Anything Under the Sun
Pre-war streets of Iloilo (1)
The oldest street in Iloilo city (in fact, in West Visayas), is Calle Santo Rosario. It was constructed circa 1616 to connect the plaza to La Fuerza del Santo Rosario (now Fort San Pedro).
It was where the first grand religious procession (also in West Visayas) was held when the Spanish soldiers carried the image of Santo Rosario from the fort to the plaza celebrating their recent victory over the Dutch invaders in 1616.
The next street built was Calle Real (now Jose Ma. Basa St. - a friend of Rizal) which is the equivalent of the King's Highway in England. It starts from a corner of the plaza going southward to what is now Plazoleta Gay. This was the business section of Iloilo during the Spanish time up to the present.
Then followed Iznart Street named after Gov. Manuel Iznart from Casa Gobierno (provincial capitol) up to the shores where the Maria Clara statue is now. At that time, there was a small port there. At about its midway, Iznart St. meets Calle Real at Plazoleta Gay. Later, Iznart St. was extended northward up to Jaro bridge (now Forbes Bridge). This extension is now called Bonifacio Drive.
On the other hand, Calle Real was also extended up to where it meets the road in Baluarte to Molo at what is now Bonifacio monument in Tanza. This extension is named Ledesma Street in honor of Anastacio Ledesma who donated the road site.
After Iloilo was declared an international port in 1885, British vice Consul to Iloilo, Sir Nicholas Loney caused the building of a road along the west bank of Iloilo river which is now called Muelle Loney where the port of Iloilo is now.
Loney also built Calle Progreso (now Isidro de la Rama St.) connecting Muelle Loney with another corner of the plaza. Later, other roads were built from Muelle Loney up to Calle Real – Calle San Jose de Calasanz (now part of Ortiz Street) and Calle Arsenal, where the armory of the Spaniards was located.
On the third corner of the plaza was built Via Plana (now Gen. Robert P. Hughes St. - American military commander in Visayas) connecting it to Fort San Pedro.