Iloilo City
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Iloilo City is the capital city of the province of Iloilo in the Philippines. It is the regional center and the main economic hub of the Western Visayas region. The city has a population of 365,820 as of the 2000 census, making it the 9th most populous city in the Philippines.
Iloilo is historically one of the major agricultural centers of the country, exporting sugar, copra, bananas, mangoes, and other natural resources during the Spanish and American colonial periods. British expatriate Nicholas Loney revitalized the port from the disrepair and neglect the Spanish left it only to cede that title to Cebu in the 1970s and 1980s.
In the 2000 census with updated figures conducted by the Philippine National Statistics Office, Iloilo City has a population of 365,820 people in 72,218 households with a 1.93% annual population growth. Average population density is 6,533 people per square kilometer which on a comparative scale is half that of Tokyo.]].
Subdivisions
Iloilo City is politically subdivided into 180 barangays. The barangays are grouped into six districts [link]:
- Arevalo (13 barangays)
- City Proper (45 barangays)
- Jaro (42 barangays)
- La Paz (37 barangays)
- Mandurriao (18 barangays)
- Molo (25 barangays)
Medical Facilities
There are several hospitals in the city, the most prominent and advanced of which is the St. Paul's Hospital. It is the cleanest hospital in the city and its staff is highly professional. It has advanced facilities and medical instruments. There is also the Iloilo Mission Hospital, which was founded by American Missionaries and remains one of the city's most preferred hospitals. Aside from these two, there are many others. Namely, the Iloilo Doctor's Hospital, Don Benito Hospital and the West Visayas Medical Center.Finance
Iloilo City is the center of finance in the Western Visayas Region due to the numerous banks and other similar financial institutions which has invested in the city. Its banks range from small cooperatives to international banks. Iloilo is home to several commercial, savings, universal and rural banks. To name a few, they are Banco De Oro, Philippine National Bank, Equitable PCI, Security Bank, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Metrobank and Union Bank. The city also has some foreign banks, three of which are Malaya, Standard Chartered and China Bank. On the other hand, Queenbank is the city's largest and most well known local bank. All in all, there are about 112 banks in the city.
There are also a handful of investment houses in the city as well that engage in stock trading.
Pawnshop and Jewelry stores in the city also about and make their presence felt. There are as many Pawnshops as there are banks in the city, the most notable of which are Tan-Guzman Pawnshop, Sarabia, Florete, Lhullier, V.Y.Domingo and Gorriceta.
Education
Aside from the government-subsidized University of the Philippines in the Visayas (UPV) and West Visayas State University (WVSU), Iloilo City also has four private universities, namely, the Catholic University of San Agustin (USA) located in the city proper, the protestant Central Philippine University (CPU) in Jaro district, the secular and Lopez-owned University of Iloilo (UI) and another Catholic university, St. Paul University. Aside from the aforementioned, the city also has a number of colleges, such as the John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation which specializes in Maritime courses, the West Visayas State University, the Western Institute of Technology which specializes in Engineering courses and several computer colleges. Additionally there are several english language "schools" that cater almost exclusively to Korean students. The city is home to four educational institutions that are affiliates of prominent universities, they are: the University of the Philippines - Iloilo, St. Paul's University, University of San Agustin and Ateneo de Iloilo.The state of education in Iloilo City is considered to be at par with national standards since some of the aforementioned educational institutions rate highly in licensure examinations such as nursing, accountancy, medicine and in the bar exams when it comes to law. In Nursing education, St. Paul University Iloilo consistently has a 100% passing percentages and is the finest college when it comes to nursing education. In accountancy, University of the Philippines - Iloilo belongs to the top three schools since it maintains a passing rate of 85% and above in the accountancy board exams, year after year. In Medicine, the West Visayas State University is among the country's best Medical schools since it belongs to the top ten medical schools of the country. It is even reputed to be the next preferred choice of students who failed to enter the University of the Philippines medical school, thus resulting to a high number of Manileños as students of the said medical school- about 25% of the student population. When it comes to Law, the University of San Agustin belongs to one of the few schools in the country that rates 50% or more in the bar exams and is better than some Manila-based law schools. Central Philippine University is known for high passing rates in the engineering board.
