Bridging the Gap
Businesses and personalities in Iznart Street, 1930s
Iznart Street is the longest artery of the heart of downtown Iloilo City. It is long thoroughfare full of business and commercial establishments ranging from hotels, appliance stores, food shops, hardware stores, textile enterprises, defunct movie theaters, clothing stores, banks, law offices, and many more. It is also home to three educational institutions - Cabalum Western College, Iloilo Central Commercial School, and the University of Iloilo.
Iznart used to be a muddy street where bull carts and calezas roamed. It became largely a business district beginning with the late 19th century, spawned mainly by Chinese immigrants, even until today. In the book, Chinese Merchant Families in Iloilo: Commerce and Kin in a Central Philippine City (1981) by John Omohundro, it is said that these immigrants occupied Iznart Street from the junction of Solis Street to Rizal Street. These Chinese, depending upon their places of origin in China, had surnames such as Tan, Uy, Ong, Chua, Go, Ya, Sy, Chu, Huan, Ang, Yu, Po, Cheng, Yap, Sun, Lim, etc.
To foster, promote and encourage trade, commerce and agriculture in Iloilo, a business organization was established by the Iloilo Chinese in 1924. This was the Iloilo Chamber of Commerce. In June 1935, the constitution of the Chinese-Filipino Association was approved and somehow replaced the Iloilo Chamber of Commerce. This organization was composed of prominent Chinese and Filipinos whose objective was the extension and consolidation of the social and economic relationships between the two peoples. Its first president was Eriberto Gonzales and the vice-president was Enrique Sua Boc San. The members coming from Iznart Street were Chua Lian Hong, Tan Chun Kee, Chua Gan, Chua Chu, Kua Eng Chiong, Ong Seng, Ong Tong Guan, and Tong Juan (David, 1937).
In the 1930s, the business establishments operating at Iznart were listed to be 142 in number (David, 1937). Of these, 41 were owned by the Chinese and 5 were operated by the Japanese. The establishments ranged from sari-sari stores, carinderia, dry goods, glassware, jewelry stores, tailoring, bakery, photo shops, printing press, hardware, lumber stores, repair shops, mining, to general merchandise.
Many professionals also had their offices in Iznart Street to provide services for the people. There were 3 dentists, 2 civil engineers, 16 lawyers, 6 pharmacists, and 6 physicians (David, 1937). What is interesting in these figures is the large number of the lawyers in the area. There may have been many disputes over property, or else, crimes. There was also a good number of physicians and pharmacists. The Ilonggos truly valued their health and well-being.
Iznart Street was a microcosm of the City of Iloilo at that time. The street in the 1930s was already full of cars, calesas, bullcarts and bicycles. Every tailor had cloths to sew, every sari-sari store had a costumer, every lawyer had a case to settle and every carpenter had a building to construct. The city was busy. It was, at that time, the "Queen City of the South."