Classic Ilonggo Food

When visiting a new place, what do you remember best? What can you see, touch, smell, taste, and even hear? Food. Food!

The prevailing culinary art and food preferences of its people are essential components that can explain the evolution of such society since food is always associated with historical struggles and cultural development. Japanese eat exotic food because Japan used to be a very poor country and their people have to eat anything they can find. Despite the current developments in Japan, their food specialty still reflect their past.

Just like Japanese, dishes in Iloilo City are very special. They are a combination or what we have before, what the Spaniards, Chinese, and Americans gave us, and what nature gave us.

La Paz Batchoy

Lapaz Batchoy  is now becoming a national favorite with the well-selling franchises of Deco’s and Ted’s Old Timer. The very famous Ilonggo noodle dish was named after Lapaz, Iloilo City. 

The Lapaz market is the original home of Lapaz Batchoy.

Batchoy’s main ingredient is noodles and pork. The people of Lapaz, Iloilo enriched the recipe with the variety of special locally found ingredients added to the mix.

If you want to taste Lapaz Batchoy, I personally recommend heading to Ted’s Diversion. It has a good location because it is near Iloilo Esplanade. And it is housed together with another must-go, Dulgies, a one-of-a kind dessert bar.

If you cant get enough of Lapaz Batchoy and you're not from Iloilo, here's a video by PanlasangPinoy.com on how to cook Lapaz Batchoy.

Pancit Molo

The Pancit Molo is sought-after Ilonggo soup dish. It is an adaptation of Chiness wanton soup. It is named after Molo, Iloilo City. It is distinct from other noodles. It relaxes you from all-day's work. It is also very healthy.

Here's a picture of Pancit Molo from Sosyalan.com

Setting itself apart from the typical pancit, pancit molo is not dry but soupy and it does not make use of long, thin noodles but instead wanton wrappers made from rice flour. This one-of-a-kind combination of ingredients gives you a new eating adventure. See another article for cooking Pancit Molo

Here's a video on how to cook pancit molo.

Native Lechon Manokan

A number of Ilonggo Restaurants is proud of their unique and sumptuous receipts of native lechon manok. Check out Tatoy’s Manokan, home of unforgettable roasted chicken. It is located in Villa, Iloilo.

Binakol nga Manok

Rich-flavored and healthful. Binakol nga Manok is another famous soup from Iloilo.

The chicken is cooked in coconut water and coconut meat.

Classic ways of cooking Chicken Binakol uses native chicken simmered for several hours. The meat of native chicken is tougher than regular dressed chicken, but it has more taste and it is great for your health. Simmering native chicken longer makes the meat tender and releases all the flavors.

Chicken Binakol image from Angsarap.net

The original chicken binakol is cooked in bamboo. It is said that cooking this dish in bamboo seals-in the flavor. One good thing about the dish is that the flavors are balanced. The addition of coconut water and coconut meat adds sweetness.

 Here's a video of Visayan celebrity Elizabeth Ramsey cooking Chicken Binakol 

 and here's an article on cooking chicken binakol.    

Kadios, Manok, kag Ubod

Kadios, Manok, kag Ubok is a dish with pigeon pea, chicken, and pith or core of the trunk of the banana plant.

 

Kadios, Manok, kag Ubod image from marketmanila.com

Kadios, Baboy kag Langka

I have worked with celebrities visiting Iloilo City for shows and this is their top pick is Kadyos, Baboy, Langka.

Why is KBL a must-taste? Not every one in the world, or even in the Philippines can eat KBL any time they want. Some ingredients are abundant only in Iloilo City.

Here's how to make KBL

and here's a video on cooking KBL

Kilawin

I apologize for being a bit mischievous but I enjoyed making a Manila-based gal pal eat kilawin. She said, "kakaiba tong kinilaw, parang hilaw."

The main ingredient of Kilawin is raw fish or pork marinated in vinegar, calamansi, pepper and other spices.

Ibus

Ibus is Iloilo City's delicacy made of glutinous rice and coconut milk wrapped in coconut leaves.

Biscocho

Biscocho is a famous Ilonggo delicacy which is derived from Latin phrase “bis coctus” meaning “twice baked”. It is bread coated with sugar.

 

Biscocho image from merci.com

Barquillos

Barquillos is thin rolled wafers. It is soft and delicious.

They used to be plain and yummy but because bakeshops have been experiementing, they now come in  flavors of ube and pandan.

