Iloilo River is actually an estuarine that is 15 km long. It derives fresh water from the rivers and creeks that are connected to it and saline
water from the sea that feeds it. Iloilo River maintains a high level of productive biological activities. It serves as nursery for many important fish
species such as bangus and tilapia; and the rise and fall of the tide makes it possible for nutrients (such as planktons and detritus) to circulate in
and out of the estuary. Iloilo River is home to 22 of the country’s 35 mangrove species and the rare emerald shrimp species, metapenaues
insolitus.
To some residents of the city who are dependent on fishing, it is a source of sustenance and livelihood. Its estuarine characteristic is an
ideal source of brackish water for fishpond cultivation.
Human Activities
Iloilo River played a very important role in the history of Iloilo City. For it would not have been the “Queen City of the South” without
its inherent physical location. Iloilo River wharf was constructed in the 1800’s with the rise of sugar trade in Negros. Majority of the earlier
developments in Station 1 are attributed to the efforts of Nicolas Loney, a British Consul, who campaigned for support from among the overseas
mercantile community without the help from the Spanish government. Stone warehouses sprouted along the river after the first one was built in
1857. Among the improvements made possible by the fund contributions were widening of the waterfront, construction of a “good quay wall”
and the purchase of a dredging machine from England.
Majority of the current changes occurring in the Iloilo River ecosystem originate from human activities. Out of the total 180 barangays in
Iloilo City, thirty-five (35) are found along Iloilo River. Land use along Iloilo River is a combination of residential, commercial, institutional,
open space, fishpond, transport facility and mangrove areas. Port facilities, storage facilities, commercial buildings, offices in combination with
residential structures surround Station 1 (Quirino Bridge- Parola).
Hotels, schools, hospitals, offices in combination with residential units surround Station 2 (IBRD Bridge-Quirino Bridge). Stations 3
(Carpenters Bridge –IBRD Bridge) and 4 (Carpenter’s – Upper portion of Iloilo River) are predominantly utilized for fishery activities, fishpond cultivation and salt beds with some residential use.
