The name “Iloilo City” was derived from “irong-irong”, a reference to the native word “irong” which means “nose”. The name took after the nose-like configuration of the main settlement area during the pre-Spanish period as so shaped by the Iloilo River. Chinese traders who frequent the area and who mispronounce the “r” sounds with “l” sounds, soon popularized the term “ilong-ilong” which later evolved into the current name Iloilo Arial 9.5 The name is said to have also evolved from a local fish of the same name which was indigenous to the place and which was a staple in the early inhabitants’ daily meals. Iloilo City was also referred to as the “Most Loyal and Noble City” or “La Muy Leal Y Noble Ciuded de Iloilo” in Spanish. This is an inscription in the Coat of Arms from the Royal Decree of 1896 in recognition of the local people’s loyalty to the Spanish crown.
Visit their website here (http://www.iloilocity.gov.ph)