I’ve always wanted to travel around the Philippines. It’s been on my to-do list to know more about the place where I grew up, especially since my first trip out-of-town trip happened when I was only about 4 months old. Being a mixture of cultures of sorts, I feel like traveling is in my blood.
Last month, I got to go on a series of business trips that took me around various places in the Philippines. It was a dream come true, finding myself going to all these places that I always told myself I’d make time for, but never really got around to doing. Though my work trip kept me pretty busy, and I wasn’t able to see all the sights and do all the things that travelers ought to do on trips, I was able to pass by so many beautiful places and meet a lot of great people. I was also able to take a few snapshots here and there.
Next time at least, I won’t feel so nervous about going to these places. And, I’m more familiar with the food and the sights that I’ll want to try out..
My first work trip had me going to Western Visayas, which is part of my roots. From Manila, our plane ride took us about 1 hour. We landed at the Iloilo International Airport and we took a 3-4hour ride from the airport to our first stop, Aklan – which is on the upper west side of Panay Island. Kalibo, the capital of Aklan, reminded me a lot of Dumaguete. Lots of areas with fields and trees, busy roads with tricycles and motorcycles, most people living on the outskirts of the downtown area.
We were able to stop by the Aklan Provincial Capitol. And it was such a beautiful sight against the clear blue sky. Having been newly renovated in the last few months, you can clearly see all the details to its exterior, with its Italian columns and blue tinted windows.
The architecture-enthusiast in me is loving this building!
Names of all the towns in Aklan
The inside was not as stunning as the outside, but it was clean and orderly. Looking to the ceiling, I spotted this round ceiling dome. It clearly states the towns and municipalities belonging to the province of Aklan.
On our second day, we took the trip back from Aklan to Iloilo City, which is about a 4-5hour journey.