BRIDGING THE GAP
Rizal Street
Looking at the history of Rizal Street is like seeing Iloilo's history of development in a microcosm. This is for the fact that Rizal Street is one of the busiest commercial and educational arteries of the city, a vibrant center of Iloilo's pulsating economy. Along this street lies some of the city's eminent commercial infrastructures, such as the Central Market, the Terminal Market (formerly Supermarket), and the nearby Robinsons Mall. The street is also the location of the University of Iloilo, terminal of some bus lines, and where a good number of private commercial establishments are operating. Products and goods from the different parts of Iloilo and of Panay are brought to this area, especially to the two public markets to be distributed and sold.
Considered as one of Iloilo City's long streets, Rizal covers the areas from the intersection of Tanza and Ledesma streets up to Corner Zamora-Hughes streets. As the name suggests, the street was named after the Philippines' foremost national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. Its strategic location, being situated at the city's shoreline facing the beautiful Island of Guimaras, has made Rizal Street conducive for inter-island trade and fishing activity, providing livelihood opportunities for the people in the city. Indeed, Rizal Street has played a very significant role in Iloilo City's economic development, most importantly during the post-war reconstruction years up to the present time.
Years before the Second World War broke out, Rizal Street, according to its old residents, was simply a long and narrow swampy area with scattered mangrove trees on it. The upper elevated area of the shoreline was once covered with grasses, and some houses facing Guimaras were on it. Most were made of light materials such as bamboo and nipa. Though there were some big houses standing but they comprised only a fraction of the entire community in the whole length of the street.
The present site where one can find the already concrete Rizal Street that divides the residential houses of Estanzuela and Pala-pala was, according to some informants, once covered with seawater whenever high tide occurred. And, on a hot and sunny day, dusts confronted all those who passed the said street. Due to physical features, Rizal Street in that section of the city could only be passed by animal-drawn carts and calesas that carried passengers and goods in and out of the Supermarket (now known as the Terminal Market). The main source of living of the people were concentrated on fishing, cargo handling, and on what has been referred to as "wet market."
The improvements made on Rizal Street through paving it was done from the 1960s to the 1980s. As a result, the inflow and outflow of raw products and finished goods, as well as the movement of people were easily facilitated. This further brought about an increase in the commercial activities in the area, thereby resulting to the putting up of more structures and support facilities.
Due to the increase in commercial activity and population, the area once called Rizal has been subdivided into various barangays: Rizal-Estanzuela, Rizal-Palapala, Rizal-Zone 1, and Rizal-Zone 2. its inhabitants are mostly Ilonggos but there is also a large number of immigrants coming from various parts of the West Visayas region.
Presently, commercial establishments along Rizal Street are still increasing in number. At its other end, sprawling on a 21-hectare reclamation area at the boundary of Rizal and Tanza is the 98-million pesos Fish Port Complex. The Complex has a 390-meter breakwater, a 450-meter landing quay for boats and trawlers, and two 190-meter ship ways which can dry dock up to 25-gross tons of fishing boats. It has shops for engine-making and three sets of lathe machines for ship repairs.
The complex has also three separate market halls for commercial, municipal and inland fisheries, plus a 200-metric ton capacity storage plant and a 425-ton capacity freezing plant. The fish port is operated by the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority.