Iloilo City
The Original Queen City of the South
Source http://timlibunao.blogspot.com/2011/02/iloilo-story-of-betrayal-and-redemption.html
Ever wondered how Iloilo became the QUEEN CITY OF THE SOUTH? The title is a a moniker of the previously bestowed decree by the Queen Regent Maria Cristina of Spain in 1896:
"LA MUY LEAL Y NOBLE CIUDAD DE ILOILO".
Such title was too long for the new American administrators of Iloilo to use in their official transactions with other English-speaking countries that Iloilo transacts business with. An English description was therefore coined to introduce Iloilo especially to the Australian merchants who are the chief buyers of Iloilo's sugar shipment.
Hence the title QUEEN REGENT'S CITY IN THE SOUTH was born in 1901 after the Americans assumed government power in Iloilo.
The constant use of the long title used to describe Iloilo went on until a new one came out to simplify the writing of articles in sugar shipment manifesto and other political documentation.
Hence the title QUEEN'S CITY IN THE SOUTH.
With the sugar industry flourishing even more that catapulted Iloilo's economy to enormous heights and with the American Government pouring in enormous political and economic functions to the city, Iloilo became the second major seat of power during that time with all administrative functions channeling from Iloilo & Manila only. No other province in the south was as important historically and politically and as progressive as Iloilo.
Hence the title QUEEN CITY OF THE SOUTH sprung out.
The QUEEN CITY OF THE SOUTH title was then made as Iloilo's official nickname when Iloilo was legally declared a city for the second time by the virtue of the Commonwealth Act No. 158 in 1937.
OFFICIAL ILOILO CITY SEAL
The seal was made after Maria Cristina, Queen Regent of Spain declared Iloilo a city,
the first ever Philippine locale that was officially declared a city.
The declaration was made long before Cebu and Manila became a city
The book written by the Augustinian Father Policarpio Hernandez titled "ILOILO, The Most Noble City: History and Development 1566-1898." narrates the circumstances of how Iloilo City won for itself the accolade "La Muy Leal y Noble Ciudad de Iloilo"
"When Andres Bonifacio's Katipunan launched the revolt against Spain at the outskirts of Manila on 30 August 1896, the Ilongo elite was caught by surprise. They immediately responded with protestations of outrage and affirmed their loyalty to Mother Spain. The Ilongos themselves were united in their support of Spain during the first two years of the revolutionary period, nipping in the bud local separatist movements and eventually battling the troops of General Emilio Aguinaldo.
A few days after the Cry of Balintawak, the Jaro Ayuntamiento, comprised entirely of native Ilongos, convened in a special session on 1 September. It condemned the Manila uprising as an unpatriotic act 'that finds no echo in the hearts of the Jarenos.' Iloilo towns also condemned the Manila uprising, and the neighboring provinces of Capiz, Antique and the Negros Island followed suit. Emboldened by this outpouring of love and loyalty toward Spain, the Ilongo elite, with the backing of the Spanish and foreign communities of Iloilo, initiated the organization of loyal volunteers in the region to be sent to quell the Tagalog rebellion. Five hundred native troops volunteered and an Ilongo Volunteer Battalion was formed under the cadre of mostly Spanish officers.
With enthusiasm compensating for their poor military training, the Ilongo Volunteers gathered at Plaza Alfonso XII (present-day Plaza Libertad) for blessings prior to their departure to Manila. A massive overflow of pro-Spanish patriotism marked the occasion that was attended, in full force, by local Spanish authorities and the Iloilo Ayuntamiento.
As per report of the Diario de Manila, the Ilongo Volunteers embarked on the ship Brutus as folk heroes, cheered by the people who sent them off en masse. Bishop Leandro Arrue and the city officials, led by Governor Ricardo Monet, joined the multitude that wished the Ilongo volunteers luck in their fight for the Mother Country.
THE OFFICIAL ILOILO CITY SEAL DURING THE COMMONWEALTH PERIOD
Iloilo was legally declared a city for the second time in 1937 by the virtue of
the Commonwealth Act No. 158.
This was the time when the new city seal (above) was used.
