Loving and letting loose in Iloilo

I sit at a café in Iloilo as I write this.

I take time to drink my coffee, wearing a floral polo, beach shorts and flipflops. This café isn’t in some rural tourist destination. It’s in the middle of the city’s downtown area, right beside the central market. It’s one of the busiest parts of this Visayan city and yet I can let loose.

Laidback vibe

WIth its beauty and charm, Iloilo truly makes for a great place to live in.

I am not alone in this feeling, said one friend whom I met here a few days ago. He, too, felt the laidback vibe of Iloilo since moving here. He was based in Manila but decided to move back with his family here after realizing he could receive the same compensation working from here and experience a healthier, simpler city life.

It’s the same feeling for me, I realize. I arrived here early Monday, spent a few hours here, went to Antique then got back Tuesday evening. This afternoon, I’m headed to Guimaras. These past days, I haven’t cared much about “looking good” in the same manner I would back in Manila (where I would take time), unbothered that I’m going out in slippers. Whether walking, riding a jeepney or bus, or hailing a cab, I feel much more secure.

Guimaras is a boat ride away from Iloilo.

Cost of living

Another friend, who also relocated here recently, said his expenses were now far lower. I concur.

(INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

In this stay and in previous visits, I found that good food here is affordable, plus, there are so many delicacies and dishes like the Pancit Molo and La Paz batchoy, which originated here. Aside from goods selling for lower prices here, you could grow your own ingredients in farms or even residential lots that are wider than those in and around other cities. Plus, people tend to know one another so neighbors sharing food is common.

Most Ilonggos grow their own ingredients (DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM)

Friendly people

That last point is likely because Ilonggos are a friendly people. Now that I’m thinking about it, I’ve met friends based here who have been more than willing to drop some important business just to catch up. That really inclines one to come back or stick around.

Practical reasons also make you seriously consider staying longer, even permanently. The infrastructural boom, foreign investments and public policies encourage job generation. The new normal also birthed the possibility of becoming a digital nomad or earning the “Manila rate” remotely.

Business opportunities

Iloilo City seeks to be one of the country’s “Top 5 Most Livable Highly Urbanized Cities” by 2028.

Another friend, who hails from my home province but married into a family here, said the entrepreneurial spirit of Ilonggos makes this place attractive for those seeking business opportunities.

Running a host of businesses, she said the processes here have been easy and people knew how to spend. We drove to Dumangas town outside the city, where she managed hectares of fish cages yesterday. On that trip, I realized that agriculture and tourism were also profitable sectors in and near the city.

Finally, Iloilo City seeks to be one of the country’s “Top 5 Most Livable Highly Urbanized Cities” by 2028. With such a roadmap that also recognizes the environment and sustainability, as long as things are done right, I and so many others will prefer coming back, even consider staying for good in Iloilo.