List of people from Iloilo

The following is a list of people born or associated with Iloilo and Iloilo City.

Arts, literature, and entertainment

Beauty pageants

• Rabiya Occeña Sundall Mateo – Miss Universe Philippines 2020 winner
• Pura Villanueva Kalaw – first Manila Carnival queen in 1908
• Angelia Ong – Miss Earth 2015 winner
• Anjanette Abayari – Binibining Pilipinas Universe 1991 winner

Film

• Nick Deocampo – film director, film historian
• Peter Solis Nery – film director, actor, producer, writer; Gugma sa Panahon sang Bakunawa (2012)

Literature

• Gilbert Luis R. Centina III – Palanca awardee
• Leoncio P. Deriada – Ilonggo Palanca awardee
• Magdalena Jalandoni – Hiligaynon poet, National Cultural awardee for Literature
• Ramon Muzones – National Artist for Literature.
• Stevan Javellana – Ilonggo writer
• Peter Solis Nery – Ilonggo Palanca Awards Hall of Fame awardee; first Filipino author invited to the Sharjah International Book Fair
• Guillermo Gómez Rivera – Ilonggo writer
• Miguel Syjuco – winner of 2008 Man Asian Literary Prize

Performing arts

Music

• Emman Abatayo – singer, songwriter, Pinoy Dream Academy Season 1 scholar
• Jose Mari Chan – singer, songwriter
• Vehnee Saturno – record producer
• Nina Girado – singer
• Jed Madela – singer, songwriter
• Ruben Tagalog – Kundiman singer
• Young JV – singer, actor, model, and dancer
• Jhett Tolentino – singer, Grammy and Tony-award winning theatrical producer
• Beabadoobee – indie-pop singer/songwriter (born in Iloilo, emigrated with her parents to England at age 2).

TV and movie personalities

• Carla Abellana – actress, model, TV host and personality
• John Arcilla – actor
• Sharmaine Arnaiz – actress
• Claudine Barretto – actress
• Gretchen Barretto – actress
• Billy Crawford – actor, model, singer, TV host and personality
• Dingdong Dantes – actor, model
• Charlie Davao – actor
• Sunshine Dizon – actress, model
• Gabb Drilon – actor
• Anita Linda – actress
• Ike Lozada – actor
• Edu Manzano – TV host, actor
• Luis Manzano – actor, model, TV host and personality
• Pokwang – actress, comedian
• Delia Razon – actress
• Paul Salas – actor
• Myrtle Sarrosa – Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition 4 Big Winner
• Arthur Solinap – actor
• Prince Stefan (actor) – actor, model, and dancer
• Joy Viado – actress, comedian
• Marita Zobel – actress
• Dawn Zulueta – actress

Mass communications

• Billy Balbastro – radio broadcaster
• Karen Davila – main news anchor on the ABS-CBN News Channel programmers TV Patrol and Headstart with Karen Davila

Visual arts

• Romeo Villalva Tabuena – Filipino painter and printmaker
• The Scottish artists, Iain Macnab and Chica Macnab were both born in Iloilo

Business

• Eugenio Lopez, Sr. – former Chairman of the Lopez Group of Companies
• Eugenio Lopez, Jr. – former Chairman Emeritus of ABS-CBN
• Eugenio Lopez III – the 3rd generation Eugenio of the Lopez family; present Chairman of ABS-CBN
• Edgar Sia – founder of Mang Inasal
• Alfonso A. Uy – first President of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry from Visayas and Mindanao

Education

• Jose Cabalum, Sr. – educator
• William Valentine – American Protestant missionary and educator; founded Central Philippine University, the second American university in Asia

Government service

Executive service

• Teofisto Guingona, Jr. – former Senator and Vice President of the Philippines
• Fernando López – former Senator, Vice President of the Philippines, and Mayor of Iloilo City
• Amelita Ramos – former First Lady of the Philippines; wife of former President Fidel Ramos
• Liza Araneta Marcos – First Lady of the Philippines; wife of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

Judiciary

• Ramón Avanceña – former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines and Vice President
• Carolina Griño-Aquino – former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, Rank 1st 1950 Philippine Bar Examinations
• Gregorio Perfecto – former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
• Florenz Regalado – former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines and record holder for the highest average in the Philippine Bar Examinations, with his 1954 mark of 96.7%
• Francis Jardeleza – former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines and Solicitor General of the Philippines
• Raul M. Gonzalez – former Secretary of Justice
• Gregorio S. Araneta – former Secretary of Finance and Justice, Attorney General of the Philippines, and Solicitor General of the Philippines

Legislators

Senators

• Tomas Confesor – Senator served in the 2nd Commonwealth Congress or 1st Congress of the Philippines, elected ranked 6th in the 1946 national elections, former Governor of Iloilo
• José María Arroyo – Senator from the Seventh Senatorial District
• Francisco Felipe Villanueva – Visayan delegate to the Malolos Congress, Senate majority floor leader during the Fourth Legislature in 1916–1919
• Nikki Coseteng – Senator, 8th Congress
• Miriam Defensor Santiago – Senator, 10th, 11th, 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th Congress
• Franklin Drilon – Senator, 10th, 11th (Senate President), 12th (Senate President), 13th (Senate President), 15th, 16th (Senate President), and 17th (Senate President pro tempore) Congress
• Teofisto Guingona, Sr. – Senator, 4th Philippine Legislature
• Grace Poe-Llamanzares – Senator, 16th Congress of the Philippines
• Manuel Villar – Senator, 12th, 13th (Senate President), 14th (Senate President), 15th Congress
• Jose Zulueta – Senator and Senate President, 2nd Congress

