The 7-day Western Visayas Tourism Assembly with the theme, “Entrepreneurial Tourism: Beyond Tourist Arrivals”, is slated on November 12 – 18 in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.

The assembly aims to highlight, promote and showcase the diversity of the tourism attractions, services and facilities of the different areas of Region VI. It is intended to be a colorful display of destination attractions, cultural and historical events, shopping and investment opportunities.

Some of the highlights of the assembly are the Regional Tourism Fair and Cultural Showcase on November 12 – 18 at SM City Bacolod, Regional Travel Exchange on November 12 – 14 at Sugarland Hotel, Regional Tourism Congress on November 14 at L’Fisher Hotel, Tourism Excellence Awards on November 14 at Nature’s Village Resort, Talisay City, Search for Ms. WV Tourism on November 15 at the Provincial Capitol, and Regional Parade of Festivals on November 16.

The assembly is sponsored by the Department of Tourism – VI, Bacolod City Government, Provincial Government of Negros Occidental, Negros Island Tourism Inc., Association of Tourism Officers of Negros Occ. (ATONO) in cooperation with Naitas Hrano, Women in Travel in Bacolod.

For information, the Negros Occ. Tourism Center can be reached through 433-2515 and 709-8775 or e-mail at tourism_negocc@yahoo.com.

- Capitol News

Upcoming Festivals to watch out for!

Sinulog 2010
Ati-atihan 2010
Dinagyang 2010
Panagbenga Festival 2010
Philippine International hot Air Balloon fiesta 2009 Clark Pampanga

Sailing the Ilonggo seas for more than thirty years, the Paraw Regatta has been the manifestation of the Ilonggos long history with the sea. “Paraw” is a Hiligaynon term that refers to the sail boat that has a triangular sail used for traveling and fishing.

The Paraw Regatta, perhaps the oldest sailing event in Southeast Asia, is held every February depending on weather conditions. This event has been instituted in 1973 and thus became an annual celebration of Ilonggo’s maritime life.

The regatta reminisces the escape of the Ten Bornean Datus to escape the tyranny of Sultan Makatunaw that led them to Panay Island along with their families using the “balanghai” or sail boats that has been copied by the modern “paraw”.

Now on its 35th year, the Paraw Regatta’s highlight was held last February 18 with the race of more than twenty sailboats between Iloilo and Guimaras Island, creating an armada of colorful sailboats at the harbour area.

It has became an annual event for fishermen, tourists, spectators in Villa Beach and everyone alike. Drawing tourists to watch this marvel at the sea.

Get the chance to seethe best festivals of Western Visayas all in one event! You don’t need to go to Intramuros, Manila to witness this event at the Wow Philippines. This time the event will be held right in the regional capital of Western Visayas, Iloilo City.

Babaylan Festival of Bago City Negros Occidental

On October 27, 2006 all festivals will converge in the Queen’s City of the South for the Parade of Festivals 2006. This event is part of the upcoming Western Visayas Tourism Assembly slated October 23-29, 2006.

Tultugan Festival of Maasin, Iloilo

Among the contingents expected to perform are the world famous Kalibo Ati-atihan Festival, Antique’s Binirayan Festival, Iloilo City’s Dinagyang Festival, Maasin’s Tultugan Festival, Bacolod’s Masskara Festival, Passi City’s Pintados de Passi Festival, Guimaras’ Manggahan Festival, Santa Barbara’s Kahilwayan and the Sinadya sa Halaran of Roxas City.

Iloilo city’s Dinagyang Festival

The parade will start at 8AM in front of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol, going to the Freedom Grandstand.

Five out of the top 10 contingents in the Aliwan Fiesta 2006 came from the Western Visayas Region. These are the Dinagyang Festival (2nd place), Pintados de Passi (3rd place), Kahilwayan Festival (5th place), Tultugan Festival (7th place), and Babaylan Festival of Bago City (10th place).

Masskara Festival of Bacolod City

The Aliwan Fiesta is an annual competition of festivals from all over the Philippines. This year’s edition was participated by 30 festivals from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao

Santa Barabara, Iloilo’s Kahilwayan Festival

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Your Journey Begins Here

Upcoming Festivals to watch out for!

Sinulog 2010
Ati-atihan 2010
Dinagyang 2010
Panagbenga Festival 2010
Philippine International hot Air Balloon fiesta 2009 Clark Pampanga

The Rico Beach is just one of the several beach front resorts in Brgy. Alubihod of Nueva Valencia, Guimaras. My grandfather (my mother’s side) owns it and it’s now being managed by my uncle who’s the youngest of my mom’s 7 siblings.



The whole area used to be called just Alubihod. However, when residents of the area who are all relatives to the first and second degree made good fortune in making a living out of it, partitions were constructed and names were attached on patches of land fronting the beach — the Raymen Beach and the Rico Beach, among others.

