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“ Its All About Miagao“

Have you ever visited a new place and felt ‘wow’ about it? For many visitors, it happens at Miagao.

Miagao may not be as popular as other cities in Philippines, but don’t let that fool you. Miagao is a smaller but beautiful upcoming tourist destination that is worth a visit. You will be surprised by some of the unique things to do and places you can explore at this hidden destination.

You might wish to revisit it someday again, to take a break and relax at Miagao.

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Miagao (also written Miag-ao), officially the Municipality of Miagao (Kinaray-a: Banwa kang Miagao; Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Miagao; Tagalog: Bayan ng Miagao), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 68,115 people. 

Miagao is considered as the "Onion Capital of the Visayas". The town center of the municipality lies on the western bank of the Tumagbok River, the largest river in the municipality. The poblacion is made up of eight barangays.

The town holds their patronal fiesta in honor of St. Thomas of Villanova (more commonly known as Santo Tomas de Villanueva) every September 22 that lasts several days. The town is also the location of one of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines, the Miagao Church, which was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The entire town of Miagao was later inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage City and became a member of the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC).

( courtesy Miagao From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ) 

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Miagao Church: The Baroque Fortress Church of Iloilo

Before Miagao Church, there were two churches that were built in town but both were burned by Muslim raiders and pirates. It was just in 1786 when the construction of Miagao Church Iloilo started and completed in 1797. Since then, it served two purposes: a place of worship and a fortress against Muslim raiders. For centuries since 1797, Miagao Church was not only a garrison of the Christian faith but also an indomitable refuge for citizens during the Spanish-Moro wars. Battle after battle, its walls stood steadfast like San Cristobal under the weight of a centuries-long struggle. During the revolution in 1898, the church was destroyed and subsequently rebuilt in the same year. In 1910, the church was damaged by fire. While in 1948, it was damaged by an earthquake and the restoration was completed in 1962. Due to the disasters and calamities, it went through, Miag ao Church underwent restoration work several times already. In 1974, Miag ao Church Iloilo was declared as a National Landmark. And in 1993 it was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Miagao Church being one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Now that you know the history of Miagao Church, let’s talk about it being a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

UNESCO has chosen Miagao Church as one of the World Heritage Sites because it exhibits various architectural designs with the predominance of baroque architecture and local artistic elements.

The church’s foundation runs 20 feet deep into the ground, and it’s one-and-a-half-meter thick walls are reinforced with four meter-thick buttresses. As the town of Miagao was constantly invaded by the “Moros” for almost a decade in the mid-18th century, the church had to be moved to a more secure place, so a new fortified church was then built at the highest point of the town to guard against potential invaders. But what makes this church even more special is its unique ochre color.

The church was built using a combination of Spanish Baroque and Romanesque Early Medieval architectural styles, with the addition of Chinese, Muslim, and local Filipino elements in the decoration of its facade. For instance, St. Christopher is wearing a traditional Filipino attire, and it’s surrounded by decorations like papaya and palm trees which are very common in the country. The Miagao Church’s distinctive yellow-ochre color comes from the inclusion of coral, ground into dust, and egg whites in the mixture for the adobes. Egg whites are customarily used by Spaniards to make mortar for their churches, in order to make the mixture more durable.

The adobe used in building the church is made from silt and clay that can only be found in this part of Iloilo, giving also the building a unique warm-yellowish glow. The towering buttresses from the side of the church walls are typical of the “earthquake baroque” design reminiscent of churches in Ilocos , particularly Panay Church and Vigan Cathedral, while the church’s simple interior is highlighted by a striking gold-plated retablo.

( credits to https://www.zenrooms.com/blog/post/miagao-church/ )

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MIAG-AO HABLON WEAVING

     Buying, using, giving as presents and promoting our local products are ways to help the local economy. One of these recommended products is ‘hablon’ because this is not just a commodity but this is also a reflection of a community's culture and dreams. Hablon came from the word ‘habol’, a local word that means ‘weave’. Thus, hablon refers to the weaving process and the finished product that is common in places like Miag-ao, Villa and Antique province, all in Panay island in the Philippines.

( pictures courtesy - Iloilo blog. Lifestyle blog. And more!)

