Iloilo City

Iloilo City
Highly urbanized city
Skyline of Mandurriao district Calle Real Molo Church Jaro Belfry Arroyo Fountain Molo Mansion Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral Lopez Heritage House
Flag Seal Logo
Nickname(s):  City of Love and others
Motto(s):  La Muy Leal y Noble Ciudad de Iloílo (transl. The Most Loyal and Noble City of Iloilo)
Map of Western Visayas particularly Iloilo with Iloilo City highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Iloilo City Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°43′N 122°34′E
Country	Philippines
Region	Western Visayas
Province	Iloilo (geographically only)
District	Lone district
Founded	1566 (Spanish settlement)
Cityhood	October 5, 1889
Reincorporated	July 16, 1937
Highly urbanized city	December 22, 1979
Barangays	180 (see Barangays and districts)
City geographical districts	List Arevalo City Proper Jaro La Paz Lapuz Mandurriao Molo
Government
• Type	Sangguniang Panlungsod
• Mayor	Jerry P. Treñas (NUP)
• Vice Mayor	Jeffrey P. Ganzon (PFP)
• City Representative	Julienne L. Baronda (Lakas-CMD)
• City Council	Members Sedfrey L. Cabaluna Jose Maria Miguel S. Treñas Alan A. Zaldivar Frances Grace V. Parcon-Torres Urminico M. Baronda Jr. Rudolph Jeffrey O. Ganzon Rex Marcus B. Sarabia Candice Magdalane A. Tupas Johnny Y. Young Romel D. Duron Ely A. Estante Jr. Plaridel C. Nava
• Electorate	330,470 voters (2022)
Area
• City	78.34 km2 (30.25 sq mi)
• Urban	91 km2 (35 sq mi)
• Metro	1,105.53 km2 (426.85 sq mi)
Elevation	21 m (69 ft)
Highest elevation	175 m (574 ft)
Lowest elevation	−1 m (−3 ft)
Population  (2020 census)
• City	457,626
• Density	5,800/km2 (15,000/sq mi)
• Urban	574,000
• Metro	1,007,945
• Metro density	910/km2 (2,400/sq mi)
• Households	104,313
Demonym(s)	Ilonggo (masculine) Ilongga (feminine)
Economy
• Gross domestic product (GDP)	₱145.05 billion (2022) $2.563 billion (2022)
• Income class	1st city income class
• Poverty incidence	3.30 % (2021)
• Revenue	₱ 4,143 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 11,768 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 3,294 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 2,713 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Monte Oro Resource Electric and Power Corporation (MORE)
• Water	Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	5000
PSGC	063022000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)33
Native languages	Hiligaynon/Ilonggo
Catholic diocese	Archdiocese of Jaro
Patron saint	Nuestra Señora de la Purificación y la Candelaria (English: Our Lady of Purification and Candle)
Website	iloilocity.gov.ph

Iloilo City, officially the City of Iloilo (Hiligaynon: Dakbanwa sang Iloilo; Filipino: Lungsod ng Iloilo), is a highly urbanized city in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines, located on the southeastern coast of the island of Panay. According to the 2020 census, Iloilo City has a population of 457,626 people, making it the most populous city in Western Visayas. For the metropolitan area, the total population is 1,007,945 people.

The city is a conglomeration of former towns, now organized into seven geographical or administrative districts: the City Proper, Jaro, Molo, Mandurriao, La Paz, Arevalo, and Lapuz. It is the largest city and capital of Iloilo province, where the city is geographically situated and grouped under the Philippine Statistics Authority, but remains politically independent in terms of government and administration. In addition, it is the center of the Iloilo–Guimaras metropolitan area, as well as the regional center of the Western Visayas region. The city serves as the regional hub for trade, commerce, industry, education, religion, healthcare, tourism, culture, and culinary arts.

In 1566, the Spanish settled in Iloilo, establishing it as the second Spanish colonial center in the Philippines after Cebu. The city was bestowed with the honorific title 'La Muy Leal y Noble Ciudad' (Most Loyal and Noble City) by Queen Regent Maria Cristina of Spain in recognition of its loyalty to the Spanish crown during the Philippine Revolution. Iloilo City served as the last capital of the captaincy general of the Spanish East Indies before the Philippines was ceded to the United States in 1898 through the Treaty of Paris. The city was also the capital of the short-lived Federal State of the Visayas, a revolutionary state in the central Philippines that aimed to promote federalism in the country. At the turn of the 20th century, Iloilo City was second only to Manila in economic importance in the Philippines, with its port open to international trade.

Iloilo City is among the fastest-developing cities in the Philippines, experiencing significant annual growth since the redevelopment of the old airport in Mandurriao. The IT-BPM industry in the city continues to thrive and remains in high demand. It has been recognized as a top location for outsourcing expansion outside Metro Manila and is the third-largest hub for the industry in the country.

Etymology

See also: Nicknames of Iloilo City

The name "Iloilo" is derived from the older name "Irong-irong" (Philippine Spanish: Ilong̃-ílong̃) meaning "nose-like", referring to the promontory between two rivers (Iloilo and Batiano) where the Fort San Pedro and the 17th-century Spanish port were located.

History

Pre-colonial period

See also: Hinilawod

Images from the Boxer Codex (c. 1595), illustrating ancient Visayans

The territorial expansion of Iloilo City.

Little is known historically about the region prior to the arrival of the Spanish. In his work Historia natural del sitio, fertilidad y calidad de las Islas e Indios de Bisayas (1668), Jesuit missionary Francisco Ignacio Alcina identifies the origin of the Hiligaynon people of "Oton" (Panay) as the island of Leyte, a claim that aligns with the linguistic subgrouping of the Hiligaynon language.

Numerous legends recount the origins of the Hiligaynon people. One prominent example is the epic Maragtas by Pedro Monteclaro, first published in 1907. It narrates how ten datudatu and their families, led by Datu Puti, fled the tyrannical rule of Sultan Makatunaw in the "kingdom of Borneo" and arrived on the island of Panay. There, they negotiated the purchase of the lowlands from King Marikudo of the Ati people, offering a golden salakot for Marikudo and a long golden necklace for his queen, Maniwan-tiwan. A pact of friendship was forged, marked by the Atis performing their native songs and dances—an event said to be the origin of the Ati-Atihan Festival. According to an account by Augustinian Friar Rev. Fr. Tomas Santaren from the Spanish era, Datu Macatunao (or Rajah Makatunao), a "sultan of the Moros" and relative of Datu Puti, had seized the properties of the ten datus. Warriors Labaodungon and Paybare, informed of this injustice by their father-in-law Paiburong (Datu of Iloilo), sailed to Odtojan in Borneo, where Makatunaw ruled. They sacked the city, killed Makatunaw and his family, retrieved the stolen goods, enslaved the surviving population, and returned to Panay. Labaw Donggon and his wife, Ojaytanayon, later settled in a place called Moroboro. The Maragtas also describes subsequent settlements by "Malay datus" in other parts of the Visayas and Luzon.

Though once widely accepted and included in school textbooks, Maragtas (along with the Code of Kalantiaw) is now considered an early 20th-century hoax by modern scholars. Historian William Henry Scott challenged its historicity in 1968, successfully defending his critique before a panel of Filipino history experts, including Gregorio Zaide, Teodoro Agoncillo, some of whom had previously endorsed its inclusion in historical narratives.

A 2019 thesis, Mga Maragtas ng Panay: Comparative Analysis of Documents about the Bornean Settlement Tradition by Talaguit, uncovered an earlier account of the Bornean migration myth by Rev. Fr. Tomas Santaren. Published in 1902 as an appendix to Igorrotes: estudio geográfico y etnográfico sobre algunos distritos del norte de Luzon by Fr. Angel Perez, Santaren’s Bisayan Accounts of Early Bornean Settlements largely corroborates Monteclaro’s narrative. Santaren claimed his account was a direct Spanish translation of two manuscripts he acquired from locals in Iloilo after 1858, when he was stationed there. However, these manuscripts, written in romanized Hiligaynon, likely date to the colonial era, as pre-colonial Visayans relied on oral tradition rather than written records. Thus, while Maragtas may reflect elements of local folk history, it is unlikely to be a pre-colonial document and is not regarded as authentic history but rather a blend of tradition and invention.

Yuan Dynasty records from the 1300s mention Iloilo’s current town of Oton, referred to in Hokkien Chinese: 啞陳; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: A-tân. Additionally, Friar Gaspar de San Agustín, O.S.A., noted that in ancient times, Panay housed a trading center and a court of the island’s most illustrious nobility.

Spanish colonial period (1571-1898)

Early Spanish colonial period

Charles V of Spain.

In 1519, King Charles I of Spain, who ruled over numerous Catholic kingdoms and territories—including Spain, Germany, the Holy Roman Empire, and vast regions across Europe and the Americas—commissioned Ferdinand Magellan to circumnavigate the globe and establish trade routes to the Spice Islands. Departing from Seville in 1519 with five ships and 270 men, Magellan’s expedition crossed the calm Pacific Ocean by 1520. On March 17, 1521, they sighted the mountains of Samar and Leyte, naming the area "Las Velas" (The Sails). The crew disembarked on the uninhabited Homonhon Island, calling it "Buenas Señales" (Good Signs) as they replenished food and water after the long voyage. Navigating the Strait of Siargao, they landed on Limasawa Island, where locals received them peacefully. The Spaniards planted a cross on a hill and celebrated the first Mass, marking the site as the first Spanish settlement and the birthplace of Christianity in the Philippines. The Limasawa prince introduced them to the King of Butuan, who welcomed them on April 8, 1521. Magellan named the newly discovered archipelago "Las Islas de San Lázaro."

By April 7, 1521, Magellan reached Sugbu (Cebu), where Datu Zula of Mactan sent him two goats. On April 26, Zula informed Magellan that he could not fulfill further promises due to resistance from Lapu Lapu, another Mactan chief who refused to obey the Spanish king. Rajah Humabon of Sugbu tricked Magellan into attacking Lapu-Lapu. During the ensuing battle, Magellan was struck by a poisoned arrow and killed as his men retreated to their ships. The next day, Humabon invited the Spaniards to a banquet, where 27 sailors were poisoned. Humabon later restored friendly relations with Lapu-Lapu, his wife’s uncle.

In 1565, under Philip II, Miguel López de Legazpi returned from Mexico to Cebu to avenge Magellan’s death. His forces pillaged and burned Cebu for days, forcing the Cebuanos to retreat from the heavily armored Spanish Tercios—infantry units comprising alabardero, alférez with a sword, and Arcabucero with gunpowder. Seeking food, Legazpi sent Felipe de Salcedo, accompanied by Friar Martín de Rada and other Augustinian missionaries, to Iloilo. They established a temporary settlement in Araut (Dumangas) in 1566 before founding a permanent settlement between Ogtong (Oton) and La Villa Rica de Arevalo. Officially established in 1572, Oton became the second Spanish colonial outpost after Cebu. The settlement initially comprised 80 Spaniards from Europe, reinforced over the years by Mexican soldiers: 66 in 1603, 50 in 1636, 169 in 1670, and another 169 in 1672. By 1586, it welcomed 20 Spanish households and an additional 30 Spanish and/or Mexican soldiers. By the 1700s, Iloilo was home to 166 Spanish Filipino families and 29,723 native families.

Unlike the neutral Indianized Cebuanos or the partially Islamized Tagalogs of Manila, who were often hostile, the people of Madja-as welcomed the Spaniards as allies. At the time, Madja-as was engaged in a war against Muslim forces, particularly the Sultanate of Brunei and its vassals, the Sultanate of Sulu and the Kingdom of Maynila—entities Spanish Governor-General Francisco de Sande described as "blood-cousins" of the Visayans. The locals enthusiastically embraced Christianity and provided mercenaries crucial to the Spanish conquest of Manila, whose rulers were tied to Brunei.

The Spaniards observed that Visayan pirates were fiercer than the Mohammedans of Jolo and Mindanao. After the harvest, these pirates embarked on year-long raids, hunting slaves and attacking settlements. Those not living near rivers conducted raids from February to April and October to November, penetrating deep into island interiors and sacking villages—a practice termed panggubat (raiding). However, with Christianization and Hispanization, the Visayans abandoned piracy, slaving, and raiding, transitioning into soldiers or farmers.

In 1581, due to frequent attacks by Moro pirates and Dutch and English privateers, Ronquillo relocated the colonial center 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) eastward from Oton to La Villa Rica de Arévalo, named after his hometown in Ávila, Spain. He settled Spanish and Mexican soldiers there as the first colonists while Chinese traders established themselves in Parián (Molo). Jaro also became a hub for mestizos, La Paz attracted devotees to the Mexican-made image of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, and Mandurriao hosted a growing Indian community near the Nanak Darbar Sikh Temple.

Initially, the Manila Galleons—massive trade ships—were constructed at Oton’s port. As Spain lacked a precedent for such vessels, their design likely evolved from the Visayans’ multi-masted caracoas, used in regional warfare, combined with Spanish shipbuilding techniques. Oton built the first galleons before operations shifted to Bicol and Cavite.

