Iloilo City

[20][21] Iloilo City is also popular for the Dinagyang Festival, well-preserved heritage houses, centuries-old Catholic churches, museums, river esplanades, and Spanish colonial and American-era architecture buildings, as well as being the center of Candelaria devotion in the Philippines.

The warriors sacked the city, killed Makatunaw and his family, retrieved the stolen properties of the 10 datus, enslaved the remaining population of Odtojan, and sailed back to Panay.

[44][45] In 1581, Ronquillo moved the colonial center from Ogtong to approximately 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) eastward due to recurrent raids by Moro pirates and Dutch and English privateers.

However, the attack was repulsed by a force of 1,000 Visayan warriors and 70 Mexican arquebusiers under the command of the Don Juan Garcia de Sierra (the Spanish alcalde mayor), who died in battle.

[50] With the increase in Moro incursions toward the end of the sixteenth century, Spanish defenses in the Visayas were strengthened by the construction of a fort at Iloilo staffed by two companies of (Mexican) soldiers.

In 1700, due to ever-increasing attacks especially from the Dutch and the Moros, the Spaniards again moved their seat of power some 25 kilometres (16 miles) eastward to the village of Irong-Irong, which had natural and strategic defense against raids.

Nicholas Loney, the British vice-consul in Iloilo, developed the industry by giving loans, constructing warehouses in the port, and introducing new technologies in sugar farming.

On October 5, 1889, a royal decree raised Iloilo's status from a town to a city, this on account of growing development in commerce and industry making her second to Manila in importance.

Condemning the uprising, the city's letter to the Governor General says: "Those dark betrayals, the mere notion of which embarrasses good and loyal Filipinos, have produced a unanimous sentiment of protest and indignation among the Ilongo people, who engrave its most honorable blazon in the sacred and inextinguishable love that it professes to the glorious Spanish nationality that it legitimately feels proud of.

[77] By October 1898, fresh Tagalog expeditions were sent to Panay and coerced or persuaded its people to rise in greater force than ever, until finally, General de los Rios had to fall back to Iloilo.

The American forces arrived in Iloilo on December 27, 1898, under the command of General Marcus P. Miller, and were afterwards reinforced up to a total strength of about 3,000 troops and two ships,[80] to take possession of the territory in accordance with the Treaty of Paris.

Two British warships in the roadstead sent boats ashore and landed a party of marines, who made a gallant effort to save foreign properties,[85] as the United Kingdom had a strong business interest in Iloilo and a Consulate.

It was observed by Juan de León y Benedicto, judge of the Court of First Instance that there existed a rivalry between the pueblos of Iloilo, Jaro and Molo, which are adjacent to and are only half an hour travel by carriage from each other.

The Thomasites tolerated religious freedom, which is one of the foundations of the United States constitution and legacy to the Philippines, while commissioned and under their tutelage to teach in public schools during the colonial period.

[117]: 110 When Iloilo was liberated by Filipino and American forces from Japanese military occupation on March 25, 1945, the remnants of these battalions were held in Jaro Plaza as a makeshift detention facility.

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, the exodus of Ilonggos to other cities, provinces/regions and islands that offered better opportunities and business.

The Seventh-day Adventists did not join the comity agreement with the early Protestant sects for jurisdictional division on the Philippine islands for missionary works, because they wanted to go to any parts of the country.

Major industries in the city include management of port facilities, telecommunications infrastructure and utilities, banking and finance, retail trading, real estate, tourism and business process outsourcing.

The acquisition of the old airport after it was decommissioned and the construction of a business park on its site by the real estate giant Megaworld Corporation, became a catalyst for some land developers to invest in Iloilo.

Centuries old churches, old edifices and mansions of well known Ilonggo families, magnets sightseers from different places who wants to discover Iloilo City's rich and glorious past.

The city's actual existence dates back to its founding in 1566 through a settlement established by the Spaniards in the areas of Oton and Villa de Arevalo and received its cityhood status thrice – first on October 5, 1889 (effectivity in 1890) through a Spanish royal decree issued by the Queen Regent of Spain, Maria Christina, secondly in 1893 through a legal declaration by the virtue of Bacura/Becerra Law ratifying the first royal decree and establishing the city government of Iloilo, and the third through a virtue of Commonwealth Act No.