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BUSLUGAN FALLS , MIAGAO ILOILO 

Buslugan Falls in Barangay Dalije is surrounded by virgin forest. Its inviting pond creates a playful ambience irresistible for visitors.  BANOGON FALLS in Barangay Dalije is a cascade that resembles a smooth white hair falling gracefully. The word “banogon” may have come from the fact that the surrounding forest is home to “banog” birds belonging to the eagle family. BUSLOGAN FALLS in Barangay Tigmarabo is very popular during rainy season as its current is so tough that produces a thundering sound that can be heard even from afar. The name comes from the local word “buslog” which means strong current. Other falls found in the area include IRIK-IKAN and PARIGUSAN DIWATA. Though these attractions have not been strongly promoted yet, the current administration under its very active and hard-working Municipal Mayor Hon. Macario N. Napulan is giving more importance to promoting its upland sceneries. This is one of the reasons Miagao is now giving more priority to developing tours, attractions and routes. It is a way to preserve the local culture and folklore, historical monuments and natural bounties. Go experience Miagao its hospitable warm people, and lovely land and seascapes . Because those are the memories you would want to keep.

(photo courtesy of Miagao Tourism Office )

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SINUHUTAN CAVE , MIAGAO ILOILO

   In Barangay Onop is a 3-hour mountainous trek. The cave’s name coming from the Hiligaynon term “suhut” or “to walk below,” speaks for itself when entering the site. Tourists can access the cave by passing through its three entrances that leads to three prominent chambers such as the “Jacosi Tab” where a certain species of shrimp is found; the “Female Genital”; and “The Plaza or The Cathedral.” It is said that during the Japanese occupation, the cave became a fortress for the locals living in the area.

( photo courtesy of Miagao Tourism Office )

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Miagao’s own version of Banaue rice terraces never fails to overwhelm sightseers who deliberately sought to witness the jaw-dropping and inconceivable panorama of terraces carved in the mountains of Barangay Cabalaunan. It has been a general thought that the Cabalaunan terraces were built with minimal equipment, mostly by the meticulous hands of the inhabitants in order to adapt the mountainous environs of Sitio Anoy for agricultural practice particularly rice farming. The terraces, reaching a lofty elevation and being constructed on perpendicular slopes, truly exemplify the utter merger of the physical, socio-cultural, economic, and political setting in Miagao.The Cabalaunan compound of stone or mud walls and the cautious fashioning of the natural form of hills and mountains to build stair-like pond fields, doubly maintained through the development of elaborate irrigation schemes, and an improved farming system, mirror a proficiency of engineering that is, indeed, a surviving refined landscape of exceptional splendour.

pictures credits - ( Sulu Garden[PDF] Untitled  )

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Miag-ao famous Kakanin 

     When we talk about the Philippines, one of the first things that come to mind is kakanin. “Kakanin as a type of food stems from multi-dimensional meanings. With the prefix of ‘ka’, kakanin describes many kinds of rice recipes meant to be eaten as snacks or the many ways of cooking snacks or dessers to celebrate the harvest of the Philippine Islands. Kakanin as a word may also mean a small serving of food, something to tide one over before a main meal or simply some colorful snacs or desserts to look forward during fiestas. Food to the Filipino, as in other cultures, is a precious source of strength and spirit and could be a vehicle of harmony among friends, relatives, and even strangers. Kakanin is also associated with laborious procedures and preparations which is also associated with the traditional and old fashioned.” as stated by Gonzales (2001).

   One of the most popular kakanin is suman. There are many varieties of suman and ibos is one of its kind. According to Nocheseda (2003), even though Pinoy food accepted influences from other countries that invaded the Philippines, the fundamentals of suman still remained the same. Before the arrival of Hispanic and American influences, suman came from the harvest feasting of the early Filipinos. Domingo de los Santos’ Tagalog-Spanish dictionary in the 1700s even explains kakanin and calamay as alay or offering.  Miag-ao is a municipality here in Iloilo and as a researcher; it is a new environment for me. I tasted several kinds of suman yet ibos is the one I have not taste and explored yet. Mapping out ibos makers in Miag-ao is my agenda. 

credits- ( https://huminamingmahal2016.wordpress.com/2016/12/05/ibos-makers-in-miag-ao/ )

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Baye-baye from Miag-ao, Iloilo 

W hat makes the bayi-bayi of Miagao unique from the bayi-bayi in other parts of Iloilo? Aside from the delicious taste, it’s the packaging. Mostly they are only wrapped in cellophane. Though there may be some bayi-bayi makers in other parts of Iloilo who do wrap in banana leaf, still their packaging is different. Miagao has an attractive way of wrapping the bite-sized bayi-bayi in shiny, bright green banana leaf. They look like miniature, fluffed-up green pillows. Using banana leaf as its wrapper started since the very first bayi-bayi in Miagao was made and that was surely a long time ago.

 Credits ( Art Research Projects - WordPress.com )