1600s–1700s

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.

In 1600, a massive Muslim attack targeted Iloilo City with 70 ships and 4,000 warriors, raiding multiple Visayan islands for slaves. A force of 1,000 Visayan warriors and 70 Mexican arquebusiers, led by Spanish alcalde mayor Don Juan Garcia de Sierra (who died in battle), repelled the assault. As Moro incursions intensified late in the 16th century, the Spanish bolstered Visayan defenses with a fort at Iloilo, garrisoned by two companies of Mexican soldiers.

In 1635, Christian Visayans from Iloilo, alongside Spanish officers and Peruvian Latino soldiers, established Zamboanga as a fortress to curb Moro raids in the Visayas and as a base for campaigns into Muslim Mindanao.

By 1700, escalating attacks from the Dutch and Moros prompted the Spanish to relocate their seat 25 kilometers eastward to Irong-Irong, a village with natural defenses at the mouth of a snaking river. There, they built the Fortificación de Nuestra Señora del Rosario en el Puerto de Yloylo, Provincia de Oton (now Fort San Pedro) to protect against raids—the only remaining threat to their control. Irong-Irong, shortened to Iloilo, soon became the provincial capital.

Sugar boom era and the late Spanish colonial period (1800s)

Aduana de Iloilo is the second-largest customs house in the Philippines after the Aduana de Manila in Intramuros.

Spanish colonial authorities in Iloilo permitted Chinese migrants to work in local industries (e.g., the Locsin, Lopez, Jalandoni, Lim, and Sy families) and Latin Americans from New Spain to staff military fortifications (e.g., the Araneta, De Rama, and Arroyo families). In the late 18th century, a large-scale weaving industry spurred Iloilo’s trade surge in the Visayas, earning it the nickname "Textile Capital of the Philippines." Products like sinamay, piña, and jusi were exported to Manila and abroad, fostering the rise of an upper-middle class. However, the industry declined in the mid-19th century due to cheap British textiles and the shift to a sugar-based economy.

Mansion de Lopez (Nelly's Garden), which is regaled as the 'queen of all heritage houses in Iloilo', is one of the grand mansions in the heritage district of Jaro that resulted from the sugar boom.

The opening of Iloilo’s port to the world market in 1855 replaced the waning textile trade, connecting local industry and agriculture directly to global commerce. The sugar industry’s development in Iloilo and nearby Negros, fueled by high global demand, triggered an economic boom. British vice-consul Nicholas Loney advanced the sector with loans, warehouses, and new farming technologies. Wealthy Iloilo families established vast sugar haciendas in Negros, boosting commercial activity and leading to the construction of infrastructures, banks, recreational facilities, educational institutions, foreign consulates, and more.

City Status

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.

On October 5, 1889, a royal decree elevated Iloilo from a town to a city, reflecting its growing commerce and industry, making it second only to Manila in importance. Through the Becerra Law of 1889, the ayuntamiento of Iloilo was established on January 7, 1890, inaugurated by former Governor-General Valeriano Weyler. Iloilo thus became the second-most significant city in the archipelago by the end of Spanish rule.

The Revolutionary Period (1896)

Further information: Philippine Revolution

The outbreak of the 1896 rebellion in Manila stunned the Ilonggo elite, who responded with outrage and reaffirmed their loyalty to Spain. During the first two years of the revolutionary period, Ilonggos remained united in their support for the Spanish Crown.

On September 1, 1896, the Jaro Ayuntamiento, composed of native Ilonggos, held a special session condemning the Manila uprising as unpatriotic, declaring it found "no echo in the noble hearts of Jareños," who credited Spain with raising them "from nothing to a life of civilization and progress." The Iloilo Ayuntamiento similarly protested, asserting that Ilonggos were "Spaniards until death," proud to live under the Castilian standard that granted them dignity and freedom. Foreign residents and Filipino priests from Jaro, Molo, Mandurriao, and Arévalo echoed these sentiments, as did towns across Iloilo, Capiz, Antique, and Negros.

Seminario de San Vicente Ferrer in Jaro, 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.

This loyalty spurred the Ilonggo elite to organize volunteers to suppress the Tagalog-led rebellion, a move supported by Spanish and foreign communities. A 500-strong battalion of native volunteers, split into two companies under mostly Spanish officers, arrived in Manila on January 16, 1897. They earned a distinguished combat record in Cavite against Emilio Aguinaldo’s Katipunan forces. After the Pact of Biak-na-Bato, they returned to Iloilo in April 1898 amid fanfare, further fueling public displays of loyalty to Spain.

On March 1, 1898, Queen Regent Maria Cristina granted Iloilo the perpetual title of Muy Noble (Most Noble) for its steadfast allegiance. This honor, alongside its status as the second Spanish port after Manila, earned Iloilo the moniker "Queen’s Favored City in the South" or "Queen’s City in the South."

After the Spanish defeat at the Battle of Manila Bay in the Spanish–American War, the capital of the Spanish East Indies shifted to Iloilo, with General Diego de los Rios as Governor-General. As a truce held pending peace talks in Paris, Aguinaldo sent Tagalog revolutionaries to Panay to incite rebellion. By October 1898, General Martín Delgado secured most of Panay—except Iloilo City Proper, Jaro, La Paz, and Molo—for the revolutionary cause. By December, de los Rios controlled only the city and port.

Modern day Plaza Libertad (formerly Plaza Alfonso XII [El Duodécimo]), with the Iloilo City Hall in the background.

On December 25, 1898, fifteen days after the Treaty of Paris, Spanish forces surrendered at Plaza Alfonso XII (now Plaza Libertad) to Delgado, representing Aguinaldo’s Philippine Republic. Military Provincial Governor Ricardo Monet and Lt. Col. Agustín Solís handed over the plaza, and Delgado was appointed provincial governor, marking Iloilo as the last Spanish capital in Asia and the Pacific.

The Ilonggos’ newfound freedom was fleeting. On December 27, American forces under General Marcus P. Miller arrived with 3,000 troops and two ships to claim the territory per the Treaty of Paris. On December 2, the Federal State of the Visayas was established, uniting the cantonal governments of Bohol and Negros and the Provisional Government of Panay and Romblon. Modeled after United States federalism and Swiss confederacy, it was led by Roque Lopez, with Iloilo City as its capital. However, it was abolished a year later by Emilio Aguinaldo, as part of efforts to consolidate power under the central government during the Philippine Revolution.

American colonial period (1898-1946)

Filipino–American War

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.

After the Spanish withdrawal, revolutionary forces entered Iloilo amid music and banners, forming a government. On January 17, 1899, Raymundo Melliza, from a prominent Molo family, was elected mayor. However, Aguinaldo’s influence barely extended beyond a day’s march from the capital. American forces awaited orders from Manila, reinforcing their presence with two additional ships.

Hostilities erupted between Aguinaldo’s forces and the Americans in Luzon on February 4, 1899. Miller demanded Iloilo’s surrender on February 7, threatening bombardment by February 12 if refused. As tensions rose, the 1,650 native troops under Delgado grew unruly, demanding higher pay. To prevent mutiny and looting, generals collected funds from Panay towns. Fearful residents and Chinese merchants shuttered stores, while prominent families fled to Negros under the Philippine flag, unhindered by American ships.

Sailing ships at the Muelle Loney wharf of Iloilo City, circa 1920s to 1930s.

On February 10, an emergency session at City Hall debated burning Iloilo to resist the Americans. Despite the mayor’s objections, the majority—led by those without property stakes and backed by Tagalog mercenaries—favored destruction. On February 11, American shelling began, damaging buildings, while retreating native troops and a mob torched petroleum-soaked houses. Chinese bazaars burned despite barricades, and Europeans bribed rioters for safety. British warships sent marines ashore to protect foreign properties. By 1 p.m., American troops landed, restored order, and posted sentinels to guard remaining goods. Indemnity claims later submitted to U.S. authorities were rejected. Resistance persisted until 1901, making Iloilo one of the last cities to fall. Many leaders, including Delgado, surrendered and reintegrated, with Delgado serving as governor from 1901 to 1904 under American rule, earning $3,000 annually—the highest gubernatorial salary in the archipelago.

Birds-eye view of Iloilo Harbor, circa 1920s to 1930s.

By April 11, 1901, local governments were established in various Iloilo towns, with appointed officials like Jose Maria Gay (Iloilo alcalde) and Ruperto Montinola (Jaro representative). Judge Juan de León y Benedicto noted rivalries among Iloilo, Jaro, and Molo, recommending mergers like Arevalo with Molo and La Paz with Jaro. The region’s population reached 100,000. The revolution and war revealed Aguinaldo’s government as ineffective in Panay. Educated Ilonggos saw absolute independence as premature, resenting Tagalog dominance and the brutal conduct of Tagalog troops under leaders like Ananias Diocno, whose harsh campaigns in Capiz and Iloilo deepened regional divisions.

American colonial era and advent of Protestantism and counter-reformation (1900–1941)

Aerial view of Iloilo, circa early 1900s.

In 1900, the Americans downgraded Iloilo’s city status to a township. By 1903, Act No. 719 incorporated Jaro, La Paz, Mandurriao, and Molo into Iloilo. Pavia joined in 1905 via Act No. 1333 but was separated, along with Jaro, in 1907 by Executive Order No. 64. La Paz became a separate municipality in 1920.

A market in Iloilo, in the 1910s.

The Americans improved infrastructure, building Baluarte and Arroyo streets, extending Delgado Street, and paving Quezon and Mabini streets with sidewalks. Streetlights were installed citywide in 1921, and by 1926, major streets like General Luna and J.M. Basa were widened. In 1927, Valeria-Ledesma Street was inaugurated.

The Americans introduced Protestantism, dividing the Philippines among denominations via a 1898 comity agreement. Iloilo, a key economic hub, attracted early Protestant missions. Presbyterians founded the Iloilo Mission Hospital, the first Protestant and American hospital in the country. Baptists established Central Philippine University (CPU) in 1905—the first Baptist-founded and second American university in Asia—along with the Jaro Evangelical Church and the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches. Seventh-day Adventists later built the Jaro Adventist Center. CPU, funded by John D. Rockefeller, pioneered the work-study program and established the CPU Republic in 1906, the oldest student government in Southeast Asia. The Union Mission Hospital, launched by Presbyterians in 1901, became the Iloilo Mission Hospital in 1932, pioneering nursing education.

Catholic responses included American bishops like Frederick Rooker and Dennis Dougherty for the See of Jaro, who brought in European missionaries. Augustinians founded the Collegio de San Agustín in 1904 (later a university), while the Sisters of Charity of St. Paul took over St. Paul Hospital, opening a nursing school that became St. Paul University Iloilo. The Thomasites established public schools like Iloilo Normal School (now West Visayas State University) and Iloilo National High School.

Iloilo regained cityhood on July 16, 1937, via Commonwealth Act No. 158, incorporating La Paz and Arevalo, with Jaro added in 1941 by Commonwealth Act No. 604.

• 
  Iloilo Mission Hospital, founded in 1901, is the first American and Protestant founded hospital in the Philippines.
• 
  Colegio de San Agustín, was built to counter Protestantism by Spanish Roman Catholic Augustinian friars through their American confreres.
• 
  St. Paul's Hospital Iloilo is the oldest existing hospital under the Roman Catholic order in the Philippines.

Japanese occupation period (1942–1945)

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.

By 1942, the Japanese had invaded Panay, and the economy came to a standstill. During World War II, Iloilo was controlled by several Japanese battalions. Japan's ultimate goal was to entrench itself deeply in the Philippines so that, at the close of the war, it could occupy the country just as the Spanish and the Americans had years before. The Japanese built "comfort stations" in Iloilo in 1942, where they imprisoned Filipino "comfort women" who were routinely gang-raped, brutalized, and murdered for entertainment.

Nevertheless, during the Japanese occupation, Macario Peralta Jr. freed most of Panay (with few exceptions) from Japanese imperialism. As a result, allied guerrillas from other provinces, including Romblon, Palawan, Marinduque, and portions of Masbate and Mindoro, considered Panay , the "Primus inter pares" in their alliance network.

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, which was used as a makeshift detention facility.

Post-war decline

The war heavily damaged the infrastructure in Iloilo. However, the continuing conflict between labor unions in the port area, the declining sugar economy, and the deteriorating peace and order situation in the countryside led to the exodus of Ilonggos to other cities, provinces, regions, and islands that offered better opportunities and business prospects. People were moving to cities such as Bacolod, Cebu, and Manila, which contributed to Iloilo's decline in economic importance in central Philippines. Rural agricultural areas continued to support the local economy, but for years, due to the exodus of investors, Iloilo's economy progressed at a moderate pace.

Change came slowly. First, the construction of a fishing port and a new international seaport began. One by one, commercial business firms started investing in Iloilo, spurring the city's eventual recovery.

Iloilo became a highly urbanized city on December 22, 1979, by virtue of Batas Pambansa Blg. 51. As a result of this new status, its residents effectively lost their eligibility to vote for provincial officials.

