ILOILQ  , a

town, port of entry and the capital of the province of Iloilo, Panay, Philippine Islands, at the mouth of Iloilo river, on the S.E. coast . Pop . (1903) 19,054 . In 1903, after the census had been taken, the population of the town was more than doubled by the addition of the municipalities of La Paz (POP . 5724), Mandurriao (pop . 4482), Molo (pop . 8551) and Jaro (pop . 1o,681); in 2908 jaw again became a separate town, The town is built on low sandy ground, is irregularly laid out, and its streets are not paved . It has a good government house and. a fine church . The harbour, suitable for ships of 15 ft. draught, is well protected by the island of Guimaras, and ocean-going vessels can lie in the channel . The surrounding country, which is traversed by gravel roads leading to the principal towns of the province, is fertile and well cultivated, producing sugar, tobacco and rice in abundance . In commercial importance Iloilo ranks next to Manila among Philippine cities; it has manufactures of pina, jusi, coconut oil, lime, vinegar and various articles made from palm wood .

Much of the town was burned by Filipino insurgents soon after its

capture by American troops in February 1899 .