Arevalo, Iloilo City

Villa de Arevalo commonly known as simply Villa or Arevalo is one of the seven districts of Iloilo City, in the province of Iloilo. It was founded as La Villa Rica de Arévalo by a group of Spanish and Mexican soldiers and their commanding officer who built his mansion along the coastal settlement in the 16th century. It was absorbed by Iloílo City during the 20th century along with the towns of Mandurriao, La Paz, Molo and the city of Jaro. Arevalo is the westernmost district of Iloilo City and it borders Oton to the west.Its church possesses the third oldest Santo Niño (Infant Jesus) figurines in the Philippines. Arevalo is sometimes given the title "Flower Capital of Iloilo",where potted plants, flowers, bouquets, wreaths can be bought. Arevalo is also famous for its firecrackers and fireworks. Its prominent attraction is the Villa Beach along the coast which boasts several resorts and an outdoor nightlife such as open air restaurants and bars.HistoryEstablished on 1581 by Gobernador Ronquillo de Peñalosa as "La Villa Rica de Arevalo", named after his hometown Arévalo, Spain, it is one of the first places in the Philippine archipelago to be named in Spanish. It became the capital of the settlement in the province on 1582. It was invaded by the British in 1588 and followed by more raids by Moros in 1600 and by the Dutch in 1609, 1614 and 1616. The continuous raids forced the capital to be relocated near the mouth of Iloilo River, which is the current location of Iloilo City Proper. It was incorporated as a district of Iloilo City on July 16, 1937.