ILOILO City – This city’s 84th Charter Day on Aug. 25 would be celebrated online due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic just like last year.
According to Mayor Jerry Treñas, President Rodrigo Duterte declared Aug. 25 a special non-working day in this city.
“It is but fitting that the people of the city are given full opportunity to celebrate with appropriate ceremonies, subject to community quarantine, social distancing, and other public health measures,” read part of Malacañang’s Proclamation No. 1200.
Iloilo was formally inaugurated as a chartered city on Aug. 25, 1937 after the municipalities of La Paz, Mandurriao, Molo, and Arevalo were merged on July 16, 1937 by virtue of Commonwealth Act No.158.
According to former Iloilo City tourism officer Ben Jimena, the inauguration was initially scheduled on July 16, 1937 but was moved to Aug. 25, 1937 because of the pending appointment of a permanent mayor.
That time, the interim mayor was Angel Tadeo, former provincial treasurer, and there were 24 persons interested to become alcalde. Eventually, it was Dr. Ramon J. Campos who was sworn in as mayor of Iloilo City.
A review of the past with some help from historians and museum owners pointed to July 16, 1937 as the date when Commonwealth Act No. 57 became a law converting Iloilo to a city.
The condition for the conversion was its consolidation with the towns of La Paz and Arevalo to meet the population requirement. Prior to this, the towns of Molo and Mandurriao were already made part of the Municipality of Iloilo. With the consolidation, the total city population increased to 53,353 enough to meet the needed number.
At that time, Jaro was still a separate municipality that had both Leganes and Pavia areas attached to it. Several years later, when Jaro was also made part of Iloilo City, the two adjoining towns were declared independent.
Prior to the inauguration of Iloilo City was another big event held eight months earlier in December, 1936 – the inauguration of the newly constructed Iloilo City Hall which is now the University of the Philippines Visayas Main Building. It was constructed at a cost of P218,000 on a 16-hectare government property valued at P63,000. Its first concrete was poured Feb. 1, 1934 and was completed more than two years later. It was inaugurated on Dec. 19, 1936.
The massive structure was designed in the Bureau of Public Works in Manila by well-known Filipino architect Juan Arellano. The center area served as the Municipal Council Hall that was later named Lozano Hall in honor of Crescenciano Lozano who authored the first bill presented before the Philippine Legislature granting a special charter to Iloilo.
The city hall was first called the Iloilo Presidencia since the town head was then called presidente. The last president to hold office there was Eulogio Garganera.
La Ley Organica de la Ciudad de Iloilo was the title of Proyecto de Ley No. 2368 which contains the city charter consisting of 12 sections and 83 articles. It was passed as Commonwealth Act No. 57 and was amended by Commonwealth Act No. 138./PN
