Jaro Fiesta 2012

On February 2 is the Fiesta of the Jaro district of Iloilo. This is Iloilo City's most prominent district which was itself a city during the Spanish era. The fiesta is one of the grandest fiestas of the city because of the procession, parades, and the well-known cockfighting competitions at the Iloilo Coliseum, where cockfighting aficionados (including the likes of Manny Pacquiao) from all over the Philippines converge.

Jaro is also a place where one can find many old mansions that are a testament to the Spanish architectural influence on the country. The Jaro cathedral is the site where one can find the statue of the Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (Our Lady of the Candles), which was canonically crowned by the late Pope John Paul II during his visit in 1982; it remains the only religious statue in the Philippines to have been personally crowned by a Pope.
This year, February 2 is on a Thursday.

The Chinese New Year Celebration in Iloilo City

As much as we anticipate the upcoming Dinagyang Celebration, the City of Iloilo is also anticipating the upcoming Chinese New Year festivities. As we all know, Iloilo City's Chinese New Year celebration boasts as the first Chinese new year celebration outside Metro Manila and is often considered the biggest Chinese New Year celebration in the Philippines, even bigger than in Manila’s Chinatown. With the help of local prominent Chinoy business organizations, the City's Chinese Schools, the City Government, and many other supporters, the Iloilo City Chinese New Year Celebration is something that everybody should not simply miss. (These photos are from the previous Chinese New Year Celebrations in Iloilo)