Trees, major edifices, and places of interests like the CPU Church on the university's 24 hectare main campus in Jaro, Iloilo City are festooned with holiday lights and displays of Christmas icons like Santa Claus, Nativity Scene, and Pasko sa Nayon.

It has established several programs through the help of local artists like turning the blank and public spaces in the metropolis as canvasses for murals and paintings depicting the city's rich history and culture.

Real estate developers also play a role in supporting such programs by rolling out plans to elevate the cultural consciousness of the Ilonggos through public art displays and mural paintings.

Other services include, phone calls for emergency rescue, device charging stations, local wayfinding, free housing in Sooc, Lanit and San Isidro and more.

In 2024, Iloilo ranked number 6 and was considered one of the top 18 most fitness-friendly cities in the world by Headline Bulletin, one of the oldest fitness and wellness journals since 1996, which has been cited by the BBC and Harvard University.

The city provides free immunization programs for children, specifically targeted against the seven major diseases – smallpox, diphtheria, tetanus, yellow fever, whooping cough, polio, and measles.

Buses bound for Metro Manila, Mindoro, Batangas, Cebu, Negros and Mindanao are also available via the Roll-on, Roll-off ferry services of the Strong Republic Nautical Highway.

The colloquial name "Fort San Pedro" refers to the old Spanish fortress beside it that was destroyed during World War II and soon to be restored by the Department of Tourism (DOT) under TIEZA.

The university boasts notable alumni, including Rodolfo Ganzon (Senator and the first popularly elected Mayor of Iloilo City), Jovito Salonga (Senator), Perfecto Yasay Jr. (Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines), National Artists Ramon Muzones (for Literature) and Leonor Orosa-Goquingco (for Dance), Leonor Briones (Secretary of Education of the Philippines under President Duterte's administration), Gilopez Kabayao (Musician and Ramon Magsaysay Award laureate, often referred to as the 'Asian Nobel Prize'), and Jose Vasquez Aguilar (The first Filipino recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, also the first recipient of the award in the Government Service category for his work as the 'Father of the Community School Movement')."