On the whole however and considering the foregoing, Iloilo has one of the highest literacy rates in the country and is an educational center in the western visayas region.
Lifestyle
Iloilo City is surprisingly cosmopolitan for a mid-sized third world Asian city with a population of 450,000. There are a small number of expatriates residing in the city. The most notable and most visible are the Koreans who come to the city to study english. Then there are the ethnic Chinese who have significant economic influence in the city. There are also Indian moneylenders, Iranian and Pakistani students, Spanish clergy and nuns attached with the various religious orders and some middle aged Americans, Brits, Germans, Canadians and Australians who have Filipino spouses.Anent the tourism sites in the city and its environs, one can visit landmarks that surprisingly resemble Europe, notably the Molo church, the Jaro Cathedral, the Art deco Lizares mansion and the Nelly Garden to name a few. Not only are many major tourist and historical attractions located in the city, it also serves as a stopover for tourists heading to the beaches of Boracay and Palawan. Just a few minutes drive from Iloilo Domestic Airport, tourists will find sprawling malls scattered across the city wherein they can replenish supplies as well as their energies for the hectic sand-and-water environment that are soon to follow. When it comes to leisure sans the hassle, Fort San Pedro is a refreshing alternative. It is a leisure area in wherein one can enjoy the sea breeze and a nice view of Guimaras island and it has an even better sunset than Manila Bay. But, one is advised not to stay in the evening since it is not safe.
Hotels and restaurants abound; a world-class golf course is located just outside the city proper in Sta. Barbara. The metropolis also has a cosmopolitan whiff when it comes to cuisine with about two authentic Japanese restaurants, three restaurants serving Mediterranean or Italian food, an Austrian restaurant, several Korean restaurants, a German restaurant, 12 Chinese restaurants, and three Thai restaurants.
Language
Hiligaynon is the language spoken in Iloilo City. English is used as the language of business and education but its use among the populance is fading that the average speaker needs remedial English courses to remain viable in the international job market unlike Singapore or India. In addition, Tagalog and other local dialects such as Karay-a (also known as Kinaray-a) are also spoken.Hiligaynon or Ilonggo is part of the Austronesian language branch spoken in Western Visayas. The Austronesian languages are a family of languages widely dispersed throughout the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with a few members on continental Asia. Hiligaynon is concentrated in the provinces of Iloilo and Negros Occidental. There are approximately 7,000,000 people in and outside the Philippines who are native speakers of Hiligaynon, and an additional 4,000,000 who are capable of speaking it with a substantial degree of proficiency. Ilonggo is also the name of the culture associated with the people speaking Hiligaynon.
History
Even before the Spanish colonizers came, Iloilo had a flourishing economy. In the 13th century, ten Bornean datus came to the island of Panay and bartered gold for the plains and valleys of the island from a local Ati chieftain. One datu, named Paiburong, was given the territory of Irong-Irong.
In 1566, as the Spanish conquest of the Philippines was underway and moving north toward Manila, the Spaniards under Miguel Lopez de Legazpi came to Panay and established a settlement in Ogtong (now Oton). He appointed Gonzalo Ronquillo as deputy encomiendero, a position which would later become governor in later years.
In 1581 Ronquillo moved the town center approximately 12 km west due to recurrent raids by Moro pirates and Dutch and English privateers, and renamed the area La Villa de Arevalo in honor of his hometown in Ávila, Spain.
In 1700, due to ever-increasing raids especially from the Dutch and the Moros, the Spaniards again moved their seat of power some 25 km westward to the village of Irong-Irong, which had a natural and strategic defense against raids and where, at the mouth of the river that snakes through Panay, they built Fort San Pedro to better guard against the raids which were now the only threat to the Spaniards' hold on the islands. Irong-Irong or Ilong-Ilong was shortened to Iloilo and with its natural port quickly became the capital of the province.