Divided into two companies, the Volunteer Battalion arrived in Manila on 16 January 1897. It easily became one of the largest native contingent to serve the government forces against the insurgent soldiers of General Emilio Aguinaldo in the battlegrounds of Cavite province. Regular financial contributions, mainly from the families of the Ilongo elite, supported the Ilongo Volunteers throughout their years of service. The first fund raising campaign in March 1897 generated some 1,615 pesos. Among the leading contributors were Felix de la Rama and Eugenio Lopez, as well as other urban elite families from both Iloilo and Jaro. Before this, as per the report of Diario de Manila, some 40,000 pesos had already been collected when the Ilongo Battalion embarked for Manila, 'an amount at the time that would last them for four months.....'
As expected, the Ilongo Volunteers established for themselves a distinguished combat record in the battles of Cavite against Aguinaldo's revolutionary forces. Once the pact of Biak-na-Bato was signed, the Battalion returned to Iloilo on April 1898. Just like their departure, their homecoming galvanized the people into more public outpourings and manifestations of pro-Spanish loyalty and patriotism.
The Spanish Crown did not let the effort of the Ilongos go unheralded. Queen Maria Cristina issued a special royal decree, dated 10 March 1898, which awarded Iloilo City the perpetual title La Muy Noble Ciudad for its exemplary conduct, its laudable actions during the Tagalog insurrection, and for being the first in organizing, arming and supporting the Ilongo Volunteers.
Such filial devotion of the Ilongos to the Mother Country was understandable. Their allegiance to Spanish rule was a form of loyalty at once comprehensible. Allowed a more liberal degree of local autonomy by the Maura administration reforms of 1893, the leaders of Iloilo, Jaro and the other towns of Panay and Negros thought the uprising and revolt against Spanish rule were preposterous. Involved as they were in the development of Iloilo and Negros, enjoying the prosperity of the sugar boom during the past decades, the Ilongos had always considered themselves part of Spain, their grievances against the Mother Country nil."
In other words, the Spanish honorific "La Muy Leal y Noble Ciudad" which has fostered a certain distinction and a sense of "home-town" pride among Iloilo City natives is in fact really an award given by Spain for their act of "betrayal" as many people of today would claim against the fight for Philippine nationhood.
THE CURRENT OFFICIAL SEAL OF THE CITY OF ILOILO
PROVINCIAL ENSIGN OF ILO-ILO
In 1886, the Philippine Islands were divided into two provinces, Manila and Ilo-Ilo.
After the proclamation of the two provinces Manila adopted the ensign of 1845 and Ilo-Ilo the new white and blue ensign.
With all that has been negatively said about that act, I still don't consider it an act of betrayal since the Philippines were not united then and Iloilo was just blessed enough to have been free or minimally affected by the Spanish oppression. The act therefore made by the Ilonggos in siding with Spain was just an initial reactionary move since Spain was so good to all of Iloilo.
Fortunately as the years pass, Iloilo has awakened from the supposed hypnotic effect of Spain and many Ilonggos begin to fight the oppression. In fact, the very people who fought side by side with the Spaniards are the very ones fight against them.
Many of the Ilonggos who initially sided with Spain were recognized and honored by the National Historical Institute for the massive revolutionary movement that they have established against Spain.
In fact many Ilonggos later on joined with the national revolutionary movement.
Gen. Pablo S. Araneta of the Revolutionary Government of Visayas.
Gen. Marciano S. Araneta of the cantonal Government in Negros.
Don Gregorio S. Araneta of the Malolos Republic.
The National Historical Institute (NHI) recognized the patriotic contributions of afore-mentioned Ilonggo Heroes with the installation of Statues and/or Historical Markers in their honor.
The Fort San Pedro
The Fort San Pedro was built because of a necessity. In 1602, Pedro Bravo de Acuna stayed at the growing district of Arevalo, the island’s capital at that time. Seeing the need for protection from frequent Dutch and Moro raids, he ordered the construction of a wooden fortress at Punta de Iloilo, at the mouth of the Iloilo River. The fortress was then improved by the new commander in chief in the Visayas, Diego Quinones in 1616 and built the fortress in stone. After the Dutch siege in September 1616, reinforcements from Manila arrived and brought with them heavy artillery pieces and a fleet stationed at the fort for greater protection. It was also during the siege by the Dutch that Quinones found the image of the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary or Nuestra Senora del Rosario which is still exists at San Jose Parish Church at Plaza Libertad today
Hoskyn's: The Country's First Department Store
J.M. Basa St. corner Guanco st. Iloilo city
Here is another interesting article written by Professor Henry Funtecha in The News Today about Hoskyn's Department Store, reputed to be the very first department store in the Philippines. I think present-day mall rats would find it really interesting to learn that Ilonggos have been at it since the 1880s. Read on...
