Our second day in Iloilo marked my first ever solo travel as my companions were scheduled to tour the nearby province of Guimaras and I have decided to go to Southern Iloilo while they were away. They asked me to join so I wouldn’t be wandering on my own but have already made up my mind to fully experience what Iloilo has to offer. Later on, I found myself in the nearby convenience store asking the attendant on how to go to my first destination from the city.
Check out our island-hopping tour in Isla de Gigantes on our first day!
Disclaimer: This post hasn’t been updated recently, hence, some information may be outdated. I highly encourage to check reliable sources for updates.
First stop for the day was GarinFarm Pilgrimage Resort located in the municipality of San Joaquin.
An hour and a half way from the city proper, this tourist attraction gained popularity for its Instagram-worthy all-white “Heaven” that rewards visitors after ascending a 456-step stairs. Aside from this famous tourist spot, GarinFarm is also a farm/resort/pilgrimage site that offers various leisure activities to guests.
During my visit, I took a jeepney bound for San Joaquin in Mohon Terminal in the city and asked the driver to drop me off at GarinFarm. Fare costs ₱70 and will allow one to get a glimpse of some Southern Iloilo municipalities along the way. After getting off, a tricycle ride worth ₱10 is needed to reach the gate of the tourist spot or if you want some cardio exercise, the main gate can also be reached by walking for free. An entrance fee of ₱150 is required upon entering for day tour visitors.
As it sign has warned, first part of the GarinFarm experience is passing through its farm stable that houses a handful number of livestock animals. Though I don’t have a problem with the idea, walking through became a difficult task as the place has that foul mixed animal waste smell that you need to endure until you reach the place’s pavilion. I am not overstating when I say that I was about to throw up while I was in the middle part but thank God I did not as I have managed to reach to pavilion successfully.
Second part of the experience is the ascending of the 456-step stairs going to the “Heaven”. Visitors have an option of climbing the stairs by feet or by wheels through a golf cart and for my visit, I have decided to climb by feet since I think the experience would be more worthwhile by taking the stairs. Climbers would also need to first pass through a very low arc that will make them bow to perform its writing that says, “Humility is the key to eternity”. On the way, visitors would get to see some replicas of the nine important scenes from the Bible.
Upon reaching the top of the stairs, last part of the experience is the passing through a dark tunnel where nothing will be seen except darkness and some guide lights on the floor. At the edge of the tunnel, visitors will see a bright window that resembles Jesus Christ that marks that they are near the end of the tunnel. A little more walk from here and a blinding sight of light will be seen signaling that they have reached the “Heaven”. Caution is advised as the brightness can literally be blinding so better have a pair of sunglasses when you visit.
Everything in the “Heaven” is covered in white. In the middle stands a large cross floating on a cloud with a replica of God, Jesus Christ and a dove beneath it. Fronting both sides were a mix of angels and Biblical characters looking and glorifying God and the Cross. At the back is the exit point with an arrow saying “Back to the world” that brings visitors back at the top of the stairs.
I was more exhausted than I have expected when I reached the “Heaven” that I stayed there for a while before exiting the place. On the way back to the pavilion, I have decided to take the golf cart to save energy and luckily had a free ride when a generous couple allowed me to use their ticket. (It turned out that you need to purchase a golf cart ticket worth ₱60 at the entrance if you want to avail of the service). After that, I traced my foot steps back to the stable and endured the foul smell again until I reached the exit and hopped on a tricycle to my next destination.
One of the many century-old churches in the province, San Joaquin Church is located in the center of the municipality and is known for its notable yellow appearance due to its coral composition. In its facade is a engraved depiction of the battle in Tetuan, Morocco between the Spanish and Moro forces in the 19th century. Inside, the church features a grand gold-accented altar and a simple interior.
I was kind of scared when I reached the church because there weren’t any people around and the place was really quiet that made it more weird. Hence, after taking some snaps and a long look at the place, I decided to head to my next destination which also gave me the same feeling.
A 10-minute walk from my last stop, Campo Santo de San Joaquin is a 19th century Catholic cemetery located at the side of the national road and features a Baroque mortuary chapel made of white corals and fossil stones at the center of its grounds. This cemetery also sits on a hill that gives an overlooking view of the nearby sea.
If I was looking for ancient architecture and sights, Campo Santo really did it give it to me as the place looked like it wasn’t touched for centuries. I probably would have enjoyed my stay in the place if I have company but since I was all alone, I felt the urge to go back to the main road after taking a quick look and some snaps of the chapel.
After several minutes of travel, I found myself getting off at the bus stop and recognizing my fourth stop for the day across the street.
