Baker's Hill is a famous hang out place in Palawan, known for their freshly baked goodies like hopia, munchies and crinkles. It is located on top of a...
Oton is a first class municipality in the province of Iloilo. It is a gateway to the Southern part of the province and is located 10.2 kilometers away from the capital, Iloilo City. Like most of Iloilo's towns, Oton has a very rich past and culture, depicting important landmarks in the history of the country.
Oton was the first settlement established in Panay during the Spanish Period. Much earlier, Oton was also an important Malay capital. Its port, now the site of Batiano Bridge, was one of the five ancient Malay ports in Irong-irong trading with Chinese merchants and other inter-island ports.
The town has the great honor to be the first place in the Philippines where the temple dedicated to the Immaculate Concepcion of the Virgin Mary was built and where the Gospel was first preached. The original church of Oton, Iloilo was of Byzantine and Gothic style. Its shape is that of a Greek Cross, which means that the length of its four sides are equal. In the middle is a huge altar or its “retablo mayor,” a feature not commonly found in Philippine Churches. The blending of a Greek or Byzantine plan with Gothic and Classic elements somehow cohered making Oton church one of the architectural achievements of the colonial period. Unfortunately, its grandeur can only be seen in pictures today, as it was destroyed in an earthquake in 1948. What’s left is a small part of its walls, which was made into a charming and seemingly enchanting grotto located beside the new church.
Another tourist destination in Oton is the Anhawan Beach Resort, located at Barangay Poblacion South. The resort is a privately owned property with 6 hectares of land and 450 meters of beach front ideal for walking and jogging. It has a restaurant , swimming pool, picnic cabanas, pavilion and garden, skating rink, beach camping site, children’s playground and fishing park, horseback riding, beach and water sports facilities. It is an ideal place for a vacation, celebrations, or simply for people who would like to be at peace with nature.
Nes and Tat’s Beach Resort is also an attractive option for visitors to Iloilo City who prefer to stay at a beach resort nearby. Located at Botong, Oton, it has a nice pool, a dining pavilion, lots of pretty picnic shelters and cottages for people who would like to stay overnight.
The town's annual festival, the Katagman Festival, is celebrated on the 3rd day of the month of May. Inspired by ancient Oton's folk pageant and custom, a golden mask is used as an important emblem in its cultural presentations. This golden mask is part of the ancient burial custom and was used to ward off and protect the deceased from evil spirits and for guidance in the afterlife. The original deathmask is currently enshrined at the National Museum in Manila. The festival is based on a sense of pride felt by the people as it embodies the town’s rich history and culture and is highly appreciated among all generations.
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