Iloilo City Proper (''City Proper'') (also locally known as Downtown, Ciudad, Iloilo Poblacion, or simply Iloílo) is one of the
seven districts of
Iloilo City
Iloilo City, officially the City of Iloilo ( hil, Siyudad/Dakbanwa sang Iloilo; fil, Lungsod ng Iloilo), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines on the island of Panay. It is the capital city of t ...
in the
Western Visayas
Western Visayas ( hil, Kabisay-an Nakatundan; tl, Kanlurang Kabisayaan or ''Kanlurang Visayas'') is an administrative region in the Philippines, numerically designated as Region VI. It consists of six provinces (Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimara ...
region of the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. It is the second-most densely populated district, after
Molo.
It serves as the
civic center
A civic center or civic centre is a prominent land area within a community that is constructed to be its focal point or center. It usually contains one or more dominant public buildings, which may also include a government building. Recently, the ...
of the city, housing the seat of the city and provincial governments, as well as other local, provincial, and regional government offices. The district also houses the majority of the city's financial institutions, where banks and other firms can be found on every corner of the streets. Iloilo City Proper is the current economic and
financial center
A financial centre ( BE), financial center ( AE), or financial hub, is a location with a concentration of participants in banking, asset management, insurance or financial markets with venues and supporting services for these activities to t ...
of Iloilo. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 46,350 people.
Iloilo City Proper influenced the city's and province's present name from its ''
Irong-Irong
The ''Maragtas'' is a work by Pedro Alcantara Monteclaro titled (in English translation) ''History of Panay from the first inhabitants and the Bornean immigrants, from which they descended, to the arrival of the Spaniards''. The work is in mixed ...
'' reference. During its heyday, it was called ''Yloylo'' or ''Iloílo'', which was its original name.
In current modern times, old 19th and 20th-century buildings can still be found across the district, particularly along the entire street of J.M. Basa, popularly known as
Calle Real
Calle means "street" in Spanish and Venetian.
Calle may also refer to:
Places
*Calle-Calle River, southern Chile
*Stations of the TransMilenio mass-transit system of Bogotá, Colombia:
**Suba Calle 95 (TransMilenio)
** Suba Calle 100 (TransMilen ...
.
Etymology
The name "Iloilo" is derived from the older name "Ilong-ilong" (
Philippine Spanish
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
: ''Ilong̃-ílong̃'') meaning "nose-like", referring to the
promontory
A promontory is a raised mass of land that projects into a lowland or a body of water (in which case it is a peninsula). Most promontories either are formed from a hard ridge of rock that has resisted the erosive forces that have removed the so ...
between two rivers (
Iloilo
Iloilo (), officially the Province of Iloilo ( hil, Kapuoran sang Iloilo; krj, Kapuoran kang Iloilo; tl, Lalawigan ng Iloilo), is a province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is the City of Iloilo, the ...
and Batiano) where the
Fort San Pedro
Fort San Pedro ( es, Fuerte de San Pedro) is a military defense structure in Cebu, Philippines, built by the Spanish under the command of Miguel López de Legazpi, first governor of the Captaincy General of the Philippines. It is located in ...
and the 17th-century Spanish port in the district were located.
History
Spanish colonial period (1600s-1800s)
Early colonial period
Iloilo City Proper, or simply Iloilo, was founded and inhabited as ''La Punta'' in 1602 when Spanish and Chinese residents from
Jaro and Molo, respectively, expanded their territorial areas. In 1700, it became the capital and the seat of power of the Spaniards in the province, which they transferred from
La Villa Rica de Arevalo due to continuous attacks by
Moros
In Greek mythology, Moros /ˈmɔːrɒs/ or Morus /ˈmɔːrəs/ (Ancient Greek: Μόρος means 'doom, fate') is the 'hateful' personified spirit of impending doom, who drives mortals to their deadly fate. It was also said that Moros gave peop ...
and
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
.
Late colonial period and economic boom
Iloilo emerged as a trading port in the 19th century. Its geographical and economic significance eventually evolved when
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
, and the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
opened up their consulates to conduct trade and commerce in the town, especially during its foundation as an international port in the 1850s. As a result, the commercial activity in Iloilo increased, as well as the infrastructures, recreational facilities, education institutions, banks, foreign consulates, and commercial firms.
