ILOILO  CALLE REAL and its WEALTH OF BUSINESS

by PJ Arañador

Iloilo City being a  first class highly urbanized city in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines  is the center of excellence and  hub of education, culinary, religion, healthcare, tourism, culture, industry and economy in the south of the country rivalling closely with Cebu City.  

After the World War II, many from Mindanao, Visayas and Palawan did business in Iloilo.  Being one of the prime cities in the Philippines  second to Manila  (  later overtaken by Cebu at the turn of the century ), its economy  economy was prolific and diverse with foreign and local commercial establishments along the  whole stretch of  Calle Real which was lined with the most beautiful colonial buildings in the country. 

Smuggled goods from Borneo and neighboring countries in the south were rampant in Iloilo City  after the world war. Its  efficient ports and fine harbors  were stop over points from Mindanao to Manila allowed this so along with the backdoor shipping entries.  

Trading among the Muslims and the Ilonggos prospered as the latter acquired huge estates of land in Mindanao consequently became extremely wealthy through agriculture and dry goods trading. Iloilo boosted with the highest numbers of jewelry and pawn shops in the country, pioneering the selling and trading of gold and silver many of which sustained their turn of the century brand until today. 

To prosper the businesses,  Iloilo had already telephone network system, electricity and banks operating in the metropolis in 1894 and later railway trains in 1950's. Iloilo holds the highest number of "firsts" in country many were infrastructure to drive commerce aggressively. 

One of its major past industries was textiles, Iloilo was the first province to export textiles. It became the textile capital of the country during the Spanish period.  The textiles from cotton, abaca and pineapple fibers were handwoven in the districts of Molo, Villa, Arevalo and Jaro as well as the towns of Oton, Tigbauan, Miagao, Dingle, Badiagan, Janiuay, Calinog and many more and take to the British built Muelle Loney for exports. It produced the iconic "hablon" ( in photo), "jusi", "piña", abaca and cotton weave in "patadyong".

The decline of the  textile industry was attributed to the on-set of the lucrative sugar industry in Iloilo at the turn century as the British imported milled cotton to Iloilo, thus, competed with the local production. 

Iloilo's Calle Real will remain as the remnant of  the glorious  old business district of Iloilo. Even until today, it is teaming with commerce including migrant traders from Mindanao and foreign businessmen from India, China and Asian countries which replaced the Spaniards,  British and Americans.  

Iloilo is the last capital of Spanish Empire in Asia and the Pacific before the Philippines was ceded to the United States in 1898 through the Treaty of Paris.

TRIVIA.  By 1800's, Iloilo was probably already the biking capital of the Philippines during the Spanish Asia which title is more formalized to the city today. 

The city has the longest and most spacious bicycle lanes in the country. I am amazed with the turn of the century photo of Calle Real, the Escolta  of Iloilo City and known as the Royal Street of the city, with its already  wide street traversed with bicycles along with horse-driven calesas and luxury cars. 

PHOTO Textile design for hablon by PJ Aranador in indigenous geometric patterns  over red or  black base for an international runway virtual  show at Tenun Fashion Week for ASEAN countries.  

VIRTUAL SHOW DETAILS 

 Iloilo handloom textiles  hablon at the Tenun Fashion Week for ASEAN countries. Virtual World Premiere Oct. 16, 2021 7 to 9 pm GMT +8 in YouTube Channel: TENUN Fashion Week

https://www.youtube.com/.../UC.../channels

b) Facebook live on our Facebook page: TENUN Fashion Week

Designer Apparel and Accessories PJ Aranador

Artisans Salngan Multipurpose Coop Oton Iloilo Province Elsie Balidiong 

Marketing Arm Panublix Noreen Marian Bautista 

Photo Algie Casuela Panaguiton Jr. 

HMUA Benny Che 

Model Elisha Ackerman 

Thanks to Permanent Ambassador of the Philippines to the ASEAN Amb Noel Servigon 

Iloilo Provincial Office for Culture, Arts and Tourism Bombette Golez Marin  #hablon #tenun ,