 

barquillos image from philja.com

Pinasugbo Pinasugbo a native confection made from thinly sliced caramelized native banana sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Biscocho, Pinasugbo, and Barquillos as usually requested or ginatugon as pasalubong by love ones from other parts of the country. I recommend products of Biscocho House or Pandesal Ni Pa-a. Both are found in Jaro, Iloilo City, in the alley adjacent to the police station.

Wonderful Walls

This project is perfect for single ladies and house wives who just moved in their new house in Iloilo City.

A lot of properties in iloilo look the same but little improvements will make the interior of your home wonderfully different.

Add more life and personality to your property by making your own mural. It’s not difficult although it may take some work to create a large scale painting

Creating murals need proper planning and preparation. Scan magazines and greeting cards for designs that fit your room and taste. You can also purchase mural stencils to safely and conveniently create your first classy mural. Take note of the size and texture of your wall for the kind and quantity of paint that to use. Latex is great and pocket-friendly for interior murals. Prepare brushes of different shapes and sizes for efficient design execution. Tape up walls and furniture to avoid spillage.

Stencil Sample.

Finished Product

Don’t overload the brush with paint to avoid leaks but don’t be too afraid of messing up. A Spanish church became a world tourist attraction. Thanks to a botched Jesus Christ mural.

Happy home-making!

The Superb Way to Sell a Property in Iloilo

Thinking of selling a property? Placing your property in the market is no joke. Pause first. Here are a few things to do.

Prior to placing your home in the market, be sure it's ready to be inspected by very picky and keen buyers in Iloilo.  They will try to find fault on your property in Iloilo to negotiate on its worth or find a reason not to buy it. Ensure that your property is is seen at its best. Many improvements will increase house and lot value. Outline your improvements smartly. Make sure you earn more that you spend.

Apart from increasing value, improvements will also add your house and lot's sellability. Who will go for a dirty home? Impression matters. If your buyer plans to stay in your property in Iloilo, he or she will tend to imagine what his or her's family's life will be in your house.

As a seller and a marketer, always think of two things, visuals and lifestyles. Buyers in Iloilo City are intelligent people having classy taste.

Repaint!

Repaint! Colors make a big difference. Avoid trends that is hot now and will be forgotten later. People may like to visit in-style homes. But for their own home, in which they intend to spend a lifetime, they are more traditional. 

If in doubt, choose the safe changes. You can't go wrong with white and neutrals such as cream for the interior. They magnify the room and give the feeling of freshness and tidiness. If you want to play with designs, consult magazines such as Elle.

For the outside, try lighter midtones such as carnation pink or pale green. Accentuate them with their dark counterpart colors for contrast. For example, match carnation pink with dark pink accents. Midtones are better than white for exterior because they are less prone to dirt.

Check out this color guide.

Wallpapers, Panels, Carpets

Adding a small textured wallpaper, in the living or dining room can  help a sale. If a wall needs plastering it will usually cost less to put up a prefinished panel than to replaster. Carpets makes the home more cozy. It add class. Class add value.

Plants

Plants creates an effect of a happy home. Blooming red petals attract purchases.

Lights

Marketing old properties may be unavoidable. Don't feel so bad. You can introduce some solutions by making sure it looks decent. Lighting fixtures in the kitchen, dining area, and bath can be substantial investments. Create an effect that your old home is a valued ancestral house like the antique houses Jaro, Iloilo not a ghost-hunted structure just you just want to get rid of.

Be keen with Furniture

Stuff the room with furniture and the buyer will find it too small. Just maintain enough furniture if you plan to have one in the house that your are selling. You can upgrade your furniture you if want to maximize market value. If you don't want to spend, just make sure you clean, furnish, or hide old furniture that ruin the visual.

Other things to check when selling a home

Cleaning up helps. If you cannot spend on furnishing, just at least do basic cleaning. Fixing also does a lot. Kitchen appliances and bath fixtures must shine and must be fixed. Don' forget clearing. Clear your house or roaches and rodents. During the site visit, make the house cooler and well-lighted.

This article about selling a home is brought to you by HomeInIloilo.com.  For your residence needs in Iloilo City, trust HomeInIloilo.com. Some ideas shared in this article are taken from Real Estate Investing from A-Z by William H. Pivar

Click here if you have a

property for sale in Iloilo

Color Basics for Your Home

Congratulations! Did you just buy a home in Iloilo City? 