Cityhood
![Landing Fields - Philippines - Iloilo - NARA - 68160330](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Landing_Fields_-_Philippines_-_Iloilo_-_NARA_-_68160330.jpg)
On October 5, 1889, due to the economic development in Iloilo, making it the most important port in the Philippines next to the capital,
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, Iloilo was raised from the status of a town to a city through a Royal Decree,
[The actual words of the Royal Decree says: "A propuesta del Ministro de Ultramar, y teniendo en cuenta el creciente desarrollo que en la industria y el commercio ha alcanzado la cabecera de la provincia de Ilo-Ilo, la más importante de las islas de Filipinas, despues de la de Manila; En nombre de mi Augusto Hijo el Rey D. Alfonso XIII, y como Reina Regente del Reino, Vengo en conceder el titulo de la Ciudad á la cebecera de Ilo-Ilo, en dichas islas. Dado en San Sebastian á cinco de Octubre de mil ochocientos ochenta y nueve. Maria Cristina" Cf. ''Decreto Real de la Reina Regente Maria Cristina'' (5 Octubre 1889) en ''Gazeta de Madrid'', N. 298, 25 Octubre 1889, p. 238.] and in 1890, the city government was established.
Revolutionary period (1896-1898)
Due to the loyalty of the Ilonggos, the city of Iloilo was honored with the perpetual title of ''La Muy Leal y Noble Ciudad'' (The Most Loyal and Noble City). The Royal Decree granting this title was signed on March 1, 1898, by
Queen Regent Maria Christina of Spain. Over time, this title earned for Iloilo the reputation of being the ''Queen's Favored City in the South'' or simply ''Queen's City in the South'', which later evolved into the ''Queen City of the South'', being the second Spanish port of importance next to Manila and being located south of the archipelago's capital city.
On December 25, 1898, the
Spanish government
gl, Goberno de España eu, Espainiako Gobernua
, image =
, caption = Logo of the Government of Spain
, headerstyle = background-color: #efefef
, label1 = Role
, data1 = Executive power
, label2 = Established
, da ...
surrendered to the Ilonggo revolutionaries led by
Gen. Martin Delgado at Plaza Alfonso XII (now
Plaza Libertad
Plaza Libertad, formerly known as Plaza Alfonso XII, is a historic urban park in Iloilo City, Philippines. It is considered the site where the flag of the first Philippine Republic was raised in triumph after Spain surrendered Iloilo, the last Sp ...
). It was site where the Philippine flag was raised for the first time on the island of
Panay
Panay is the sixth-largest and fourth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of and has a total population of 4,542,926 as of 2020 census. Panay comprises 4.4 percent of the entire population of the country. The City o ...
.
American colonial period (1900-1941)
Iloilo City consolidation
In the 20th century, all economic activities shifted from Jaro and Molo to the city of Iloilo when businesses aggressively flourished here. It was re-chartered by the American government on January 7, 1937, and absorbed the old towns of Molo,
Arevalo,
Mandurriao
Mandurriao () is one of the seven districts of Iloilo City, in the province of Iloilo, on the island of Panay, in the Western Visayas region, in the Philippines. It is the second-largest district by land area as well as the third-most populous di ...
, and
La Paz
La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities ...
. On January 7, 1941, the city of
Jaro was also incorporated into greater Iloilo City.
21st century
Iloilo City Proper, as a district, remains the economic and political center of the city and the whole province.
Economy
![JM Basa Street Iloilo (Calle Real)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/JM_Basa_Street_Iloilo_%28Calle_Real%29.jpg)
Being the original territory of the city of Iloilo, it has served as the center of trade, commerce, banking and finance, education, retail trading, real estate, and industry in Iloilo since its foundation in the early 17th century. Iloilo City Proper has one of the largest numbers of banks and other financial institutions in the country, hence being named as the financial capital of Western Visayas.
Calle Real
Calle means "street" in Spanish and Venetian.
