Living the Life of Tomorrow, Today, in Iloilo

While Iloilo City–located on the coast of Panay Island–may still not quite be as synonymous with the Philippines as the likes of Manila and Cebu, it is fast becoming one of the best places to live and work in the country.

Sporting most of the best aspects of the aforementioned cities like having various economic opportunities and experiencing continued development, yet minus the dense population and the immense pollution common to major urban areas, Iloilo City is steadily gaining popularity as a great place to reside.

If you are already an Iloilo resident, this likely isn’t news to you. However, if you’re someone who has yet to visit or live in the city, you’ll surely want to consider investing in houses and lots or affordable condos in Iloilo when you know about how it can enrich your life now and in the future.

A city with a storied past

Founded in 1566 upon the arrival of the Spanish settlement, Iloilo City was the second Spanish colonial center next only to Cebu and was also the Spanish Empire’s last capital in Asia and the Pacific. As a Royal Spanish City in the Philippines, Iloilo was among the first during the colonial era that benefitted from new economic development and opportunity.

While diluted if not evolved, Spanish influence has remained in Iloilo City through its local dialects and architecture. Heritage houses like Molo Mansion and Casa Mariquit, which are characterized by neoclassical, art deco, and colonial elements, are among the city’s top tourist spots today, along with museums such as the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art and the National Museum Western Visayas.

A destination that is easy to traverse

The continued development of Iloilo has arguably been most evident with its transportation and infrastructure, which has helped establish it as something of a central location in the Visayas region. Traveling to and from the city now goes through the Iloilo International Airport, which even offers direct flights to and from places like Hong Kong and Singapore. Locally, Iloilo City is easy to come to and from some of the country’s top vacation destinations, such as Guimaras, Boracay, and the Gigantes Islands. 

The city in itself is relatively easy to traverse, with five major Major Integrated Transport Terminals within its perimeter. Alternatively known as the “Bike Capital of the Philippines”, Iloilo City’s roadways and urban development continue to shift towards walkable spaces and open lanes. In addition, international governments like that of Belgium have also lent support to the city’s cycling initiatives.

An economy on the rise and with further potential

While Iloilo City continues to thrive with its fishing and agriculture, the city has also long since evolved from being solely dependent on either of the two industries. Pre-pandemic, Iloilo City had been growing consistently thanks to its thriving service-based economy, infrastructure investments, and business tourism.

Granted, the health crisis had set the city back like it had many places all over the world. However, despite how tumultuous 2020 had been, Iloilo City still managed to rank 13th out of 33 highly urbanized cities in terms of local economy size in that year’s Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index. Of further note is how it also ranked third in terms of cost of living, seventh in the cost of doing business, and again 17th in increasing employment–especially as the city saw 11,534 workers become affected by the closure of local establishments due to the pandemic.

At the moment, Iloilo City has seemingly seen the worst of the pandemic and is on the path to a slow yet steady recovery. The city continues to garner interest from the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, as well as other firms, as an ideal place to set up shop in the Philippines.

An academic center in the Visayas, Iloilo City is also home to the future leaders and difference-makers in the country. Institutions like West Visayas State University, Central Philippine University, and the University of the Philippines Visayas call Iloilo City and are where the young men and women who will be entrusted with the city’s (and country’s) continued recovery and growth in the future.

Discover affordable condos for sale in Iloilo City

With the city being a highly regarded place to live, learn, and make a living, it is a little surprising that houses and lots and condos for sale in Iloilo City have so far remained comparably more affordable than those in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu.

However, with all the development the city has attained and still plenty of potential in the future, it is only a matter of time before property values in it become among the highest in the Philippines. With that said, now is as good a time as any to invest in affordable condos for sale in Iloilo City so as to make the most of what it has to offer as early as now while also getting ready to benefit from what it further develops into in the near future.

Home financing terms and rates are currently at some of their most favorable, and the Iloilo City property market has a variety of homes to choose from. Among the most notable? One Spatial Iloilo.

One Spatial Iloilo

A mid-rise condo community strategically located in Iloilo City’s Mandurriao area, One Spatial Iloilo is the ideal place to live for young professionals or starting families that want to get the most out of their life in the city.

Set against the scenic views of the Iloilo River, One Spatial is an ideal daily retreat that is easy to get to and from key locations in the city. These include schools like Absorbent Mind Montessori Pre-School (0.5 km) and Ateneo de Iloilo (0.8 km), retail centers like the GT Plaza Mall (0.75 km) and SM City Iloilo (3.2 km), and needed services like the Iloilo City-Antique Bus Terminal (0.8 km) and the Iloilo Medical Center (3.7 km), to name a few.

Designed to maximize the relaxed pace of the city, One Spatial Iloilo is a low-density community that occupies 9,232 sqm of prime property, 60% of which is allocated to open spaces. Its two buildings feature modern one- and two-bedroom units, as well as areas dedicated to parking and commercial spaces. With amenities like a commercial strip, clubhouse, and adult and kiddie pools, One Spatial Iloilo is also ideal for working and learning remotely or simply staying in.

Ready to live your life of tomorrow today in Iloilo? Visit Futura by Filinvest for more about One Spatial Iloilo and other affordable condos for sale.