"By the second half of the 19th century, Iloilo became the undisputed leader among the provinces in Western Visayas. Not only was it the biggest in population, it was the largest in agricultural production, the most active in manufacturing, and one of the best instructed among the provinces, according to John Bowring, Governor of Hongkong, who visited Iloilo in 1858 (Bowring, 1963).
Because of the expansion of trade and the rapid growth of business and economic activities in Panay and Negros due primarily to the boom in the sugar industry resulting from the opening of the Iloilo Port to world commerce in 1855, native and foreign firms established themselves in the town of Iloilo. These firms built permanent offices and outlets along the Iloilo wharf and the streets that branched out from the waterfront. Banks, machine shops, printing presses, educational institutions, medical facilities, and social clubs came into being. Residential buildings multiplied and provided the town of Iloilo a highly urbanized character. The town of Iloilo subsequently developed into one of the most important commercial centers in the Philippines outside of Manila. On October 5, 1889, the Queen Regent of Spain raised the town to the status of a city.
The Iloilo waterfront (now Muelle Loney), considered as the hub of Iloilo's trade, was an entrepot of British and Chinese merchants in the 1880s, not to mention American, Basque, Catalan, Danish, Portuguese, Swiss and Filipino entrepreneurs. Calle Real (now J.M. Basa Street), situated in the heart of downtown Iloilo, served as the main shopping center of the town. In the 1880s, even before it was elevated into a city, it was already where most of the town's business establishments and large residential houses were found. Filipino, American, European and Chinese retail stores lined up along its length.
An essential component of the sugar trade at the Port of Iloilo was the availability of bodegas or warehouses to store sugar. At the heart of the waterfront stood a long line of offices and bodegas owned by the leading commercial houses operating in Calle Real and elsewhere in the town. Some of these included those of Miguel Medina, Julian Hernaez, Vicente Gay, the Scot Macleod, Ernest Oppen, Ynchausti y ca., and the Swiss Frederick Luchsinger (Contribuciones industriales, Iloilo).
In 1877, the Englishman Henry Hoskyn, nephew of Nicholas Loney, the first British vice-consul in Iloilo, paid P17,000 for the house and lot at the midpoint of Calle Real which became the site of the town's renowned luxury Hoskyn Department Store, reputed to be the Philippines' first real department store. It was also claimed as the first to introduce the “fixed price” policy in merchandising in the country and was known to be “the store that sold everything from needle to anchor”. It offered groceries, hardware, stationery, toys, watches, jewelry, machinery, buttons, threads, etc. (Articulos que ordinariamente reciben y venden Hoskyn y ca. del comercio de Iloilo, 1895).
In the 1880s, among the business firms that were doing business in Calle Real, aside from Hoskyn's, were Streif & Co. (Swiss), Ynchausti y cia. (Spanish), El Louvre (French), Lizarraga Hermanos (Spanish), and Levy Hermanos & Co. (French). These establishments were noted merchants, capitalists and large commodities brokers. There were also other European and American firms dealing in maritime and fire insurance. Also, a number of European specialty shops and retail stores were on hand selling hats, watches, naval supplies, etc. A piano studio, tailoring and machine shops were, moreover, available. Furthermore, here was located Spanish and native establishments like Bazar Cosmopolitan, Cafe Colon, La Puerta del Sol, La Espega de Oro, La Zaragoza, and Tordecillas y ca. There was also German-owned drugstore called Botica Antigua (Protocols 1601, Yloilo, March 31, 1887; Contribuciones industriales, Iloilo).
Banks promptly opened their branches in Iloilo town in this period and they were placed at Calle Real near Plaza Alfonso XII (now Plaza Libertad). These banks were the Chartered Bank and the Hongkong & Shanghai Bank. Hotels were also found in Calle Real like the Casa de Hespedes and Fonda la Espanola located just off the far-end of the Plaza."
The first government constructed museum building in the Philippines
The Miag-ao Church
the only UNESCO World Heritage Site "Baroque Churches in the south
The first commercial airline in the country was the Iloilo Negros Air Express Co. (INAEC).
The history of commercial aviation in the Philippines has started in 1925. The first regular air services were launched in Iloilo (Central Philippines). It was said that Iloilo is the birthplace of Filipino commercial air transportation. Jose Tinsay, an Ilongo aviator, was the first to fly the 43-kilometer Guimaras Strait between Iloilo and Bacolod.