Calle may also refer to:
Places
*Calle-Calle River, southern Chile
*Stations of the TransMilenio mass-transit system of Bogotá, Colombia:
**Suba Calle 95 (TransMilenio)
** Suba Calle 100 (TransMilen ...
, along with Iznart St., Gen. Luna St., and Ledesma St., has the most service and commercial establishments among all the districts and has remained one of the most important areas for local businesses in the city.
The district is home to the main government building of the
Province of Iloilo
Iloilo (), officially the Province of Iloilo ( hil, Kapuoran sang Iloilo; krj, Kapuoran kang Iloilo; tl, Lalawigan ng Iloilo), is a province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is the City of Iloilo, the ...
, the
Iloilo Provincial Capitol
The Iloilo Provincial Capitol is the seat of the provincial government of Iloilo in the Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik ...
, and the seat of the city government,
Iloilo City Hall
The Iloilo City Hall is the official seat of government of the City of Iloilo, Philippines, located in Plaza Libertad, Iloilo City Proper. It is where the Mayor of Iloilo City holds office and the chambers of the Iloilo City Council. It also hos ...
. Other main agencies of the government are also located in the City Proper.
For the past few years, there have been proposals for island-type reclamation along the southern coastlines of the City Proper to expand the district's commercial area, which is running out of space for new developments and has caused
Mandurriao
Mandurriao () is one of the seven districts of Iloilo City, in the province of Iloilo, on the island of Panay, in the Western Visayas region, in the Philippines. It is the second-largest district by land area as well as the third-most populous di ...
the concentration of modern developments in Iloilo City for the past two decades.
On August 2, 2022, the Iloilo City Government and
SM Prime Holdings, Inc. signed a 25-year lease agreement for the redevelopment of the two largest Iloilo City public markets, Iloilo Central Market and Iloilo Terminal Market, both located in Iloilo City Proper.
Education
Iloilo City Proper is home to half of the universities in Iloilo City. Some of the notable universities and schools in the district are the following:
![UP Visayas Iloilo Campus 2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/UP_Visayas_Iloilo_Campus_2010.jpg)
Higher education institutions:
*
University of the Philippines Visayas
The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV or UP Visayas) is a public research university in the Philippines with campuses and facilities throughout the Visayas. A constituent university of the University of the Philippines system, it teaches ...
– founded in 1947.
*
University of San Agustin
The University of San Agustin – Iloilo, also referred to by its acronym (USAI or as San Ag), is a private, Roman Catholic, research, coeducational, non-profit basic and higher education institution run by the Augustinian Province of Santo Ni ...
– the first university in Western Visayas, founded in 1904.
*
University of Iloilo
The PHINMA – University of Iloilo (colloquially referred simply to as UI) is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational institution in Iloilo City, Philippines.
It was established in 1947 by the López family of Iloilo who founded the broadcastin ...
– founded in 1947.
*
St. Paul University Iloilo
Saint Paul University Iloilo, also referred to by its acronym SPUI or SPU Iloilo, St. Paul, St. Paul's, is a private Catholic basic and higher education institution run by the Philippine Province of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Pau ...
– founded in 1946.
*
Hua Siong College of Iloilo
Hua Siong College of Iloilo or HSCI (), commonly referred to as Hua Siong, is a private college located Iloilo City, Philippines. Founded by the Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Iloilo as a preparatory school in 1912, it is the first ...
– founded in 1912.
*
Colegio de las Hijas de Jesus – founded in 1936.
*
Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus – founded in 1917.
*
Cabalum Western College
Cabalum Western College is a non-sectarian, stock institution of higher learning in Iloilo City, Iloilo, Philippines established by Dr. Jose Cabalum Sr.
History
On October 5, 1945, immediately after World War II, the National Business School was ...
– founded in 1945.
Basic educational institutions:
*
Assumption Iloilo
Assumption Iloilo (also known as AC or Assumption Convent) is a private Catholic coeducational basic education institution run by the Sisters of the Religious of the Assumption in Iloilo City, Philippines. It was founded by the Assumption Sister ...