Iloilo during the Marcos dictatorship

Main articles: Marcos dictatorship and Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship

The closing weeks of 1969 marked the beginning of a period of unrest in the Philippines. The debt-driven projects initiated by Ferdinand Marcos had succeeded in the political goal of getting him re-elected, but they resulted in the 1969 Philippine balance of payments crisis, which emerged just after the elections in November 1969. By the time of his second inauguration on December 30, 1969, the value of the peso had begun to crash, and inflation led to the three-month period of social unrest now known as the First Quarter Storm. While major protests took place in the Philippine capital, Manila, protests also rocked Iloilo City. Students from the Baptist-founded Central Philippine University (and the nearby Western Institute of Technology in La Paz) became particularly active leaders in these protests, organizing themselves into the Federation of Ilonggo Students (FIST). Among the student leaders in this organization were Vic Beloria, Renato Ganchero, Virgil Ortigas, and the brothers Napoleon and Rolando Lorca—who would later be forced into hiding following Marcos' declaration of martial law. They lost their lives resisting the dictatorship and were honored as martyrs of the fight against the Marcos regime, with their names inscribed on the wall at the Philippines' Bantayog ng mga Bayani (Heroes' Memorial). Another student similarly honored was Edmundo Legislador of the University of the Philippines Iloilo.

As he approached the end of the last term allowed to him by the Philippine Constitution, Marcos placed the Philippines under martial law in 1972. This marked the beginning of a 14-year period of one-man rule, historically remembered for its human rights abuses. According to documentation by Amnesty International, Task Force Detainees of the Philippines, and similar human rights monitoring entities, historians believe that the Marcos dictatorship was marked by 3,257 known extrajudicial killings, 35,000 instances of torture of political detainees, and 70,000 incarcerations.

Iloilo was home to one of the important detention centers for political prisoners, Camp Delgado. Among the more prominent prisoners detained there were labor lawyer Rodolfo Lagoc, who was detained without charges for six months, and World War II heroine Coronacion “Walingwaling” Chiva, whose status as a legendary World War II heroine was the main reason she was largely spared from harm during her detention. Others, like activists Luing Posa-Dominado and Judy Taguiwalo, were tortured, manhandled, and sexually assaulted. For their various roles in the resistance against the authoritarian regime, Lagoc, Chiva, and Posa-Dominado were later honored by having their names inscribed on the Wall of Remembrance at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani, which honors the martyrs and heroes of the era. Meanwhile, Taguiwalo later briefly served as the Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

21st century and economic boom

Iloilo Business Park in Mandurriao district

At the turn of the 21st century, Iloilo experienced an economic boom, driven by the acquisition of the old Iloilo Airport in Mandurriao district and the construction of the Iloilo Diversion Road that traverses the area, major businesses such as SM Supermalls, SM Prime Holdings, Megaworld Corporation, Ayala Corporation, Filinvest, and Gaisano Capital poured significant investments into the district. Robinsons Land, Cebu Landmasters, Vista Land, Sta. Lucia Land, and Global-Estate Resorts have also invested in various parts of the city. Since then, Iloilo City has become one of the fastest-growing economies in the Philippines.

In 2019, power distribution in Iloilo City underwent a significant change. Panay Electric Company (PECO), one of the oldest private electricity distributors in the Philippines, had facilitated power distribution since 1923. However, MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power), owned by Spanish-Filipino billionaire Enrique K. Razon, took over PECO's operations and now serves as the sole power distributor in the city. MORE Power is developing modern power services, including the installation of an underground cabling system, with Calle Real in downtown Iloilo City being the initial location for the upgrade.

In 2024, the Iloilo Commercial Port Complex was granted to International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) for development and management, and it was renamed the Visayas Container Terminal. The project includes modernizing the facility and expanding its international connectivity to enhance trade and market expansion in the central Philippines.

Geography

Aerial view of Iloilo City.

Iloilo City is situated on the southern shores of Panay, facing the Iloilo Strait and Guimaras to its south and east. This strategic location forms a natural harbor and a safe anchorage for ships. The city is bordered by the municipality of Oton to the west, Pavia to the north, and Leganes to the northeast. Across the Iloilo Strait, along its eastern and southern coastlines, lie the towns of Buenavista and Jordan in the island-province of Guimaras.

The city occupies a flat alluvial plain, largely reclaimed from swampy areas due to urbanization and industrialization from the late 19th century to the present. Several rivers traverse the city, including the Iloilo, Batiano, Jaro, and Dungon Creek. The Iloilo River, an estuary, separates the districts of City Proper, Molo, and Arevalo from the rest of the city. The Jaro River, meanwhile, is fed by its tributaries, the Aganan and Tigum rivers. Recently, the Jaro Floodway was developed as a new escape channel to divert floodwaters from these two rivers into the Iloilo Strait. Iloilo City lies 337.6 nautical miles (630 km) from Manila, 116 kilometres (72 mi) from Roxas City, 158 kilometres (98 mi) from Kalibo, and 97 kilometres (60 mi) from San Jose de Buenavista. It spans a total land area of 70.3 square kilometres (27.1 sq mi).

The city is divided into seven geographical districts: the City Proper, Jaro, Molo, Mandurriao, La Paz, Arevalo,and Lapuz. All districts, except Lapuz, were once independent towns; Lapuz was a sub-district of La Paz until it gained separate status in 2008. Each district features its own town center, equipped with a plaza, a Roman Catholic church, a fire station, a police station, and a public market. City Proper serves as the commercial hub and the political center of both the city and Iloilo Province, as well as the regional government center of Western Visayas.

Iloilo City anchors the only officially recognized metropolitan area in Western Visayas. The metropolitan area encompasses Iloilo City and the surrounding municipalities of Leganes, Pavia, Santa Barbara, Cabatuan, San Miguel, and Oton, along with the island-province of Guimaras and its five municipalities: Sibunag, San Lorenzo, Nueva Valencia, Buenavista, and Jordan.

Barangays and districts

Main article: Districts of Iloilo City

District map of Iloilo City showing its seven districts.

Iloilo City is politically subdivided into 180 barangays, the smallest administrative units in the Philippines. Each barangay is further divided into puroks, and some contain sitios.

For legislative purposes, the city constitutes a single congressional district. Administratively, it is divided into seven districts, each of which is subdivided into barangays, totaling 180 across the city.

District Area Population (2020) Density Barangays km2 sq mi /km2 /sq mi Arevalo 7.58 2.93 55,476 7,300 19,000 13 (list) City Proper 3.73 1.44 46,350 12,000 31,000 45 (list) Jaro 27.48 10.61 130,700 4,800 12,000 42 (list) La Paz 11.33 4.37 54,720 4,800 12,000 25 (list) Lapuz 3.25 1.25 31,747 9,800 25,000 12 (list) Mandurriao 13.78 5.32 62,240 4,500 12,000 18 (list) Molo 5.54 2.14 76,393 14,000 36,000 25 (list)

Climate

Iloilo City has a tropical wet and dry climate as according to the Köppen climate classification system, with pronounced wet season from June throughout November; then dry season from December to May.

Climate data for Iloilo, Philippines (1961–1990, extremes 1903–2012)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	34.7 (94.5)	35.5 (95.9)	39.0 (102.2)	37.5 (99.5)	37.8 (100.0)	37.5 (99.5)	35.2 (95.4)	34.8 (94.6)	37.8 (100.0)	35.4 (95.7)	34.8 (94.6)	34.5 (94.1)	39.0 (102.2)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	29.7 (85.5)	30.2 (86.4)	31.7 (89.1)	33.1 (91.6)	33.1 (91.6)	31.6 (88.9)	30.7 (87.3)	30.4 (86.7)	30.8 (87.4)	31.1 (88.0)	30.9 (87.6)	30.2 (86.4)	31.1 (88.0)
Daily mean °C (°F)	26.1 (79.0)	26.5 (79.7)	27.6 (81.7)	28.9 (84.0)	29.1 (84.4)	28.1 (82.6)	27.6 (81.7)	27.5 (81.5)	27.6 (81.7)	27.7 (81.9)	27.5 (81.5)	26.8 (80.2)	27.6 (81.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	22.7 (72.9)	22.7 (72.9)	23.5 (74.3)	24.6 (76.3)	25.1 (77.2)	24.7 (76.5)	24.4 (75.9)	24.5 (76.1)	24.4 (75.9)	24.2 (75.6)	24.0 (75.2)	23.4 (74.1)	24.0 (75.2)
Record low °C (°F)	16.5 (61.7)	16.7 (62.1)	18.6 (65.5)	20.0 (68.0)	20.2 (68.4)	21.0 (69.8)	19.5 (67.1)	20.0 (68.0)	19.8 (67.6)	19.2 (66.6)	19.4 (66.9)	18.3 (64.9)	16.5 (61.7)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	39.9 (1.57)	19.1 (0.75)	27.1 (1.07)	47.7 (1.88)	117.9 (4.64)	255.2 (10.05)	313.2 (12.33)	363.7 (14.32)	266.8 (10.50)	264.1 (10.40)	174.8 (6.88)	64.2 (2.53)	1,953.7 (76.92)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm)	11	7	7	6	14	18	21	20	19	18	15	14	170
Average relative humidity (%)	82	80	75	73	77	82	85	85	85	84	84	83	81
Source 1: Climate Charts
Source 2: Deutscher Wetterdienst (rainy days), PAGASA (records)

Demographics

Population census of Iloilo City

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1903	52,472	—
1918	77,925	+2.67%
1939	116,277	+1.92%
1948	110,122	−0.60%
1960	151,266	+2.68%
1970	209,738	+3.32%
1975	227,027	+1.60%
1980	244,827	+1.52%
1990	309,505	+2.37%
1995	334,539	+1.47%
2000	366,391	+1.97%
2007	418,710	+1.86%
2010	424,619	+0.51%
2015	447,992	+1.03%
2020	457,626	+0.42%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

According to the 2020 Philippine census, Iloilo City has a population of 456,626, making it the 25th most populous city in the Philippines and the fourth most populous city in the Visayas. The population consists of 224,203 males (49.1%) and 232,423 females (50.9%). It has a population density of 5,842/km² (15,130/sq mi).

Language

Main article: Hiligaynon language

Hiligaynon is the predominant language spoken in Iloilo City. English serves as the primary language for business and education. Other local languages, such as Karay-a (also known as Kinaray-a or the outdated term Haraya), are spoken by a minority from certain parts of Iloilo Province. Spanish, once widely used during the colonial era and into the 1980s, is now fading, though a broken Spanish creole persists among a few families of Spanish descent and elderly sugar barons.

Hiligaynon, part of the Visayan language family within the Malayo-Polynesian languages, is prevalent across Panay, Guimaras, and Negros islands. It is also the main language in Soccsksargen, Mindanao, where most residents trace their ancestry to Hiligaynon speakers. Due to Iloilo’s 300-year history as a Spanish colony, Hiligaynon incorporates numerous Spanish loanwords, such as guerra (war), puerta (door), golpe (strike), aguanta (endure), puerto (port), calle (street), and edificio (building). The language is concentrated in the provinces of Iloilo, Guimaras, and Negros Occidental. In Iloilo and Negros Occidental, it is often referred to as "Ilonggo" (Spanish: Ilongo/Ylongo), a term that also denotes the ethnolinguistic group and cultural identity of native Hiligaynon speakers in Iloilo. The distinction between "Hiligaynon" and "Ilonggo" remains ambiguous, with many locals describing Hiligaynon as the language and Ilonggo as the identity or culture tied to Iloilo.

Religion

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.

Iloilo City is a significant religious center in the Philippines, shaped by 300 years of Spanish colonization that established a predominantly Catholic population. Over 90 percent of residents adhere to the Roman Catholic Church, with Protestant denominations (5 percent), Iglesia ni Cristo (2 percent), and the Philippine Independent Church or Aglipayans (1 percent)—a form of Episcopal Anglo-Catholicism—representing notable minorities.

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.

Jaro has long been a hub of Christian institutions. The Spanish introduced Roman Catholicism, establishing the Archdiocese of Jaro, while American colonial rule brought Protestantism, leading to the founding of key institutions. The Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral, designated a National Shrine—the second in Visayas and Mindanao and the first Marian-dedicated shrine outside Luzon—is the seat of the Archdiocese of Jaro and a focal point for devotion to Our Lady of Candles, the patroness of Western Visayas and Romblon, alongside Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. The archdiocese, one of the country’s oldest and largest, began as a parish in 1587, covering Cabatuan, and Maasin. It became a diocese in 1865 under Pope Pius IX, with jurisdiction over suffragan bishops in Mindoro, Palawan, Zamboanga, Iloilo Province, Negros Oriental, Guimaras, San Jose de Buenavista, Capiz, Bacolod, San Carlos, and Kabankalan. Elevated to a metropolitan archdiocese by Pope Pius XII, it later ceded territory to form the dioceses of Zamboanga (1910), Bacolod (1932), Mindoro (1936), Capiz (1951), and the Territorial Prelature of San Jose de Antique (1962), though the latter remains partially under its purview.

