The Folklore Of Iloilo

The place we call Iloilo is cut by a river with its mouth opening  up to the Guimaras Strait. This is the Batiano river which goes through the interiors of the city entering the south of the district of La Paz, continues to the west, passing through the salt flats of Mandurriao district to the right to the houses of the residents of Molo districts on the left. The river curves through the district of Arevalo and finally flows through the sea and shores of Oton. The shape of the river is like a nose. The first settlers called the nose "Irong," a Kinaray-a word for nose. The term Irong-irong means nose-shaped. The people named the place Irong-irong but through the years, the letter r in the name was changed by letter l.

When the Spaniards arrived and established a government in Iloilo, they have a difficulty in pronouncing Ilong-ilong. In the end, they removed the consonant letters ng in the name hence the province have a new name, Iloilo. Since then, the province has been called as Iloilo.

Youtube Video Courtesy of Julius Cas