Iloilo City, officially the City of Iloilo (Hiligaynon: Syudad sang Iloilo or Dakbanwa sg Iloilo; Filipino: Lungsod ng Iloilo; Spanish: Ciudad de Iloilo), is a highly urbanized city on Panay Island in the Philippines, and the capital city of the province of Iloilo. It is the regional center of the Western Visayas as well as the center of the Iloilo-Guimaras Metropolitan Area. In the 2010 census, Iloilo City had a population of 424,619 with a 1.8% population annual growth rate.[4]
It is bordered by the towns of Oton in the west, Pavia in the north, Leganes in the northeast and the Iloilo Strait in its eastern and southern coastline. The city was a conglomeration of former towns, which are now the geographical districts, consisting of: Jaro (an independent city-before), Molo, La Paz, Mandurriao, Villa Arevalo, and Iloilo City Proper. The district of Lapuz, a former part of La Paz, was declared a separate district in 2008.[5]
HistoryEdit
See also: History of the Philippines and Irong-Irong
Period of Malay Mass Migration
According to ancient legends, the inhabitants of Panay island of which Iloilo, is a location in, were originally from North Sumatra; especially from the state of Pannai of which Panay is named after it (i and y being interchangeable in Spanish) as well as a shortening of the Ati word, "Ananipay".
The state of Pannai was a militant-nation allied under the Sri-Vijaya Mandala that defended the conflict-ridden Strait of Malacca. The small kingdom traded-with and simultaneously repulsed any unlicensed Chinese, Indian or Arab navies that often warred in or pirated the straights of Malacca and for a small country, they were adept at taking down armadas larger than itself. They were successful in policing and defending the straights of Malacca for the Mandala of Sri-Vijaya until the Chola invasion of Srivijaya occurred, wherein a surprise attack from behind, originating from the occupied capital, rendered the militant-state of Pannai vulnerable...