arevalo is a must. It can easily be reached as this is located just along the road plied by the Oton jeepney. The house is open to walk-in visitors and for a fee of P150, one is treated to a 5-minute video presentation on the history of the house, a tour of the house filled with hardwood furniture and all things old, and a demi tasse of tsokolate. For an additional cost of P50/pax, a group of five can also enjoy the house's molo soup. Filled with antiques (some are for sale), this heritage curio shop is also a dining place during the evening, serving native and organic home dishes such as lupo and takway. Here are some of the photos I was able to take during my visit: *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

A pose with itchy-feet and award-winning  photographer Bernadette Porras-Teves. To give a timely post for the recent Easter Sunday, this blogger decides to post some of the churches she chanced to photograph during her roadtrip to Antique together with bunch of friends.  We were able to drop by the Tigbauan Church. There are more churches to anticipate if one is on a roadtrip from Iloilo City to Antique, such as the grand Molo Church, majestic Miag-ao Church and the old Guimbal Church.    This is a 19th century old bell. *** One of the few images that I have captured. *** Mary and Jesus figure inside the Tigbauan Church. ***  A photo from the side of the Church. *** Culasi, Antique has a modern San Miguel Arkanhel. *** A closer shot of the image of Archangel St. Michael on the facade. *** The belltower. *** This is the celebrated Jaro Cathedral Church in Iloilo City. ...

Plazuela de Iloilo. This is Iloilo City's take on depicting Spanish-designed public place.  But since we arrived late, the grounds fronting the architecture caught our attention.  The toy-themed park made us giggle with childish joy. The Fountain at the entrance *** Out of place stuffs  in a European-inspired architecture but still fun to watch. *** *** *** At the grounds of the park.  *** *** *** ***

It was the opening of lights in the Angelicum School, a structure which is built as a mansion residence.  We braved the croed and the traffic to find the festive mood of the night, to our pleasant surprise! *** The mansion turned school. *** The band. *** masskara mode? *** *** The entertainers. *** Some daring head dress there! *** The center of all that glitters! ***