Iloilo,
The principal city and capital of the island of Panay, and one of the three ports of entry in the Philippine group opened to commerce in 1899. It is situated 225 miles south of Manila, at the southeastern extremity of Panay, and is built on low, marshy ground, the whole of which during a part of the spring is covered with water. The population in 1900 was estimated at over 10,000. On Dec. 25, 1898, after General Rios, who held the town with 800 Spanish troops, heard that the Philippine Islands were to be ceded to the United States, instead of awaiting the arrival of the American forces, then on the way to take possession of the city, he turned it over to Vincente Guies, the alcade. On the following day that official surrendered it to 3,000 Filipino insurgents. When Gen. M. P. Miller, of the American army, reached the bay on which the city is situated he found General Lopez with 5,000 Filipinos in possession. The Filipinos would not surrender without instructions from Aguinaldo, and General Miller made preparations to take forcible possession, but on a petition from the European residents no hostile move was made until Feb. 11, 1899, when the American commander demanded the surrender of the city to the authority of the United States. After it became evident that the insurgent-officer in command would not peaceably accede to this demand, the United States naval vessels Petrel and Baltimore opened fire upon the city, which was soon evacuated by the insurgents after being fired. The American troops quickly landed and extinguished the flames, but not before considerable damage had been done. During the engagement the Americans suffered no casualties. Iloilo at the time of the bombardment was the seat of the so-called government of the Visayan federation.
