Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A. Origin of Name
The name Iloilo City was derived
from irong-irong, a reference to the
native word irong which means
nose. The name took after the noselike
configuration
of
the
main
settlement area during the preSpanish period as so shaped by the
Iloilo River. Chinese traders who
frequent
the
area
and
who
mispronounce the r sounds with l
sounds, soon popularized the term
ilong-ilong which later evolved into
the current name Iloilo Arial 9.5 The
name is said to have also evolved
from a local fish of the same name
which was indigenous to the place and
which was a staple in the early
inhabitants daily meals. Iloilo City was
also referred to as the Most Loyal and
Noble City or La Muy Leal Y Noble
Ciuded de Iloilo in Spanish. This is an
inscription in the Coat of Arms from
the Royal Decree of 1896 in
recognition of the local peoples
loyalty to the Spanish crown.
B. Key Historical Events
1560-1590
Spaniards Mateo Del Saz and Juan de
la Isla set foot in Panay.
The City became the source of food
supplies of Cebu during Spanish
Colonial period.
Oton-Arevalo area became the
nucleus of Spanish settlement headed
by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.
Luis de la Haya came twice to Panay
and piloted the frigate Espiritu Santo,
accompanied by thirty others
and the Agustinian Fr. Martin de Rada
who preached the gospel to the
natives along the Araut River..
Forty
Spaniards,
twenty
encomenderos and twenty soldiers,
were settled in Arevalo.
1620-1650
The chaplaincy made by Don Alfonso
Fajardo was turned over the Jesuits,
who built a wooden church in
Estanzuela, by Juan Nini de Tavora.
Pedro Murillo visited the fortress and
judged it to be a very good
fortress with strong bulwarks, heavy
artillery,
ammunitions,
and
strorerooms over a tongue of water
which
was not good when the waves beat
against it.
Trading of tobaccos and textiles were
started by Panayanos.
The alcalde mayor resided in Iloilo.
Gov. Gen. Hurtado de Corcuera
issued a decree in his expedition
against Sultan Kudarat , asking the
people
of Arevalo and the Chineseof Parian
(Molo) to move to Punta.
Iloilo
port
was
opened
to
international trade.
The city was given the title La muy
leal y noble ciudad de Iloilo
Iloilo begun its development.
The trade of Iloilo increased after it
opened, being second to Manila.
Pope Pius IX created a new diocese
through the brief Qui ab Initio with the
seat in Jaro separating it
from the one in Cebu.
Jose Romero identified the presence
of establishment that existed at that
time such as the Ker & Co. as
he arrived in Iloilo.
1880-1890
Agricultural experimental station
called La Granja established at La Paz.
The overseas minister Manuel
Bacerra
promulgated
a
law
establishing the City Hall of Iloilo.
The Iloilo Ayuntamiento (City Hall)
was established.
There were already some 15,000
inhabitants in Iloilo registered, many
of them were laborers coming
1890-1900
The city was referred to as the
Queen City of the South.
The Plaza de Alfonso XII was
converted into a beautiful garden and
park with trees, pathways, and a
monument in the middle.
A small house was established and
later
on
occupied
by
Bazar
Cosmopolita of Isidro de la Rama and
was burnt.
Investment
of
business
establishments increased more.
The average annual family income
percentage increased.
The Metro Iloilo Development Council
composed of the city of Iloilo, and
municipalities of Leganes, Pavia,
Oton
and
San
Miguel
was
conceptualized..
2000-2011
The Comprehensive Land Use Plan
and Zoning Ordinance of Iloilo is
approved by the Sangguniang
Panlungsod and HLURB making the
plan to be the first approved for the
Highly Urbanized City Category
The rehabilitation, development and
sustainability of the Iloilo River is
formulated by the Iloilo Business
The
Iloilo
City
2011-2020
Comprehensive Land Use Plan was
prepared
Five presidential proclamations were
issued for the establishment of on-site
site upgrading projects for
the urban poor.
Another Presidential Proclamation
was issued turning over the Parola site
to the city government of
Iloilo.
The rehabilitation and development
of the Iloilo-Batiano River was
intensified under the leadership of
Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and Senator
Frank Drilon.