You must be thinking of making a home warmer for your family by splashing some colors in the wall. Or perhaps, you're thinking of adding furnitures and decorations that will match the colors of you the home you just purchased.

To help you out, let's learn the home color basics.

What is Hue?

Hue is another word for color. From the deepest royal blue and tropical green to the softest tones of pink delight and whisper peach.

 All the colors that you can imagine are hues.

What is Value?

Value means the darkness and lightness of a color. There are countless variations in value, from the palest lights to the darkest darks that are almost black. 

The amount of white, gray, or black added to pure color determines value.

Then, you may have heard of the terms tint, shade, and tone. 

Tints are colors in which white has been added. They are lighter values such as carnation. Shades are colors to which black has been added such as teal. They are darker in value. Tones are colors with gray added. They are duller than tints or shades. The making of tints, shades, or tones from a pure color is called "extending".

What is Intensity?

Intensity refers to the purity or brightness of a color. 

Pure, high-intense colors are easy to spot due to their brilliance. Imagine the brave colors lacquer red, cobalt blue, and taxi cab yellow, you will spot them first when placed side by side with the tamer burgundy, navy and rainforest green.

Now, let's have a recap. When you look at a color, ask yourself; "Is it light, medium, or dark?" That's value. "Is it bright or dull?" That's intensity.

What is Temperature?

Colors are classified either warm or cool. Yellows, reds, and oranges are warm colors. They are the colors of fire and sun.

This Hand Painted Wall Canvass will give your home a temperate feel.

The cool colors green and blue evoke water and nature.

This house exudes a very light, cool, and fresh vibe.

Some colors are called bridging colors. Because they are a mix of a warm and a cool color. Violet is made up of the warm color red and the chilling blue.

This room in the image below is warm because of the present of some red-related colors

But this room in the next image is warmer

This article about Home Design Tips is brought to you by HomeInIloilo.com.  For your residence needs in Iloilo City, trust only HomeInIloilo.com. Some ideas in this article are taken from Lowe's Decorating with Paint and Color by Sally W. Smith.

Click this link if you wish to

Buy a Property in Iloilo

Why Buying a Home is Better

Why is buying a home always a good choice? Let's see this one story.

An Ilonggo couple Sid and Sheena stay in a two-bedroom apartment in an well-off neighborhood in Molo, Iloilo.

For the past decade, they bore a five-year-old child named Chad, joined friends in community affairs, and enjoyed living in the vicinity just like their neighbors.

 The Iloilo Esplanade is within reach from their house so they enjoyed walking on Saturdays.

There is a problem however. Sid and Sheena were borders.  They rent their home from Ram who live nearby and who bought an apartment as an investment from his retirement benefits.

For the past ten years, Sid and Sheena treated Ram's apartment as their own home. They spent on improving it. 

At the age of 70, Ram died. He does not have a son and he only has one brother Roy.

Roy happens to works in Molo. He decided that he would remodel the apartment and call it his home.

Two months after Ram's death, Sid and Sheena were given a thirty-day notice to vacate.

This is a predicament for Sid and Sheena. Both of them work in the nearby call center in Molo Supermart and they were able to manage their hectic schedules because they live nearby. There are no available apartments of the same kind minutes from the area. Their five-year-old son Chad is very sad because he will depart from his three buddies who plays basket with him every afternoon. When you're a tenant, you are vulnerable to the negative fate of the owner.

Because of speedy development of Iloilo City and Molo's strategic location, Han's and Sheena's home almost doubled in value for the past ten years.

The total amount that they have paid for renting the apartment has amounted to one million pesos. The apartment's current market value 10 years ago was also one million pesos.

While looking for a new place, Sid and Sheena, temporarily stayed in his brother's house in Villa, Iloilo City.

Sid' brother Eric, with his wife Lizzy, acquired a lot in Villa, Iloilo City ten years ago and built a small one-storey house through PAG-IBIG loan.

When Eric and Lizzy started living in the home, their house was very small compared to Han's and Sheena's apartment. The one-storey house was 45 minutes away from Iloilo City proper. Sid' and Sheena's apartment had a more favorable location and has a more comfortable lifestyle to offer.

Though they started small, Eric and Lizzy has paid off their PAG-IBIG mortgage in the past ten years. They also started improving their house further.

