miss iggy and panay's big bells

miss iggy's back at panay church in panay, capiz, in the phillipines!

this time she made it up the belfry. a climb of almost 70 steep steps, this was no little feat for this little iggy. behind her are people from the mindanao region admiring the 300-year old bells.

here she is with the biggest bell, made from 70 sacks of coins donated by the townspeople.

and inside the bell, where the current townspeople are still contributing to the bell's overall aesthetic.

for those who can't go up the belfry the church has installed a replica bell outside of the church. it doesn't offer the same experience as climbing up a steep and narrow staircase but it does offer a preview of panay's big bells.

it's been said that the louder the sound of a church's bells, the bigger its territory is. like old-school cellsites, these big bells serve an important role in sending signals to the townspeople that the church is in their country and awaiting their submission. wider clanging coverage means more land area and more prospective souls for recruitment. this is important when one takes into account that religion was used to colonize and enslave the Philippines for more than 300 years. and if these bells were made out of coins donated by the townspeople, miss iggy thinks this project was a very successful enterprise indeed!

miss iggy at the riverbank

miss iggy went to the riverside in pontevedra, capiz, panay island in the philippines to watch a fluvial parade of saints. upon reaching the riverbank she found only one saint ready to set sail. she thinks the other ones got scared of the rain.

she found this jeepney parked across the riverbank and the jeep's route reminded her of iggy sisterhood bloggers conniechiwa, who hails from pilar, and sreisaat, who hails from roxas city.

and beside saint isidore's boat, were these boats named after one of the iggy sisterhood bloggers.

metaphysical reunions are the best!

Miss Iggy Opens Her Heart To "One World One Heart" (OWOH)

MABUHAY! (That's Filipino for "Hello" and "Welcome!") Miss Igorota (Miss Iggy for short) is starting the month of hearts by joining Lisa Swifka's "One World One Heart Event," (its Fifth & Final run) a worldwide blog "open house" of sorts which lets bloggers get to know each other and reward a lucky commenter with a "door prize"! ♥

Miss Iggy sunbathing by the shores of Pilar, Capiz, Philippines (May 2010)

Miss Igorota is a native doll from the Northern highlands of the Philippines handcrafted as a souvenir. She is a cloth doll likeness of the Igorot people in the northern region of the island of Luzon. She comes from a Strawberry Farm! She is a "travel mascot" toted by different Filipina women in different locations around the world! From only two bloggers back in 2008, the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Igorota" has grown to nine (and very soon, ten!), sharing each sister's travels through the eyes of this little doll. To learn more about the story of our blog, please click here!

Miss Iggy is spreading the strawberry love to you with this handcrafted bracelet made in the Philippines. It's made from polished coconut shell (how eco-friendly and fashionable is that?) handpainted with the word "Philippines" and pretty pink hibiscus flowers, which are known as "gumamela" flowers in Filipino. This bracelet is a little piece of tropical treasure that our country's 7,107 islands can offer you! Miss Iggy invites you to try your luck at winning this trinket simply by leaving a comment on this post and indicating a valid email address where you can be reached. No obligation whatsoever for you to bookmark or follow our blog! (Because blog love shouldn't be forced!)

We thank you for landing on our little nook on the net and hope that you drop by every now and then to see where we've been! ♥

OWOH runs from January 30-Feb. 17, 2011, at the end of which one winner will be chosen by random from the list of comments received on this post. ANYONE can join this giveaway. Only one comment/entry per person/email address. The list of other lovely OWOH participants can be viewed HERE.

ACCEPTING COMMENTS FOR THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AS OF 11:59PM, FEB. 17, 2011, PHILIPPINE TIME. THANK YOU FOR VISITING! :)

Fiesta Time!

Miss Iggy loves fiestas! In the Philippines, there's always a fiesta somewhere in the islands all year-round! This one was at Pilar, Capiz last May 28-30, 2010. It's called the "Tagbu-an" Festival which coincides with the Feast of the Holy Trinity, as it is the town's religious patron. Since it has no fixed date, the fiesta alternates between May or June depending on the religious event mentioned.



Here's Miss Iggy with the official map of the municipality of Pilar as displayed inside the town hall. The fiesta's name "Tagbu-an" comes from the local dialect's root word "Tagbo," meaning "to meet." Since fortuitous faery's hometown is by the sea, most people are fishermen. The act of welcoming back fishermen with their catch of the day is called "Tagbu-an." Of course, what are festivals without merrymaking noise from happy townsfolk, such as these charming little banduria-playing girls?

And there were beautiful dancers in vibrant costumes, too!

There was a street-dancing competition in which dancers from different "baranggays" or town boroughs interpreted the same folk song. They were judged according to costume, choreography, and overall presentation.

Here's a short clip of a group's dance interpretation:

Miss Iggy had so much fun!

Christ The Redeemer of Capiz

Miss Iggy found Jesus on a small hill by the side of the road in Ivisan, Capiz last May. What makes this religious statue look so familiar? It's a replica of the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

It was a welcoming sight in the midst of provincial pastures. Of course, Miss Iggy stopped by to admire it. Did you know that there's a similar one facing the sea in San Pedro Port in Iloilo province?

Pan-ay's Big Bell

Miss Iggy marvels at the Sta. Monica Church in Pan-ay, Capiz: home of the "Dakung Lingganay" (Hiligaynon phrase) or Big Bell, the biggest ever in the Philippines and in the entire Asian continent. This national historic landmark is located just minutes away from the provincial capital, Roxas City.

 

The bell was said to be fashioned out of 70 sacks of coins donated by the townsfolk back in 1878. 

The Spanish inscription on the bell translates to: “I am God’s voice which shall echo and praise from one end to the other of the town of Panay, so that the faithful followers of Christ may come to this house of God to receive the heavenly graces.”

The bell tower was closed at the time due to repairs, but luckily for Miss Iggy, there was this smaller replica of the bell to the right of the church.Visitors used to be able to climb a narrow staircase up the bell tower to see the actual Belle of all Bells.

London's got Big Ben, the Philippines' got the Big Bell!

Hammock Time

Miss Iggy patiently waits for her turn on the hammock.

Finally, that dude has moved his buttocks. 

Can't touch this...Hammock Time!

Good Times At Gaisano

This is where Capiz folks let the good times roll or have a leisurely, airconditioned stroll: Gaisano City Mall in Roxas City. There are movie theaters, fastfood joints, a supermarket, a department store and various stalls and shops for shoppers to engage themselves in.

Gaisano is a shopping mall chain in the Philippines located in the Visayas and Mindanao areas.

Time Out At Tiza

Miss Iggy was just chillin' in this small barangay in Roxas City, Capiz called Tiza and noticed the big banner by a re-elected official expressing gratitude for the votes he received.

From Roxas City With Love

Miss Iggy says Hi from the provincial capital of Capiz: Roxas City! It's known as the "Seafood Capital of the Philippines," but it's also a place close to the hearts of Sreisaat and Fortuitous Faery.

 Here she is just outside the tiny airport at Roxas City after a 45-minute flight from Manila.

Roxas City used to be known as "Capiz," until it was later renamed to honor the former Philippine President Manuel Roxas who hails from said city. Miss Iggy is ready to roam around Roxas City and beyond!