Then in late April of 1932, Don Eugenio Lopez, the sugar and shipping magnate, launched Iloilo-Negros Air Express Company (INAEC) which became the first Filipino owned private airline in the Philippines with its operational base in Iloilo. INAEC’s first aircraft, a Stinson Tri-Motor, had its inaugural flight on February 1, 1933 from Iloilo to Manila. Regular air services between Manila, Bacolod Iloilo and Cebu started within a year, and then expanded to Zambonga and Davao in another two years. INAEC with its three-engine aircrafts advertised its air travels as “fast, commodious, elegant and reliant” compared with the other services.
Despite the great depression in the US and Europe, aviation in the Philippines still boomed at that time with 60 airfields scattered all over the country, four of which is in Manila. Inaec then used Grace Park (airfields were then called “parks”) located near the Bonifacio Monument.
From 1935 to April 1937, the Air Corps had arrangements with INAEC and the US Army Air Corps in Nichols Field for enlisted men to work as apprentices in their shops. Many Air Corps maintenance men had their hands-on training at INAEC.
Also in 1937, INAEC purchased its own seaplane, a Sikorsky S-43 amphibian, the most modern aircraft at that time and which carried 16 passengers. Another feat for INAEC is the introduction of steward service which was the first in the Philippines. INAEC was so successful that, by the end of the decade, it was flying 2,000 passengers a month. In 1941, it began flying to Baguio.
The entire INAEC fleet was however destroyed in World War II.
But quickly after the war, Don Eugenio Lopez and brother Fernando Lopez restarted the operation of INAEC. INAEC was then converted to Far Eastern Air Transport Inc. (FEATI) with an inaugural flight on November 19, 1945 from Grace Park in Manila to Iloilo. Immediately the airline set up widespread domestic route network. In May the following year it flew to Hongkong and Bangkok, making it the first Filipino airline to go regional. Then later, with flights to San Francisco, Shanghai, and India, it became the country’s first international airline service.
Political and business manoeuvrings forced the Lopez brothers to sell FEATI to Soriano and merge it with PAL. But on November 9, 1993, INAEC was reborn to service the air transportation needs of the Lopez Group.
On December 19, 2001 INAEC obtained its Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) and immediately thereafter went into domestic and international chartering and non-scheduled air services.
The Founders
Few families in the Philippines have had a history as colourful and as successful as the Lopezes. Since their beginnings in Iloilo in the early 1800's, the Lopez family has espoused business excellence, nationalism, and social responsibility. In business, they demonstrated an extraordinary resilience, staging tremendous comebacks from adversity.
The Air Crafts
INAEC'S First Chief Pilot
The first concrete road in the country – from Forbes Bridge to Jaro Plaza.
Paulino Alcántara Riestrá
First asian player to play for a European club
FC Barcelona highest goal scorer in the club’s history with 357 goals in 357 games.
(7 October 1896—13 February 1964) was a Filipino–Spanish footballer and manager. He spent most of his playing career at Barcelona and was the first Filipino and Asian player to play for a European club. He also played for Catalonia, the Philippines and Spain. Alcántara made his debut for Barcelona at the age of 15 and remains the youngest player to play or score for the club. He also scored 357 goals in 357 matches, making him the club's highest goalscorer (counting goals scored in both official games and friendlies). After retiring as a player in 1927
Queen Festival of the Philippines 2011
It is the first festival in the world to get the support of the United Nations for the promotion of the Millennium Development Goals, and cited by the Asian Development Bank as Best Practice on government, private sector & NGO cooperations.
