iligan anahaw ampitheater

I am from the north west of England and retired at the age of 54. I wanted something different and asked some Philippino friends what life is like in in Iligan. Great, they said. So I got a residency visa and off I went. I got a house to rent after arriving and settled in. Sleeping would be impossible without a big air con unit I had fitted in the bedroom since the daytime temperature in April, May and June will hit 50c on 6 days every week. It cools down to about 30/34c at night but its like living in an oven. There were very few other westerners living in the city, perhaps as few as 30. Mostly from USA, UK and some from Scandinavia and few Germans. We used to enjoy sitting up until the small hours with several other ex pats drinking very good and very low cost beer and chatting about everything. The locals don't see many westerners and will stare at you as if you have two heads. Buses will pass you and 50 people stare at you in unison, just give them a quick wave and everyone will burst into a wide smile. This is a working city and as such most folks will just want you out of their way. Not rude, just busy. House rental is very good value, BUT GET A LOCAL TO DO THE HAGGLEING. If you do it yourself they will charge you well over the odds. WELL OVER. They see you a tourist and treat you as one. Never book a hotel yourself, again get a local person you know to do it and save a small fortune. As soon as you open your mouth, the price trebles. Most Filipino's speak at least some English, many of them are fluent. The education system is very good, unlike the medical facilities which are not. Medical insurance is locally available and is an ABSOLUTE MUST, the good news is, it is like most things in Philippines, very good value by UK standards. Drive a car here and your lifespan will be drastically reduced. There is no order on the roads whatsoever and the death rate on the roads is horrendous. There is NO driving test for cars, buses or lorries and the standard of driving reflects this. Prices... Groceries are very much cheaper than UK, petrol is cheaper, electricity is less than UK but not cheap. Water is charged monthly and is reasonable. Get used to cold water showers, almost no houses have hot water system. Its not cold like it is in UK and you look forward to the cooling effects. The airport is brand new and only about 30 miles up the road. The bus is really very cheap and takes an hour or so. Cagayan de Oro is the main city in the this area (Lanao Del Norte) and is 90 minutes away on the very cheap bus. I used to go there once or twice a month and stay in any of a number of very good inexpensive hotels. (again, get a Filipino friend to book it over the phone, and save two thirds of the price you will be quoted) There is lots to see and do in this very colourful city and its surrounding areas, flights to Manila are cheap and frequent, again I used to go there and the very pleasant city of Cebu frequently. The best thing about it in my case, was I married a local girl (and her family) which made life there much much easier. The worst thing.....Mosquitoes, Millions of them. They are unrelenting, like the heat. You MUST have a net over your bed at night, if not you will suffer, badly. The rest I leave up to you to discover.

It is actually a hill and is the usual location for the city's festivities. the road up is very challenging for joggers.

Fairly unremarkable place to visit but pleasant enough if you are at a loose end. Quiet despite the Town Hall being sited on the summit. An interesting looking restaurant at the bottom of the hill which might well provide an adequate reason to be in the vicinity.

Anahaw Ampitheater, located near City Hall, is used for a variety of events that include sports, outdoor civic gatherings, celebrations of music and dance and other events that are suited to an outdoor stadium enviornment.One regularly scheduled weekly event that impresses me is the Monday Morning Flag Raising Ceremony. This weekly event is comprised of city employees and officials and takes place at 8 AM. News and announcements concerning Iligan City are made along with other items concerning the operation of the city. Presentations and announcements by various civic organizations take place at this time as well. When the business part of this official weekly gathering conclude there is music and dance including the performance of " Iligan March " , the citys anthem , performed by the entire assembly and usually led by a different city department each week. This is a very unique performance that can also involve the participation of city residents and others from the upper seats and roadside observation area.Parts of Iligans most famous annual events the " Dyandi Festival " , a celebration that attracts many visitors are also performed in this ampitheater each Spetember. The Ampitheater is illuminated for use after sunset.You can view a few sample performances of City Employees performing " Iligan March " on Youtube in the Anahaw Amphetheater during the Monday Morning Flag Raising Ceremony. I am not sure if weekly meetings are customary in other cities in The Philippines. To me, this is a way that Iligan City celebrates itself at the beginning of each work week. Official Holidays that fall on a Monday are excluded. from the weekly flag raising ceremony.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFQbklVNZ3whttp://www.youtube.com/user/jollibeefan#p/f/5/_JC2oQSU0bYIligan CitySimply Amazing !