BRIDGING THE GAP
Bo. Obrero: The workingmen's village in Iloilo City
Bo. Obrero, situated four kilometers away from the Iloilo downtown area across the Iloilo River, was once a mangrove swamp before it was settled by a good number of people. The place was inhabited when it served as a shelter for thousands of working families that became homeless resulting from a major conflagration that hit Iloilo City in the 1950s.
Bo. Obrero has a total land area of 33 hectares, 89 percent is inland and 11 percent is coastal. This barangay is bounded by Barangay Mansaya in the north, the Iloilo River in the west, and the Iloilo Strait in the east and in the south. It is divided into three zones -- Zone One, Zone Two and Zone Three (Bo. Obrero Barangay Profile).
Zone One is the heart of the barangay where important structures are mostly located. These are the barangay plaza, barangay hall, barangay health center, the Pilipinas Shell Corp., the Total Bulk Corp., and the Assumption of our Lady Parish Church. Adjacent to it is Zone Two where the Bo. Obrero Elementary School and the Assumption Socio-Educational Center are found.
Zone Three is the most crowded section of the barangay. It is where the National Power Corp.'s power barge that generates and partly supplies electric power to Iloilo City and the island of Panay is based. Here can also be found the gymnasium that serves as a venue for gatherings and assemblies of big crowds. The Hope Baptist Church and the Philippine Independent Church are located in the area. Because this is the most populous part of the barangay and disputes often erupt here, the barangay police station is naturally situated in this zone to keep watch of possible trouble.
As a whole, Bo. Obrero has its own potentials and offers an avenue for opportunities. There is the presence of big corporations within and near the barangay that serve as assets to it. These include the Petron Philippines Corp., the Pilipinas Shell Corp., the Total Bulk Corp., the Iloilo International Port, and the SIAIN Copra Org. The presence of these corporations has contributed to the well-being of the inhabitants in the barangay as they provide employment.
According to a study conducted by Jenny Japitana (2002), the U.S. Navy occupied part of the area of present-day Bo. Obrero in the latter part of World War II. The area was made as a docking place for the American ships and barracks were constructed in it. The Americans also put up a warehouse in the place where they kept their reserved arms and ammunitions. When they evacuated the place after the war, some members of the Philippine Scouts stayed in the area for some time before abandoning it.
The first permanent settlers in the area were the employees of the Pilipinas Shell Corp. The firm was built during the early 1900s and was reconstructed after its destruction in World War II. Since the corporation was operating in the area, it was convenient to live near the workplace and some of them were able to purchase the houses that once were occupied by the Philippine Scouts. Among the few families that decided to settle in the area were the Miralles and the Jaranillas. They were there before the place was named Bo. Obrero (Japitana 2002). Through time, since the coming of the displaced families in the city in the 1950s, the population of Bo. Obrero has increased.