The "Ledesma Streets" in the City of Iloilo, Philippines

 

The "Ledesma Streets" in the City of Iloilo, Philippines

(By: DinggolAranetaDivinagracia - July 23, 2018)

The District of Jaro in the City of Iloilo, Philippines, was once upon a time known as "Salog". It was named after the Salog river that traverse the area. In the yesteryear, Jaro was a distinct and separate city by itself, until it was subsumed into "La Muy Leal y Noble Ciudad de Iloilo". This was mainly due to political rivalry and family feud between two warring old Ilonggo oligarchy; the Lopez’es of Jaro and the Arroyo's of Parian now Molo.

Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s Secretary of Justice, the late Raul Maravilla Gonzalez who later became Iloilo City lone district Congressman, belong to the Ledesma ancestry. He was the son of Delfin Q. Gonzalez, the last Mayor of Jaro City that was subsumed into Iloilo City when he caught the ire of the Philippine Commonwealth President Manuel Luis Quezon.

Two Jareños who belong to the illustrious Ledesma clan served with distinction as "Gobernadorcillo and Alcalde-Mayor"; and in whose memory the Simon Lopez Ledesma and to his grandson, the Demetrio Benedicto Ledesma (DB Ledesma) Streets were named respectively.

Ledesco Development Corporation of the Ledesma-Locsin family built the multi million pesos “Ledesco Bridge” to cross the Jaro river from Javellana Street Extension in the Lapaz-Jaro boundary to cut short travel time and to serve as the main entrance to about a hundred hectares prestigious enclave, “The Ledesco Villages”.

Another Ledesma Street is considered one of the longest thoroughfares in the City of Iloilo. This is located within the City Proper that starts at the rotunda of Plazoleta Gay with five(5) corners intersecting. The J. M. Basa Street popularly known as “Calle Real”, Iznart Street, Fermin Caram Avenue and Arroyo Street in downtown Iloilo City that ends up to the intersection of Rizal-Estanzuela and Tanza-Bonifacio area. It connects to Baluarte, the old name of Lopez-Jaena Street by the boundary of Molo District.

This long stretch of Calle Ledesma that traverse the Streets of Valeria, Santos Chiu Kim See (still more popularly known by its “unofficial” street name Valeria Extension), Quezon, Mabini, Liberation Road, Fuentes and Jalandoni streets, was named to honor the memory of it's donor, Don Anastacio Lopez Ledesma (married to Clara Jalandoni Lopez), a top Ilonggo philanthropist of the landed gentry, the Ledesma-Lopez clan of Jaro.

Large tracts of once swampy areas within the peripheral of Calle Ledesma, Iloilo City Proper, were passed on to direct heirs of Don Anastacio Lopez Ledesma. In modern times, the families of: Ester Ledesma Habana de Jamora (vicinity of Valeria Street); Emilia Ledesma Habana de Betita (vicinity of Quezon Street); and Aurora Ledesma Virto de Montinola (vicinity of Mabini Street) -- all on the right side towards Molo, traversing Calle Delgado that almost reached up to General Luna Street.

While the opposite portion on the left side towards Molo of the huge property was inherited by the Ledesma-Montinola branch of the familia. This included the lot where now stands Iloilo Terminal (Super) Market. Their share traverse Juan de Leon Street up to Rizal (Pala-Pala) Street near the Iloilo-Guimaras Strait.

A block away from the Supermarket area, is Colegio de las Hijas de Jesus (Santo Anghel) located at the corner of Ledesma-Fuentes Streets. The lot I presumed, likewise, was donated by the Ledesma-Benedicto branch of the generous Anastacio Ledesma family.

The lot at corner Ledesma-Jalandoni Streets was inherited by Remedios Ledesma Gamboa de Jalbuena, who later on bequeathed it to her son Freddie. Freddie Gamboa Jalbuena thereafter, sold the property to Nicolas Ledesma, a member of the religious sect who donated the same to his church of the 7th Day Adventist.

Adjacent to the 7th Day Adventist compound, was inherited by Felisa Ledesma Gamboa de Magalona (married to Jose Belmonte Magalona) who passed on the huge property to her children, namely: Dr. Rene Gamboa Magalona, married to Evelina, daughter of Demetrio Benedicto (DB) Ledesma and Remedios Felix Cajili; to Carlos Gamboa Magalona and to a daughter Leda Gamboa Magalona de Zaldarriaga.

At the opposite side of the Street, the corner lot going to the Aglipayan church of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) was inherited by Conchita Ledesma Gamboa de Lizares, who with her husband Emiliano built the magnificent "Lizares - Gamboa Mansion" --now the Angelicum School in Tabuc Suba, Jaro. This property in Calle Ledesma corner Jalandoni Street was later acquired by the family of a Chinaman named "Paa" who owns the famous bakery near Jaro Plaza.

The sisters Remedios, Felisa and Conchita were among the grandchildren of Don Anastacio Lopez Ledesma and Doña Clara Jalandoni Lopez de Ledesma of Jaro, Iloilo City.

Wilson Street located in the rear portion of the Seventh Day Adventists compound at the corner of Ledesma-Jalandoni Streets in Barangay Wilson-Jalandoni was named after Wilson Lopez Ledesma, son of the wealthy patriarch, Don Anastacio Lopez Ledesma.

Another branch of the deeply religious Ledesma family of old Iloilo, who owned prime real estate properties, also built impressive mansions along Bonifacio Drive from the Forbes Bridge approach going to Lapaz District up to the corner of General Luna Street fronting Museo Iloilo, Iloilo Provincial Capitol, and the Nicolas Jalandoni Rotunda just across the multi-storey Atrium Mall.

These were the siblings; Don Julio Villalobos Ledesma, Don Juan Villalobos Ledesma and Doña Ana Villalobos Ledesma de Lopez. Don Julio’s heritage house in front of Museo Iloilo was later acquired by Don Eusebio and Doña Remedios Sian Melliza de Villanueva.

Yes! this other main thoroughfare, could have also been named as another "Ledesma Street" in the City of Iloilo, Philippines.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ oo0oo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~