Historical landmarks, charming beaches, and delicious cuisine are only a few of the reasons why visitors come to Iloilo. The province has also proudly preserved many of its landmarks, including Miagao Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Miagao Church
The Baroque-Romanesque style of the iconic St. Thomas of Villanova Parish popularly known as Miagao Church in Barangay Tacas is this town’s representative attraction. It was constructed in 1786 and completed in 1797. It was built as a place of worship and as a watchtower to protect the natives from Muslim pirates that regularly pillaged the town. The huge stone blocks were quarried in Sitio Tubug, San Joaquin and in the mountains of Igbaras.
The church sinks six meters deep in the ground with walls 2.5 meters thick including the outside buttresses. It boasts of its native façade with a unique explosion of botanical motifs of coconut, banana, papaya tree, and a stylized guava fruit. Its centerpiece is San Cristobal in rolled pants carrying the child Jesus. It was declared as a National Shrine in 1973 and was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993—the only one in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Iloilo Public Art Spaces
The flourishing art scene in Iloilo City will take you on a deeper understanding of its history and culture, as well as the dreams and aspirations of its people. Spread across the city are various sites of interest, from painted murals, bas-reliefs, sculptures, installations, and monuments of contemporary art. One can also visit art galleries and the only contemporary arts museum in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Sta. Barbara Bobbin Lace
The Sta. Barbara Bobbin Lace project by the Women United Through Handicrafted Lace and Embroidery (WUTHLE) located at Western Visayas Sanitarium in Barangay Inangayan, Sta. Barbara, Iloilo made a beginning with passing the gratitude forward.
Today, the facility is open to the public who can request any design, materials, colors and sizes. Design of embroidery includes birds, flowers, butterflies that can be applied to table cloths, handkerchiefs and bags.
Embroidery and bobbin lace have been incorporated in wedding gowns and other dresses of the clients who have visited the center.
