Iloilo Trivia Tidbits

Prof. Josette Biyo

Pura Villanueva Kalaw – first woman to be crowned Queen of the Philippine Carnival (now Miss Philippines and Binibining Pilipinas) in 1908. She is also one of the pioneer woman suffragist of the country.



Iloilo - having the first public national high school outside Manila.
- Most number of ancient or historical churches (21)
- Is the most educated in the Philippines according to the report in Spain
- Having the first school for boys in Tigbauan
- Greatest number of barangay schools & colleges

Molo having eight (8) colleges
- Called “Athens of the Philippines” because of old structures there and the place were like of those in Athens, Greece

West Visayas State University – one of the best university in the Philippines


UPV (University of the Philippines in the Visayas, Miagao, Iloilo) – the biggest school campus in the Philippines


Cockfighting : Jaro Coliseum – the biggest cockfighting gym in the world

Teatro Malhabour (which was renamed Lyric Theater, King Theater, Empire Theater and eventually Dennis Theater) - one of the earliest theater in Iloilo was opened to the public on July 3, 1908. Named after Felix Malhabour a policeman and a member of the board of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente. (Source: McCoy, Philippine Studies: Culture and Consciousness in a Philippine City, 1982:171)

Mr. Bischoff - a British who was the first to show films in Iloilo starting in 1903. Short features produced by Cinematographo Pastor were screened nightly from 6:30 - 9:30 in the bodega or camarin of Mr. Bischoff in Calle Real. (Source: Nick Deocampo) 


Fine Arts: Jose Mari Chan – got several awards because his soft & melodic voice


Josefa Martinez – wrote the Correct English, one of the first grammar book in the Philippines


Pura Villanueva Kalaw – wrote the first cookbook in the Philippines


Pura Villanueva Kalaw and Sofia de Veyra (native of Arevalo, Iloilo) – both of whom from Iloilo are the first women suffragist in the Philippines


Kuh Ledesma – first Filipina and Ilongga to be a judge at the Miss Universe in 1991 and Lupita Jones of Mexico was declared the winner.


Prof. Josette Biyo (science professor at Philippine Science High School, Iloilo) – the first and only Filipino to be honored by having her surname used to name for a minor planet discovered.
- the first Filipino teacher to be awarded the Outstanding Teacher by INTEL Science Engineering Fair in US.