Arevalo, Iloilo City
district of Iloilo City, Philippines
Villa de Arevalo ([ˈbiʝa ðe aˈɾeβalo]; [ˈbiːljɐ dɛ ʔɐˌɾɛːbɐˈlo]), commonly known as simply Villa or Arevalo, is a district in Iloilo City, Philippines. It is the westernmost district of Iloilo City and shares its border with Oton to the west, in the province of Iloilo, on the island of Panay in the Western Visayas region. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 57,265 people.
The district is known for its heritage and cultural landmarks, including the Camiña Balay nga Bato, a 19th-century heritage house, and Villa Beach, which features several resorts and popular local restaurants and bars.
Notable landmarks in Arevalo include the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santo Niño de Arevalo, which houses the Santo Niño de Arévalo, the third oldest Santo Niño (Infant Jesus) image in the Philippines. Arevalo is often referred to as the "Flower Capital of Iloilo" due to the abundance of potted plants, flowers, bouquets, and wreaths sold in the district. The district is also renowned for its firecrackers and fireworks.
History
A Spanish settlement was established in 1566 when Spanish conquerors settled in the area between Villa de Arevalo and the neighboring town of Oton. Villa de Arevalo was formally founded as La Villa Rica de Arévalo by Gobernador Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa in 1581. The name Arévalo was derived from his hometown in Spain, making it one of the first places in the Philippines to be named in Spanish.
The public source identifies “Arevalo, Iloilo City” as district of Iloilo City, Philippines. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Arevalo, Iloilo and City.
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Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 7, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q643670. Authority coordinates are 10.686, 122.512. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2024, 1566 and 1581.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Arevalo, Iloilo City” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.