Iloilo City, Then and Now

By Atty. Eduardo T. Reyes III

When strolling around the Iloilo River Esplanade, one cannot help but feel blessed to have this brick-clad footpath that traces the riverbanks and where flowers abound from all sides, as their place for exercise. An aerial shot of the esplanade depicts a rather large stream that wriggles in the middle of a metropolis and feeds into a vast body of water that is the Guimaras strait.

During long weekends like August 25 which is a non-working holiday because it falls on National Heroes’ Day and also Iloilo City’s Charter Day, residents of Iloilo City would spend it leisurely at the Iloilo River Esplanade.

This is one precious gift that Iloilo City can offer to its residents and tourists.

Iloilo City was formally inaugurated on August 25, 1935 as a chartered city. (see https://visitiloilocity.com, last seen at 4:43 p.m., August 23, 2025). That was 90 years ago. It was a time when there was a valley of peace after World War I ended in 1918 and World War II began in 1939.

“Charter” refers to “a grant or guarantee of rights, franchises, or privileges from the sovereign power of a state or country.” (see https://www.meriam-webster.com last seen at 4:55 p.m., August 23, 2025).

The year 1935 is easy to remember as history books would gladly tell that the Philippines was then under a Commonwealth government and it was the same year that the first formal supreme law known as the 1935 Philippine Constitution was passed.

Unlike the City of Passi which was converted into a “component city” by virtue of Republic Act No. 8469, and thus is an integral component of the Province of Iloilo, Iloilo City being a charter city enjoys autonomy and flexibility.

Of course, autonomy does not mean total independence from the national government. The basic principle under Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 is that local government units (LGUs) like Iloilo City are still under the supervision, albeit not control, of the national government.

Iloilo City resembles a nose in the map of Panay Island which points towards Guimaras province. It is known as the “City of Love” because Ilonggos are famous for their kindness and hospitality, and for their “sweet tone,” even when they are already upset.

Having been born in 1974, this columnist belongs to Generation X in reference to those born within the period from 1965 to 1980.

The commemoration of Iloilo City’s Charter Day could be nostalgic. In the 1980’s, Iloilo City was like a sleepy town. There was not much traffic. I remember that our dad could still pick us up from school at General Hughes, and bring us home to take our lunch in Molo and then we’ll be back in school again wherein the round trip would not take more than 1 ½ hours.

There were no high-rise buildings back then, nor expansive malls. We only had downtown Iloilo with small shops selling assorted goods like clothing, toys, grocery items and other personal stuff.

While considered as a city, legally, Iloilo City back then was more like a prosperous town having some sort of business hub nestled among districts.

Just like a child’s perception that their parents may never grow old, time has overtaken us by so much that because of the busyness of life, we have awakened to an Iloilo City that is now a bustling city- a central business district.

Traffic is massive on rush hours and also on paydays and Fridays especially when it’s raining.

Tall buildings have risen around the metropolis and the businesses that are open up until late at night as announced by colorful lights and rowdy music, negate the notion that Iloilo City is still home for laid-back living.

So government policymakers must always deal with the delicate balancing-act between progress and sentimentality.

Like a person, a city has a soul. And I think that growing up in Iloilo City in the 1980’s, it may not be denied that this city’s soul is unique if not profound. I recall flying kites with my siblings and friends in wide open spaces as they were still aplenty back in the day. Those times, it seemed, were days when the sun stood still.

Famous Ilonggo novelist Stevan Javellana has captured in words not only the romance between his protagonists but the allure of Iloilo City in the 1940’s. He described the awe-inspiring sight of “the old cathedral and mossy bell tower with its four clocks” in “the plaza of Jaro” and the “kilometer-long thatched building of the Iloilo High School.” The ardent descriptions are found in his novel titled Without Seeing The Dawn and it encapsulates how one would feel upon being greeted by these historical sites coming in from a town like Sta. Barbara where the hero, Carding, and his newly-wedded wife, Lucing, came from, in Javellana’s novel. These are contained in Chapter 10 which is titled, “The City.”

Indeed, Iloilo City is “The City.” It is unlikely for one to grow up in Iloilo City and not be enchanted by its mystique. There are vestiges of its rich culture and heritage in old mansions that were built during Spanish time. Then there are narrow streets that are redolent of the times when wooden calesas would traverse them with the clanking of horse shoes echoing in the dim-lit corner.

Today, Iloilo City is touted as one of the fast-emerging cities in the country. It boasts of its gastronomy and business hubs, and yet it is scenic by having an Iloilo River Esplanade that cuts across the city’s geography as if to provide life amidst work. And then there is a garden teeming with plants and flowers that follows the contours of the esplanade, painting color to any dullness in life.

When visiting the esplanade, senior citizens would be seen taking their walk on the brick-lined pathway. The young ones for their part would jog or walk briskly. It is symbolic of what Iloilo City is all about. It gained its charter in 1935, just about the time when its senior citizens were born. The elderly have witnessed how the city has grown into what it is today.

Iloilo City is home to both young and old. It is a repository of things both modern and antique.

It is a fusion of the past and the present.

God speed, Iloilo City, on its 88th Charter Day celebration!

(The author is the senior partner of ET Reyes III & Associates (ETRIIILaw)– a law firm based in Iloilo City. He is a litigation attorney, a law professor, MCLE lecturer, bar reviewer and a book author. Among the books he authored is Law on Property and Essentials of Land Registration [2024 Edition] which was on the bestseller’s list in online shops for several months. His website is etriiilaw.com).