Megaworld to build Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Iloilo

MANILA, Philippines - A Courtyard by Marriott Hotel will soon rise in Iloilo City.

Megaworld Corp. is allocating P1.5-billion to build the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in the 72-hectare Iloilo Business Park.

"This is the first Courtyard by Marriott hotel in the Philippines. We are happy and very excited that our fastest-growing brand in the Marriott group will rise in Iloilo Business Park," said Peter Gassner, Director, Hotel Development Asia-Pacific, Marriott International, Inc.

Courtyard by Marriott is one of the world-class brands under Marriott International. The 15-storey contemporary hotel will have 314 spacious rooms and suites.

"This is another milestone for Iloilo Business Park. Our development in Iloilo is a showcase of our company’s commitment to uplifting the Ilonggo lifestyle to a whole new level... The quality of service of Courtyard by Marriott is legendary and will help to lift the level of accommodation and leisure in Iloilo City," said Jericho Go, Megaworld first vice president.

The hotel will also have a lounge bar, meeting rooms, swimming pool with pool bar, outdoor bar and grill, state-of-the-art gym and business center.

"The Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo will also feature a restaurant which will serve high quality food that the Courtyard brand is also famous for, featuring a variety of international and local cuisines,” Gassner said.

Iloilo Business Park is Megaworld’s biggest township in Western Visayas, with luxury residential condominiums, BPO office towers, a Megaworld Lifestyle Mall, a 1.1-kilometer Festive Walk commercial strip, open parks, transport hub, and the much-anticipated Iloilo Convention Center, among others.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

California mayor visits Iloilo

ILOILO – The mayor of Daly City, California, Ray Buenaventura, is in Iloilo City for the Dinagyang Festival.

Buenaventura, who will be witnessing the festival for the first time, arrived in Iloilo on Tuesday.

Buenaventura was overwhelmed by the warm welcome of the Ilonggos during his visit to the city mayor's office.

In 2011, a Cooperative Proclamation was signed by both mayors of the two cities.

Aside from Buenaventura, other dignitaries are also expected to watch the world class performances of participating tribes in the Ati Tribe Competition to be held on Sunday.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Iloilo's Dinagyang

MANILA, Philippines — The colorful fanfare of Iloilo province’s Dinagyang Street Dance Festival will be a major highlight of the annual CCP Pasinaya Festival on February 26 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines grounds.

Leading the festivities is Dinagyang 2012 Ati Tribe Competition 1st Runner up Tribu Lunok of the Iloilo City National High School. They will take part in the opening ceremonies and parade at 8:30 a.m. at the Pedro Bukaneg Street of the CCP Complex. Repeat performances by Tribu Lunok will be held throughout the day at 10:40 a.m., 12 noon, 3 p.m., and 7:15 p.m.

Tribu Lunok’s winning performance in the Dinagyang 2012 has been described as “entertaining in its storyline and amazing for its choreography and use of props.” It won the Best in Street Dancing in this year’s Dinagyang festival.

Tribu Lunok is composed of 37 warriors, 18 star dancers, 18 bulilit, 21 drummers, 1 tribe leader and 4 girl dancers. Founded in 1998 by the late Ronnie Baretta, Tribu Lunok is made up of students from the Iloilo City National High School. It has won many prizes in past Dinagyang festivals.

Held every January, the Dinagyang Festival, according to the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation, is a “thanksgiving for and a celebration in honor of Señor Santo Niño. It prides itself as a festival of excellent folk choreography, a showcase of Ilonggo heritage and culture. It is as grand as Iloilo’s old churches and crisp as pinasubong saging, as delectable as pancit molo and bachoy.” The Ati-ati is just one of three major events of the Dinagyang, the other two being the fluvial procession along Iloilo River and the cultural parade called the Kasadyahan.

More than twenty groups, each called a tribe, compete in the Ati-ati competition. The Ati-ati contest has gained for the Dinagyang the tag “Festival of Excellent Folk Choreography”, a recognition given to it by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts.

The Pasinaya is a yearly open house festival at the CCP that offers a preview of the forthcoming productions of the CCP Resident Companies. More than 300 cultural groups in dance, music, theater, film, and the visual arts from all over the country are participating in this year’s Festival. The public is invited to see all they can for R20. A fast pass to CCP Pasinaya shows can be availed of for P200.

For more information, please call 832-1125 loc. 1800.

source: mb.com.ph