Iloilo River Wharf | |
Namesake | Nicholas Loney |
Length | 3.18 km (1.98 mi) |
Location | Iloilo City, Philippines |
North end | Rizal Bridge |
Major junctions | N511 (Jocson Street) Arroyo Street |
South end | Fort San Pedro Drive |
Muelle Loney Street, also known as Iloilo River Wharf, is a street and wharf located in the Iloilo City Proper district of Iloilo City, Philippines. It runs along the south bank of the Iloilo River, stretching from the Muelle Loney (Rizal) Bridge to Fort San Pedro Drive. During the Spanish colonial period, the street served as a prominent wharf and was one of the most important seaports in the Philippines. It played a significant role in the region's sugar industry, facilitating the transportation of sugar and other goods. [1]
In the 1700s to early 1800s, Iloilo developed a prosperous weaving industry, earning the title "Textile Capital of the Philippines." Its river wharf was established to export textiles to Manila. The region's sugar industry saw significant growth after the opening of the Iloilo Port to international trade in 1855 and the arrival of British vice-consul Nicholas Loney in 1856. Through his firm, Loney and Ker Co., Loney modernized sugar production by introducing European machinery and providing crop loans to local planters. [2]
As trade expanded, the Iloilo River Wharf became a key port, helping transform Iloilo into a major business seaport. During this period, Iloilo emerged as one of the most prosperous cities outside Manila. [3] In recognition of Loney's contributions, the river wharf was named Muelle Loney in his honor, and he is regarded as the "Father of the Philippine Sugar Industry." A statue of Nicholas Loney stands on Muelle Loney Street to commemorate his legacy. [4] [5]
Among the notable structures along the Muelle Loney Street area are:
Iloilo, also called Iloilo Province, officially the Province of Iloilo, is a province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital and largest city is Iloilo City, the regional center of Western Visayas and politically independent from the province. Iloilo occupies the southeast portion of the Visayan island of Panay and is bordered by the province of Antique to the west, Capiz to the north, the Jintotolo Channel to the northeast, the Guimaras Strait to the east, and the Iloilo Strait and Panay Gulf to the southwest.
Western Visayas is an administrative region in the Philippines, numerically designated as Region VI. The region comprises the islands of Panay and Guimaras. It consists of five provinces: Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo on Panay, and the island province of Guimaras. The region also includes one highly urbanized city, Iloilo City, which is the largest city and serves as the regional center.
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Iloilo City, officially the City of Iloilo, is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines, located on the southeastern coast of the island of Panay. According to the 2020 census, Iloilo City has a population of 457,626 people, making it the most populous city in Western Visayas. For the metropolitan area, the total population is 1,007,945 people.
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Iloilo City Proper, also known as Downtown Iloilo or simply Iloilo among locals, is an administrative district in Iloilo City, Philippines, located on the southeastern coast of the island of Panay in the Western Visayas region. It serves as the civic center of the city and province of Iloilo, hosting the seat of city and provincial governments, as well as various local, provincial, and regional government offices. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 46,350 people.
Metropolitan Iloilo–Guimaras, also shortened as Metro Iloilo–Guimaras or Metro Iloilo, or simply MIG, is a metropolitan area in Western Visayas in the Philippines. It is situated on the southeastern coast of Panay, including the nearby island province of Guimaras, surrounded by the Iloilo and Guimaras straits.
The Port of Iloilo is a seaport located in Iloilo City, Philippines. It serves the city, province of Iloilo, and the entire island of Panay in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. It is located in the districts of Iloilo City Proper and Lapuz, on the southeastern coast of Panay, in Iloilo Strait, and one of the country’s safest and most natural harbors. The Port of Iloilo is managed by the Philippine Ports Authority, a government-owned corporation, and consists of major facilities: the Iloilo River Wharf, Iloilo Domestic Port, and the Visayas Container Terminal.
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Nicholas Loney was an English businessman and the British Empire's vice-consul in the city of Iloílo.
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Calle Real, officially named as J.M. Basa Street, is a historic street located in the old downtown district of Iloilo City Proper in Iloilo City, Philippines. It is home to several fine examples of luxury American-era neoclassical, beaux-arts, and art deco buildings. The street has been famous since the Spanish era and once served as the city's main shopping center for more than a century.
The Iloilo Customs House is a historical building in Iloilo City, Philippines. It was built in 1916 to a design by American architect Ralph Harrington Doane, then Consulting Architect of the Bureau of Public Works in the Philippine Islands. Among the three American-era customs houses in the Philippines, it is the second largest and second oldest. The building is located at Muelle Loney Street and Aduana Street along the Iloilo River and still houses the offices of the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Immigration in Iloilo City.
The Casa Real de Iloilo, also known as the Old Iloilo Provincial Capitol, was the seat of the provincial government of Iloilo in the Philippines since the Spanish colonial period until 2006. It also served as the residence of the alcalde-mayor, presidente municipal, or governor, who held the highest authority as the Spanish official in Iloilo during the period.
The Iloilo Freedom Grandstand, also known as the New Iloilo Freedom Grandstand, is a grandstand located on Muelle Loney Street in Iloilo City Proper, Iloilo City, Philippines. It was built in 2018 as a replacement for the old grandstand with the same name located on Calle Real, which was demolished the same year as part of the revival project of Sunburst Park, where the grandstand used to be located.