The territorial expansion of Iloilo City.
Charles V of Spain .
The Plan of the Fort of Iloilo in 1738, formerly called Fortificación de Nuestra Señora del Rosario en el Puerto de Yloylo, Provincia de Oton , in the early 1700s.
Aduana de Iloilo ( Iloilo Customs House ) is the second-biggest customs house in the Philippines after the old Spanish Aduana (Intendencia) de Manila in Intramuros and the American era built Aduana de Manila (Manila Customs House).
Mansion de Lopez ( Nelly's Garden ), which is regaled as the " Queen of all heritage houses in Iloilo " and Panay, is one of the grand mansions in the heritage district of Jaro that resulted from the sugar boom.
Queen Regent Maria Cristina of Spain and her son King Alfonso XIII . The Queen Regent raised the status of Iloilo as a City, on October 5, 1889, in the name of King Alfonso XIII, who was still a minor.
Seminario de San Vicente Ferrer in Jaro, Iloilo City , the oldest institution of higher education in Western Visayas region. It is the fifth oldest and the last seminary established by Spaniards in the Philippines.
Modern day Plaza Libertad (formerly Plaza Alfonso XII [El Duodécimo] ) , with the Iloilo City Hall in the background.
General Martín Teófilo Delgado marching in 1901 ahead of 30 officers and 140 men to surrender to Brig. Gen. Robert P. Hughes, regional commander of the US forces occupying the country.
Sailing ships at the Muelle Loney wharf of Iloilo City, circa 1920s to 1930s.
Birds-eye view of Iloilo Harbor, circa 1920s to 1930s.
Central Philippine University was founded in 1905 through a grant given by the American industrialist , oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller , by the Baptist American missionaries; it is the first Baptist-founded and second American university in the Philippines and in Asia.
Aerial view of Iloilo, circa early 1900s.
Founded in 1901 by Protestant Presbyterian American missionary and physician Joseph Andrew Hall, CPU–Iloilo Mission Hospital is the first American and Protestant founded hospital in the Philippines.
Old Spanish-era structure of Colegio de San Agustín , the present day University of San Agustin. It waS built to counter Protestantism by Spanish Roman Catholic Augustinian friars through their American confreres.
A market in Iloilo, in the 1910s.
St. Paul's Hospital Iloilo (circa 1920). Established during the American colonial period in 1911 by the Daughters of St. Paul or Chartres, it is the oldest existing hospital under the said Roman Catholic order in the Philippine islands.
Central Philippine University 's main campus north-eastern side aerial view in the 1960s. During the onset of World War II , Central's entire properties on its main campus were heavily destroyed. The war-torn university's main campus was rebuilt after the post-war, resulting for a well-laid campus plan dotted with palm and acacia trees and home to a plethora of century-old colonial American heritage structures built in the early 1900s.
Aerial view of Iloilo City.
The districts of Iloilo City are Arevalo, City Proper, Jaro, La Paz, Lapuz, Mandurriao, and Molo.
District map of Iloilo City showing its seven districts.
Jaro Cathedral or National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro is seat of the Roman Catholicism in Western Visayas and Candelaria devotion in the Philippines.
Jose Romeo O. Lazo , the incumbent Roman Catholic Archbishop of Jaro.
The statue of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria ( Our Lady of Candles ) in Jaro Cathedral , the Roman Catholic patron of Western Visayas . Crowned personally during the apostolic visit of pope and saint John Paul II in 1981, it is the first marian image to receive such recognition without a papal legate in the Philippines and Asia.
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage located in La Paz district is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Iloilo of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Philippine Independent Church or Aglipayan Church) .
Jaro Evangelical Church , the First Baptist Church in the Philippines (first Protestant church outside Manila).
The Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo, the first Marriott under the Courtyard brand hotel in the Philippines.
Stronghold Insurance Tower in San Rafael, District of Mandurriao
Injap Tower and SM Strata in front of SM City Iloilo in Mandurriao.
Dinagyang Tribe Warriors during the Tribe Dance Competition.
SM Strata houses IT-BPO companies like Teletech , EXL Service , Hinduja , and Legato Health.
Iloilo Site and Philippine Center of Fair Trade Outsourcing at One Lorton Building, a U.S. based IT-BPO company with a global reach of nine sites in five countries across four continents.
iQor Iloilo in the Festive Walk Parade.
Within the SM Iloilo Complex is SM City Iloilo , the largest mall in Western Visayas.
Festive Walk Parade , the longest shopping and dining strip in the Philippines
The Iloilo City Hall (Ayuntamiento de Iloilo)
Former seal of Iloilo City, in use since 1950. The central seal, often mistaken as the "coat of arms" of the city, was granted when Iloilo achieved its status as a royal city on October 5, 1889, through a decree issued by the Queen Regent Maria Cristina , on behalf of her son King Alfonso XIII of Spain , who was still a minor in that year. [ 56 ] [ 55 ]
