Visit Number Five

This year marked my 5th visit to Iligan City, something I had looked forward to since my last visit about a year ago. One of the highlights of this years visit was to attend part of the Mindanao Bloggers Summit which just happened to coincide with the dates I had planned on visiting.  As I am from the other side of the world, I did not think I would have anything to say or comment on at this affair which had the theme of a " Green Mindanao " in which  " Green " is a popular and trendy topic in many parts of the world these days. Not usually being short of something to say, I did give a brief  talk about the importance of keeping the filters in air conditioners clean.  In some of the hotels I have statyed at it looks like this is something that is frequently overlooked and could greatly add to electrical power demands that are not necessary.

I only attended the Mindanao Bloggers Summit, hosted by Iligan Bloggers Society Inc., for a few hours mid-day on Saturday, it was great to meet the members of this group as well as a few bloggers I had known in other parts of Mindanao for the past few years. I have also been awarded an honorary membership in this prestegious group which really enhanced my visit to Iligan City this year.

As I regularly monitor many things in Iligan via internet between my visits, this gives me ideas on new things that are happening and gives me the ideas and interest of things I would like to see and do on future visits.  Some times prior arrangements have to be made for certain things but I have never been denied anything within reason of course, that I have wanted to see or attend in Iligan. 

Amoung this years places and events that I had not had the chance to do on prior visits included:

A guided tour of the Iligan Seaport
Attending Culmination Day of  Project Angel tree
Participating in " Hataw " early Saturday morning at City Plaza
Iligans Night Market on Saturday evening
Dinner with some of the IBS members
Monday Morning Flag raising Ceremony at the Anahaw Amphetheater
Timoga Spring Fed Swimming Pools where for the first time I actually went swimming there.  I had been reluctant to do this on prior visits but this time I just couldn't hold back any more.  It was really great.
A visit to the Iligan City  " Award Winning Jail " in celebration of National Correctional Consciousness week

Another visit to DXMA 95.9 FM  " The Edge " to say hello to those that I listen to regularly on their worldwide webstream.

I had recieved an invitation to attend the culmination dinner event of Iligan Business Month where I saw some familiar faces from past visits and met some in attendance that I had not had the pleasure of meeting on privious visits.

I had a chance to try a few places left over from previous visits where I just ran out of time, including  Madelicious Native Foods ( restaurant ) and Gazpacho's Restaurant. I had seen many pictures of these Restaurants  and now I have had the opportunity of dining in them.

I enjoy hearing the advertisements on DXMA 95.9 FM's webstream which are primarily in English Language. I often hear of new places that are opening in addition to existing places.  This is what lead me to getting a haircut at Reyes haircutters and visiting Bodega Site electronics store where I purchased my first ever Cell Phone.  I don't have one here in the USA as I don't need another monthly bill comming in.  The Cell Phone I bought at Bodega Site and with the help of Iligan Friends teaching me how to use it really helped out in coordinating plans with others.  That Cell Phone will not work for me here in the USA so it is back in its box waiting for my next visit to Iligan.

Some of the places and events I have mentioned here may not seem like typical tourist attractions but to me they are.  I look forward to visit number 6 some time in the comming months.  I had a great time.

Intro

This Blog is being created as a result of following blogs originating from or being written about Iligan City, Philippines, A place in northern  Mindanao Philippines I found quite by accident in 2006 while websurfing.  After spending about 2 years learning about Iligan City from many sources on the internet I decided to go there on vacation to see it in person. As I found this city of about 330,000 in population to be such an interesting place I still follow it  on the internet regularly.

There are blogs originating from Iligan by those that live there  and  being written about Iligan from other parts of the world by former residents  and  individuals in an effort to create an awareness of this city as a place that may be of interest to tourists.  There are many natural and man made attractions for visitors and tourists in this city and its immediate surrounding area. I have visited this city 4 times and continue to find things of interest that I would like to see on future visits.

Earlier this year ( 2011 )  a group of individual bloggers got together to form an organized blogger group which became official in August 2011 to become known as the  "  Iligan Bloggers Society ".  For me to interact with many of these blogs some kind of Blog account makes it easier for me.  This is my reasoning behind creating this blog.

I have many entries I have made to the blogs of others based in The Philippines and articles I have independently posted on websites with some of the details of my visits to Iligan City.  Eventually I may put some of them here.