Mandurriao is the current economic core of Iloilo City. Besides the high structures, it has a remarkable aesthetic and reputationas the central amusement hub of the metro.
Trade and commerce continue to soar in this district. Business Process Outsourcing companies, upscale hotels, parks, malls, and offices are sprouting everywhere.
Surrounded by Molo, City Proper, La Paz, and Jaro, Mandurriao was then a municipality before being incorporated into the then-municipality of Iloilo by Act No. 719 of 1903.
Iloilo Esplanade is situated herein, widely known as a recreational space for walking, jogging, open-air dining, and a venue for river water sports.
The state-of-the-art Iloilo Convention Center in the Iloilo Business Park is also a sight to behold.
But have you ever wondered how Mandurriao got its name?
During the Spanish colonization, a group of Spanish soldiers was crossing the river. They were intrigued when they saw some of the natives celebrating and observed something in the water. They asked the locals the name of the place. The locals, thinking that the soldiers were only asking what was happening said, “Mandu… Riao….”
These were crocodiles named after the place where they came from such as: lakes of Mandu and Riao which are now gone.”
It formed in the minds of the people that the place was Mandurriao. Eventually, the letter “r” in Mandu-Riao was replaced with “rr”. For the Spaniards, having an “rr” in a word brought further beauty and character./PN