Jaro Evangelical Church, the First Baptist Church in the Philippines (first Protestant church outside Manila).

The Church of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in La Paz serves as the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Iloilo for the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Aglipayan Church). Protestantism, introduced by Americans after the 1898 Treaty of Paris, grew due to Iloilo’s economic prominence in the early 1900s and the religious freedom upheld by the American colonial government. Presbyterians established the Iloilo Mission Hospital in 1901, the first American and Protestant hospital in the Philippines. Baptists founded the Jaro Evangelical Church in 1900—the first Baptist and second Protestant church in the country after Manila’s Central United Methodist Church—the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches, and Central Philippine University in 1905, funded by John D. Rockefeller, marking it as the first Baptist and second American university in Asia. Seventh-day Adventists, arriving later outside the early Protestant comity agreement, established the Jaro Adventist Center, the first organized Adventist church outside Manila. Other Christian groups, such as Iglesia ni Cristo and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have a presence, alongside non-Christian communities including Muslims from southern Philippines, Sikhs from Indian immigrants, and Taoists and Buddhists from Chinese immigrants.

• 
  Jaro Cathedral is the seat of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro.
• 
  San Jose Church is regarded as the first ever church in Iloilo City.
• 
  Molo Church is the only Gothic-style church outside Metro Manila.
• 
  Arevalo Church is home to the Santo Niño de Arevalo, the third oldest image of the Holy Child in the Philippines.

Economy

Skyline of Mandurriao, the new central business district of Iloilo City.

Iloilo City has the second-largest economy in the Visayas, after Cebu City, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of ₱145.05 billion in 2022. It serves as the economic hub of Western Visayas for trade, commerce, finance, technology, medical tourism, hospitality, real estate, tourism, education, and industry. Key sectors include port management, telecommunications, utilities, banking, retail, real estate, tourism, and business process outsourcing (BPO). The local government supports economic growth by offering incentives such as income tax holidays and free permits and licenses to businesses in targeted investment areas.

Historically, Iloilo’s economy thrived during the Spanish colonial period, when sugar was its primary export. The opening of its port to international trade in 1855 fueled a sugar boom, generating immense wealth and establishing affluent families—such as Lacson, Locsin, Ledesma, Montinola, and Lopez—whose legacies endure today. This prosperity positioned Iloilo as the Philippines’ second-most important economic center after Manila. However, post-World War II, the sugar industry declined, diminishing the city’s economic stature.

Poverty incidence of Iloilo City

2.5 5 7.5 10 12.5 15 2000 10.67 2003 9.70 2006 4.90 2009 7.57 2012 5.98 2015 13.51 2018 3.48 2021 3.30 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

A resurgence began in the 21st century, catalyzed by the opening of the Iloilo International Airport in 2007, which replaced the old Mandurriao airport. Now the fifth-busiest airport in the Philippines, it spurred development, including Megaworld Corporation’s transformation of the decommissioned airport site into a business park. This, alongside investments from other developers, revitalized the economy. Today, Iloilo leads Western Visayas in bank savings deposits and accounts (ranking third nationally), boasts one of the country’s busiest ports with the Port of Iloilo, and has the lowest crime rate and corruption levels nationwide. It also has the highest life expectancy in Visayas and Mindanao, a significant middle-class population, tops the national happiness index, and is recognized as the most business-friendly city.

SM Strata houses IT-BPO companies like Teletech, EXL Service, Hinduja, and Legato Health.

In 2023, Iloilo City’s economy grew by 10.5 percent, the fastest in Western Visayas and the second-fastest among highly urbanized cities (HUCs) in the Philippines, with its gross domestic product (GDP) rising from ₱145.05 billion in 2022 to ₱160.28 billion. The service sector dominates with an 87.7 percent GDP share, led by wholesale and retail trade (contributing 2.3 percentage points to growth), alongside banking and IT-BPO, while industry accounts for 9.9 percent and agriculture, forestry, and fishing 2.4 percent. Key industries like accommodation and food services (48.3 percent growth) and transportation and storage (18.9 percent).

Stronghold Insurance Corporate Office

The banking sector, tracing back to the Spanish-era sugar boom when Banco Español-Filipino (now Bank of the Philippine Islands) and Philippine National Bank opened their first branches outside Manila, ranks third nationally in deposits, fueled by OFW remittances, local industries, and IT-BPO growth; it hosts LifeBank MFI, the country’s third-largest microfinance institution, and Queen City Development Bank, both headquartered locally. The IT-BPO and knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) sectors thrive, leveraging high literacy and English proficiency, with Megaworld’s Iloilo Business Park hosting firms like Transcom Asia, StarTek, and Reed Elsevier, supported by annual IT graduates from various universities in the city.

Tourism

Dinagyang, one of the largest festivals in the country.

Tourism significantly boosts Iloilo’s economy, with the city serving as Western Visayas’ gateway. Festivals like Dinagyang, Kasadyahan, Paraw Regatta (Asia’s oldest sailing event), and Fiesta de Candelaria draw thousands annually. Monikers such as "City of Love" and "City of Mansions," coupled with initiatives like thoroughfare beautification and park development, enhance its appeal. Attractions include heritage landmarks, museums, art galleries, parks, and a vibrant nightlife centered at Smallville Complex. Iloilo’s Spanish-era heritage—featuring centuries-old churches, historic edifices, and mansions of prominent families—attracts sightseers eager to explore its past. The city is also a gastronomic hub, renowned for dishes like La Paz Batchoy, Pancit Molo, Kansi, Laswa, KBL (Kadyos, Baboy kag Langka), Chicken Inasal, Tinuom, and KMU (Kadyos, manok, kag ubad), popularized nationwide.

In 2018, Iloilo recorded 1,242,087 tourist arrivals—the highest in Western Visayas—including 1,154,550 domestic visitors, 70,787 foreigners, and 16,750 overseas workers. This rose by 11.59 percent in 2019, reaching approximately 1.39 million, and hit 1.4 million in 2020 despite global challenges.

Shopping and retail

Main articles: SM City Iloilo, Festive Walk Mall, Gaisano Capital, and Robinsons Malls

SM City Iloilo is the largest mall in the city as well as in Western Visayas.

Iloilo City, Western Visayas’ shopping hub since colonial times, saw retail flourish post-independence. Hoskyn's Department Store, opened in 1877 on Calle Real, was the Philippines’ first department store, introducing fixed pricing and offering diverse goods from English wool to machinery. Acquired by the Que family post-World War II, it became Washington Supermart. Marymart Shopping Center opened in 1972, followed by SM Delgado in 1979—the first SM outside Manila—and The Atrium in 1993, a hotel-retail mix.

Modern malls includes SM City Iloilo, opened in 1999, which is the city's largest mall,Robinsons Iloilo, Robinsons Jaro, Gaisano Capital La Paz, Gaisano Capital Iloilo City Center, and Megaworld’s Festive Walk Iloilo and Festive Walk Parade—the latter the country’s longest dining strip. Additional shopping centers include CityMall Tagbak, CityMall Parola, Jaro Town Square, GT Mall Molo, City Times Square, and The Shops at Atria by Ayala Malls. Upcoming mall developments include SM City Jaro, Sta. Lucia Mall, and Atria Gardens. Beyond the city center, malls on Iloilo City’s outskirts cater to growing suburban demand. Vista Mall Iloilo, part of the 500-hectare Vista Estate township, is located in Oton. Other malls, including Robinsons Pavia, GT Plaza Pavia, and CityMall Ungka, are situated in Pavia.

Government

The Iloilo City Hall (Ayuntamiento de Iloilo)

Iloilo City serves as both the regional capital of Western Visayas and the provincial capital of Iloilo Province, functioning as a key economic center in the Philippines. Classified as a first-income-class, highly urbanized city (HUC), it hosts regional and provincial offices of national government agencies and operates independently from Iloilo Province, meaning its residents cannot vote for provincial officials.

The city is governed by the Mayor of Iloilo City, the chief executive, assisted by a vice mayor, and represented by a lone congressman in the House of Representatives. The Iloilo City Council, a 15-member legislative body, is elected during general elections alongside the mayor and vice mayor, convening monthly at Iloilo City Hall in sessions open to the public, with decisions typically prepared by various boards and committees. The city is subdivided into 180 barangays, each led by a barangay captain elected in national barangay elections. In 1955, Rodolfo Ganzon became the first popularly elected mayor, notable for authoring the Iloilo City Freedom Law, which restored residents’ rights to elect their mayor, vice mayor, and 10 councilors across the city’s seven districts.

City Government of Iloilo
Mayor
	Jerry P. Treñas (NUP)
Vice Mayor
	Jeffrey P. Ganzon (NUP)
Sangguniang Panglungsod Members
	Sedfrey L. Cabaluna (NUP)			Rex Marcus B. Sarabia (NUP)
	Jose Maria Miguel S. Treñas (NUP)			Candice Magdalane A. Tupas (LDP)
	Alan Acepcion Zaldivar (NUP)			Johnny Y. Young (NUP)
	Frances Grace V. Parcon-Torres (NUP)			Romel D. Duron (NUP)
	Urminico M. Baronda Jr. (NUP)			Ely A. Estante Jr. (NUP)
	Rudolph Jeffrey O. Ganzon (NUP)			Plaridel C. Nava (PROMDI)
ABC President
vacant
SK Federation President
vacant

Culture

Cultures and traditions has a crucial role that shaped Iloilo's cultural and heritage sphere apart from the being the Regional Center of the Western Visayas region. Cultural and heritage consciousness is held in much broad public attention and fervor among the various stakeholders with the help of the government. Iloilo holds many cultural institutions especially national ones and heritage houses and mansions that contributed to Iloilo's long held monikers as "Museum City of the Philippines" and the "City of Mansions."

Museums

The National Museum of the Philippines – Western Visayas housed in the old Iloilo Provincial Jail turned museum.

The city has a number of museums ranging from fields of ancient and contemporary art, cultural and economic history to science. Museums and art galleries are the repositories of Iloilo's rich and glorious history and culture. Various notable Philippine artists trace their roots from Iloilo. Unearthed artifacts like potteries, porcelain, gold and plates had been excavated in many parts of Iloilo predating Spanish Era are now showcased in various museums in Iloilo.

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.

Collaborative efforts of the city government with various stakeholders to uplift the cultural cognizance of the Ilonggo people led to the establishment of the Western Visayas Regional Museum of the National Museum of the Philippines in the restored and adoptive reuse of old Iloilo Provincial Jail and their regional headquarters in the restored old Municipio de Jaro (Jaro Municipal Hall). There are other museums that showcase memorabilias of notable person and families, artworks and artifacts.

The other notable museums and art galleries in the city in which some are under some academic institutions which include the Museo Iloilo (the first government built museum outside Manila); Museum of Philippine Economic History; Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (housed at the Casa de Emperador at Iloilo Business Park); The Henry Luce III (Museum and Library) of Central Philippine University, University of San Agustin Museum, UPV Art Gallery, John B. Lacson Foundation Museum of Maritime Culture and Craft, Rosendo Mejica Museum, among others.

The Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (ILOMOCA), the first museum project of the property giant Megaworld Corporation, is the first museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art in Visayas and Mindanao. The museum of 3,000 square meters of space is housed at the Casa de Emperador which includes five exhibit rooms and souvenir and merchandise shop. The ground floor is The Hulot Exhibit which showcase exhibits of local and international artists. Works by international artists like Salvador Dalí, Marc Chagall, and Joan Miró are exhibit in some of its art collections.

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.

The Museum of Philippine Economic History, the first economic history museum in the Philippines, has a wide array of exhibits and collections showcasing the economic history of the Philippine throughout the different colonial eras. The structure, restored by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and where the museum is housed is formerly owned by one of the country's biggest trading firms, the Ynchausti y Compania, of the Familia Ynchausti. The firm's name was synonymous with its products like Yco Floor Wax, Tanduay and Yco Paints. The museum has 13 galleries throughout the 2 storey structure.

The location of the Museum of Philippine Economic History in Iloilo City is due to the city and province being called the Queen City of the South during the Spanish and early American colonial era because of its economic importance next to Manila.

Other than the hundred decades-old artifacts and items on display at the Philippine Museum of Economic History, visitors can find in the museum looms from the oldest weavers of Miag-ao in Iloilo, which was known then as the Textile Capital of the Philippines, and also showcases artifacts coming from other regions such as T'nalak from Mindanao and decades-old gold, necklace and other accessories from Pampanga; old photographs and maps, and other interesting remnants of the past.

The Henry Luce III (Library and Museum) on Central Philippine University's main campus which was built through a benevolent grant given by the Henry Luce Foundation though Henry Luce III, the eldest son of the founder of Time Inc. Henry Luce. It holds an array of special museum collections categorized into various sections and types of collections – Meyer Asian Collection, the Elizabeth Knox Sacred Music Collection, rare collections of Second World War documents, Asian archaeological artifacts and historical exhibits, and artworks from known artists. A Henry Luce III (the main library of CPU Library system) sole book holding implies it as the largest library in the Western Visayas region.

