Molo: Athens of the Philippines
Can any place in the Philippines, aside from Molo, claim to have produced a chief justice, three justices, nine senators, seven governors, several generals congressmen and cabinet members?
Molo has Chief Justice Ramon Avanceñ, Justices Gregorio Araneta (also secretary of the Malolos Congress and first secretary of justice), Raymundo Melliza and Felicisimo Feria.
Its senators are: Francisco Villanueva, Esteban de la Rama, Esperidion Guanco, Jose Ma. Arroyo, Francisco Zulueta, Jose C. Zulueta, Potenciano Treñas, Rodolfo Ganzon and Franklin Drilon.
The governors are: Raymundo Melliza, Amado Avanceña, Gregorio Yulo, Mariano Yulo, Jose Yulo-Regalado, Timoteo Consing, Sr. and Jose C. Zulueta.
The generals of the Philippine Revolution are: Esteban de la Rama (first commandant of the Philippine Marines), Raymundo Melliza, Pablo Araneta, Angel Corteza and Aniceto Lacson.
The congressmen are: Jose Locsin Sian, Amado Avanceña, Rodolfo Ganzon and Fernando Salas together with Constitutional Convention delegates Manuel Locsin and Efrain Treñas.
Molo had also a father and son mayors -- Leopoldo and Rodolfo Ganzon with Mayor Mansueto Malabor and Jerry Treñas, first lady Iloilo City Councilor Simplicia Magahum-Offemaria, famous vernacular writers Angel Magahum, Sr., Rosendo Mejica and Jimeno Damaso; first Miss Philippines and national suffragette Pura Villanueva Kalaw and first Ilonggo nun Rosario Arroyo.
No wonder why Molo deserves to be called Athens of the Philippines. This was so because during the Spanish time it was an educational center of the Philippines. Perhaps, it was the only pueblo (town) in the country which had four colleges -- Colegio de Santa Ana of the Avanceña sisters (Jovita and Ramona), Centro Escolar de Molo of Salas brothers (Perfecto and Fernando), Instituto Ensenanza Libre de Molo of Manuel Locsin and Escuela Publica.
During the American regime, Rosendo Mejica founded in 1903 Baluarte Elementary School (the first in the country) outside of Manila. In 1941, the Iloilo City High School was opened in Molo which became the first free public high school in the Philippines during the time of Mayor Rodolfo Ganzon.
In the sixties, the first college of medicine in Panay was opened in Molo by the Iloilo Doctor's College. Molo is also the present site of the pioneer private maritime school in the Philippines -- John B. Lacson Maritime University Foundation, Inc. (originally Iloilo Maritime Academy) which was declared few years back as one of the best maritime schools in the whole world.
Molo was already a thriving ancient Malay port when the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines in the late 1500's. When nearby Arevalo became the capital of the alcaldia de Ylong-ylong (Province of Iloilo) Molo was its mere suburb until 1818 when it became a pueblo. Its casa real (municipal hall) is still standing beside the Molo church. During the American regime, it became a mere part of the town of Iloilo in 1903 and in 1973 became a district of the City of Iloilo.
For fear of a Chinese uprising similar to that in Manila, the Spanish authorities implementing the royal decree of Gov. Gen. Juan de Vargas dated July 17, 1679, rounded up the Chinese in Iloilo and hamletted them in the parian (now Avanceña Street).
Incidentally, there were only three parians in the Philippines -- Intramuros, Cebu and Iloilo. This explains the prevalence of Chinese surnames in Molo like Lacson, Locsin, Layson, Yusay, Consing, Sanson, Ganzon, Quimsing, Tinsay and Ditching.
When the Spaniards gave surnames to the Ilonggos in 1849 thru the orders of Gov. Gen. Narciso Claveria y Zaldua, they assigned surnames whose first letters corresponded to the first letters of the names of the pueblos.
Thus, Molo was assigned surnames beginning with letter M. The fiercely nationalistic natives did not take Spanish surnames but instead, adopted native surnames like Magahum, Mabilog, Mahinay, Malabanjot, Mabunay, Maprangala, Macatiag, Malabor, Magbanua and Macatual.
During one of the Moro raids, it was said that the Chinese in the parian, who found difficulty in pronouncing the letter "r", shouted Molo, Molo, Molo... hence, the place came to be called Molo.
The original port of Iloilo was actually near the present Molo-Mandurriao Bridge (Gov. Smith Bridge) at the back of the plaza. It was called Tabucan (river crossing). To reach this port from Iloilo Strait, the Chinese junks and Spanish small boats entered the mouth of Batiano River at the small Spanish fort (Baluarte) which before the war was called Treasure Island land.
The junks followed the circuitous river route westward up to Oton where it turned back eastward to Molo. This was so because the Iloilo River was not navigable at that time.
Incidentally, the other side of the river crossing at Mandurriao still retains the name Tabucan.
Molo is also a religious center in Iloilo. Every July 26 thousands of pilgrims from all over the country troop to the imposing Gothic Church to honor its patron saint Santa Ana -- the patroness of childless couples, family harmony, the sick and the afflicted and other of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Molo is also the site of the only orphanage in West Visayas -- Asilo de Molo founded in 1934 by Vincentian Fr. German Villazan together with Doña Pilar Advincula de Javellana and Doña Adela Liza vda. de Mapa and which was placed under the management of the Daughters of Charity. It is located on the lot donated by Don Ignacio Arroyo.
It is the site of mother houses of religious congregations in the Philippines -- Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary founded in 1925 by the first Ilonggo nun Mother Rosario Arroyo and of the Mill Hill Missionaries since 1906. Molo also housed the Carmelite Sisters in the Philippines before it transferred to Sambag, Jaro.
The district has now four colleges -- Iloilo Doctors College, John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation, Inc., St. Therese-MTC Colleges, Inc. and St. Anne College of Iloilo.
It has also two hotels -- Hotel del Rio and La Fiesta Hotel.
The Mejica Historical Landmark is also found in Molo. It houses items like the first printing press of Makinaugalingon -- the first vernacular daily in West Visayas edited by Rosendo Mejica which hit the streets in 1913 folding up only in 1942 when the Japanese landed in Panay.
Molo is the home of the nationally-known delicacy pansit molo -- a favorite in restaurants in Manila and cookies of Panaderia de Molo and of the Molo County Bake Shop.
Molo is also the site of the nationally famous tourist event -- the annual Paraw Regatta -- race of sailboats in Guimaras Strait.
During the Spanish time, the main defense fort in West Visayas was the La Fuerza del Santisimo Rosario (later Fort San Pedro). Its right flanking fort was Baluarte in Molo where recently two Spanish cannons were discovered in the mud. They are now at the Museo Iloilo.
Molo is proud of its very imposing church -- the only Gothic-Renaissance Church in the Philippines outside of Manila. It was called by Jose Rizal as "bonita iglesia" during his visit at Molo in 1896 on his way back to Manila from his exile at Dapitan.
At present, there are three parishes in Molo -- St. Anne's parish (the original), Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Calumpang and San Jose Obrero in Fundidor.
The barangay of Fundidor (foundry) was the seat of many foundry shops during the Spanish time which built most of the bells in Panay. One of them is Regina.
Lastly, Molo claims to be the hometown of Blessed Pedro Calungsod -- beatified recently by Pope John Paul. This beato was a catechist who died a martyr at Guam on April, 1672.