The National Museum of the Philippines – Western Visayas housed in the old Iloilo Provincial Jail turned museum.
The Casa de Emperador in Iloilo Business Park houses the (ILOMOCA) Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art , first modern and contemporary art museum in Visayas in Mindanao; and Emperador Brandy Museum, the first brandy museum in the Philippines.
The Henry Luce III (Museum and Library) of Central Philippine University , the largest library in the Western Visayas (one of the largest in the Philippines). It houses collection on Asian arts and artifacts, the CPU Meyer Asian Collection, and the UNESCO Memory of the World Register inscribed Hinilawod Epic Chant Recordings.
An Ati dancer-warrior performs at the annual Dinagyang Festival .
Filipino-Chinese Friendship Arch in Iloilo Chinatown
The Iloilo Convention Center in Iloilo Business Park .
The Rose Memorial Auditorium in Central Philippine University , the largest theater in Western Visayas.
Regent Arcade Building , also known as Regent Theater, formerly known as Cine Palace or Palace Theater, is the oldest existing movie theater in Iloilo.
The official logo of Iloilo City for UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy
A bowl of La Paz Batchoy . Famous throughout the Philippines, it is an Ilonggo delicacy that originated from the La Paz district of Iloilo City.
A bowl of Pancit Molo .
A city landmark, Eusebio Villanueva Building is one of the heritage edifices that lines the historic Calle Real (Royal Street) Heritage Zone in Iloilo's downtown area.
Yusay-Consing Mansion, popularly known as Molo Mansion , in the district of Molo, is revered as one of the most outstanding historical homes in the Philippines.
The Beaux-Arts Villa Lizares ( Lizares Mansion ) in the district of Jaro.
Campanario de Jaro ( Jaro Belfry ), one of the few free-standing bell towers in the Philippines that is detached from the church.
Casa de Emperador in Iloilo Business Park , an example of modern built classical styled edifice.
Aduana de Iloilo ( Iloilo Customs House ) with the Muelle Loney (Loney Dock) which was used as a wharf and port of call berthing ships that plied international routes when the Puerto de Iloilo ( Port of Iloilo ) was opened to the world market on September 29, 1855, by Queen Isabella II of Spain .
Iglesia de Molo (St. Anne Parish), the first Gothic and feminist church outside Manila.
Torre del Reloj (The Clock Tower) of Festive Walk Parade at Iloilo Business Park . Its construction is a result of the economic boom of the City of Iloilo since 2010.
The Iloilo Provincial Capitol , National Museum – Western Visayas Regional Museum, and Iloilo Hall of Justice with the Iloilo River in the foreground. Iloilo River, which snakes through the metropolis, is home to 22 of 35 species of mangroves endemic to the Philippines.
Diversion Road, which stretches from Infante in Molo district to Sambag in Jaro district, has a dedicated elevated bricked bicycle and jogging lane, the longest in the country.
The Iloilo River Esplanade , stretching for about 8-9 kilometers on both banks of the Iloilo River, is the longest river esplanade and linear park in the Philippines.
The CPU–Iloilo Mission Hospital , founded in 1901 by the Presbyterian American missionary doctor Joseph Andrew Hall, is the first American and Protestant hospital in the Philippines (the oldest operating hospital in the Western Visayas region). It serves as the university hospital of Central Philippine University.
Healthway Qualimed Hospital Iloilo, formerly known as Qualimed Hospital Iloilo, of AC Health (Ayala Corporation) , the first Ayala/Qualimed Hospital in Visayas and Mindanao.
Passad Jeepneys of Iloilo City.
Festive Walk Transport Hub and the Premium Point-to-Point (P2P) Bus servicing Iloilo City to Iloilo International, Kalibo International, and Caticlan Airports and vice versa.
Infante Flyover in Iloilo City – the first flyover outside Manila.
Jaro West Diversion Road ( Benigno S. Aquino Avenue ).
Engine of the Panay Railways on display in the City Proper's plaza, Plaza Libertad (formerly Plaza Alfonso XII).
The Iloilo International Airport
Iloilo International Port /Loboc Wharf.
The Jalandoni Bridge over the Iloilo River .
The Panay Energy and Development Corporation's Coal power plant in Ingore, La Paz (district) of Iloilo City.
Central Philippine University , which was founded through the benevolent grant of the American titan John D. Rockefeller , is the first Baptist and second American-founded university in the Philippines and in Asia. CPU has been ranked as one of the top universities in Asia and the world by Times Higher Education and Quacquarelli Symonds , the two most influential global university ranking institutions. [ 244 ]
University of the Philippines Visayas – Iloilo City campus's main hall.
Central Philippine University College of Nursing is the First School of Nursing in the Philippines .
Chapel of the University of San Agustin , the first Augustinian university in Asia and the Pacific , and the first university in the Western Visayas.
West Visayas State University Quezon Hall, the main building of the university.