A visit to Iloilo is never complete without a taste of its heart- and tummy-warming La Paz Batchoy or Molo soup, the refreshing flavors of Laswa and Chicken Binakol, or a bite of a luscious Ibos and crunchy Biscocho. Dubbed as the “Food Haven of the Philippines”, the city of Iloilo and the provinces of Western Visayas boast of a cuisine that is well-loved and recognized by many Filipinos across the country, and even food lovers from different parts of the world. Widely recognized, the Ilonggo cuisine is a beautiful confluence of geographic location – having fertile lands and abundant seas at the heart of the Philippine archipelago; rich cultural heritage peppered with Spanish to Chinese influences; and most importantly the creativity of the locals in concocting delicious recipes using homegrown ingredients, and time-honored cooking techniques. Let the country’s premiere hotel, the Manila Hotel whet your appetite further as Café Ilang-Ilang celebrates the Flavors of Western Vis...

The City of Ilagan formally launched the I-Corn Complex in Barangay Marana 1st during the twin celebrations of the city’s 11th cityhood anniversary and Mammangi Festival 2023. Mammangi translates to corn farmer in the local language. The corn facility, an initiative of City Mayor Josemarie Diaz, is a tribute to all corn farmers. "The rationale for the Mammangi Festival is us pushing for corn farming. For a time, farmers stopped planting corn because it was no longer economically feasible. After harvest, the farmers would bring their corn to the processing facilities and sell them at a low price. When the corn is processed into feed, the farmers buy them at a higher cost. A majority of the corn produced in Ilagan, especially in Brgy. San Antonio, is yellow corn, which is the variety used for livestock feed. It is high time to break this cycle,” Mayor Diaz said during a media conference with Manila delegates. He said that the innovative, highly-technical facility is pa...

Tapping on the charm, beauty, and resiliency of the country’s National Flower, the Sampaguita, Megaworld Hotels and Resorts (MHR) aims to create a Filipino brand of service with distinct elements evoking the five senses and honoring the values of every individual by providing them excellent, experiential experiences. Yes! The homegrown hotel brand will banner hospitality traits in each of the senses—sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch starting end of July 2023 using the jasmine variety, as its symbol of hospitality. The Sampaguita flower, contributed photo For MHR, the Sampaguita embodies that promise to fulfill a meaningful stay and to create powerful memories that will present a real opportunity for Megaworld Hotels to develop customer loyalty. The hotel group grew from one property with Richmonde Hotel Ortigas under the Prestige Hotels Group in 1999 to become the biggest homegrown hospitality brand in the Philippines with each property showcasing the best of th...

For champion breeder Hermie Esguerra (3rd from left) there's more to farming than breeding horses. Imagine champion racehorses, goats, sheep, local and Peking ducks, chickens, tilapia and hito (catfish), Berkshire pigs, the Bahay Kubo vegetables, dragon fruits, star apple, mangoes, mangosteen, banana, calamansi, melon, and avocado living all together under one farm. This is Esguerra Farms, officially Esguerra Farms & Stud. Inc., nestled in the heart of Lipa, Batangas. It started out as a four-hectare horse-breeding farm in 2000 by champion breeder and an icon in the local horse racing scene Herminio “Hermie” Esguerra. Over the years, the “birthplace of some of the country’s premier race horses,” expanded to 55 hectares, diversified its services, and made a name for Kurobuta pork products.   This writer (2nd from left) with fellow media reps/bloggers on a day tour at Esguerra Farm The Manila team of online media traveled to Esguerra Farms on a weekend to learn more about...