Iloilo City's second UNESCO inscription under the UNESCO Memory of World Register, through the Hinilawod Epic Chant Recordings, is located at the Henry Luce III Library of Central Philippine University.

Festivals

An Ati dancer-warrior performs at the annual Dinagyang Festival.

The Ilonggos cultural identity is deeply rooted and influenced by the Hispanic culture. Iloilo is known as Festival(s) Capital of the Philippines with various festivals in the country celebrated in the city showcasing the city's cultural and historical past. Iloilo is highlighted with various festivals in which big three is Dinagyang Festival – held every fourth Sunday of January in honor of the Holy Child Jesus (Santo Niño de Jesus) in a venerated image of Santo Niño de Cebu. Kasadyahan Festival, which held every fourth Saturday of January or the day before the highlight of the Dinagyang Festival, is a festival competition showcasing various festivals from different places in the region.

The Jaro Fiesta (Fiesta de Jaro) or Fiesta de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (Fiesta de Candelaria) which is held every February 2 in honor of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (Virgin of Candelaria) the patron of Western Visayas and Romblon, is the largest marian dedicated festival outside Luzon.

Jaro Fiesta is famous for its pomp and pageantry. The fiesta chooses its annual Reyna del Fiesta de Jaro or Jaro Carnival Queen from among the maiden member of prominent and notable old-rich Spanish-Filipino or wealthy families of the town. The annual fiesta includes a cockfighting held during the fiesta day (largest cockfighting competition in the Philippines) at the Iloilo Coliseum and an agro-industrial and charity fair in Plaza Jaro which starts from September and a week after the fiesta day.

Filipino-Chinese Friendship Arch in Iloilo Chinatown

Iloilo with its number of mainland Chinese expatriates who came for trading and settled in the city hundreds of years ago, celebrates the annual Iloilo Chinese Lunar New Year. It is considered as the largest Chinese New Year celebration outside Binondo, Manila, the oldest Chinatown in the world.

In contrast with the city's celebration of the annual Chinese New Year, Iloilo with the advent of Chinese settlers before or during the Spanish Colonial period, settled in what is now the Molo District or Parian, a town established for Sangleyes or Chinese Ilonggos by the Spanish colonial government. Though only a town where Chinese people were organized to settle, Molo is considered as second-oldest Chinatown after Binondo, Manila.

During the holiday season after the all saints (Dia de Todos Los Santos) and all souls days (Dia de los Muertos), various landmarks such as schools are adorned with yuletide lights spectacles. Flocked during its opening night in the first week of December by thousands of spectators, the annual Festival of Lights and Music at Central on the campus of Central Philippine University is the longest running university based Christmas festival of lights in the Western Visayas region since 1991. 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 is opened to the public until every January 6 of the next year. Carnival rides, a Christmas Bazaar and food stalls are also found catering to the tourists visiting the campus of the university in the said event.

Paraw Regatta, which is also one of the main festivals of Iloilo and held every February, is the sailing event in Asia (oldest traditional boat sailing event in Asia). The festivities during the said festival includes Samba de Regatta, Miss Paraw Regatta pageant, Lighted Paraw and the annual Paraw Regatta sailing competition held in La Villa Rica de Arevalo (Villa de Arevalo)

In thrive for the city's endeavor as the Art Capital of the Philippines, the Iloilo Summer Arts Festival was launched in 2020 which runs from April to May. The latest addition to such venture is the Iloilo Arts Festival which opened in December 2021. It is a nearly a month long event showcasing the best of Ilonggo artistry in visual arts exhibited in notable city museums and performing arts in theaters across the metropolis.

Public arts

The local government has initiated efforts to promote the city as the "Art Capital of the Philippines". 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.

A fine example of this is the 3D Mural depicting the Dinagyang warriors dancing in the street in Iloilo River Esplanade 1. 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.

Entertainment, film and performing arts

The Iloilo Convention Center in Iloilo Business Park.

The colonial influence of Spanish and American culture has created an imprint in the entertainment, performing arts, and film sectors and scenes in Iloilo. The city and province has produced a notable people in the field of cinema and entertainment. The arts and entertainment sectors in Iloilo flourished during the time when Iloilo was opened to international trade when the Puerto de Iloilo (Port of Iloilo) was opened to foreign ships to dock from different countries. The annual Iloilo Film Festival, which is held during the Dinagyang Festival, has a plethora of films being screened during the festival's event.

The Iloilo Convention Center is a state-of-the-art convention center located in the Iloilo Business Park by Megaworld Corporation in Mandurriao. Its construction was completed in September 2015 in time for the APEC 2015. It is a two-story structure with a total floor area of 11,832 square meters (127,358 square feet). The main hall on the ground floor has a 3,700-seat capacity and 500-seat function rooms on the second floor. A rooftop of 1,500 square meters (16,145 square feet) is available for outdoor functions.

The convention center was designed by Ilonggo architect William Coscolluela. The design was inspired by Iloilo's Dinagyang and Paraw Regatta festivals.

The Rose Memorial Auditorium in Central Philippine University, the largest theater in Western Visayas.

Iloilo has various facilities also for international and local musical, band, and solo performances or concerts. Rose Memorial Auditorium or Rose on Central Philippine University's main campus is the largest and notable auditorium or theater Western Visayas region. It hosted concerts held by famous Filipino and international singers, bands and cultural groups and is also the venue of the annual national Bombo Music Festival that draws homegrown music artists from all over the Philippines.

The auditorium is a 2-storey structure and can occupy or has a maximum capacity of 4,000+ spectators. Rose Memorial along with Central Philippine University has been and is the only theater/auditorium and university in the Western Visayas region that has been designated (one of the first batch of nine) Cultural Center of the Philippines Regional Art Centers (or Kaisa sa Sining Regional Art Centers) in 2014 in the whole Philippines.

Regent Arcade Building, also known as Regent Theater, formerly known as Cine Palace or Palace Theater, is the oldest existing movie theater in Iloilo.

There had been old cinema theaters in the old central business district of Calle Real, but they do not now operate because of the development of modern shopping malls with cinemas in the metropolis which replaced their once and glorious days in the heritage zone of Calle Real in the city center. Modern day cinemas in the metropolis screens with a wide array of present-day films both national and from foreign countries. The arts and entertainment initiatives with the Film Development Council of the Philippines under the office of the Philippine President city has established its presence in the city as the regional cultural and arts center of Western Visayas through the establishment of Cinematheque theater which showcases various screened films.

Cultural representations in the perspective of performing and visual arts holds numerous concerts throughout the year with some showcased by universities cultural groups and organizations in the city.

University's in Iloilo on the other hand, has a vital role with various established cultural and art groups that gain foothold that held and performed in various cultural performances nationally and internationally in which some are sponsored National Cultural government agencies. The University of San Agustin has established the USA Troubadours while Central Philippine University the CPU Bahandi Singers, CPU Handbell Choir (the first 8 octave handbell choir in the Philippines) and the CPU Sari-Saot Dance Troupe.

Cuisine

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.

With Iloilo being hailed as the Food Haven of the Philippines, its local cuisines are well-loved and recognized by many Filipinos across the country, including from different parts of the world. The City of Iloilo is the first UNESCO Creative Cities Network in Gastronomy in the country owing to its diverse array of traditional and modernized cuisines that has gained foothold across the country. Food in Iloilo is a blend of east-and-west due to the contact of locals with the foreign cultures because of Iloilo's central most location and one of the most important port cities in the Philippines. The three hundred years of Spanish influence in the Iloilo's culture left a heavy imprint in the Ilonggo cuisine that resulted to the cuisines that are the same with other Hispanic influenced countries like Menudo, Afritada, Lechon, Adobo, Estofado, among others. Because of Ilonggos roots as Asians, rice is a staple diet food, and is usually served plain with other dishes.

The city is famous for dishes like La Paz Batchoy, Pancit Molo, Kansi, Kadyos, Baboy, kag Langka (KBL), Kadyos, Manok, kag Ubad, Tinuom nga Manok, Inasal nga Manok (Chicken Inasal), and Kilawin.

The city has a variety of restaurants specialized in serving foreign cuisines (Italian, American, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, German, and Thai cuisines). The rise of international and luxury hotels brought high-end buffet and exclusive dining experience to tourists and locals.

Chinese influenced played also a vital role in influencing the Ilonggo cuisine and because of it, famous dishes like the La Paz Batchoy and Pancit Molo born-out because of such influence which became well known throughout the Philippines that originated from Iloilo.

Iloilo has also been the founding location of the first branch of Mang Inasal fast-food chain of restaurants in the country. It was founded by Edgar Sia, a Japanese-Chinese-Filipino businessman in 2003 and has expanded with its opening of branches throughout the Philippines.

A bowl of Pancit Molo.

La Paz Batchoy is one of Iloilo's signature dishes, a delicacy served in restaurants all over Iloilo City. The said noodle soup is made with miki, (round noodles), pork organs (liver, spleen, kidneys and heart), chicken stock, beef loin, shrimp stock, and garnished with chicharon (pork cracklings). When served with a bowl of batchoy, most Ilonggos would finish the kaldo (broth) first. It is customary to request additional refills of kaldo before finishing the meal.

The Spanish influence brought baking techniques to the locals which established century-old notable baking institutions in which Iloilo is famous for – Panaderia ni Paa (founded in the 1900s) and Deocampo: The Original Barquillos (Los Barquillos Originales) (founded in the 1800s) are both located in Jaro and Panaderia de Molo (founded in the 1800s) in Molo. Sweet delicacies like Biscocho and Barquillos are one of the innumerable influences of the Spaniards. Barquillos is a thin rolled cookies while Biscocho is a hardened baked sliced bread with milk and margarine. In the whole archipelago of the Philippines, Iloilo stands out for serving the first and most popular barquillos and biscocho.

Media

See also: List of television and radio stations in Iloilo City

The city and the province of Iloilo is served by mostly tabloid-type English newspapers such as Panay News, The Daily Guardian, News Express, and Sunstar Iloilo. Hublas of Panay News is the sole Hiligaynon tabloid newspaper. Iloilo has a glossy full color lifestyle magazine named Cream Magazine published monthly since 1989.

Iloilo City is the main headquarters of Bombo Radyo Philippines, which owns Bombo Radio AM stations and Star FM stations across the country. Being the urban center of the province, most of the AM and FM radio stations serve the province of Iloilo and Guimaras, mostly local stations of national radio stations.

Television arrived in the city in 1964 when DYAF-TV began airing, serving Iloilo City and the neighboring towns in the province. In 1998, with the frequency transfer to Channel 10, ABS-CBN separated its news team from the Bacolod news team and launched TV Patrol Iloilo (today TV Patrol Panay). In 1967, TV-6 Iloilo (a TV5 affiliate) stated its initial broadcast in Jaro, Iloilo City. By 1974 it changed its affiliation to GMA Network as their local television station. The channel started upgrading its facilities and relocated their TV tower to Guimaras and began serving Iloilo City, Panay and Guimaras, as well as some parts of Negros Occidental in 1998. Studio 23 Iloilo (UHF 38) (changed its name to ABS-CBN Sports and Action on January 18, 2014) initiated its broadcast in 1999. The government television station, PTV (VHF 2) in 1992 and IBC (VHF 12) in 1977 are also broadcasting local programs for Iloilo. In the first quarter of 2010, QTV-28 Iloilo (UHF 28) (changed its name to GMA News TV on February 28, 2011) and UNTV-42 (UHF 42) commenced operations in the city. In second quarter of 2012, TV5 Iloilo (UHF 36) and AksyonTV Iloilo (UHF 46) commenced operation, serving the southern part of Western Visayas that includes southern Panay, Iloilo City and Guimaras, also formerly, Negros Occidental, and at the same time started its News5 team coverage. In 1995, RMN launch a UHF TV CTV (Cinema Television) and Iloilo UHF 26 was born. It started its initial broadcast with limited coverage area. In 1997, RMN 26 rebrand to E! Philippines with general entertainment format. But in 2003, RMN cease it operations. Until BEAM an affiliate of RMN return to test broadcast on July 3, 2010, and rebrand to BEAM TV. In 2012, BEAM TV 26 relocate its transmitter to Jordan, Guimaras from RMN Broadcast Center in Lapaz, Iloilo City, and increase its transmitting power from 500 watts to current power 5,000watts in analog and during that time also initial broadcast its digital terrestrial television at UHF 42 with the power of 1,000 watts.

Cityscape

See also: List of tallest buildings in Iloilo

Skyline of Iloilo Business Park and Atria Park District, with the SM City Iloilo Complex in the center background, February 2025

Eusebio Villanueva Building is one of the heritage edifices that lines the historic Calle Real in Iloilo's downtown area.

The city's modern-day appearance is shaped by the key role it has played as a trading hub for centuries. Iloilo City has a multitude of districts, each with its distinctive character and representing colonial influence. Iloilo's other distinctive features include its cityscape surrounded with water features such as rivers and is bounded by a sea; bicycle paths and ornamental trees that line most city streets; and its many open spaces, gardens and parks.

The Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo, the first Marriott under the Courtyard brand hotel in the Philippines.

Iloilo spreads out with its location in a plain land in south eastern side of Panay Island. It is bounded in the south east side by Iloilo-Guimaras Strait and Guimaras Island which makes the city as a natural harbor for ships. The two main rivers of Iloilo and Batiano snakes through the city and empties out of the Iloilo-Guimaras Strait.

Iloilo is a conglomerate of former separate towns which includes the former city of Jaro established during the Spanish colonial times, thus the layout of the towns civic centers follows a typical Spanish colonial town center composed of a Plaza (Public Square), church, municipal hall and other religious, academic and government instrumentalities offices. A modern development is clustered in an organized form in the city's premises but is strongly concentrated in the Mandurriao district to protect the city's initiatives in protecting the city's skyline, heritage zones and environment. Present modern developments spread out outside the city in neighboring towns that are a part of Metropolitan Iloilo.

Architecture

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.

Iloilo City's urban planning and architecture reflect the plans of the Spanish and the American colonial administrations. Since Iloilo City is a conglomeration of towns, the districts have their own plazas which are surrounded by establishments of political and ecclesiastical influence, such as churches and old administrative halls. In 1930, Juan M. Arellano of the Bureau of Public Works designed the schematic plan for Iloilo City, which was influenced by Ebenezer Howard's "Garden City."

The Beaux-Arts Villa Lizares (Lizares Mansion) in the district of Jaro.

The Spanish colonial influence is strongly imprinted not only in Iloilo's history and cultural background but also the architectural perspective.

The city's regaled status during the Spanish colonial era until the turn of the 20th century is implied during by the sugar boom with ubiquitous stately mansions and edifices built by the old money Ilonggo Sugar Baron and elite families which contrast to the city's economic importance as a second city next to Manila during the said era in the Philippines. The city's other moniker – City of Mansions is likewise implied because Iloilo holds 240 mansions in which 30 of it are grand mansions built during the Spanish and American colonial eras.

Campanario de Jaro (Jaro Belfry), one of the few free-standing bell towers in the Philippines that is detached from the church.

The ravaged Fuerte de San Pedro (Fort San Pedro) is Iloilo's ground zero as there was no Iloilo City back in the 1600s. As a fortress, Fort San Pedro was built solely by the Spaniards to protect Iloilo from the marauding pirates and privateers. The fort is the second Spanish built fort after the one in Cebu (also Fort San Pedro) in the Philippines and Asia. The foundation of the Fort San Pedro was substantial to the Spanish Empire's stronghold as Panay Island with Iloilo as their second colonial center established through the Iloilo precursor towns of Oton (1566) and La Villa Rica de Arevalo (1581). Oton which was founded as early as 1566 but formally established in 1572 was the actual second seat of Spanish colonial powers but due to pirate attacks, they moved the capital eastward and established the La Villa Rica de Arevalo.

The town of La Villa Rica de Arevalo holds some of the fine example of Spanish built mansions like the mansion of the Spanish Governor General, but were destroyed when the pirates ransacked and destroyed the town. It was in the said frequent events of pirate attacks that the Spaniards moved finally the capital further eastward in the mouth of Rio de Iloilo (Iloilo River) which is flanked and protected by Guimaras Island across it.

Casa de Emperador in Iloilo Business Park, an example of modern built classical styled edifice.

It was in the said establishment of the city on the mouth of Iloilo River that as years go by, the city flourished to its heights especially in the economic and regal importance in the Spanish and American eras. La Villa Rica de Arevalo (Arevalo) is the first Spanish named town in the Philippine islands. It is also in Arevalo that the third oldest image of Holy Child Jesus (Señor Santo Niño) in the Philippines was brought by the Spaniards. Notable present-day structures that are repositories that attest to the town's former glory as a Spanish precursor town of Iloilo is the mansion of Camiña Balay nga Bato and the Convento de Arevalo.

During the Spanish and American eras, the city developed its own unique charm that exudes a typical European city in the east which differed it from other cities just like the old Manila in the Philippines. It was in the said eras that architectural perspective of Iloilo flourished with European styled edifices and stately mansions was built which stands of Iloilo's once economic and political importance in its heyday.

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.

Calle Real (Royal Street) which stretches from Plazoleta Gay up to Plaza Alfonso XII (Plaza Libertad) is Iloilo's Escolta (a heritage street in Manila) lined with commercial edifices that possesses European designs. Calle Real is Iloilo's old Central Business District and is considered as the second-most preserved heritage business district in the Philippines. The street during the Iloilo's economic heyday during the late 19th and early 20th centuries when the Puerto de Iloilo (Port of Iloilo) was opened to the international trade is a melting pot and common ground for people of different walks of life, race and color. Stores back then in Calle Real sells luxury goods and items from all over the world.

Iloilo also possesses structures built during the prelude of the American colonial period in the Philippines. Aduana de Iloilo (Iloilo Customs House) and old Iloilo City Hall are notable of the structures built during the said colonial period. Iloilo Customs House, the second-largest customs house after the Aduana in Manila was built the Filipino Architect Juan M. Arellano.

In farther north is the town of Jaro, the largest of all the district of the City of Iloilo. Once a separate city before it merged with the City of Iloilo in the 1940s, is considered as a town of piousness, old rich and grandeur. Many notable Spanish Ilonggos settled and the said area and built their grand mansions and villas. The town's architecture is heavily influenced by the Hispanic and American cultures.

Iglesia de Molo (St. Anne Parish), the first Gothic and feminist church outside Manila.

Grand mansions with imposing European styled facades and motifs of Buena Familias or Old-rich families (Spanish-Chinese-Filipino families) of Jaro like the Lopez, Ledesma, Lizares, Jalandoni, Javellana and Locsin families that some of it lines the first millionaire row in the Philippine islands still stands to this day. Two of notable mansions that attest to Jaro's importance as an old rich town that developed out of the sugar boom during the Spanish colonial period is the Mansion de Lopez (Lopez Mansion) or Nelly Garden and the beaux-art styled Villa Lizares (Lizares Mansion) which houses at present the Angelicum School Iloilo of the Dominicans.

Religion is also a crucial factor that influenced Jaro's architectural and town plan perspective as it is the cradle of Christian faith in Western Visayas. The Spanish which brought the Roman Catholic faith established the Jaro Cathedral (National Shrine of the Our Lady Candles) with its separate belfry located across it (one of the few churches in the Philippines with a detached belfry) and the Seminario-Colegio de San Vicente Ferrer (the first institution of Higher Learning in Western Visayas). The advent of American colonialization which brought Protestantism has resulted also to the establishment of institutions.

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.

Fine examples of institutions with edifices possessing American architecture and influence includes the Central Philippine University by the Protestant Baptists in 1905 which holds century-old American colonial-styled edifices, the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches which housed at the European styled former (Rupert) Montinola Mansion in Fajardo, Jaro, and the Jaro Evangelical Church (the first Baptist Church in the Philippine Islands), are among the few of the notable institutions that holds a number of structures that possesses American architectural influence design.

The town of Molo located westward of the "La Punta" (City Proper) is sometimes called "Parian" or Chinese town during the Spanish colonial times. Old rich Molo influential families helped shaped the town's not only economical but political and architectural sphere. The town just like the more Spanish or Mestizo town of Jaro has also a plethora of mansions built by old-rich Chinese-Spanish-Ilonggo Locsin, Lacson, Sayson, Layson and Pison families. The Molo Church "(Iglesia de Santa Ana)" which was built under the supervision of some of the members of notable Molo families like the "Locsins", is the first and only feminist church outside Manila with its imposing façade with gothic influence facing the "Plaza Molo". The "Yusay-Consing" Mansion or Molo Mansion located just across the Plaza Molo and Molo Church was bought by the retail and real estate giant SM Group has been refurbished and restored to its former glory and is now a houses several cultural stores and a mini-museum which exhibits several artworks and native products.

The present economic boom of the 21st century has spurred modern developments across the city. Huge investments of big real estate developers built modern malls and shopping centers, tall and modern edifices and skyscrapers which sprouted up especially in the new city's Central Business Center which occupies a huge land area in the town of Mandurriao. The first tallest skyscraper in Western Visayas, the Injap Tower of the Double Dragon Properties could be found in the area. Hotels and condominiums and tree-lined avenues with jogging and bicycle lanes have also been built during the city's economic renaissance up to the present. The Iloilo's festival inspired iconic Iloilo Convention Center is also located in the Iloilo Business Park.

• Some of the historic structures along Calle Real
• 
  Eusebio Villanueva Building
• 
  Javellana Building
• 
  Divinagracia-Alba Building
• 
  Celso Ledesma Building
• 
  Serafin Villanueva Building
• 
  Regent Theatre
• 
  Elizalde Building
• 
  Iloilo Customs House

Sustainability

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.

The city has been a champion in air quality initiatives which further solidified when it won the 2017 Clean Air City Award given by the Clean Air Philippine Movement. The award is given to urban centers and cities whose initiatives in good urban planning is to maintain a good air quality for its citizens to be a more livable and air pollution Philippines cities.

For the second time, Iloilo City has been conferred the Galing Pook Award Archived November 6, 2018, at the Wayback Machine for its entry the Iloilo Batiano River Development Project. The award recognizes best local government practices worthy of replication by other local government units (LGUs).

The city's government continued initiatives to lessen its impact on the global carbon footprint, resulted in enacting of various environmental laws in the metropolis such as banning of plastic straws in the city, strict compliance of establishments along the stretch of Iloilo river to install waste water treatment facilities, and segregation of bio-degradable and degradable rubbishes. Restaurants such as the ones that are serving fast-food in the city use oxo-degradable plastic bags and recycled paper-boxes. Iloilo City has also tree planting programs such as the government and various stakeholders continued forestation of endemic and ornamental trees along the city's major thoroughfares and mangroves along the city's creeks, estuaries, waterfront areas and rivers.

The Iloilo city government's continued efforts for green sustainability through building of parks, open spaces and making the metropolis clean and conducive to tourists, bagged the city the ASEAN Clean Tourist City award in 2020.

The local government's aim to make Iloilo a sustainable, bike-friendly metro earned the city the Most Bike-Friendly City citation in the 2018 PhilBike Awards. It also received the following accolades: Gold Award in both the 2021 and 2022 National Bike Day - Bike Lane Awards, Gold Award in the Mobility Awards 2021, and the Galing Pook Award 2022 (through its I-Bike Program).

Parks and recreation

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 city is endowed with various parks, open spaces and gardens which contribute the city's government initiatives in protecting and preserving its urbanscape for city dwellers for them to benefit from. The Iloilo River Esplanade which stretches on both sides of Iloilo River which has been designed a renowned Filipino Architect Paulo Alcazaren who designed Clarke Quay in Singapore, is the longest linear park and riverside boulevard in the Philippines. The Iloilo River Esplanade along its stretch is dense with mangrove trees where 22 of the 35 species of mangroves that is endemic to the Philippines can be found. The mangroves along the Iloilo River Esplanade is also a breeding ground for marine species.

Iloilo city before is re-incorporation is a conglomerate of former separate towns during the Spanish up to the American colonial eras thus they have their own civic centers or Plazas equipped with ornamental gardens and endemic ornamental and non-ornamental or fruit trees. Plazas have long been played the role for the city dwellers to socialize and recreate.

There are also numerous recent development initiatives that the city government is pushing through for its continued efforts for more parks and open spaces in the city such as the redevelopment of Iloilo City Civic Center which includes the Iloilo City Hall with the revitalization of the former Plaza de Aduana or Sunburst Park and the relocation and building of the new Freedom Grandstand at the Muelle Loney (Loney Wharf) with pocket size and mini gardens. The said same initiative is also being laid-out and undertaken with the Provincial capitol complex of the Iloilo Provincial Government with initial phase of the Iloilo Provincial Jail being renovated and restored becoming the National Museum of the Philippines – Western Visayas regional Museum and the landscaping of the provincial capitol complex.

Smart City Initiative

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.

Iloilo City is closer to being a smart city as it is providing free internet access in public areas, aiming to decrease its carbon emission, higher efficiency and productivity to underscore Iloilo as a livable city. Electric vehicles are operating in the city. Pumping Stations were installed to prevent flooding. Air quality is being monitored and graded as clean per international standards. Taxis are advised to use an automotive navigation system to inform passengers of their location and for navigation through streets and alleys. Other services include, phone calls for emergency rescue, device charging stations, local wayfinding, free housing in Sooc, Lanit and San Isidro and more. All barangays of Iloilo City have installed Closed-circuit television to predict traffic police requirements and for public safety.

The city has banned the use of plastic straws in the city, strict compliance of establishments along the stretch of Iloilo river to install waste water treatment facilities, and segregation of bio-degradable and degradable rubbish. Restaurants and fast-food stores use oxo-degradable plastic bags and recycled paper-boxes. Iloilo city sustained its tree-planting programs through forestation of endemic and ornamental trees along the city's major thoroughfares and mangroves along the city's creeks, estuaries, waterfront areas and rivers and clean-up drive.

