ILOILO
The City of Iloilo The City of Iloilo is the sugar port. It is situated on the east coast of the Island of Panay, along the lower reaches of the river whose name it bears, and is about 300 miles from Manila, in a direction a little east of south. It is one of the most important ports of the Philippines and carries on with Cebu an amiable contest for the dignity of ranking as the second city. It has direct shipping connections with Europe, the Straits Settlements, China, Japan, and Australia; and there are many boats sailing to other portions of the Archipelago, including a regular service to Cebu. There are banking institutions and a number of importing and exporting houses, and the local trade reaches up into high figures. Substantial walls have been built along the river, where large steamers can unload. Ships of greater draft anchor in the harbor, where they are well in shore and protected.
Near it are two towns of considerable historic interest—Jaro and Molo. A railroad runs through the province and its neighbor Capiz, thus making it easy to see a considerable portion of the Island of Panay, which is made up of the provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, and Antique. There are the white coral cliffs near Ventura, honeycombed with caves, with interesting legends attached to them, as is the case with one having its outlet in Dumalag, Capiz. The stone church at Miagao has the most quaintly carved facade in the Islands. The hand weaving of the delicate textiles jusi, piña, and the like is one of the leading industries of Iloilo Province.
ZAMBOANGA
Zamboanga in Mindanao is the capital of the whole Moro Province and one of the most important ports in the Islands. Its population is very cosmopolitan—an admixture of Moros, Filipinos, Orientals, and Caucasians. The city was for more than three centuries the rallying point of the Christian forces in their seemingly endless contest with the Moro pirates in neighboring waters.
The city has a healthful site and is cooler than Manila. It has a modern water system and electric lighting plant. It is well laid out and maintained in park-like order for some distance back from the pier. This area, where many of the principal buildings are, is embellished by fountains and lily basins, ornamental stone and concrete seats and figures and an almost complete collection of the flowering and other ornamental trees, vines, and shrubs of the Philippines. The Provincial Capitol, the Army Post, and Constabulary Headquarters, the old fort of Nuestra Señora del Pilar and the Cathedral, and the Moro market are the most interesting to inspect. Nearby is the Moro village of Kawa-Kawa, built out over the water.
The San Ramon Penal Colony In the outskirts there are several points of interest reached by excellent roads—the gorge, which has some beautiful mountain and river scenery, about five miles distant; the San Ramon Penal Colony about thirteen miles from the city where an experimental farm is being maintained. In addition to these attractions its position with respect to Borneo, Australia, the Dutch possessions, and the Malay Peninsula gives it great potential importance as a trade center.