I used to read this list everytime I was at the old Iloilo Airport. It allowed me to take a glimpse to the provinces' history. It is nice to know something about a place before exploring its backyard, so read on and be informed.
1. Iloilo is the site of the
Malayan landing in the Philippines, according to the Maragtas Legend.
2. The first
school for boys in the Philippines was founded in
Tigbauan by the famous Jesuit priest and historian, Pedro Chirino in 1592.
3. The first place to put up a
Christian church in the Philippines was Jalaud (
Dumangas) in what is now the barangay of Ermita, in 1566.
4. Iloilo is the first city outside Manila to have a
foreign business house (Loney & Co.) and the first
foreign vice-consul.
5. The first province to
export sugar to Australia.
6. The only province to have
two cities during the Spanish time:
Iloilo City, chartered in 1890, and
Jaro in 1891.
7.The
biggest province in the Philippines in population, income and economic production during the 19
th century.
8. The best and biggest
producer of textile during the Spanish era.
9. The first city outside Manila to have
electricity,
telephone,
telegraph,
railway,
ice plant,
automobile and other modern conveniences.
10. The first province outside Luzon to
fly the Philippine National Flag (in
Sta. Barbara, Nov. 17, 1898)
11. The first
department store in the country. Hoskyn & Co., established in 1877.
12. The first city outside Manila to have
direct shipping lines with Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Europe and America.
13. The first
commercial airline in the country was the Iloilo Negros Air Express Co. (INAEC).
14. The first
Philippine airline established after World War II was organized by Ilonggos… the FEATI.
15. The first
provincial high school in the Philippines…Iloilo National High School.
16. The first
Elementary School established under the
Americans – Baluarte Elemenetary School in Molo.
17. The first
protestant barrio in the country – Calvario – Janiauy.
18. The first
Baptist Church in the Philippines – Jaro Evangelical Church.
19. The first
luxury liner in the island – S/S Don Esteban of the De la Rama Line.
20. The first city to have
double – decked buses.
21. The first
concrete road in the country – from Forbes Bridge to Jaro Plaza.
22. The first city to have a
car assembly plant – Taller Visayas de Strachan & McMurray. The car assembled was the “Deiler” in the 1920’s.
23. The first province to produce many
millionaires and the first city to have a millionaire’s row.
24. The first Filipino to launch the
propaganda movement in Spain, Graciano Lopez Jaena of Jaro also known as the greatest orator the Philippines aver produced.
25. The only Filipino nominated to the
Supreme Court of Cuba – Raymundo Melliza.
26. The first Filipino to
fly an airplane for passengers, was an Ilonggo – Jose Tinsay in 1925.
27. The first doctor of
laws from Oxford University – Melquiades Gamboa.
28. The first doctor of
philosophy in political Science – Victorino Diamonon.
29. The first Filipino doctor of
Education – Pedro E. Y Rio.
30. The first Filipino woman doctor of
Philosophy in Engineering – Josette Garcia Portigo.
31. The first Filipino doctor of
Philosophy in Anthropology – F. Landa Jocano.
32. The first Filipino to win the
Congressional Medal of Honor during the WWII – Captain Jose Calugas of Leon.
33. The first Filipino soldier in the American Army to win medals of
Heroism & Courage from the governments of United States, Belgium & France during thye WWII – Sgt. Ramon Subejano of New Lucena.
34. The first Filipino girl to be called the
fastest woman in Asia – Inocencia Solis of New Lucena.
35. The first
most-be-medaled Filipino girl swimmer – Nancy Deano of Dingle.
36. The first filipino
international chess grandmaster – Eugene Torre of La Paz.
37. The first
community school movement originated by Supt. Jose V. Aguilar.
38. The best organized
guerilla unit during World War II under Gen. Mariano Peralta.
39. The
first guerilla unit to contact, by radio, Gen. Douglas MacArthur and President Quezon during World War II.
40. The first Filipino lady to win a
cultural heritage award – Magdalena Jalandoni of Jaro.
41. The first Filipino
feminist – Pura Villanueva Kalaw.
42. The first
bookstore and
printing shop in the Visayas and Mindanao – Libreria la Panayana.
43. The first modern and most beautiful
custom house in the country.
44. The first government constructed
museum building in the Philippines – Museo Iloilo.
45. The first city to have modern
cinema houses and
theatres outside Manila.
46. The first
gravity irrigation system outside Luzon – Sta. Barbara Irrigation System.
47. The first successful
compact farm in the country – Tagsing Buyo, Sta. Barbara.
48. The only province to have an
anti-biotic drug named after it – Ilozone and Ilotycin which are brands of erythromycin, a wonder drug developed from a soil sample from Iloilo.
49. The first province to be declared a model in
development planning by NEC/USAID.
50. The number one
food-producing province of the Philippines today.
51. The first and only town in the Philippines to produce four
justices of the Supreme Court, seven
senators, seven
governors, and seven
cabinet members.
52. The site of the first
international research center in the fishing industry, the SEAFDEC in
Tigbauan.
53. The biggest
public school division in the country is the Division of Iloilo.
54. The first city, which initiated a
free education program in the elementary schools by eliminating the matriculation fees and providing free school supplies and the elimination of tuition fees in public secondary schools.
A reprint from: ILOILO’s FIRST, The Visayan Tribune, January 31, 1977.
Source:
http://www.iloilo.gov.ph/index.php?Itemid=28&id=274&option=com_content&task=view
