Description of the attraction
Santa Barbara is a small town located right in the center of the province of Iloilo on Panay Island, 15 km from the town of Iloilo. Iloilo International Airport is located here. According to the 2000 census, about 46 thousand people lived in the town.
Tourists who come to Panay Island will definitely stop in Santa Barbara for a couple of days to see its sights. First of all, they go to the Roman Catholic Church - a fine example of Philippine colonial Baroque architecture. It is also one of the best preserved churches in the province. It was here that General Martin Delgado of the revolutionary government of the Visayas region convened a council that started the popular uprising against Spanish colonization in Iloilo. In honor of this event, a memorial sign is erected today - at the place where the first Philippine flag was raised outside the island of Luzon.
One of the oldest landmarks in Santa Barbara is the Roman Catholic cemetery, built in 1845 and retaining the features of Spanish influence. In front of the city administration building, there is still a historic katmon tree with thick green leaves and incredibly large white flowers - this is where, according to legend, the city was founded. Today it is the only Katmon tree in Santa Barbara. And next to it, in the middle of a small park, stands a 120-foot flagpole that flies the largest Filipino flag outside Luzon. This is one of the five state flags that are truly gigantic in size.
Another attraction located in the immediate vicinity of the city administration is the bronze monument to General Martin Delgado, hero of the Philippine revolution. The monument was erected in 1998 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the liberation from the Spanish "yoke". In the same year, the Museum of the Centenary of the Revolution was built, the exhibits of which tell about the history of Santa Barbara and the role of the city in the popular movement.
The heart of the city is Victoria Plaza, refurbished as part of the same celebration of the centenary of the revolution. This is a favorite place for the residents of Santa Barbara for evening walks. On the square you can see two historical monuments - a monument to the Filipino hero Jose Risal and a stage built in 1925 - the octagonal structure has always served as a venue for political debates and various public events.
Finally, not far from the city is an irrigation dam, built in 1926 and the first gravity irrigation system in the Western Visayas region. It is also the oldest irrigation system in the Philippines.