- Best Tourism Event of the Philippines, 2006 - Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP)
- Best Tourism Event of the Philippines, 2007 - Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP)
- Best Tourism Event of the Philippines, 2008 - Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP)
- 1st ATOP Hall of Fame Best Tourism Event Awardee, 2009 - Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP)
- Best Practices of the City Government, 2009 - Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA)
- Best Executing Strategy, October 2009 - Palladium Asia Pacific Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia
- Palladium Balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame - Palladium Asia Pacific Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia
- Best Practice in the Promotion of the Localization of the Millennium Development Goals , 2007- United Nations Development Programme, CityNet Conference in Kathmandu, Nepal
- Best Practice in Public and Private Cooperation - Asian Development Bank
- Festival with Excellent Folk Choreography, National Commission for the Culture and the Arts
- 2nd Place, Aliwan Festival, 2003
- Grand Champion, Aliwan Festival, 2004
- 3rd Place, Aliwan Festival, 2005
- 2nd Place, Aliwan Festival, 2006
- 2nd Place, Aliwan Festival, 2007
- 2nd Place, Aliwan Festival, 2008
- 3rd Place, Aliwan Festival, 2009
- Grand Champion, Aliwan Festival 2010
- Grand Champion, Aliwan Festival, 2011
- Resolution No. 120 “Commending Iloilo City for Emerging as the Festival Grand Champion at the 2011 Aliwan Fiesta Street Dancing Competition”. June 1, 2011 - Philippine House of Representatives
- Best Attraction Event of the Homeland to America - Philippine Independence Day Celebration in New York June 5, 2011
- Queen Festival of the Philippines, 2011 - Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP)
The Paraw Regatta
held annually since 1973 is a 36.5 kilometer race held in the Province of Iloilo, Philippines.
ILOILO'S PARADISE
CARLES AND ISLA GIGANTES
Before Boracay, there was Sicogon
Source http://www.ambot-ah.com/2009/05/04/enchanted-carles-for-the-first-time-april-2009/Before Boracay attained international renown, Sicogon island in Iloilo province used to be a favorite destination of tourists. Situated at the north-westernmost part of Panay, Sicogon is part of the Higantes group of islands which is under the territorial jurisdiction of Carles, a small 4th class municipality in Iloilo. Sicogon used to be popular to tourists for its long stretch of white sand beach, said to be longer than Boracay's 7-kilometer stretch. It is also known for its lush coral reefs ideal for scuba diving and snorkeling. In fact, the sea surrounding the Sicogon-Higantes island chain is the traditional fishing ground of local fishermen due to its abundant marine life. Unfortunately, unrestricted cyanide and dynamite fishing have done much damage to its once-lush coral reefs. Local environmentalists and cause-oriented groups have been advocating for a "moratorium" to wide-scale commercial fishing in the area to give the marine ecosystem time to regenerate itself. But since people have no other means of livelihood, the proposal has not gained much public support. Anyway, to get to Sicogon, one can either take public transportation from Iloilo City or rent a van for the 3-hour drive to Carles. Upon arriving in Carles town, one can hire a banca (motorized outrigger canoe) to bring you to Sicogon island. If you are coming from Manila, you can also take the Roxas City route because Carles is more or less equidistant to both Iloilo and Roxas City. All in all, getting to Sicogon would take up half a day and an overnight stay there is bitin. One has to stay at least two days to really explore and enjoy the island. The downside (or the upside depending on what you want) is that facilities at Sicogon are not exactly world-class and tourists must "rough it up" a little. Cottages are just simple nipa hut affairs and there is no plumbing. Sicogon would appeal more to adventurous tourists, backpackers and nature-lovers than city-slickers accustomed to the comforts and amenities of home. Things were not always this way at Sicogon. In the 1970s up to the early 1980s, Sicogon had a world-class resort which was supposedly visited by Hollywood celebrities and moneyed sun-worshippers from all over the globe. There even used to be a private airstrip and helipad on the island which was built by a Marcos crony. Unfortunately, the resort owner defaulted on his loan and the resort facility is now owned by the Philippine National Bank
Batchoy
is a noodle soup made with pork organs, crushed pork cracklings, shrimp, vegetables, chicken stock, chicken breast, beef loin and round noodles. Its origins can be traced to the district of La Paz, Iloilo City in the Philippines, hence it is oftentimes referred to as La Paz Batchoy.
- The dish was concocted in the La Paz market in 1938 by Federico Guillergan, Sr.[2] His recipe called for a mixture of broth, noodles, beef and pork. The soup later evolved into its present form which has become Iloilo City's most popular dish. Federico Guillergan, Jr., the son of the soup's inventor, states that his father at first jokingly called the dish "bats" when asked for its name. Later, he added "choy", from the vegetable dish chop suey.[3]
- Teodorico Lepura opened his first batchoy shop at the La Paz public market in 1945. Run by Lepura, his wife and their children, the shop sold the original La Paz batchoy at that time priced at 20 centavos per bowl. In the 1930's, as a teenager, Lepura learned the basics of making La Paz batchoy while working for a Chinese merchant, and eventually concocted his own version of the dish.[1]
Abalone
One successful adoptor of the abalone hatchery technology developed by the SEAFDEC AQD is Rey Acap of Oton, Iloilo. After participating in a training course conducted by the department, Acap put up his abalone hatchery in a facility formerly used for shrimp fry production.
