General Luna Street is a major thoroughfare in
Iloilo City Proper
Iloilo City Proper, also known as Downtown Iloilo or simply Iloilo among locals, is an Districts of Iloilo City, administrative district in Iloilo City, Philippines, located on the southeastern coast of the island of Panay in the Western Visayas ...
in
Iloilo City
Iloilo City, officially the City of Iloilo (; ; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Western Visayas Regions of the Philippines, region of the Philippines, located on the southeastern coast of th ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. It runs east–west, from the intersection of
Aquino and Infante Avenues to the
Iloilo Provincial Capitol
The Iloilo Provincial Capitol is the seat of the provincial government of Iloilo in the Philippines. It is located on Bonifacio Drive in Iloilo City Proper, adjacent to the Casa Real de Iloilo, the former seat of the provincial government since ...
, serving as one of the main thoroughfares connecting the district of
Molo to Iloilo City Proper. The street is one of the busiest in Iloilo City, hosting several major institutions, including the
University of the Philippines Visayas
The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV or UP Visayas) is a public university, public research university in Iloilo, Philippines. A constituent university of the University of the Philippines system, it teaches management, accountancy, ...
,
University of San Agustin,
St. Paul University Iloilo,
Assumption Iloilo, and Iloilo Central Elementary School. The headquarters of
Panay Electric Company and the Iloilo City Proper Police Station are also located along the street. General Luna Street is named after
General Antonio Luna, a Filipino revolutionary leader.
History
The road dates back to the 18th century during the
Spanish colonial period. It originally connected the town of Iloilo (now Iloilo City Proper) in the east with the town of Molo in the west. During this time, the street was primarily used by ''
calesas'' (horse-drawn carriages), ''caretelas'' (small carts), and occasionally ''caruajes'' (larger horse-drawn carts).
In 1921, under the
American regime, major infrastructure projects and improvements were undertaken to accommodate motorized vehicles. This included upgrades to General Luna Street, which were further enhanced with the installation of street lights. Over time, the street has seen significant improvements in its infrastructure, leading to the growth of businesses in the area. Today, General Luna Street remains a key thoroughfare, serving as a main artery for commuters traveling from the central and southern towns of Iloilo. It is also home to many offices, the Iloilo City Proper Police Station, and other business and commercial establishments.
References
{{Iloilo City Proper
Streets in Iloilo City
Iloilo City Proper