*
Sun Yat Sen High School
The Sun Yat Sen High School of Iloilo, Inc. () (known as “Tiong San” by its alumni and the Chinese-Filipino Ilonggo community) is a private, Chinese preparatory school at Mapa St., Iloilo City administered by its board of trustees. Its prog ...
*
Ateneo de Iloilo – Santa Maria Catholic School
* Iloilo Central Elementary School
* SPED Integrated School for Exceptional Children
* Iloilo American Memorial School
* Manuel L. Quezon Elementary School - Kahirupan
* Rizal Elementary School - Bonifacio Tanza
* I. Arroyo Elementary School
* San Jose Elementary School - Rizal Street
* Rizal Elementary School
* Center for West Visayan Studies
* A. Montes Elementary School I
* A.Montes Elementary School 2
* Fort San Pedro National High School
Transportation
Public transport
The primary modes of public transportation in Iloilo City Proper are passenger jeepneys and metered taxis. The transportation routes in Iloilo City are mostly focused on the district, which is the center of commerce in the city.
In contrast to President Rodrigo Duterte's administration's plan to phase out old, dilapidated jeepneys as the primary mode of mass public transportation in the Philippines, the city has recently begun to adopt mini-buses like modern PUJs or modern Jeepneys that are now plying in the city, including Iloilo City Proper.
[Modern jeepneys to ply 3 new Iloilo routes](_blank)
Retrieved October 26, 2018.['Modernized' jeeps start plying Iloilo routes.](_blank)
Retrieved October 26, 2018.
Cycling
Iloilo City has been hailed as the ''Bike Capital of the Philippines''. There are also several painted bicycle lanes in Iloilo City Proper that can be found on its main roads, including Gen. Luna Street, Delgado Street, Mabini Street, Infante Street, and the esplanade along Muelle Loney Street.
[Tour on two wheels: Seeing Iloilo City's historic sights by bike](_blank)
Retrieved October 26, 2018.
Railway
From 1907 to the 1980s, Panay Railways operated a railroad from Roxas City to the port area of Iloilo City Proper. In 2022, Panay Railways announced its opening to foreign ownership to reconstruct its former train lines, which will reconnect the district and city to other major cities in Panay, including Caticlan in
Malay, Aklan
Malay , officially the Municipality of Malay (Aklanon language, Aklanon: ''Banwa it Malay''; Hiligaynon language, Hiligaynon: ''Banwa sang Malay''; tl, Bayan ng Malay), is a 1st class cosmopolitan municipality of the Philippines, municipality in ...
.
Airport and seaport
The Iloilo International Airport in
Cabatuan, Iloilo
Cabatuan, officially the Municipality of Cabatuan ( hil, Banwa sang Cabatuan, tgl, Bayan ng Cabatuan), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 61,110 people.
It i ...
, is the primary airport serving the district of Iloilo City Proper, as well as the whole
Metro Iloilo''–''Guimaras. It serves domestic air routes to Manila,
Clark
Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...
,
Cebu
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 ...
,
Cuyo Island Cuyo may refer to:
* Cuyo (Argentina)
* Cuyo Province, historic, Argentina
* Cuyo, Palawan, Philippines
* Cuyo Airport, Philippines
* Cuyo Archipelago
The Cuyo Archipelago or Cuyo Islands, is a group of about 45 islands lying to the northeast of ...
,
Puerto Princesa
Puerto Princesa, officially the City of Puerto Princesa (Cuyonon: ''Siyudad i'ang Puerto Princesa''; fil, Lungsod ng Puerto Princesa), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Mimaropa region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, ...
,
Sipalay
Sipalay, officially the City of Sipalay ( hil, Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Sipalay; fil, Lungsod ng Sipalay; ceb, Dakbayan sa Sipalay), is a 4th class component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it h ...
,
Cagayan de Oro
Cagayan ( ), officially the Province of Cagayan ( ilo, Probinsia ti Cagayan; ibg, Provinsiya na Cagayan; itv, Provinsiya ya Cagayan; fil, Lalawigan ng Cagayan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region, covering ...
,
General Santos
General Santos, officially the City of General Santos,; hil, Dakbanwa sang Heneral Santos; Maguindanao language, Maguindanao: ''Ingud nu Heneral Santos''; Blaan language, Blaan: ''Banwe Dadiangas''; Tboli language, Tboli: ''Benwu Dadiangas'' ...
