Iloilo (province): See
== Do ==
Experience Dinagyang. Step up to the beat, enjoy the sound of drums and bare feet stomping into the pavement in perfect unison, and join the locals dancing in the streets with a bottle of beer. The Dinagyang Festival is celebrated every 4th Sunday of January in Iloilo.
Stay a week longer and experience the Jaro Fiesta. Visit the Jaro Cathedral and join the devotees, get yourself invited in a Jaro resident's house to experience Filipino hospitality, and also pass by the temporary market set up in the Plaza (park) across the cathedral. (Lately, the Jaro Plaza market has acquired a dowdy reputation for its second-hand clothes stalls, and preponderance of pickpockets, so exercise caution.)
If your timing is right, i.e. if the Chinese lunar calendar's aligned with your lucky stars, the Chinese New Year falls right smack within a week or two of the Dinagyang or Jaro Fiesta. The Iloilo Chinese Lunar New Year celebration has built up quite a reputation for a decent enough food fest, dragon dances, a variety show and fireworks. Worth staying around for.
Paraw Regatta. Claimed as the oldest traditional craft in Asia, the Paraw Regatta is a race among seafarers on colorful sailboats called Paraws in the Iloilo Strait between Guimaras Island and the city of Iloilo. The present-day paraw managed to maintain its original design from the sailboats of the first settlers from Borneo who were in search of a peaceful home in 1212 AD. Surviving centuries, the paraws have become a vital part of the Filipino seafaring life. The first race started in 1973 with the mission to preserve the historic value of the paraws. It is held every 3rd weekend of February at Villa Arevalo District in Iloilo City. Today, the event has grown from being a boat race to a festival with various interesting and exotic activities.