The new Iloilo City Hall is constructed
with green concepts
Other major infrastructure projects
were initiated during the term of
Mayor Jed Mabilog through the help
of Ilonggo Senator Franklin Drilon.
MUNICIPAL PRESIDENTS/MAYORS
OF ILOILO CITY
Inclusive Date
Name
Position/ Designation
1900-1901
Hon. Jose N. Gay
Municipal President
1901-1902
Hon. Matias Ybiernas
Municipal President
1903-1904
Hon. Rosauro Jocson
Municipal President
1904-1905
Hon. Juan de Leon
Municipal President
1906-1908
Hon. Rosauro Jocson
Municipal President
1909
Hon. Rosauro Jocson
Municipal President
1910-1912
Hon. Quirino Abeto
Municipal President
1913-1916
Hon. Quirino Abeto
Municipal President
1917-1919
Hon. Gerardo Hervas
Municipal President
1920-1921
Hon. Vicente Ybiernas
Municipal President
1921-1922
Hon. Vicente Ybiernas
Municipal President
1923-1925
Hon. Serapion Torre
Municipal President
1926-1928
Hon. Eulogio Garganera
Municipal President
1929-1931
Hon. Eulogio Garganera
Municipal President
1932-1934
Hon. Leopoldo Ganzon
Municipal President
1935-1936
Hon. Eulogio Garganera
Municipal President
1936-1941
Hon. Ramon Campos
City Mayor (Appointed by virtue of RA
365/ Commonwealth Act # 158
1941-1944
Hon. Vicente Ybiernas
City Mayor (Appointed by virtue of
365/ Commonwealth Act # 158
1945
Hon. Mariano Benedicto
City Mayor (Appointed by virtue of
365/ Commonwealth Act # 158
1945-1947
Hon. Fernando Lopez
City Mayor (Appointed by virtue of
365/ Commonwealth Act # 158
1947-1949
Hon. Vicente Ybiernas
City Mayor (Appointed by virtue of
365/ Commonwealth Act # 158
1950-1952
Hon. Rafael Jalandoni
City Mayor (Appointed by virtue of
365/ Commonwealth Act # 158
1953
Hon. Juan Borja
City Mayor (Appointed by virtue of
365/ Commonwealth Act # 158
1954
Hon. Dominador Jover
City Mayor (Appointed by virtue of
365/ Commonwealth Act # 158
1955-1959
Hon. Rodolfo T. Ganzon
First Elected City Mayor (RA 1209)
1960-1961
Hon. Rodolfo T. Ganzon
Elected City Mayor
1962-1963
Hon. Reinerio Ticao
Elected City Mayor
1964-1967
Hon. Reinerio Ticao
Elected City Mayor
1968-1971
Hon. Reinerio Ticao
Elected City Mayor
1972
Hon. Rodolfo T. Ganzon
Elected City Mayor
1972 (Oct.) 1976 (April)
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American Period
In Iloilo, the American Period brought
about further economic development
through road networks. The British
cannot
only
be
credited
for
Modern Period
The next three decades saw the
moderate growth of Iloilo City with the
establishment of fish ports, an
international
seaport,
and
other
commercial firms. Iloilo City also
became the Regional Center of
Western Visayas.
In 1977, a Comprehensive Urban
Development Plan for Iloilo City was
approved and was adopted by the
Sangguniang Panlungsod. The Land
Use Plan and Zoning Ordinance was
the implementing tool. However, the
1977 Plan was unable to cope with the
demands of rapid urbanization.
By the end of 1993, a multi-sectoral
group
prepared
the
1994-2010
Comprehensive Development Plan of
Iloilo City to amend the old plan and
address the present and future
challenges of urban development. The
plan, however, was not carried
pending the approval of the Housing
and Land Use Regulatory Board
(HLURB).
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Fast Facts
The word Iloilo City came from the
shape of the city, cut by the river
which looks like the shape of a nose,
Irong-Irong, nose-like, later became
Iloilo. Other accounts point the origin
of the name to a fish.
Monicker: Most Loyal and Noble City
or La Muy Leal Y Noble Ciuded de
Iloilo in Spanish. This is an inscription