, and
Davao City
Davao City, officially the City of Davao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dabaw; ), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of lan ...
. It is also served by international routes to and from
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
and
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
.
The Port of Iloilo, which is located near
Fort San Pedro
Fort San Pedro ( es, Fuerte de San Pedro) is a military defense structure in Cebu, Philippines, built by the Spanish under the command of Miguel López de Legazpi, first governor of the Captaincy General of the Philippines. It is located in ...
, Iloilo City Proper, serves domestic shipping and cargo routes to/from Manila, Cebu, Puerto Princesa,
Bacolod
Bacolod, officially the City of Bacolod (; hil, Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Bacolod; fil, Lungsod ng Bacolod), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the region of Western Visayas, Philippines. It is the capital of the province of Negros Occidenta ...
, Cagayan de Oro,
Zamboanga City
Zamboanga City, officially the City of Zamboanga (Chavacano and es, Ciudad de Zamboanga, Tausug language, Tausūg: ''Dāira sin Sambuangan'', fil, Lungsod ng Zamboanga, ceb, Dakbayan sa Zamboanga), is a city in the Zamboanga Peninsula region ...
, Davao, and General Santos. The Iloilo International Cargo Port, in the adjacent
Lapuz district, is a port of call for foreign cargo vessels. The Guimaras-Iloilo Ferry Terminal, which is located in Parola, serves ferry routes to
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
and
Buenavista in
Guimaras
Guimaras , officially the Province of Guimaras ( hil, Kapuoran sang Guimaras; tl, Lalawigan ng Guimaras), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Jordan while its largest local government ...
, and vice versa.
Barangays
Iloilo City Proper has the most
barangay
A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...
s in Iloilo City with a total of 45 barangays. City Proper is the second-most densely populated Iloilo City district with a population density of 12,435 people per square kilometer.
Gallery
File:San José de Placer Church, Iloilo City.jpg, San José de Placer Church, the first ever church in the city of Iloilo, and was built in 1607.
File:Plaza Libertad, Iloilo.JPG, Plaza Libertad, a historic plaza where the flag of the first Philippine Republic was raised.
File:Historical buildings Iloilo City.jpg, Calle Real, a historical street, contains several fine neoclassical, beaux-arts, and art-deco buildings.
File:Iloilo International Hotel.jpg, Eusebio Villanueva Building, once known as the International Hotel, located along Calle Real.
File:Iloilo Central Public Market.jpg, Iloilo Central Public Market, an art-deco public market, built during the early 20th century.
File:Museo Iloilo front.JPG, Museo Iloilo, a museum that houses the city and province of Iloilo's cultural heritage.
File:Lin-ay Sang Iloilo.JPG, ''Lin-ay sang Iloilo'' (Lady of Iloilo), an 18-foot bronze statue on top of Iloilo City Hall's dome.
File:Custom House, Iloilo City, Philippines.jpg, Aduana de Iloilo (Iloilo Customs House), one of the three customs houses in the Philippines.
See also
*
Calle Real
Calle means "street" in Spanish and Venetian.
Calle may also refer to:
Places
*Calle-Calle River, southern Chile
*Stations of the TransMilenio mass-transit system of Bogotá, Colombia:
**Suba Calle 95 (TransMilenio)
** Suba Calle 100 (TransMilen ...
*
Dinagyang Festival
The Dinagyang Festival is a religious and cultural festival in Iloilo City, Philippines, held annually on the 4th Sunday of January, or right after the Sinulog in Cebu and the Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo, Aklan. It is one of the biggest festiv ...
*
Iloilo City
Iloilo City, officially the City of Iloilo ( hil, Siyudad/Dakbanwa sang Iloilo; fil, Lungsod ng Iloilo), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines on the island of Panay. It is the capital city of t ...
References
External links
Iloilo City Government Official WebsiteIloilo travel guide
{{coord, 10.6952, N, 122.5647, E, source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:PH, display=title
Districts of Iloilo City
Former cities in the Philippines