Iloilo City
Iloilo City, officially the City of Iloilo, is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines, located on the southeastern coast of the island of Panay. According to the 2020 census, Iloilo City has a population of 457,626 people, making it the most populous city in Western Visayas. For the metropolitan area, the total population is 1,007,945 people. It is the largest city and capital of Iloilo Province, where it is geographically situated and grouped under the Philippine Statistics Authority, but remains politically independent in terms of government and administration. In addition, it is the center of the Iloilo–Guimaras Metropolitan Area, as well as the regional center of the Western Visayas region. The city serves as the regional hub for education, culinary arts, religion, healthcare, tourism, culture, industry, governance, and economy. The city is a conglomeration of former towns, now organized as geographical or administrative districts. These districts include Villa de Arevalo, Iloilo City Proper, Jaro, La Paz, Mandurriao, Molo, and Lapuz. In 1566, the Spanish settled in Iloilo, establishing it as one of the oldest Spanish colonial centers in the Philippines. The city was bestowed with the honorific title "La Muy Leal y Noble Ciudad" by Queen Regent Maria Cristina of Spain and served as the last capital of the Spanish Empire in Asia and the Pacific, as well as the capital of the short-lived Federal State of the Visayas. In modern times, Iloilo City remains prominent in the country, with its Spanish influence still highly evident in its architecture, culture, cuisine, and historical landmarks. Renowned for dishes like La Paz Batchoy, Kansi, Kadyos, Baboy, kag Langka (KBL), Laswa, and Pancit Molo, Iloilo City has been recognized as the first UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in the Philippines. The city is also home to several notable institutions, including the Central Philippine University, the first Baptist and second American and Protestant-founded university in the country and Asia, which is ranked globally by Quacquarelli Symonds and Times Higher Education. It is also known for housing the UNESCO-listed Hinilawod Epic Chant Recordings. Iloilo City is also popular for the Dinagyang Festival, well-preserved heritage houses, centuries-old Catholic churches, museums, river esplanades, and Spanish colonial and American-era architecture buildings, as well as being the center of Candelaria devotion in the Philippines.
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