Photographs by Jonathan Lim
Professor Melanie
The 'In Search of Iloilo' team along with their respective student guides attended a lecture regarding the history and culture of Iloilo presented by Professor Melanie J. Padilla, the Director for the Centre for Visayan Studies at the University of Philippines, Visayas.
Iloilo City, the "city of many charms" is a part of the Visayas area which is the central part of the Philippines. Professor Melanie spoke to us about the history of Iloilo, covering the periods from Pre-Spanish colonization right up to the present.
Iloilo's Built Heritage
Calle Real, which means high street, is the main street of Iloilo where plenty of economic activities are carried out due to the wide variety of shops in the area.
Fort San Pedro was built in 1738 by the Spanish and indigenous Cebuano laborers to protect Iloilo from the Dutch attacks and invaders.
Structures like the Muelle Loney, the Iloilo Harbour and many churches are still well maintained today. Churches like the Molo Church have not had their facades renovated to preserve the original aesthetic of the design of the structure.
The Old Provincial Capital, currently undergoing restoration, used to be the home of the Spanish provincial governors. As of today, it has become a provincial government office.
Festivals
The culture of Iloilo is rich in terms of their annual festivals which are each grand spectacles. One of them is the Dinagyang Festival, one of the largest festivals in the country. This year's festival has taken 2 years of planning in total.
The Kasadyahan Sa Dinagyang is a competition held on a Saturday where local communities of the provinces come together to showcase various aspects of Visayan culture.
There is a competition for boats called the Paraw Regatta Festival with beautifully decorated boats. This festival is held in February during favorable sailing wind conditions.
Geographical Features
Professor Melanie emphasized the importance of the geographical features and strategic location of Iloilo and how that helped Iloilo to work towards urbanization. Its geographical features made its port a natural harbour, and helped protect the city from natural disasters like typhoons . It gave opportunities for Iloilo to develop from a sleepy fishing village before the Spaniards set foot on the land to the urbanized center it is today.
Spread of Christianity
Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the entire population of Iloilo were animists - they believed that natural objects have souls that may exist apart from their material bodies. The Spanish arrived on big boats with cannons. The people got afraid of the noises made by the cannons for they produced sounds similar to thunder. They accepted Christianity in a show of friendship between the tribes and the Spaniards. If they were to refuse Christianity, they would be considered enemies. The spread of Christianity saw the destruction of materials used in animism. The entire population was then baptised. The population of Iloilo today predominantly consists of Roman Catholics.
Economics
Iloilo became a booming textile centre during the early 20th century because of the weaving industry. Subsistence farming was initially the main daily activity of the people. Textile production took off by the 18th century and it started to become more valuable as the production became larger. People got to know the value of the textile as its popularity increased amongst the locals and then its market grew abroad. The weaving industry also encouraged the first recorded urban concentration of Western Visayas. There is recorded evidence of large women population in the area because of the weaving industry. Textile production reached its greatest height in the 19th Century. Textiles are still used to make school uniforms to this very day in an effort to further increase its popularity and to preserve the city's textile heritage.
Iloilo as La Muy Noble
In 1889, Queen Regent Maria Cristina of Spain declared that Iloilo was to become a city due to its advanced economic status. She wanted to name Iloilo "the Queen City of the South" or La Muy Noble. The decree caused dissent, as declaring Iloilo a city was to the disadvantage of Manila and Cebu. The people of Iloilo then decided to break free after over 300 years of Spanish oppression. The transfer of the Spanish Colonial Government from Manila to Iloilo City made Iloilo the last capital and stronghold of Spain in the colony. On the 25th of December 1898, the Spaniards surrendered Iloilo City to the Ilonggo revolutionaries in Plaza Libertad and parted peacefully. Today, the statue of Jose Rizal, Philippines' national hero, stands at Plaza Libertad with his back facing the church, signifying his discontentment with the way the Spaniards treated the Filipinos.
The team would like to thank Professor Melanie for opening the eyes of the 'In Search of Iloilo' team with her informative and insightful lecture. Salamat po!
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Emily is currently pursuing her second year at Monash University majoring in Psychology and Communication. She believes that food is the best way to a girl's heart. 'In Search of Iloilo' marks the first time she sets foot in the Philippines.
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