also called the “Aristocratic City of the South.”
One of the finest harbors in the country is found in Iloilo City. On September 29, 1855, a Royal Order authorized the opening of the Port of Iloilo upon the request of the government of the Philippines. Foreign trade in Iloilo, however, was opened in 1856. The Iloilo ports also provides safe anchorage because its winding waterfront and the island Province of Guimaras protect the ships in it. The winding waterfront called Muelle Loney is named after Nicholas Loney, a philanthropist.
Formerly known as ‘Ilong-ilong’ or spelled as ‘Ylong-ylong’, the place is finally called ILOILO. Some historians say that the word is meaningless in Spanish but in Ilongo it may mean “orphan” while in the Malayan language, it refers to the “nose.” The Malayan interpretation is believed to have the nearest meaning to it because if you look at the map of the island of Panay and trace the boundaries of the Province of Iloilo, you will clearly see that it closely resembles the form of a nose.
The city, according to historians, is believed to have begun as a Malayan settlement around Batiano River then
and is called the Iloilo River today.
After Miguel Lopez de Legazpi has settled in Cebu in 1565, he sent advance parties to the old Iloilo towns of
Halawod (now called Dumangas) and Ogtong (now called Oton). Legazpi moved to Panay in 1569 due to acute food shortage and the threat to the Portuguese there. It was yet in 1581 when Gonzalo Ronquillo established the first settlement in the town of Arevalo.The Spaniards erected several forts in Oton, Arevalo, and Iloilo between the 16th and the 17th centuries. It was also when Iloilo suffered greatly from the Muslim raids and the Dutch incursions. Governor General Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera ordered the residents of Molo, Arevalo and Oton to evacuate to La Punta for their safety.
On February 7, 1890, the city government of Iloilo established under the Becera Law of 1889. It was but in 1896 that the city was authorized to have a coat-of-arms though. Inscribed in the coat-of-arms were the words, “La Muy Leal y Noble Ciudad de Iloilo.”
On December 28, 1898, when General Marcus Miller came to Iloilo during the Philippine- American War, the Spanish garrison has already surrendered to General Martin Delgado; The Ilongo revolucionarios strengthened the harbor and the San Pedro Fort. They blocked the entrance of the river and barricaded the streets. When the American warships came on February 11, 1899, they bombarded the city defense. Delgado’s troops set fire to the city and withdrew to the outskirts when the enemy forces landed.
In 1901, April 11th – Iloilo City was returned to the status of a municipality; however, on November 8, 1936,
Commonwealth Act No. 158 amended C.A. No. 57 (dated October 20, 1936)… this established the CITY OF ILOILO that incorporated the towns of Lapaz, Jaro, Mandurriao, Molo, and Arevalo into it. The city was inaugurated on August 25, 1937.
Again, the Japanese Imperial Forces bombed, attacked, and occupied Iloilo. On April 16, 1942, they established a military government here.
President Ramon Magsaysay signed into law Republic Act No. 1209 on April 29, 1955 providing that the executive and legislative members of the city be elected. The bill was authored by Rodolfo T. Ganzon. He became the first elected mayor of Iloilo City too.
The City of Iloilo is in Region VI, Philippines.The boundaries around it are:North-Municipality of Pavia;
South and East - Iloilo Strait; West - Municipality of Oton. As of 2008, the Internal Revenue Allotment is
395,629,242.00. Given the wide area, the city is divided into six districts namely, City Proper, Jaro, Mandurriao, Molo,Lapaz, and Arevalo (to some: La Villa de Arevalo)
The picture above is from Google Home Images.
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