In the late 18th Century, the development of large-scale weaving industry started the movement of Iloilo's surge in trade and economy in the Visayas. Sometimes referred to as the "Textile Capital of the Philippines", the products were exported to Manila and other foreign places. Sinamay, piña and jusi are examples of the products produced by the looms of Iloilo. Because of the rise of textile industry, there was also a rise of the upper middle class. However, the introduction of cheap textile from UK and the emergence of the sugar economy, the industry waned in the mid-19th century.
The waning textile industry was replaced however by the opening of Iloilo's port to world market in 1855. Because of this, Iloilo's industry and agriculture was put on direct access to foreign markets. But what triggered the economic boom of Iloilo in the 19th century was the development of sugar industry in Iloilo and its neighboring island of Negros. Sugar during the 19th century was of high demand. Nicholas Loney, the British vice-consul in Iloilo developed the industry by giving loans, constructing waarehouses in the port and introduced new technologies in sugar farming. The rich families of Iloilo developed large areas of Negros, which later called haciendas because of the sugar's high demand in the world market. Because of the increase in commercial activity, infrastructures, recreational facilities, educational institutions, banks, foreign consulates, commercial firms and much more sprouted in Iloilo. Due to the economic development that was happening in Iloilo, the Queen Regent of Spain raised the status of the town into a city and in 1890, the city government was established.
In 1896, the inital reaction of Ilonggos in the outbreak of the Revolution in Manila was hesitant. Yet because of the Spanish colonizers blow by blow defeat by at first with the Katipunan and later by the Americans, Ilonggos later on got involved with the fight for independence. On the other hand, after surrendering Manila to the Americans, the Spanish colonial government moved their seat of power to Iloilo.
In October of 1898, the Ilonggo leaders agreed to revolt against the Spaniards. By December 25, 1898, the Spanish government surrendered to the Ilonggo revoltionaries in Plaza Alfonso XVII (Plaza Libertad today). Although the Ilonggos were victorious, the American forces arrived in Iloilo in late December 1898 and started to mobilize for colonization by February 1899. Resistance was the reaction of Ilonggos upon the invation which went up until 1901..[Funtecha, Henry. "Iloilo Through Time". Iloilo Yearbook 2005. Iloilo City. 2005],
The American colonizers came to Iloilo reverted the city's status into a township again, yet because of the continuous commercial activities and still retained as an important port of call in the Visayas-Mindanao area, it gained cityhood status again in July 16, 1937 incorporating the towns of Molo, Jaro, Mandurriao, La Paz and La Villa de Arevalo. During the Commonwealth era, Iloilo was prosperous and was popularly known as "The Queen City of the South.
However, prosperity did not continued as the sugar's demand was declining, labor unrests were happening in the port area that scared the investors away and the opening of the sub-port of Pulupandan in Negros Occidental, has moved the sugar importation closer to the sugar farms. By 1942, the Japanese invaded Panay and the economy moved into a standstill.
During World War II, Iloilo was controlled by several Japanese Battalions, Japan's ultimate goal was to entrench itself deeply into the Philippines so that at the close of the war they could occupy it just as the Spanish and the Americans had years before. However when American forces liberated Iloilo from Japanese military occupation on March 25, 1945 the remnants of these battalions were held in Jaro Plaza as a make-shift detention facility.
By the end of the war, Iloilo's economy, life and infrastructure was damaged. However, the continuing conflict between the labor unions in the port area, declining sugar economy and the deteriorating peace and order situation in the countryside and the exodus of Ilonggos to other cities and islands that offered better opportunities and businessmen moved to other cities such as Bacolod and Cebu led to Iloilo's demise in economic importance in southern Philippines.
