Bridging the Gap
By Henry F. Funtecha

Commerce and trade in Iloilo, early 20th Century

The period under the Americans up to the Commonwealth witnessed the  continuous growth of the town of Iloilo as the commercial capital of southern Philippines. It became the hub of various big business ventures. Of the De la Ramas, the sugar and pharmaceutical  interests of the Lacsons, and the mining enterprises of the Galatas and the Montillas. Other noted names in business that were non-Ilonggos such as the Elizaldes and the Ynchaustis were also operating in Iloilo.

Foreign firms mostly of American and British registration were active in the commercial and even agricultural activities in the city and province of Iloilo. There were many big foreign and coastwise shipping agencies that likewise opened offices in the city and called regularly at the Iloilo port for then, the  warehouses at the waterfront were full of sugar, copra, abaca and other export products.

The first large American investment to be developed in the province was stevedoring. In 1906, James Borree who owned a lumberyard and a ship was known as the “shipping king of Iloilo.” Then, when the J.G. White and Co. began the construction of the Panay railroad connecting to Iloilo and Capiz, this became the major American undertaking in the island. By 1910, Americans also figured prominently when sugar and tobacco were the chief money crops. In addition to their new commercial interests, the Americans in Iloilo represented many Dutch, German, and Chinese firms.

By 1927, most of the American firms in the Philippines were represented in Iloilo: P.C.C., Panay Railroad Co., Panay Telephone and Telegraph Co., Mantrade,  and Bacrach Motors.

Aside from those that were already operating during the Spanish period, new ones began to engage in  business during the American period. Among those that sold various articles ranging  from clothing and materials to shoes and watches were Bazar Iloilo, The Washington, The Eagle, and The New Century. For meals and snacks, there was The Mallorquina. All of these establishments were situated at Calle Real.

Business operations  were either in wholesale  or retail basis in which the former dominated the business section of Iloilo and the latter gained popularity in the suburbs and the remote towns and barrios of the province. The great bulk of retail business was generally done with a small amount of capital. Almost every town in Iloilo had its public  market where sellers and buyers of foodstuffs and articles for domestic use flock on regular market days. Small stores and tiendas or tindahan scattered throughout the barrios were also good grounds for the retail business.

A rather picturesque though slow and burdensome ways of reaching consumers was the ambulant peddling of merchandise. Many Chinese, Syrians, British, Indians, and Filipinos mostly Batangueños and  Macabebes, carried stocks of goods to the remote barrios where they sell them frequently on account or installment basis. This method, however, gradually disappeared in the 1930s on account of  greater for the frequent movement of goods by this time.

During the commonwealth period, big commercial buildings were constructed in Iloilo City by John  Javellana, Celso Ledesma, Serafin Villanueva,  and Aurelio Montinola on Calle Real—now J.M. Basa Street—and other parts of the city. Ilonggo businessmen like the renowned Eugenio and Fernando Lopez, Jose Javellana, Celso Ledesma, Serafin Villanueva and Aurelio Montinola were the very people responsible for the trade, commercial and business activities during this period.