ILOILO TRAVEL INFORMATION

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.

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Brief Description

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.

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Political Subdivision

Iloilo is composed of two cities and 42 municipalities. It is divided into five (5) congressional districts. It has 1,720 barangays.

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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.

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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.

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Language / Dialect

Hiligaynon (Ilonggo) is the main dialect spoken in Iloilo. English and Tagalog are also widely spoken and understood especially in urban areas.

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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.

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How to Get There

Travel to Iloilo in style. By plane, it takes 55 minutes from Manila, about 25 minutes from Cebu from where one can connect to other destinations in the country.

By boat, it takes 20 hours at most from Iloilo to Manila. From Zamboanga, 16 hours; Cagayan de Oro, 14 hours; Cebu, 12 hours. Bacolod City is a one-hour trip many times daily. To Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, it takes 38 hours, three times a month.

Iloilo is also accessible by land transportation to and from Aklan, Capiz, and Antique. It takes 20 min. by pumpboat or 30 min. by ferry ride or RO-RO to the island province of Guimaras.

Fastcrafts operated by the Phil. Fast Ferry Corp., Weesam Express, Bullet Express, and Royal Ferry Services serve the connection between Iloilo and Bacolod City on a daily basis.

Iloilo can now be reached through President Arroyo’s Strong Republic Nautical Highway in around 19 hours from Manila.

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