ILOILO – A contest is emerging between the municipalities of Santa Barbara and Oton for recognition as the official capital town of Iloilo Province, with Santa Barbara already securing congressional backing while Oton prepares to formally press its own claim.
The competing bids could force the Iloilo Provincial Government to decide which municipality should receive the designation, even as the Provincial Capitol remains in Iloilo City.
Santa Barbara, a first-class municipality in the 2nd District, has gained an early advantage after Cong. Kathryn Joyce Gorriceta filed a bill in the House of Representatives seeking its declaration as the provincial capital.
Oton, a municipality in the 1st District, is pursuing a similar designation through Proposed Resolution No. 2026-190, sponsored by Vice Mayor Jose Neil Olivares.
The proposed measure urges the Iloilo Provincial Government to consider Oton as the provincial capital should it decide to officially designate a capital municipality.
Oton is also a first-class municipality. Founded in 1572 and the second oldest Spanish settlement in the Philippines after Cebu, it served as the early capital of the Alcaldia de Panay (covering Panay, Negros, Guimaras, and nearby islands).
On October 29, Oton Sangguniang Bayan Committee on Culture, History, Arts and Tourism chairman Councilor Dell Hosillos invited Provincial Information and Community Affairs Office (PICAO) head Jose Nereo Lujan to attend a committee hearing on the proposal scheduled for November 10 at the municipal session hall.
Santa Barbara, meanwhile, formally launched its bid on February 3, 2026, when its Sangguniang Bayan passed a resolution urging Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to consider declaring the municipality as Iloilo’s official capital and subsequently endorsing the proposal to Congress.
The resolution argued that Santa Barbara has effectively become the province’s administrative and operational center following the establishment and relocation of major provincial and regional government offices and facilities within its territory.
Although the Provincial Capitol remains in Iloilo City, municipal officials maintained that the concentration of key government offices – such as the regional offices of the Department of Health, Department of Interior and Local Government, and the Philippine Coconut Authority – and their daily operations in Santa Barbara has transformed the town into a functional center of provincial governance. Even the Iloilo provincial government has started constructing its Iloilo Smart Green Government Center which, when completed, will serve as a one-stop-shop for all key government offices in the province.
They also cited Santa Barbara’s strategic geographical location, its nearness to the Iloilo International Airport, accessibility, sustained infrastructure development, and first-class municipal status as compelling reasons for its designation.
According to the resolution, these advantages demonstrate the municipality’s strong fiscal capacity, effective local governance and ability to accommodate provincial government operations.
Oton, meanwhile, serves as a gateway to southern Iloilo. It has a rich history dating back to the settlement of Malays in the area. Evidence of this early settlement includes the discovery of a gold death mask in Barangay San Antonio during the 1960s.
At present, Oton’s economy is supported by its geographic proximity to Iloilo City. This has led to increased real estate developments, with more residential and commercial properties being established.
Cong. Gorriceta confirmed that she had already filed the proposed legislation seeking to formally designate Santa Barbara as Iloilo’s capital town.
“Ang aton nga ginaduso gid nga bill nga maging capital na sang probinsya sang Iloilo ang munisipalidad sang Santa Barbara which happens to be in the 2nd District. Napasa ta ang amo ‘ni nga bill and supported gid sang aton pinalangga nga governor. Hopefully by end of the year or next year, ma-aprubahan na ini didto sa Congress,” Gorriceta said.
The congresswoman expressed optimism that the measure could secure congressional approval before the end of 2026 or sometime in 2027.
With Santa Barbara’s proposal already elevated to Congress and Oton preparing to deliberate on its competing bid, the issue now presents the provincial government with rival proposals for the official designation.
The outcome will depend on how the competing proposals advance through the provincial and national legislative processes.
For now, neither municipality has been officially declared the provincial capital, leaving the question of which town should carry the distinction unresolved./PN