Abalone breeders (Haliotis asinine) measuring 5-6 centimeters in shell length are stocked in concrete tanks with well-aerated flow through seawater and fed with “gulaman” (red seaweed) juveniles (2-cm in shell length) can be produced throughout the year with water temperature control. It takes about six months to produce the seeds from the fertilized eggs.
The Acap abalone hatchery can produce 25,000-35,000 juveniles every month. The seeds are stocked in specially designed plastic containers suspended from outdoor floating cages and grown to a market-size of 5-6 centimeters shell length in about ten months. The juveniles are sold to growers at P5-6 a piece.
For grow-out, the juveniles are initially stocked at 600 per plastic container and fed with “gulaman.” After four months, the density of the juveniles is reduced to 150 per container to make them grow faster in the next six months of culture till harvest. It takes about 12 kilos of “gulaman” to produce a kilo of market-size abalone (weighing about 100 grams each). Live abalone can sell for as much as P450 per kilo.
There are suitable coastal areas in the country that have been identified for abalone fanning. These areas are in Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, Pangasinan, Batangas. Iloilo, Aklan, Cebu, Bohol, Misamis Oriental, Surigao, Davao, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu.
According to Vincent Encena II, a seafood trader, the Philippines is capable of producing at least 3,000 tons of abalone per year. With dwindling wild stocks due to over-harvesting, habitat degradation and illegal fishing, sea farming of abalone will not only replenish such depleted stocks but will also provide an alternative livelihood to coastal fisherfolk.
the first golf course in the Philippines
Iloilo Golf and Country Club
Iloilo City, Panay, Philippines
formerly Sta. Barbara Golf Course,
National Historical Institute Press Statement
The National Historical Institute congratulates the Iloilo Golf and Country Club for keeping alive the legacy of the Santa Barbara Golf Course, which serves as memorial to the colorful history of Iloilo.The beginning of Santa Barbara Golf Course runs parallel with the development of the railway system linking Iloilo to other towns of Panay in 1907. During this period, the British Engineers of the Philippine Railway Corporation tasked to build the railways also built the golf course on a 2000 yards 9-hole layout. They subsequently formed the Santa Barbara Golf and Country Club with British and American members, and later Filipinos, one of them was Tomas Confessor, a hero of the Philippine Revolution and Governor of Iloilo during the American period. Another Filipino member of the Golf Club was Fernando Lopez, who became Vice President of the Philippines. The golf course withstood time to witness the Second World War, which according to eyewitness accounts, was used by the Americans as barracks during the liberation.
The Santa Barbara Golf Course became the social hub of families of foreign nationals and Filipinos since the early American period. It can be said that it has created socio-economic and tourism advantage to Santa Barbara because its numerous tournaments draw crowds of golf enthusiasts, and provide employment and income-generating opportunities to the residents. It has contributed professional golfers in the history of golf in the Philippines like Mario Siodina, Jose Rates, Jr., Miguel Sequito and Cecil Hechanova (former chair of the Philippine Sports Commission). It is recognized by the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) as the oldest in the country.
In view thereof, the National Historical Institute hereby formally recognizes the Santa Barbara Golf Course as the “oldest existing golf course in the Philippines” through the Centennial Marker that will be installed in the year 2007. The text of the Centennial Marker reads:
Santa Barbara Golf Course
Founded 1907. Oldest Existing Golf Course in the Philippines under the Santa Barbara Golf and Country Club. Now known as the Iloilo Golf and Country Club, Inc.
The Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal visited this famous church on his way to Manila from exile in Dapitan. He exclaimed as He saw the church "La iglesia bonita!", acknowledging its beauty
FLAG OF THE " LEAL TIRADORES DE
ILOILO "
"Ang Pungsod Ilonggo" Newsletter of the Ilonggo Nation Movement (INM) Global Network
THE DREAM...BEGINS! --The "Ilonggo Nation" of Western Visayas has existed since 1214 up to the early 1900's. It has a seperate and distinct political set-up; its own culture, ethnic languages and traditions; history and aspirations. A proud race of noble heritage. ---Our objective!... a bold attempt to revive, a once glorious era ... gone! ~~~ in the sands of time.
