Iloilo
is set in a graceful repose between Iloilo and Batiano rivers forming an angle
of a nose. Hence, its old name “Ilong-Ilong” which means “noselike”. Mountain
ranges with peaks as high as almost 7,000 ft. provide natural boundaries between
Iloilo and Antique on the west and Capiz on the north. The rest of mainland
Iloilo is largely plain with interspersing upland portions.
Geography Iloilo is located in
the center of the Philippine archipelago. Strategically located 283 statute
miles from Manila, it is the gateway to the flourishing region that is Western Visayas. The province comprises the southeastern part of Panay Island.
Political Subdivision Iloilo
is composed of two cities and 42 municipalities. It is divided into five (5)
congressional districts. It has 1,720 barangays.
Climate
Iloilo’s climate is pleasantly
tropical with 2 pronounced seasons – the rainy season from June to September,
and the dry season from October to May.
Population
The National Statistics Office
reported that Iloilo province has a population total of 1,925,002, and Iloilo
City has 365,820 as of the 2000 survey.
Language / Dialect
Hiligaynon (Ilonggo) is the
main dialect spoken in Iloilo. English and Tagalog are also widely spoken and
understood especially in urban areas.
Major Industries Rice is the
major crop in the province of Iloilo. Fish and marine products are considered
the main source of livelihood in the first and fifth districts of Iloilo. There
are also non-traditional products in the province which include processed food,
fruits and vegetables, gifts, furniture, and others. Traditional products
include sugar, coco oil, and lime products, among others.
There are 114 private and government banks all throughout the province and city
of Iloilo, in addition to 40 rural banks found in most municipalities, at least
6 malls, and many department stores.
History Irong-Irong appears in
the Maragtas legend of the coming of the ten Bornean datus to Panay who bartered
gold for the plains and valleys of the island from a local Ati chieftain. One
datu, Paiburong by name, was given the territory of Irong-Irong in what is now
Iloilo. For
300 years before the coming of the Spaniards, the islanders lived in comparative
prosperity and peace under an organized government and such laws as the Code of
Kalantiaw.
In 1566, the Spaniards under Miguel Lopez de Legazpi came to Panay and
established a settlement in Ogtong (now Oton, Iloilo)He appointed Gonzalo
Ronquillo as deputy encomiendero, who in 1581 moved the seat of Spanish power to
La Villa de Arevalo, named in honor of his hometown in Avila, Spain. By 1700 due
to recurrent raids by Moro pirates, Dutch and English privateers, the Spaniards
moved to the village of Irong-Irong, where close to the mouth of the river they
built Fort San Pedro. Irong-Irong or Ilong-Ilong which the Spaniards later
shortened to ""Iloilo"" later became the capital of the province.
Its capital of the same name became a chartered city on August 25, 1937
