Iloilo River Esplanade 1

          The Iloilo River Esplanade is a 1.2 km. stretch of linear park along the northern bank of the Iloilo River (it's technically an estuary). The project is the brainchild of Senate President Franklin Drilon who is an Ilonggo by blood and by heart. The esplanade was inspired by the famous Singapore Quay which was also designed by the same architect who designed the Iloilo River Esplanade.

The City's iconic signature "I Am Iloilo" is located on the western end (near Carpenter's Bridge) of the Esplanade.

The Medical City Iloilo, a hospital operated by the The Medical City Group in Manila operates in Molo District beside Carpenter's Bridge. The second phase of Esplanade 1 runs in front of the hospital up to Diversion Road near Hotel del Rio.

Phase 2 of the Esplanade. The two towers of the gothic Molo Church is on the left side while the crane on the right side is the one building the expansion of The Medical City - Iloilo in the on the top.

Medicus Medical/Diagnostic Center (the blue building with the tower), Ayala Technohub 1 (the white and black building to the left) and Injap's condominium (the cream colored building) along Gen. Luna Street to the right is visible in this picture.

The winding path of the park hugs the mangrove-laiden banks of the Iloilo River.

Tumagbok Bridge, Miagao, Iloilo

          The bridge of Miagao or Tumagbok Bridge is one of the five major bridges that you will come across with when you're travelling along the southern coast of Iloilo. This bridge, with an approximate length of 100 m, is a steel bridge that traverses the Tumagbok River, one of the town's chief rivers. In the photo, you can see Mt. Napulak or more popularly known as Nipple Mountain/Susong Dalaga, the peak with the prominent boulder on its top. This mountain traverses the boundaries of Miagao and Igbaras. The other peak on the left is one of the chief mountain peaks of Miagao.

          The bridge connects the poblacion (town proper) of the municipality to barangays east of it or more specifically, barangays Ubos Ilawod in the poblacion and Igtuba.

Tumagbok Bridge, Miagao, Iloilo

Dalije, Miagao

               Miagao is a very scenic town in the province of Iloilo. Currently [2013], it is one of the seven towns in the province to be considered as a first class municipality based on income classification. The municipality is well-known for its UNESCO World Heritage church - Miagao Church or also known as the Santo Tomas de Villanueva Church. The town is also famous for its hablon weaving, being one of the last remaining weaving centers in the province which produces the said textile in a very traditional way using a tiral.

               Barangay Dalije  is one of the hinterland barangays of the municipality. It is one of the largest barangays in terms of land area. The barangay is characterized by a hilly to mountainous terrain terminating at the peak of Mt. Pan-ay, one of the most distinguishing topographical features of Miagao. The view of the mountains as one hikes his way to reach the barangay center is awesome. In the past, you could only reach the barangay on foot but you can now reach the village by hiring a motorcycle, locally known as the habal-habal, or you can ride one of the jeepneys heading to the barangay from the Miagao town proper. Travel is easy during the summer season but during the rainy season, jeepneys are scarce. Motorcycles are still available during the wet season but the drivers are usually hesitant to travel especially if the ground is still wet after a heavy downpour. In this case, you have to walk your way to the barrio. The usual stopover for jeepneys heading for Dalije is Barangay Bacolod. It is also where you would usually start walking if you have to or opt to walk. For others seeking more adventure, you can hire a horse to bring you to the barangay.

The welcome sign to Barangay Dalije from Barangay Bacolod.

Verdant rice paddies beside the main river that flows through the barangay, the Oyungan river.

A small cliff beside the road covered with cogon grass.

The bamboo hanging bridge along the Oyungan River.

The Oyungan River.

Scenic Mount Pan-ay, one of the prominent peaks in the southern terminus of the Madja-as Range.

Other neighboring mountains with the Alimodias Elementary School [Barangay Alimodias] seen as the small white structure sitting on the mountaintop.

Two waterfalls are visible in the mountains.

Mount Napulak or nipple-mountain, the most prominent peak in southern Iloilo.

The hanging bridge connecting Barangay Bacolod with Barangay Dalije.

The other side of the mountain belongs to the Municipality of Sibalom, in Antique.

Leaving Barangay Dalije...

               Next time you go to Miagao, aside from the historical and cultural sites, you should not miss visiting the hinterland barangays including Barangay Dalije. There are waterfalls, scenic mountain lakes, caves, the Rafflesia bloom, and many more to discover.