The city was awarded in 2017 with Clean Air City Award by the Clean Air Philippine Movement. The award is recognition of Iloilo urban planning in diligence for maintaining the good air quality

For the second time, Iloilo City has been conferred the Galing Pook Award for its entry the Iloilo Batiano River Development Project. The award recognizes best local government practices worthy of replication by other local government units (LGUs).

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.

Healthcare

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.

Iloilo City is the leading healthcare center of the Western Visayas region and is rapidly becoming one of the medical tourism hubs in the Philippines. The Iloilo City Health Office and the Department of Health (Philippines) is responsible for the implementation and planning of the health care programs provided by the city government. The three government-run hospitals in the city are the West Visayas State University Medical Center (WVSUMC), Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC), and the Iloilo City Hospital. The Iloilo City Health Office operates and supervises Health Centers in barrios or barangays in the city.

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.

Iloilo's healthcare is also largely provided by private and church-affiliated corporations. Private hospitals that operates in the city are the following:

• CPU–Iloilo Mission Hospital (CPU IMH)
• St. Paul's Hospital Iloilo (SPH Iloilo)
• The Medical City-Iloilo (TMC Iloilo)
• Metro Iloilo Hospital and Medical Center (MIHMC)
• Medicus Medical Center (MMC)
• Healthway QualiMed Hospital Iloilo (HQHI)
• Iloilo Doctors' Hospital (IDH)
• Medicus Cancer Institute (MCI)
• Asia Pacific Medical Center – Iloilo (APMC Iloilo)
• Seamen's AMEOSUP Hospital
• Supercare Medical Services/Center [under construction]

Healthway Qualimed Hospital Iloilo, formerly known as Qualimed Hospital Iloilo, of AC Health (Ayala Corporation), the first Ayala/Qualimed Hospital in Visayas and Mindanao.

There are also notable maternity clinics and centers in the city which include the La Paz Maternity and Reproductive Health Center (LMRHC) and CPU Birthing Center of the Central Philippine University.

The oldest running hospital in Iloilo City is the CPU–Iloilo Mission Hospital. It was founded as Union Mission Hospital in 1901 by the Presbyterian American missionary Joseph Andrew Hall as "the first Protestant and American hospital in the Philippines". Iloilo Mission Hospital serves as the university hospital of Central Philippine University. The hospital pioneered nursing education in the Philippines when it established the Union Mission Hospital Training School for Nurses in 1906, the present-day Central Philippine University - College of Nursing, the first school of Nursing in the country. The nursing school produced the first three nursing graduates, the first rank number one topnotcher and the first number one top-performing school in the history of nursing licensure and education in the Philippines.

Saint Paul's Hospital Iloilo which was founded in 1911 by the French catholic missionaries through the help of the American Catholics, is the oldest running hospital founded by Daughters of Saint Paul of Chartres in the Philippines. At present, it serves as an affiliated hospital of the St. Paul University Iloilo. Both St. Paul's Hospital Iloilo and CPU–Iloilo Mission Hospital are considered notable heritage healthcare institutions in Iloilo.

The two hospitals in the city, the Qualimed Hospital – Iloilo, now known as Healthway QualiMed Hospital – Iloilo and The Medical City – Iloilo are newly built ones of the two of the renowned hospital groups based in Manila in the country. The Healthway Qualimed Hospital – Iloilo of the Ayala Corporation and Mercado General Hospital, Inc. is the first Ayala-Qualimed hospital outside Luzon, while The Medical City – Iloilo is likewise the first The Medical City hospital in Visayas and Mindanao of the group of healthcare institution giant, The Medical City Group. Both hospitals are equipped with state-of-the-art medical facilities catering to the community in general.

There are three public hospitals in the city operated and managed by the government:

• West Visayas State University Medical Center (WVSUMC)
• Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC)
• Iloilo City Hospital (ICH) [under construction]

The West Visayas State University Medical Center (WVSU Medical Center), commonly referred to as Don Benito, is a government-run hospital administered under the West Visayas State University. It primarily serves the indigent populace in the city and region, has auxiliary centers established by the national government for the Western Visayas region through the Department of Health of the Philippines – the WVSU/DOH Regional Cancer Center and the soon to be built 10 storey facility WVSU/DOH Regional Lung and Heart Center.

The Western Visayas Medical Center is the largest referral public hospital in the Western Visayas region. It is operated by the Department of Health. The hospital facilities include a 6 storey heart & lung specialty building, 3 storey dialysis building, a 2 storey main building which houses the administrative and emergency and other auxiliary health units of the hospital, and the WVMC annex building (5-6 storey).

The Iloilo City Hospital which is undergoing construction in San Pedro, Molo, is the city government's project to cope with the healthcare demand of the metropolis's indigent citizens. Components of the hospital include a 5 storey main hall, a medical arts building, and USWAG Iloilo City Molecular Laboratory.

Transportation

Passad Jeepneys of Iloilo City.

Public transport

Iloilo City is served mostly by passenger jeepneys, white metered taxis and tricycles within the city limits. The passad jeepneys of Iloilo are known for their sleek and sedan-like design. These often serve fixed routes and mostly travel on the city's major and secondary roads. Jeepneys are also the main mode of transportation to Metropolitan Iloilo areas. Tricycles serve most secondary roads and city communities.

Large passad jeepneys and buses link Iloilo City to the rest of the province and the island of Panay. 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. Mini-shuttle vans also serve major points in Panay Island.

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.

Iloilo is one of the few cities in the Philippines that recently initiated to adopt the mini-bus like type modern PUJ or modern Jeepneys in contrast to the President Rodrigo Duterte's administration to phase out the old dilapidated jeepneys as the mode of mass public transportation in the Philippines.

In March 2019, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board announced the opening of a new Premium Point-to-Point Bus Service in Iloilo City with express bus services to the airports in Cabatuan, Kalibo and Boracay (Caticlan).

Integrated transport terminals

Infante Flyover in Iloilo City – the first flyover outside Manila.

Iloilo City has five Major Integrated Transport Terminals located at the city's perimeter areas: the Iloilo North ITS (Integrated Transport System) Terminal/Iloilo North Ceres Bus Terminal (NCBT) located at Tagbak, Jaro District is the transport hub serving passengers to/from north western municipalities of Iloilo, City of Passi and northwestern Panay (Capiz and Aklan including Boracay Island); Iloilo Central Line ITS (Integrated Transport System) Terminal/Pavia Peoples Terminal (PPT) in Ungka, Jaro District is the transport terminal for passengers to/from central municipalities of Iloilo; Aleonsan ITS (Integrated Transport System) Terminal at Hibao – and in Mandurriao for those to/from the upland municipalities of San Miguel, Alimodian, and Leon (including Bucari); Iloilo South ITS (Integrated Transport System) Terminal/Iloilo South Ceres Bus Terminal (SCBT) located at Mohon in Villa de Arevalo for going to/from the southern municipalities of Iloilo and to/from the province of Antique; and Iloilo North Coast ITS (Integrated Transport System) Terminal at Ticud, Lapaz District for those going to/from the northern coastal municipalities of Iloilo (including Sicogon Island and Islas de Gigantes all part of Carles, Iloilo).

Cycling

Protected bike lane along Benigno S. Aquino Avenue

The city has been hailed and earned its reputation as the Bicycling capital of the Philippines, a yielded effort through the recent modern economic renaissance of Iloilo City by the local and the national government units and different stakeholders by educating the city locals on the importance of a bike-able city and building dedicated bicycle lanes on city main thoroughfares. The metropolis has a network of nearly 100 kilometers (62 miles) of bicycle lanes and the longest of which is located along the stretch of Diversion Road. The annual Iloilo Bike Festival has drawn bicycling enthusiasts throughout the country. By 2019, Dutch Government helped out Iloilo City to become a bike-friendly city.

Iloilo's exemplary efforts in promoting bicycling culture earned it a citation as the Most Bike-Friendly City in the PhilBike Awards 2018. It also secured the Gold Award in both the 2021 and 2022 National Bike Day - Bike Lane Awards (sponsored by the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Health (DOH), and SM Cares of SM Prime Holdings), as well as the Gold Award in the Mobility Awards 2021 (organized by the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), MNL Moves, Climate Reality Project-Philippines, 350. Org Pilipinas, and Pinay Bike Commuter), and the Galing Pook Award 2021 through its I-Bike Program. and the Galing Pook Award 2022 through its I-Bike Program.

In addition to the aforementioned accolades received by the city, institutions, establishments, and workplaces in the metro that received awards include Iloilo Business Park (Ranked 7th in the Mobility Awards 2021 Bicycle-Friendly Workplaces 2021 Category), Central Philippine University (Ranked 16th in the Mobility Awards 2021 Bicycle-Friendly Workplaces 2021 Category), University of San Agustin (Ranked 13th in the Mobility Awards 2021 Bicycle-Friendly Workplaces 2021 Category), SM City Iloilo (Ranked 11th in the Mobility Awards 2021 Bicycle-Friendly Large Commercial Establishments 2021 Category), and Robinsons Place Iloilo (Ranked 20th in the Mobility Awards 2021 Bicycle-Friendly Large Commercial Establishments 2021 Category)."

Railway

Main article: Panay Railways

Engine of the Panay Railways on display in the City Proper's plaza, Plaza Libertad (formerly Plaza Alfonso XII).

From 1907 to the 1980s, Panay Railways operated a railroad from Roxas City to the port area of Muelle Loney along the Iloilo River in Iloilo City. In 2022, Panay Railways announced its opening to foreign ownership to reconstruct its former train lines, which will reconnect the major cities in Panay, including Caticlan in Malay, Aklan.

Airport

Main article: Iloilo International Airport

The Iloilo International Airport

Iloilo International Airport is the 4th busiest in the Philippines with international flights to Singapore, Thailand (Bangkok) [starting March 31, 2025], Hong Kong and vice versa serving passengers from Negros Island Region, Western Visayas Region, Palawan and Mindanao. For domestic flights to/from Metro Manila, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Clark, Davao, Dumaguete, General Santos, Legazpi, Puerto Princesa, Tacloban, Tagbilaran, and Zamboanga, Iloilo International Airport is the airport serving the general area of Metropolitan Iloilo–Guimaras, the province of Antique and the rest of Iloilo Province. It is located 19 kilometres (12 miles) northwest of Iloilo City on a 188 hectares (460 acres) site in the town of Cabatuan.

It opened to commercial traffic on June 14, 2007, replacing the Old Iloilo Airport at the Mandurriao District. The new airport inherited its IATA and ICAO airport codes. It is linked to the city through Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue and served by metered taxis, airport shuttle vans, multicabs, and P2P buses.

Iloilo International Airport Routes

International

Hong Kong, Bangkok-Don Mueang (starting March 31, 2025), Singapore

Domestic

Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Clark, Davao, Dumaguete, General Santos, Legazpi, Manila, Puerto Princesa, Tacloban, Tagbilaran, Zamboanga

Recently, the national government has approved the ₱791 million budget for the expansion of the Iloilo International Airport. The privatization of the airport is in the pipeline with Filipino billionaire Manny Villar's Prime Asset Venture Incorporated (PAVI) as the proponent with the largest proposed budget at 20 billion Php.

Seaport

Main article: Port of Iloilo

Iloilo International Port/Loboc Wharf.

The Port of Iloilo is the port serving the general area of Iloilo and the premier port in the Western Visayas Region. The new Port of Iloilo is located on a site away from the older port facilities. It is situated in the southern coast of Panay Island, in Panay Gulf. With Guimaras Island guarding the port from violent storms, it has one of the safest and most natural harbors in the Philippines

The Iloilo International Port Complex (IIPC) is located on 20.8 hectares of reclaimed land. It has modern facilities that include 11,400 sq. meters of open space for unhampered operations, supplemented by a backup area of 97,000 sq. meters, a crane, rails of 348 lineal meters; roll-on-roll-off support; a 7,800 container freight stations; and a 720 sq. meter passenger shed. The port complex is ideal for ships plying international routes having a berth length of 400 meters, a width of 26.26 meters and a berthing depth of 10.50 meters. It is currently expanding with the reclamation of the west side sea front portion of the complex

The Iloilo Domestic Port Complex (IDPC), located near Fort San Pedro and formerly the Old Foreign Pier, serves inter-island passenger and cargo ferries which serves the routes Manila, Palawan, Cebu, Zamboanga and Cagayan de Oro. It is located near the mouth of Iloilo River at the vicinity of the Western Visayas Regional Government Center at the City Proper District. It is also the port of call for several domestic shipping companies such as 2GO Travel, Cokaliong Shipping Lines Shipping, Trans-Asia Shipping Lines and others. 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 Jalandoni Bridge over the Iloilo River.

Muelle Loney or Iloilo River Wharf is the original port of the city. Opened to international trade in 1855, it has served as the trans-shipment docks for muscovado sugar in the late 19th to the first half of the 20th century. It has undergone several times of expansion and improvement. Today, it serves smaller cargo ships, roll-on roll-off ferries bound for Guimaras and Negros Island and fast ferries that ply Iloilo-Bacolod route regularly. In September 2014, the newly opened Iloilo River Port Complex (IRPC) at Lapuz District started its operation to replace the Iloilo River Wharf.

