Iloilo batchoy takes center stage for Charter Day

By Mariela Angella Oladive

ILOILO CITY — Local batchoy houses are serving up their versions of Iloilo’s well-known noodle soup as part of the city’s 89th Charter Day celebration.

The Iloilo Batchoy Festival opened Monday, Aug. 17, at the lower ground floor of SM City Iloilo and will run until Aug. 25.

Participating batchoy makers include Netong’s Batchoy, Inggo’s La Paz Batchoy, Ted’s Oldtimer Lapaz Batchoy, Bikay’s Batchoy, and Megoreng Seafood Batchoy, among others.

The festival allows visitors to sample different preparations of batchoy in one venue while giving local businesses an opportunity to showcase the dish.

Traditionally prepared with fresh egg noodles, pork offal and meat, crushed chicharon, and a rich broth, batchoy is closely associated with Iloilo City’s La Paz district, where the dish traces its roots.

Leny Ledesma, executive assistant for special projects of Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu, said the dish has become part of shared experiences among Ilonggo families and friends.

“Batchoy is not just food, it is comfort, it is memory, it is something shared in family and friends whether on a rainy or sunny day,” Ledesma said.

The festival is among the activities lined up for the city’s monthlong Charter Day celebration, which carries the theme “Celebrating 89 Years of Progress Toward a Better Iloilo City for All.”

Iloilo City will observe Aug. 25 as a special nonworking day under Proclamation No. 1388 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Aug. 10, 2026.

The holiday marks the anniversary of Iloilo City’s inauguration as a chartered city on Aug. 25, 1937.

Commonwealth Act No. 158, approved in 1936, established the city charter and provided for the merger of the then-municipalities of Iloilo, La Paz, and Arevalo upon the city’s inauguration.