Bridging the Gap
Aldeguer Sreet
Aldeguer is a sub-street of Iloilo City that is connected to the two main thoroughfares of the downtown area - J.M. Basa Street and Iznart Street. It is, therefore situated at the heart of the city. Because of its location, it has not been excluded from the "domino effect" in the development of Iloilo as the most urbanized center in the island of Panay. It was named after the Honorable Jose Aldeguer, an Ilonggo delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1934.
The location and the nature of Aldeguer Street from the late 1930s to the present have remained essentially the same up to the present. In 1937, it was just partly asphalted (David, 1937). It was during the 1970s that the road was cemented and has been what it is until now. It contains some of the most significant business establishments in Iloilo City that certainly had contributed in the economic history of the area.
Aldeguer Street was, in the past, and still is today, the site of many of the city's retail stores and other business establishments. Property value on it increased rapidly from the late 19th century through more recent times. During the 1960s, a stall's rental fee was about P 500.00 a month, but now it ranges from about P25,000.00 to P30,000.00, and others might even be higher than these amounts. It just shows the marketability of the place and as a significant destination for bargain-hunters of low-priced goods.
In the 1890s, as a result of the rise of Iloilo City as the shopping center and the cultural capital of Western Visayas, together with the other streets in the city, Aldeguer grew in importance. Merchants started putting up their businesses in Aldeguer that included sugar traders and storekeepers who sold necessities and imported items to the growing Iloilo population and costumers from other parts of the region. Stores were opened for textiles, clothing, furniture, glassware and household items. Shops were also opened to handle iron works, plumbing, carromata and calesa needs, rope works, and also food and drinks. Because of this concentration of merchants, Aldeguer Street became part of the business arena in the city.
As it was in the 19th century, Aldeguer Street had become one of the liveliest places in the commercial district of Iloilo up to the 1980s. This was before the establishment of a number of malls in the city. Most of the earlier structures along the street were stone and wood antillian type of buildings. By the 1920s, reinforced concrete buildings took the lead. But still, some wooden structures with stone floors at street level had remained. In the 1930s, most of the buildings that provided Aldeguer its distinct character were constructed and some of them have survived up to this day. Among these, are: the Cantonese Club built in 1931, Tiampo Building constructed in 1934, P. Dulalia Building put up in 1936, John A Tan Building established in 1958, and the former International Hotel at Corner J.M. Basa - Aldeguer Streets.
Among the famous commercial firms operating in Aldeguer Street in the 1930s were (David, 1937): Hang Wo and Co. that sold boots and shoes, foodstuffs and nourishments, as well as sporting goods; W. Wing Kee and Co., that offered foodstuffs and nourishments; Wong Ahang and Co., that was engaged in the sale of musical instruments; F.M Yaptico and Co, Ltd., an importer of all kinds of goods; and, Nagai, that sold watches, gold and silver wares.
Today, Aldeguer Street still contains important establishments. Low-priced goods can still be bought in the area. The owners of businesses have remained predominantly Ilonggo-Chinese, but there are now Koreans, Filipino Muslims, and Japanese that are participating in the hustle and bustle typical in this well-known commercial artery of the city.