Iloilo-Guimaras Jetty Ports for Guimaras outrigger ferries are located at Calle Ortiz and Parola. The terminal at Calle Ortiz serves Jordan, Guimaras-bound passenger and cargo outrigger boats, while Parola terminal serve Buenavista, Guimaras-bound ferries. Soon the Iloilo Jetty Port Complex (IJPC) at the Western Visayas Regional Government Center will replace the two jetty ports, the complex is complete with a modern passenger terminal building, a pumpboat fuel refilling station, a 1.3 hectares (3.2 acres) children's park with a marine museum and a CityMall complex by Double Drangon Properties. This project of the City Government was achieved through public-private partnership.

Roll-on/roll-off ferry service, known in as RO-RO, is available from to Iloilo City. There is also a ro-ro service to Cebu via Negros. It is ranked third in terms of ship calls at 11,853, fourth in cargo throughout at 491,719 million metric tons and fourth in passenger traffic at 2.4 million annually.

The Iloilo Fish Port Complex (IFPC) is the only and the major center of fish trading and marine products processing in all of Visayas. The port complex is the traditional landing site of bagnetters and other fishing bancas in Iloilo City and nearby towns. This strategic location has made the port the major fish/marine source of major supermarkets, hotels and restaurants and local public markets in the country and abroad.

Its services includes, unloading and marketing facilities for fish and other fishery/aquatic products both for local and foreign markets; services and facilities for harbor operations such drydocking/repair shop, fuel, oil, water and ice conveyance and for transshipping products; processing, refrigeration and other post-harvest services including product pre-processing, freezing through contact freezer, cold storages and top-grade facilities for the processing of marine products such as prawn, abalone, cuttlefish, lobster, nylon shell, octopus, slippertail, squid, whiting and bangus; and raw land for the establishment of fishery-related factories.

The complex is situated in a 21-hectare reclamation at southern part of the City Proper District. In March 2022, the fish port complex was granted ₱570 million for the expansion of its facilities which will include the construction of a new fish processing plant, establishment of a fish canning facility and the construction of an alternative energy source.

Utilities

The Panay Energy and Development Corporation's Coal power plant in Ingore, La Paz (district) of Iloilo City.

A 72 MW Diesel Fuel Power Plant operated by Panay Power Corporation and a 164 MW coal power plant operated by Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC) provides power generation for Iloilo City, both situated in Barangay Ingore in Lapaz district. PEDC plans for a third coal-fired power generation facility. The newest generator will be on top of the existing 164-MWs for an additional 150-megawatt to be generated that will help produce a total of 404 MW supply for the Panay and Guimaras islands.

Power distribution had been facilitated by Panay Electric Company (PECO) since 1923 as one of the oldest private electricity distributor companies in the Philippines, but MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) of the Spanish Filipino Billionaire Enrique K. Razon, has taken over PECO's operations and acts as the sole power distributor in Iloilo City. MORE Power has introduced modern power services in the city, including the installation of an underground cabling system.

Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW), the metropolis' sole water distributor, has established a joint venture with Metro Pacific Water (MPW) and Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD), to bolster the former's service of supplying potable water to the city and the whole Metro Iloilo. In 2025, MPW began construction of the Metro Iloilo Desalination Facility, which is set to become the largest desalination facility in the Philippines.

Education

Main articles: List of universities and colleges in Iloilo, List of colleges and universities in the Philippines, and Education in the Philippines

Being the center of education in Western Visayas region, the city and the province of Iloilo has a total of ten major universities.

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.

Iloilo City alone hosts to 8 universities such as the Central Philippine University (CPU), University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV), which houses the University of the Philippines High School in Iloilo (UPHSI), University of San Agustin (USAI), West Visayas State University (WVSU), Iloilo Science and Technology University (formerly WVCST) (ISAT-U), University of Iloilo (UI), St. Paul University Iloilo (SPUI), and John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University (JBLFMU).

Three of the universities which are private in the city are founded by Christian religious orders and sects. Roman Catholics established the University of San Agustin (Spanish), St. Paul University Iloilo (American through their French confreres) and the Protestants who founded the Central Philippine University (American Baptist).

University of the Philippines Visayas – Iloilo City campus's main hall.

• Central Philippine University – formally founded in 1905, it dates back its establishment to 1901 when the CPU–Iloilo Mission Hospital, its university hospital, was opened by Presbyterian Protestant Americans. The university was established under the auspices of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society through a grant given by the American industrialist and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller. It is the first Baptist and the second American university in the Philippines and Asia (after Silliman University in Dumaguete).

Central Philippine University College of Nursing is the First School of Nursing in the Philippines.

The university holds the top rank in the Western Visayas region with 2 Commission on Higher Education (Philippines) Centers of Excellence designated programs in Agriculture and Business Administration, and 4 Commission on Higher Education (Philippines) Centers of Development designated programs in Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, and Teacher Education.

Central Philippine University has consistently been included in the Top Universities in Asia Rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds from 2021 to 2023, as well as in the 2023 Impact Rankings by Times Higher Education, and AppliedHE.

The Hinilawod Epic Chant Recordings, housed at CPU's Henry Luce III Library, have been inscribed in the UNESCO Memory of World Register, marking the city's second UNESCO inscription and the first documentary heritage to receive such recognition outside Manila.

The Central Philippine University College of Nursing, founded as the Union Mission Hospital Training School for Nurses (Iloilo Mission Hospital) in 1906, is the First School of Nursing in the Philippines.

Central Philippine University pioneered in various fields by establishing the CPU Philippine Center for Packaging Engineering and Technology (CPU PC-PET), the first of its kind in Southeast Asia; the Central Philippine University College of Agriculture, Resources, and Environmental Sciences, the first government-recognized agricultural school outside Luzon; the Central Philippine University Republic (CPU Republic), the first and oldest organized student government in Southeast Asia; the CPU TV Channel, the first university-based TV Channel in Asia; the Central Philippine University College of Theology, the first Baptist theological seminary in the Philippines; and the Iloilo Mission Hospital, the first American and Protestant hospital in the Philippines.

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')."

Chapel of the University of San Agustin, the first Augustinian university in Asia and the Pacific, and the first university in the Western Visayas.

• University of San Agustin – founded in 1904 by the oldest Roman Catholic religious who came to the Philippines – The Order of St. Augustin, is the First Augustinian University in Asia and the Pacific. It received its university status in March 1953 which also holds the distinction as the First university in Western Visayas.
• St. Paul University Iloilo – Founded in 1946 as a subject to the propagation of Catholicism in the American regime in the Philippines supported the spread of Protestant religion with the help of the American Catholics by their French confreres under the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres (SPC) from France. St. Paul Hospital of Iloilo, the university hospital of the university which was founded in 1911 predates the university's founding. It is one of the seven campuses comprising the St. Paul University System.

The city universities of University of the Philippines Visayas – Iloilo City College Campus, West Visayas State University and Iloilo Science and Technology University are all controlled and subsidized by the government or as state universities.

• University of the Philippines Visayas – is one of the autonomous units of the University of the Philippines System with its main campus in Miag-ao, Iloilo. The Iloilo City satellite campus is focused in Business, Accountancy and social sciences academic courses. The main hall of in the university's main campus used to be the old Iloilo City Hall and houses now the UPV Art Gallery. UPV has been designated by the Commission on Higher Education (Philippines) as Center of Excellence in Chemistry.

The university's alumni have excelled and became notable in their fields which include – Franklin Drilon; Miriam Defensor Santiago, Senator and first Asian to be nominated for a seat in the International Criminal Court; Myrtle Sarrosa, celebrity and TV host; and Jed Patrick Mabilog, 2014 World Mayor Award – Top 5 best Mayor.

West Visayas State University Quezon Hall, the main building of the university.

• West Visayas State University – formally established under the tutelage of the Thomasites in 1924 but dates back its founding in 1902 through the Philippine Normal School system during the American regime. The campus in Iloilo City is the main campus that encompasses the university system. West excels in Nursing, Medicine and Teacher Education annual licensure examinations through the topnotchers that it produces and being on the list of top performing school. The main campus has been declared as Commission on Higher Education (Philippines) Center of Excellence in Teacher Education and Center of Development in Nursing.
• Iloilo Science and Technology University – founded in 1905 as Iloilo School of Arts and Trade by the Americans to continue the School of Arts and Trade that was built during the Spanish colonial era that was closed is focused in technological and technical courses. Its Education academic program has been designated by the Commission on Higher Education (Philippines) as Center of Development in Teacher Education.

Other private universities in the city include:

• University of Iloilo – founded as a legacy institution of Lopez family of Iloilo, it was purchased and is now under the management of PHINMA Group under its arm PHINMA Education Network.
• John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University – the first maritime university in the Philippines founded by Juan Bautista Lacson, offers academic maritime courses.
• National University Iloilo – a new campus of National University currently under construction next to SM City Iloilo in Mandurriao.

The Ateneo Graduate School of Business under the Ateneo de Manila University has a satellite campus in Iloilo City housed at the Ateneo de Iloilo Main Campus. The Ateneo Graduate School of Business – Iloilo offers Master of Business Administration (MBA) – Regis program. It is an initial part of the Ateneo educational system's plan in offering collegiate courses to make Ateneo de Iloilo a full university in the future.

Other universities that maintain units offering off-campus extension programs in Iloilo City include the Philippine Christian University (through a partnership with St. Roberts International College) and Guimaras State University.

The Iloilo City Community College (ICCC), a city project for the city to have its own community-city public college, is administered by the Iloilo City Government through the Commission on Higher Education. It offers undergraduate degrees in business, information technology and travel management.

Iloilo is also home to numerous private colleges and schools such as the Iloilo Doctors College (IDC), one PAREF-affiliated high school, the Westbridge School for Boys, St. Therese – MTC Colleges (ST-MTCC), Western Institute of Technology (WIT), De Paul College (DPC) (defunct), ABE International College of Business and Economics, ACLC College of Iloilo, Computer College of the Visayas, Dominican College of Iloilo, Great Saviour College, AMA Computer College – Iloilo Campus, STI College – Iloilo, Interface Computer College – Iloilo, IMAPF – School of Midwifery, Philippine College of Aeronautics, Science and Technology, ACSI College – Iloilo, ABBA Institute of Technology, Iloilo Scholastic Academy, Hua Siong College of Iloilo, Sun Yat Sen High School, Cabalum Western College, St. Anne College of Iloilo, St. Augustine School of Nursing – Iloilo, Assumption Iloilo (run by the Congregation of the Religious of the Assumption).

Others include Ateneo de Iloilo – Santa Maria Catholic School (run by the Society of Jesus), Angelicum School Iloilo (run by the Order of Preachers), Philippine Science High School-Western Visayas, Colegio de las Hijas de Jesus (or simply Hijas de Jesus which is run by the Congregation of the Daughters of Jesus), San Jose Catholic School (which is run by the Order of St. Agustin), Colegio de San Jose (CSJ) and Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus (CSCJ) which are both run by the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, and Asian College of Aeronautics. Colegio de San Jose is the oldest school for girls in Western Visayas which is now 141 years old. Iloilo is also home to numerous religious formation houses, St. Joseph Regional Seminary for Theologate studies, the 148-year-old St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary for Collegiate studies and Mill Hill Formation House of the Mill Hill Missionaries. In June 2012, the city government opened the Iloilo City Community College at Molo, Iloilo City.

The Department of Education – Division of Iloilo City covers 88 private schools and 52 public schools.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Iloilo

Sister cities

Iloilo City is twinned with:

International

• Stockton, United States, 1956
• Hågat, Guam, 1994
• Qingdao, China, 2000
• Guigang, China, 2004
• Guangxi, China, 2010
• Huaibei, China, 2012
• Dededo, Guam, 2012
• Palembang, Indonesia, 2016
• Quanzhou, China, 2020
• Wuhan, China, 2021
• Dobong-Gu, South Korea, 2024

Domestic

• General Santos, South Cotabato, 1980
• South Cotabato, 1980
• Quezon City, Metro Manila, 1994
• Mandaue, Cebu, 2007
• Bacolod, Negros Occidental, 2010
• Rosario, Batangas, 2011
• San Juan, Metro Manila, 2013
• Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat, 2014
• Koronadal, South Cotabato, 2014

Friendship cities

Iloilo City also has friendly relations with:

• Seattle, United States, 1980
• Icheon, South Korea, 1995
• Brisbane, Australia, 2000
• Tongyeong, South Korea, 2003
• Hsinchu, Taiwan, 2004
• Bilbao, Spain, 2007
• Kaoshiung, Taiwan, 2007
• Daly City, United States, 2011
• Makati, Metro Manila
• Puerto Princesa, Palawan
• Taguig City, Metro Manila
• Tagum, Davao del Norte

See also

• Calle Real
• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro
• Iloilo City Proper
• Metro Iloilo–Guimaras

External links

• Official website
• Iloilo Travel Website Archived January 13, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code