House Representatives

• Niel Tupas Jr. – former House Representatives of the 5th district of Iloilo
• Ferjenel Biron – former House Representatives of the 4th district of Iloilo
• Janette Garin – incumbent House Representatives of the 4th district of Iloilo, former Secretary of Health
• Richard Garin – former House Representatives of the 1st district of Iloilo and Vice Governor of Iloilo
• Judy Syjuco – former House Representatives of the 2nd district of Iloilo
• Julienne Baronda – incumbent House Representatives of the lone district of Iloilo City

Local Government

• Niel Tupas Sr. – former Governor of Iloilo and House Representatives of the 5th district of Iloilo
• Arthur Defensor Sr. – former Governor of Iloilo and House Representatives of the 3rd district of Iloilo
• Arthur Defensor Jr. – incumbent Governor of Iloilo, former House Representatives of the 3rd district of Iloilo
• Casimiro Andrada – 5th Municipal President of Balasan
• Isko Moreno – 27th Mayor of Manila and actor whose father originally hail from San Joaquin, Iloilo
• Jerry Treñas – incumbent Mayor of Iloilo City
• Jed Patrick Mabilog – former Mayor of Iloilo City

Military service

• Vicente Piccio, Jr. – former chief of the Philippine Air Force
• Ramona Go – First Female Brigadier General

Civil service

• Resurreccion Borra – COMELEC Commissioner

Social sciences

• F. Landa Jocano – anthropologist and historian; documented the epic Hinilawod of the Panay Bukidnon of Iloilo
• Alicia P. Magos – anthropologist and historian; published and documented the culture of Western Visayas, especially the Panay Bukidnon

Innovators and scientists

• Alexis Belonio – engineer, inventor and winner of Rolex Award for Enterprise in 2008
• Josette Biyo – Intel Excellence for Teaching awardee in 2002; an asteroid was named after her, 13241 Biyo

Religious service

• Fernando Capalla – present Archbishop of Davao
• Eduardo Hontiveros – Filipino Jesuit composer and musician
• Angel Lagdameo – 5th Archbishop of Jaro and former President of Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
• Antonio Ledesma – Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro
• Jose S. Palma – present Archbishop of Cebu and President of Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
• Alberto Jover Piamonte – 4th Archbishop of Jaro
• Jaime Sin – 9th Archbishop of Jaro and 30th Archbishop of Manila
• Mother Rosario Arroyo de la Visitacion - Servant of God, founder Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines

Revolutionaries and war heroes

• Juan Araneta – led the Negros Revolution
• Ludovico Arroyo Bañas – World War II veteran, pioneer in Philippine telecommunications
• Jose Calugas – World War II Medal of Honor awardee
• Martin Teofilo Delgado – revolutionary hero, soldier, politician
• Adriano Hernandez – leader of the "Cry of Lincud", the first armed uprising for independence in the province of Iloilo
• Graciano Lopez Jaena – revolutionary hero, writer, editor, orator, and journalist, founder of La Solidaridad
• Aniceto Lacson – led the Negros Revolution
• Teresa Magbanua – the Joan of Arc of the Visayas
• Patrocinio Gamboa – revolutionary heroine, brought the Philippine flag to Sta. Barbara, where it was first raised outside the capital.

Sports

• Paulino Alcántara – international football player who played for FC Barcelona
• Angel Guirado Aldeguer – member of Philippine Azkals
• Ian Araneta – member of Philippine Azkals
• Kurt Bachmann – basketball player
• Ken Bono – PBA player
• Emelio Caligdong – Vice Captain of Philippine Azkals and 2012 The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) awardee
• Anjo Caram – PBA player, former NCAA basketball player for San Beda Red Lions
• Denver Cuello – current WBC International minimumweight champion
• Kenneth Duremdes – PBA player
• Rudy Fernandez – amputee triathlete
• Emmanuel "Emman" Monfort – PBA player, former UAAP basketball player for the Ateneo Blue Eagles, former Ateneo de Iloilo-SMCS player Ateneo Blue Dragons
• Bong Ravena – PBA player
• Kiefer Ravena – UAAP basketball player for the Ateneo Blue Eagles
• Masunoyama Tomoharu – sumo wrestler
• Eugenio Torre – first Filipino and Asian Grandmaster
• Ronald Tubid – PBA player
• James Yap – PBA player, former ICCHS or Huasiong basketball player
• Wesley So – chess prodigy; youngest Filipino chess grandmaster
• Manuel Araneta Jr. – basketball player in 1948 Summer Olympics

Others

• Nicholas Loney – 19th-century British diplomat and businessman who helped develop Iloilo City
• Perfecto R. Yasay, Jr. – former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman; 2010 Philippine Vice-Presidential candidate running alongside Eddie Villanueva along with John Gokongwei, Henry Sy, Wilfred Steven Uytengsu, Ramon S. Ang, Manny V. Pangilinan, Dennis Uy, Dioceldo Sy, Emilio Yap, and Juan Miguel Zubiri and finally the death, David Consunji.