[3] It was the capital of the Comandancia de Concepcion, a unit equivalent to a sub-province headed by a Corregidor, before it was merged with the Province of Iloilo.

Concepcion was originally known as Bacjawan, which means "the place of the bacjaw trees," which used to grow in large numbers along the coast's swampy areas.

It was abolished on April 11, 1901, when the Americans took control of the Philippines and established the civil government of Iloilo.

In present days, the former Comandancia de Concepción covers the 5th legislative district of Iloilo except for the towns of Barotac Viejo and San Rafael.

The largest of the 16 Concepcion Islands is Pan de Azucar at 1,840 hectares (4,500 acres), which has the 573 metres (1,880 ft) high Mount Manaphag rising from its center.

There is one institution of higher learning in the municipality, Northern Iloilo State University (NISU: Concepcion), which offers bachelor's degrees in fisheries and agriculture, as well as a master's in public administration.

[27] The annual Tampisaw Festival, held the fourth week of April[28] on four of the islands, attracts tourism.