Iloilo’s “Paghili-usa” Mural is the latest addition to its growing collection of public art. 

If you’ve ever walked along Esplanade 8, where the Iloilo River meets Muelle Loney Street near the Iloilo Provincial Capitol, you may have noticed a vibrant mural brightening the corner of Solis Street. That eye-catching public art is Paghili-usa, Iloilo City’s newest public art piece.

See here the Iloilo Paghili-usa Mural

The mural transformed the once empty wall with scattered graffiti into a tribute to the Ilonggo spirit, culture, and shared history.

A familiar landmark facing the mural is Nora’s Eatery, a beloved spot among locals. Known for its comforting homecooked Ilonggo dishes, it’s a daily destination of locals from all walks of life and a staple of the city’s culinary scene.

Unveiled on June 28, 2025, Paghili-usa, which means “unity” in Hiligaynon, spans 6 x 25 meters. It was created through Ugnayan 2 (Iloilo), a collaborative project that brought together artists and art collectives from both Luzon and Visayas, with the support of the Iloilo City Government.

Luzon was represented by the Linangan Collective led by Manny Garibay, together with Ces Eugenio, Lorebert Maralita, Otto Neri, Art Sanchez, and Salvi. They were joined by Pancho Alvarez of Studio Maya.

Visayas collectives, on the other hand, included Edmar Colmo (Baysulangpu Artists Society), Jeanroll Ejar (Hiugyon), Kirby Guihem (Himbon Contemporary Ilonggo Artists Group), Lord Charles P. Franco and Roneal H. Torres (Kikik Kollektive), Steve Magbanua (Ogtonganon Visual Artists League), Roland Llarena (Sigahum Artists), and G. Mogato (Tagatig Artists Hub). Also spotted painting the wall was young emerging artist Kyra Uygongco.

Negros was represented by Jan Llague (Orange Project).

Fittingly, ugnayan is a Hiligaynon word that speaks of connection, coordination, and relationship—perfectly capturing the mural’s message and the spirit of the collaboration behind it.

Celebrating Unity Through Food and Community

The mural takes inspiration from Iloilo’s rich history, capturing its transformation from past to present. It highlights the importance of the Iloilo River and Muelle Loney as key parts of the city’s identity—once a bustling port during the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade, later known as the country’s textile hub, and eventually a major sugar-producing region in the 19th century.

Prominent are two powerful symbols: a long communal table and the act of sharing food—a tribute to the Filipino tradition of salo-salo. This shared table becomes a metaphor for cultural dialogue, where colonizers, traders, and local communities connect through meals. Each dish reflects diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and traditions—flavors that tell stories.

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The mural serves as a reminder of the cultural significance and power of eating together. Throughout history, shared meals have meant more than nourishment—they have functioned as a vital form of cultural dialogue. From communal feasts like the Dinagyang Festival to cosmopolitan meals that present food as art, the shared table has shaped identity, memory, and connection—core elements that speak volumes about Iloilo’s rich gastronomy.

Communal eating has long been tied to survival and ritual in tribal and agrarian societies, marking harvests, rites of passage, and religious ceremonies. In ancient Greece, symposia blended food with discourse, reinforcing civic and philosophical life. Among Indigenous communities, meals served to pass down roles, values, and oral histories.

As cultures collided through trade, migration, and colonization, food became a crossroads of exchange, tension, and even revolution. Tables reflected power and resistance, blending traditions into new, hybrid identities, and broader historical shifts. 

These cultural patterns are reflected in Iloilo’s own past and present, where food continues to symbolize trust, belonging, cooperation, and alliance.

Today, communal dining remains a powerful form of cultural expression. Potlucks, festivals, and cross-cultural meals foster connection and diplomacy, reinforcing the idea that food can bridge divides and build community.

In Iloilo, the shared table remains a powerful space for cultural dialogue, capturing the Ilonggo’s timeless language of hospitality, memory, and belonging.

The mural highlights Iloilo’s rich, multicultural roots, conveying that culture thrives when people gather, and that food, like history, gains its deepest meaning when shared with unity and understanding—the essence of paghili-usa and pakipag-ugnayan—exemplified by artists from Luzon and Visayas.

One Sun, One Humanity

Standing at the center of the mural, you’ll see the radiant sun—symbolizing the source of all living energy, without which life would not exist. More than a visual centerpiece, the sun evokes hope, equality, and our shared humanity—whether in times of abundance or hardship, as seen in Iloilo during the pandemic and periods of political polarization.

Its light is shown connecting people—symbolic, perhaps, of society’s class structure, where the sun narrows the triangle of inequality and bridges social divides. It reflects shared moments of community and stands as a powerful reminder that regardless of race, class, culture, or background, we all live under the same sun and sky.

Paghili-usa is more than a mural; it is a living canvas of Iloilo’s past and present—a mirror of its evolving identity. It challenges viewers to recognize the strength in diversity, the beauty in shared struggles, and the joy found in gathering together.