Iloilo River Esplanade is a 1.2-kilometer stretch of promenade between Diversion Road and Carpenter Bridge.

According to the marker in the Diversion Road entrance, Iloilo River Esplanade celebrates Iloilo citizens’ love for their river, the Iloilo River. The esplanade provides a functional, as well as beautiful, venue that accommodates varied leisure activities open for all to use and appreciate. It also brings everyone closer to the water’s edge, reconnects people back to nature, and increases awareness of the environmental balance necessary for the city to sustain those who live within its border.

Last week, TR, my cousin, and I braved the unforgiving heat and walked the from one point of Iloilo River Esplanade to the other. All I wanted to do was see and have a photo of me taken in the I AM ILOILO sign. That simple wish turned out to be a long walk (we walked slowly to admire the view, take photos, and chat with strangers), which gave me tan lines on my arms. Seeing the I AM ILOILO sign in the Carpenter Bridge end was worth the buckets of perspiration I sweated and the tan lines that I know I will bear like a badge of absence of foresight for not slathering sunblock on my entire body for the second time that morning.

At 10am, we saw a handful of Ilonggos, mostly lovers, strolling or admiring the picturesque views. The red-brick path is lined by trees on either side. One side is the murky yet odorless Iloilo River and on the other side are the eating establishments. Since its inauguration on June 1, 2012 by no less than former President Benigno Aquino III, the Iloilo River Esplanade has been a popular place where Ilonggos jog, walk, ride a boat, or eat with families and friends.

Here are some photos of the Iloilo River Esplanade: