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ILOILO CITY |
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ILOILO CITY is a useful transit point to northern Panay and other
Visayan islands, but otherwise of little interest. There's something
hauntingly homogenous about the ramshackle nature of Philippine port
cities. Apart from some graceful old houses in its side streets and a
handful of interesting churches, Iloilo has little to distinguish it
from other horrors of urban planning perpetrated throughout the
archipelago. You can't help but wonder where all the nice buildings are.
The city's handful of sights include the rather threadbare Museo Iloilo
, behind the Provincial Capitol Building on Bonifacio Drive, which
documents the history and traditions of the Western Visayas (Negros and
Panay). West of the city in Molo district is a church built of coral
blocks. If you are visiting in January the Dinagyang Festival adds some
extra frenzy to the city during the fourth weekend.
Iloilo airport is about 8km north of the city and a taxi to the centre
will cost about P100. A cheaper option is to take a jeepney marked
"Iloilo Mandurriao". Ferries arrive at the wharf at the eastern end of
the city, off San Pedro Drive.
The city's tourist information office (Mon-Sat 9.30am-6pm; tel 033/337
5411) is on Bonifacio Drive and the Bureau of Immigration is at the Old
Customs House on Aduana Street, although visa extensions arranged here
take time because they go through Manila. The post office is in the same
building and has poste restante. For Internet access try Global
Villagers (tel 033/336 9187) on General Luna Street, opposite the
provincial Capitol Building.
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