Although the Rico beach resort is the smallest in terms of land area and the least developed, it had a huge boulder (or a mountain) bordering it on the east side and it has been developed on a certain degree to host 3 cottages on its slope.

I have long been wanting to construct a small hut on one of the inner slopes to serve as my vacation house whenever I visit Guimaras but it has been pushed back many times due to other more urgent priorities.

Alubihod is among the most popular destination place by the locals, including visitors from neighboring province of Iloilo and Bacolod. They call it “the poor man’s Boracay”, as the place is easy to reach, cheap food and accomodations. You can get a multi-purpose hut for Php350 or an overnight cottage for Php700.

Most people would hear the word Guimaras and immediately associate it with its sweetest mangoes. Guimaras mangoes are famous woldwide that it has been oftentimes referred to as the “World’’s Best Variety”.

When you visit the island of Guimaras in the Western Visayas region, you will see hundreds and hundreds of mango trees planted along the provincial roads. A majority of these plantations are found in the municipality of Jordan and the newly constituted municipality of Sibunag just west of the island.

The National Mango Research Institute has been doing a lot of research studies with the Guimaras variety which grows to just around 25 to 30 feet, unlike the bigger carabao mango varieties.

The local mango is being aggressively protected by the provincial government and local laws have been passed to prevent contamination of the strain. Up to today, no individual is allowed to bring in mangoes into Guimaras for fear that fruit diseases and bugs might infect the local variety.

Guimaras mangoes are processed locally and are exported directly to Europe, US and Japan fresh, or processed (candied, syrup, flavored delis and chips). A kilo of green mangoes can be bought at about Php25 to Php35 per kilo depending on the time of the year. However, these prices would shoot up to 3 to 4 times its local price once they are shipped to Metro Manila.

Valle Verde is one of the few nature resorts found in the southern part of Guimaras. Situated in one of the dense forests of Ravina in the municipality of Sibunag (used to be part of Nueva Valencia), Valle Verde is just one quiet place you can stay to relax, breathe some fresh air and witness one of the best sunsets on the island.

The place has a spring near the bottom of the hill but it hasn’t been cleaned up or landscaped very well. People flock the place to check out the pool, stay in for the week-end on tree-top huts and cottages.

They charge an entrace fee of Php10 per person and if your group wants to use the pool, it’s Php50 per head.

There’s also a route for trekking/hiking the thick forest and hills so you’ll need a guide to schedule that. From the Jordan wharf, you take a jeepney to Nueva Valencia for about 30 minutes to get there. You might need to tell the driver that you want to be dropped off at Valle Verde, lest you could get lost.

Villa Igang is one of the many smaller and secluded resorts up in the northern part of the municipality of Nueva Valencia in the island of Guimaras. Situated just beside Puerto del Mar which is ran by John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation (a local maritime college), Villa Igang sports dozens of cottages for local and foreign tourists to rent for long vacations.

The great thing about this resort is that the beach front is sorrounded by mountains extending into the sea, so the northern winds are blocked off and the shore doesn’t get pounded by huge waves.

Huts or cottages can be rented for Php500 per day (with two beds) or go for the aircon ones which is Php900 per day. You’d be able to get discounts if you rent them on a weekly or monthly basis. Food is cheap as well — you can ask the local resto to cook you any fish, chicken or pork viand which could cost from Php45 for a chicken inasal or Php75 for a kilo of grilled fish.

Just 4 kilometers from the town of Poblacion, Nueva Valencia, you can reach Villa Igang by taking a boat from Iloilo City to the wharf of Jordan then a jeepney ride for another 30 kilometers south-west. Jeeps are available from 5 in the morning to 7 in the evening but you can hire pedicabs or tricycles for Php150 to Php250.

One can hire a pump boat from Iloilo City directly to the Villa Igang for about Php500 to Php800 per trip. Cheaper if you are in a group.

I grew up in a small town of Nueva Valencia, Guimaras. Every Sunday, our family would go to Alubihod beach that my grandfather inherited from his parents. Alubihod is just 4 kilometers away from town, so all five of us would take our family motorbike and spent the entire Sunday swimming or taking boats rides and having lunch under a giant gemilina tree fronting the beach.

Haven’t been back there for years now though. I frequently invite my high school classmates to take a vacation there whenever I’m home. This is usally during summer vacation when we also have our town fiesta (April 24-25).

Guimaras is just a few kilometers from Iloilo City by boat. It usually costs Php5.00 but I think it could already be Php10.00 – Php15.00 per head. Once you dock at the Jordan pier, you take a Nueva Valencia jeep to town about 30 kilometers south. Another tricycle ride from Poblacion town to Alubihod would cost about Php 25 – Php 50 depending on the number of passengers.

Alubihod is now sub-divided into several resorts, the bigger one would be Raymen Beach resort which is owned by my mom’s cousins and Rico Beach Resort, owned by my uncle, the youngest of my mom’s siblings.

I will definitely take a lot of pictures once I get to visit back home.

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