One of the places that I was looking forward to see in my Iloilo trip, Miagao Church is one of the four baroque churches in the Philippines declared under UNESCO World Heritage Sites that is notably known for its yellow appearance and bas-relief facade.
See the first UNESCO World Heritage Site baroque church I’ve visited in Ilocos
This 18th century Roman Catholic church sits in the center of the municipality of Miagao and is known to be made of coral, limestone, adobe and egg. Its unique facade features a bas-relief of Miagao life and flora with its center being adorned by a relief of St. Thomas of Villanueva and a prominent coconut tree where St. Christopher holds onto. Standing at its sides are two watchtower belfries in which its historical marker is attached.
One of those places that look better when in seen in person, Miagao Church’s beauty is undeniable that I ended up adoring its architecture longer than I’ve expected. Even its side part is also an amusing site to see as it resembled a similar structure with those of ancient European castles. Unluckily, I wasn’t able to go inside and see its interior as the church was closed during my visit. Nonetheless, I still left the place happy and fulfilled because I was able to cross out one of the places that I wanted to see in Iloilo.
Before heading back to the city and to cure my grumbling stomach, I have decided to make a stop and have late lunch at Sulu Garden.
A Japanese garden-inspired restaurant located at the side of the highway, this dining spot boasts of interior that instantly bring diners to the Land of the Rising Sun. Landscaped area that overlooks a nearby clean creek, miniature Japanese structures displayed near the entrance and a tea house where customers can drink their teas ala Japanese style are some of the things one can expect in the place. Aside from Japanese, their menu also offers Italian, American and Filipino favorites that range from ₱45 to ₱435.
For my visit, I tried their Gyudon (₱110) that comes with a serving of hot white rice, beef strips and raw egg. Honestly, I wasn’t really a fan of this dish as I found the raw egg unsatisfying that made the whole meal taste uncooked and the beef strips not thin enough to be called gyudon. The complementing rice tasted and felt like a typical white rice and not the Japanese rice it should have. Their large serving of Lemon Iced Tea (₱85) was no special as well as it tasted like the typical powdered lemon iced tea topped with slices of cucumbers instead of actual lemons.
I was also unsatisfied with the service as I found the server unfriendly and not that knowledgeable with the menu. Nevertheless, despite the disappointment, the food still managed to make me full with the garden and ambiance making up for the negativity as I make my way out to the highway again.
After more than an hour of two jeepney rides, I was able to return to the city where I decided to postpone my visit to Molo and head back to our Airbnb instead to rest and change the sweaty T-shirt I have been wearing the whole day. Hours later, my colleague and her friends also came back from their Guimaras tour. Not long after this, we found ourselves outside again and heading to the nearby Iloilo River Esplanade to catch the sunset and grab dinner.
A 1.2km riverside promenade that sits beside Iloilo River, the Esplanade as locals call it, is a popular hangout spot in the Iloilo City where visitors can jog, stroll and catch sunsets and sunrises while enjoying fresh breeze from the river. It is also home to the tourist-favorite I AM ILOILO landmark where visitors can take photo ops and seal their trips in the province. There’s also a boat rental service in the place for people who want to see and experience the river. For hungry visitors, various dining spots are found along the promenade which don’t only serve foods but also a offer a view of the nearby Iloilo River.
We decided to end our stroll in the Esplanade and have our dinner in a local restaurant called Punot found in Riverside Boardwalk, a two-level dining establishment beside the place that houses a handful of local dining spots.
Upon entering, one of my colleague’s friends immediately asked one of the staff about the meaning of punot which we learned is the Bisayan term for fish pen. Afterwards, we were asked about our preferred seats and chose the ones located in the second level. On the way, photos of various well-known personalities who visited the restaurant before are displayed on the walls by the staircase.
Punot prides itself with their modern take on the traditional Ilonggo cuisine and seafood dishes. For our visit, we decided to try their Corned Beef Kansi (₱320), Buttered Aligue Scallop (₱295), Dried Seafood Calo-calo (₱215) and, of course, the famous Pancit Molo (₱160). Serving time took a while but the wait was worth it when the dishes have arrived.
A big star for me is the Buttered Aligue Scallop that boasts of a combined taste of butter and tasty orange crab fats served in a scallop shell. I really love the produced saltiness of the two with hints of oil from the butter and fishy taste from the scallop. Pinches of salt also come with the serving if you want to further amplify the dish’s taste.
Couldn’t miss, of course, of trying the bowl of Pancit Molo whose salty taste really did not surprise me because it is similar to the one my mother cooks at home. The serving came with pieces of meatballs made out of ground pork and chicken strips wrapped in molo wrappers.
After a hearty and ~slightly hefty~ meal, we then walked back to our Airbnb to catch some Zs for our last day in Iloilo.
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