They now own a two-story furnished house equipped with three rooms, and a garden. And because they have the control in their own property, they were able to build a sari-sari store which earns well mainly from local tourists on the way to Villa Beach.

Now, lets summarize the lesson from this story and take not why it's best to own a home.

1. Properties generally increase in value because lots increase in value.  The inflation rate in the Philippines in 4.0%. The average annual increase in lot prices in Iloilo City is higher than that. Having a property shields you from inflation.

2. You can introduce money-generating developments.

3. You can improve your home to enjoy it. At the same time, this improvements serve as your investment.

4.  You'll cash-out for a place to stay any way. Better spend on acquiring your own asset.

5. Renting is always temporary. Your domain will always be limited.

6. Aim for the time that you will no longer be paying anything to have a shelter.

7. Your good health is not forever. You will have to retire some day. Make sure you have a home to stay and perhaps another to collect rent from.

8. You can start small. If you have limited budget, start with a lot. Then piece by piece, build improvements that you can afford. You will find yourself surprised in your dream home some day.

9. PAG-IBIG loan is a favorable privilege for Filipinos. Grab it. Just make sure you can pay. Any way, their terms are affordable and tailored for typical Filipinos.

10. Buying a home will rentail sacrifices. Still, allocate some part of your income for it. It will be worth it .

This article about buying a home is brought to you by HomeInIloilo.com.  For your residence needs in Iloilo City, trust HomeInIloilo.com. Some ideas shared in this article are taken from A Survival Guide for Buying a Home by Sid Davies.

Click this link if you wish to

Buy a Property in Iloilo

Why Real Estate Is the Best Investment in Iloilo

In the Philippines, the best way to wealth is to be an anak mayaman or rich kid. To be the COO or the child-of-the-owner is everyone's dream. 

The second option is to snug a rich partner or mag-asawa ng mayaman. This story is a common plot in Philippine TV shows.

Of course, not everyone is lucky to have the first two options.

Assuming that the paths are closed to you, real estate investment, is the third choice.

More millionaires achieved their riches through real estate than from all other ventures combined. In the Philippines, four real estate companies made it to the top 50 corporate taxpayers on 2011. They are SM Primeholdings providing mall space lease, Robinsons Land for residential spaces, Megaworld Corporation, and Ayala Land, Incorporated. This 2014, Iloilo City is the hot-spot of real estate developments. SM primeholdings, Megaworld Corporation, and Ayala Land Incorporated have investments in Iloilo City. 



Megaworld offers houses in Iloilo with Sta. Barbara Heights. Megaworld will also offer European Inspired condominium units in Iloilo City. Ilonggos are  excited for the One Madison Place.

Ayala Land, Inc. offers house and lots in Iloilo City with Ayala Avida and condominium units with Ayala Atria.

Probably not a conincidence, cement companies also snag places in the top 50. They are Lafarge Republic Inc. and Holcim Cement.

It is unfortunate that in the Philippines, even with both the husband and wife having an employment and earning well, most couples find it a difficult to pull in the wealth needed to send their children to school and set aside money for their retirement.

Because of this, we can conclude, it is a must to Invest.

Why Invest in Real Estate?

We realize investments are necessary. But why Real Estate?

"Property is desirable, is positive good in the world. Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another, but let him work diligently and build one for himself, thus by example assuring that his own shall be safe from violence when built."

-Abraham Lincoln, 1864

Another popular alternative option is the stock market. By investing in stocks, you leave your fate to some CEOs. What goes up, comes down without necessarily going up again. Have you heard of Nokia's sad story? From being a preferred phone, Nokia suddenly got left behind by android phones. 

Real Estate investments differ from stock market investments because the control is in your hands. You make decisions that affect your own future. You can structure purchase of house and lots and other properties as well as the sale of this real estate properties to meet your specific needs.

Profits can be realized from Real Estate Investments in a number of ways.

1. Income from Rents

2. Taxation Incentives

 The Philippine government pushes Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) so tax benefits are given to REIT investors.

3. Appreciation in value of land

Lots in Iloilo are predicted to  appreciate highest in the Philippines.

4. Pleasure of using a property

This article about Real Estate Investing in Iloilo City is brought to you by HomeInIloilo.com.  For your residence needs in Iloilo City, trust HomeInIloilo.com. Some ideas shared in this article are taken from Real Estate Investing from A-Z by William H. Pivar

Click this link if you wish to

Buy a Property in Iloilo