By the 1960s towards 1990s, Iloilo's economy progressed although slowly but surely. The construction of the fish port, international seaport and other commercial firms that invested in Iloilo marked the movement of the city making it as the regional center of Western Visayas
Shopping Centers
Major
| Name | Address |
|---|---|
| SM City Iloilo | Benigno Aquino Jr. St., Mandurriao, Iloilo City |
| Robinsons Place Iloilo | De Leon St., City Proper, Iloilo City |
| Gaisano City Iloilo | La Paz, Iloilo City |
| The Atrium | Bonifacio Drive, City Proper, Iloilo City |
| Marymart Center | Valeria St., City Proper, Iloilo City |
| SM Delgado | Delgado St., City Proper, Iloilo City |
| Amigo Mall | Iznart St., City Proper, Iloilo City |
| Makro | Jaro, Iloilo City |
| Calle Real | J.M Basa, Iznart, Aldeguer Sts. City Proper, Iloilo City |
Stand-alone Supermarkets and Department Stores
| Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Jaro Town Square (including SM Quintin Salas) | Jaro, Iloilo City |
| SM Jaro | Jaro, Iloilo City |
| Iloilo Supermart - Jaro | Jaro, Iloilo City |
| Star Plaza | Jaro, Iloilo City |
| Gaisano Guanco | Guanco St. City Proper, Iloilo City |
| Payless Plaza | Quezon St. City Proper, Iloilo City |
| CitiSquare | J.M. Basa St. City Proper, Iloilo City |
| Unitop | cor J.M. Basa - Ledesma Sts. City Proper, Iloilo City |
| Ledi Supermart | De Leon St. City Proper, Iloilo City |
| Washington Supermart | J.M. Basa St. City Proper, Iloilo City |
| Iloilo Supermart - Molo | Molo, Iloilo City |
| Iloilo Supermart - Mandurriao | Mandurriao, Iloilo City |
Landmarks
- Fort San Pedro
- Built by Spaniards in the early 1600s; attacked by Dutch, British, American and Japanese troops.
- Molo Church
- 3 kilometers from the city proper; Gothic rennaissance church of coral rock; completed in 1800s. The church was visited by Jose Rizal along the way to his exile in Dapitan, Mindanao.
- Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral
- 3 kilometers from the city proper; seat of Jaro Archbishopric embracing Western Visayas. The church contains the "miraculous" Our Lady of Candles, which the feast day is celebreated every 2nd of February.
- Jaro Belfry
- Ruined in 1948 earthquake, but now restored. One of the few belfries in country that stands apart from the church.
- Calle Real (Downtown Iloilo City Heritage District)
- Old buildings that were constructed in the Commonwealth era in J.M Basa (Calle Real), Iznart, Aldeguer and Guanco were declared as a heritage site of Iloilo. It showcases the unique architecture of the downtown area.
- Museo Iloilo
- Repository of Iloilo's culrtural heritage.
- Distrito Jaro
- 3 kilometers from the city proper; old colonial houses of sugar barons and Hispano-Filipino houses of the elite still stand, seat of Catholicism in Western Visayas.
- La Villa de Arevalo
- 6 kilometers southwest of city proper; 2nd capital of the Alcaldia of Panay; flower and firecracker district of Iloilo City.
- Muelle Loney
- The River Port of Iloilo named after British Consul Nicholas Loney, who is considered the Father of Sugar Industry in Panay and Negros. Considered one of the safest harbours because Guimaras protects it from winds. It was opened to international market in 1855.
Gallery
References
External links
- [Iloilo City Government Official Website]
- [Iloilo Provincial Government Official Website]
- [Canadian Institute of Urban Planning Philippines]
- [Dinagyang Commission-Iloilo]
| Cities and Municipalities of Iloilo | |
| Cities: | Iloilo City | Passi City |
| Municipalities: | Ajuy | Alimodian | Anilao | Badiangan | Balasan | Banate | Barotac Nuevo | Barotac Viejo | Batad | Bingawan | Cabatuan | Calinog | Carles | Concepcion | Dingle | Dueñas | Dumangas | Estancia | Guimbal | Igbaras | Janiuay | Lambunao | Leganes | Lemery | Leon | Maasin | Miagao | Mina | New Lucena | Oton | Pavia | Pototan | San Dionisio | San Enrique | San Joaquin | San Miguel | San Rafael | Santa Barbara | Sara | Tigbauan | Tubungan | Zarraga |
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