Ang Republika Federal sg Kabisay-an (The Federal Republic of the Visayas)
"ACTA DE CAPITULACION~1898" (The Formal Surrender Document-Nov.6,1898)
(The last duly constituted authority of Spain in the Philippine archipelago)ANG PUNGSOD ILONGGO!
*Kabisay-an Nakatungdan* (The Ilonggo “Nation” Movement Newsletter) “To appreciate where you are now, you should know where you came from.”
The early people in the Visayas region were Austronesians and Negritos who migrated to the islands about 6,000 to 30,000 years ago. These early settlers were animist tribal groups. In the 12th century, settlers from the collapsing empires of Srivijaya, Majapahit and Brunei, led by the chieftain Datu Puti and his tribes, settled in the island of Panay and its surrounding islands. By the 14th century, Arab traders and their followers, venturing into the Malay Archipelago, converted some of these tribal groups into Muslims. These tribes practiced a mixture of Islam and Animism beliefs. There is also some evidence of trade among other Asian people. The Visayans were thought to have kept close diplomatic relations with Malaysia and Indonesian kingdoms since the tribal groups of Cebu were able to converse with Enrique of Malacca using the Malay language when the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived in 1521.
Historical documents written in 1907 by Visayan historian Pedro Alcántara Monteclaro in his book Maragtas tell the story of the ten chiefs (Datus) who escaped from the tyranny of Datu Makatunaw from Borneo and came to the islands of Panay. The chiefs and followers were said to be the ancestors (from the collapsing empires of Srivijaya and Majapahit) of the Visayan people. The documents were accepted by Filipino historians and found their way into the history of the Philippines. As a result, the arrival of Bornean tribal groups in the Visayas is celebrated in the festivals of the Ati-Atihan in Kalibo, Aklan and Binirayan in San José, Antique. Foreign historians such as William Scott conclusively proved the book to be a Visayan folk tradition.[6] Panay boasts of the Hinilawod as its oldest and longest epic.
A contemporary theory based on a study of genetic markers in present-day populations that Austronesian people from Taiwan populated the region of Luzon and headed south to the Visayas, Borneo, Indonesia, then to Pacific islands and to the east of the Indian Ocean.[7] The study, though, may not explain inter-island migrations, which are also possible, such as Filipinos migrating to any other Philippine provinces.
Folkloric legends recorded in the Maragtas by Pedro Monteclaro say ten Bornean datus landed at a site now known as San Joaquin town in Iloilo province. They purchased Panay from the Ati, cultivated the land, and renamed the island Madya-as. They divided it into three communities: Irong-irong, Akean (which includes the Capiz area), and Hamtik.
Capiz, which was part of Aklan in pre-Spanish times, was one of the early settlements of the Malayas, centuries before the coming of the Spaniards to the Philippines. It was part of the Confederation of Madjaas, formed after the purchase of Panay by the Bornean datus from the Negrito king named Marikudo.When the Spaniards led by Miguel López de Legazpi came to Panay from Cebu in 1569, they found people with tattoos, and so they called it Isla de los Pintados. How the island itself came to be called Panay is uncertain. The Aeta called it Aninipay, after a plant that abounded in the island. Legend has it that Legazpi and his men, in search of food, exclaimed upon the island, Pan hay en esta isla!. So they established their first settlement in the island at the mouth of the Banica River in Capiz and called it Pan-ay. This was the second Spanish settlement in the Philippines, after San Miguel, Cebu.
Panay received its present name from Spanish officials who named the island after one of its earliest settlements, the town of Pan-ay in the province of Capiz. It was, however, once referred as Aninipay by the indigenous aetas and later Madia-as by the Malay settlers who first arrived in the island in the 12th century.
Nadsadjan Falls is a famous tourist destination in Igbaras. Its cool and fresh Prussians blue waters attracts foreign and local tourists every year. The Nadsadjan Falls measures 100 feet in height, spewing water on a giant cauldron-like natural swimming pool
Brgy. Bucari, located in the mountains of Leon
is known as Iloilo’s little Baguio because of the cool climate and highland attractions that most people tag with places found in the northern part of the country such as Baguio and even Benguet. But unlike what is currently happening to those places, Bucari is still much endowed with verdant landscapes, tall pine trees, pristine springs, and even bountiful harvests from its rice terraces.
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