Weekend Story: Official Trip to Iloilo + Couple Time in Alabang

I left Manila for Iloilo City Thursday of last week. It was an official trip that saw my officemates and I working as a team to ensure the success of our event there. It turned out to be a smashing success, praise the Lord. Everything went well and we were very thankful to the people from the provincial government who made our work easier.

Iloilo is a bustling province. I never imagined it to be that way. My trip there made me realize, more than anything, that strong political will is still possible. And that unity among the government, the private sector, and the people is a must for a certain place to achieve progress and sustainable growth.

Edel on duty

Okay, enough of the serious tone. I’m here to share about my weekend so let me tell you what I did on Saturday which was my last day in Iloilo. Since our event took place on the 12th (Friday), we didn’t have much to do on Saturday except to check out of our hotel and wait for our flight back to Manila. We thought of exploring the countryside while we still had the time.

Our first stop was the mesmerizing beauty that is Miag-ao Chruch. Built in 1787, this church, which features a Baroque Romanesque architectural style, is considered as one of UNESCO’s world heritage sites. It was so much more beautiful in the flesh!

the postcard-perfect Miag-ao Church

From the town of Miag-ao, we traveled farther to another town called San Joaquin where the beach resorts are. We checked out The Assemblage Point Resort and Convention Hub. Some of my officemates swam in the beach and the swimming pool there while I opted to just enjoy the view and take some snapshots.

selfie at The Assemblage Point

the beautiful and quiet beach of San Joaquin, Iloilo

For public reference, the entrance fee there is P150 per head inclusive of snacks. If you’re swimming, that’s another fee of P100. The resort was nice and clean and the staff were friendly and yes, soft-spoken just like most Ilonggos.

Did I mention Ilonggo food was very good? I think I gained several pounds because of non-stop eating. Haha.

La Paz Batchoy by Al Dente catering

Pancit Molo of JD Bakery and Cafe

with some of my officemates at Tatoy’s Manokan and Seafood Restaurant

The plane we rode on landed in Manila at 8:00PM. It was an uneventful flight. I asked the driver of our service vehicle to drop me off at Mall of Asia (MOA) because that was where the hubby would pick me up. After meeting up with the hubby, we drove straight to Bacoor. Oh, how I missed our love nest!

We started our Sunday a bit late. As soon as we got up, we fixed ourselves up and drove to Alabang. We heard the 11AM mass at the St. Jerome Emiliani and Sta. Susana Parish (SJESSP) and after that, we had a satisfying brunch of ramen and gyoza at Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen at Alabang Town Center (ATC).

brunch with the hubby

Ikkoryu’s Ajitama Tonkotsu was delish!

Strolling around the mall exposed us to the traps of consumerism. This time around, we gave in to the call of impulsive shopping. But first, I had to do a little calculation in my mind. I wanted to make sure we had money for this splurge. Splurge na para sa akin ang bumili ng higit sa isang pirsaong gamit! Haha.

So, I saw a sale at Mango and my curiosity got the best of me. I never owned a single piece of Mango clothing until last night. I got myself a pair of black trousers. Haha. From P1,250, it was marked down to P895. Not bad.

The hubby, on the other hand, got a new polo shirt and a new polo from Bench. I chanced upon a nice, black office bag there (only P599.75) and bought it as well. But my best purchase from that impromptu shopping spree would be my three pairs of shoes from Rubi Shoes. I got them 3 for P1,200. These are the same shoes sold at Cotton On except that at ATC, they have a stand-alone store with greater variety of shoes.

I love, love their flat shoes! So nice and so comfy. And durable, too! My sisters and I have bought a couple of pairs from this store before. It’s actually cheaper now because that time, we bought the shoes at 2 for P1,200.

The hubby and I got back to our house at 3:00pm-ish. We then took a nap and woke up at dusk. We had a late dinner, watched a little TV, and before we knew it, we were already preparing our things for our early morning trip to Manila the next day.

It was a well-spent weekend, I must say. Thank God for opportunities like this where I get to learn about a new place and enjoy some fun couple time with the hubby.

How did your weekend go, friends? I hope you had a great one. 🙂

May you choose happiness always,