Culture and Traditions

Culture and Traditions
loilo is known as The Haven Gateway in Western Visayas

because of its fascinating natural attractions. Its cascading
waterfalls and awesome white-sand beaches, perfect for an Iloilo
beach wedding, are just some of the natural wonders Iloilo
offers. Iloilo's historical churches, which are ideal wedding
ceremony venues for couples who have deep Catholic roots, are
also excellent sights for tourists in Iloilo. However, apart from
these historical and natural sightseeing wonders perfect for
destination weddings, what attracts both local and foreign
tourists to sojourn in the haven, that is Iloilo, is the province’s
penchant for colorful and lavish celebrations. Most tourists
make sure to stop over Iloilo City to try out mouth-watering
Ilonggo delicacies and to witness their festivals like the
Dinagyang Festival.
Ilonggos always find events to exhibit their material affluence,
culinary prowess, and wonderful hospitality. Such rich
background and culture also says a lot about Ilonggo weddings.
Iloilo Wedding Traditions
Even after the cultural transformation brought about by
colonization and globalization, many traditional Ilonggo
wedding practices have survived. Iloilo weddings are
characterized by conservatism. Many Ilonggos retain their rich
and colorful courtship and wedding traditions. The pagbati or
“testing the waters”, where the boy’s family tries to find out if
the girl is already engaged, followed by the pabalayon or
pamalaye, where the boy and his family woo the girl’s family,
are still practiced in some areas. And some Ilonggos still
observe and trust pre-colonial wedding practices and beliefs
such as giving a lot of gifts to the bride, a light rain during the
wedding means prosperity and happiness, a sunny day entails a
blissful marriage, and throwing uncooked rice onto the newly-
weds would bring prosperity, to name a few.
These wedding beliefs and practices show that Iloilo weddings
exemplify romanticism, sincerity and solemnity. And you can
just imagine the thrill and excitement observing those wedding
practices would bring.
Extravagant Iloilo Wedding
There are a lot of top notch restaurants, caterers in Iloilo that
provide excellent food and great services, especially for special
occasions such as weddings. Delicacies such as La Paz Batchoy,
Pancit Molo, Biscocho, Piayaya, and Pinasugbo make for a truly
authentic and delicious Iloilo wedding feast. These Ilonggo
delicacies that are now found around the country could never be
imitated. Other provinces might be able to approximate their
taste but only authentic Ilonggo cooking can create the real
thing.
Western Visayas cultural heritage
-Negros Occidental, the country’s “Sugar Bowl” since the
Spanish era, is known for its sprawling sugar haciendas and the
grandiose ancestral mansions of sugar barons. Its iconic
attractions include the Ruins of the Lacson Mansion in Talisay
City, ancestral mansions-turned-museums in Silay City, and the
steam locomotives or “Iron Dinosaurs” which hauled sugar cane
harvests from the plantations. It is currently promoting farm
tourism and community-based endeavors to give visitors a
return-to-the-basics experience when they’re in town.
The province of Iloilo takes pride in the massive fortress church

of San Agustin in Miag-ao, a Unesco World Heritage Site, and
the Sta. Barbara Church, where significant events of the
Philippine Revolution took place in 1898.
Its northern corridor has secluded beach islands, while its central
portion has scenic mountains which are the domain of
indigenous Pan-ay Bukidnon peoples.
Its northern corridor has secluded beach islands, while its central
portion has scenic mountains which are the domain of
indigenous Pan-ay Bukidnon peoples.
-Antique is acknowledged as the seat of Malayan civilization in
the archipelago. It also boasts of a rich natural heritage and
biodiversity, especially Mount Madya-As, a sanctuary of rare
exotic flora, fauna and wildlife.
-Capiz, along with its capital city of Roxas, is regarded as the
“seafood capital” of the Visayas with its rich harvest of aquatic
bounty that find their way into the world’s dining tables. The
17th-century Sta. Monica Church in Pan-Ay, meanwhile, is
home to the biggest church bell in Asia; its sound can be held as
far as several kilometers away.
The province is enticing visitors with its Tindog Capiz volun-
tourism program, which taps visitors to take part in the
province’s reconstruction efforts after it was struck by
Supertyphoon “Yolanda” last year.
Indigenous people
-Aklan, which has in its fold the world-famous resort island of

Boracay, is grooming its northwestern portion for nature and
adventure tours. It is also home to the Kalantiaw Shrine in
Batan, which immortalizes the exploits of the pre-colonial
chieftain who promulgated the Code of Kalantiaw, the first set
of laws in pre-colonial Philippines.
Off mainland Panay is the island province of Guimaras, popular
for its sweet-tasting mangoes, hidden fine beaches, the Trappist
Monastery, and the epic Holy Week ritual “Pagtaltal” which
draws pilgrims across the country. It is now promoting an agri-
eco tourism circuit anchored on its agricultural produce.
Catalbas concluded that the program will help push emerging
attractions in the fringes of the more established spots in
Western Visayas. The region can be easily accessed by both
local and foreign tourists via air travel through its airports in
Iloilo, Kalibo, Caticlan, Bacolod and Roxas, she said.

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Culture and Traditions

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Culture and Traditions

loilo is known as The Haven Gateway in Western Visayas

The province of Iloilo takes pride in the massive fortress church

-Aklan, which has in its fold the world-famous resort island of

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