List of people from Iloilo

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

Arts, Literature, Entertainment

Film

• Nick Deocampo - Film Director, Film Historian

Literature

• Leoncio P. Deriada - Ilonggo Palanca Awardee
• Magdalena Jalandoni - Hiligaynon poet, National Cultural Awardee for Literature
• Stevan Javellana - Ilonggo writer
• Peter Solis Nery - Ilonggo Palanca Hall of Fame Awardee
• Guillermo Gómez Rivera - Ilonggo writer
• Miguel Syjuco - 2008 Man Asian Literary Prize
• John Iremil Teodoro - Ilonggo Palanca Awardee

Performing Arts

Music

• Jose Mari Chan - Singer, Songwriter
• Jed Madela - Singer and Songwriter
• Gil Lopez Kabayao - renowned violinist
• Emman Abatayo - Singer, Songwriter/Pinoy Dream Academy Season 1 scholar)
• Nina - Singer
• Young JV - Singer, Actor, Model, and Dancer

TV and Movie Personalities

• Saicy Aguila - Pinoy Big Brother: Season 2 housemate) and Dancer
• Sharmaine Arnaiz - Actress
• Claudine Barretto - Actress
• Gretchen Barretto - Actress
• Marjorie Barretto - Actress
• Gian Carlos - Actor, Model, and Dancer
• Charlie Davao - Actor
• Sunshine Dizon - Actress, Model
• Gabb Drilon - Actor
• Ike Lozada - Actor
• Edu Manzano - TV host, Actor
• Bunny Paras - Actress
• Rica Paras - Pinoy Big Brother: Season 2 housemate
• Nel Rapiz - TV host, Actor/Pinoy Big Brother: Season 2 housemate)
• Myrtle Sarrosa - Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition 4 Big Winner
• Paul Salas - Actor
• Arthur Solinap - Actor
• Prince Stefan - Actor, Model, and Dancer
• Dawn Zulueta - Actress
• Marita Zobel - Actress
• Cynthia Patag - Actress
• Joy Viado - Actress
• Giselle Sanchez - Actress

Mass Communications

• Billy Balbastro - radio broadcaster
• Karen Davila - main news anchor on the ABS-CBN News Channel programmes Bandila, and Headstart with Karen Davila
• Philip Stanley Amigo Palisada - news anchor, Dateline Philippines Sunday, ABS-CBN News Channel

Visual Arts

• Ed Defensor - sculptor, Lin-ay sang Iloilo
• Romeo Villalva Tabuena

Business

• Eugenio Lopez, Sr. - former Chairman of the Lopez Group of Companies
• Eugenio Lopez, Jr. - Formerly the Chairman Emeritus of ABS-CBN
• Eugenio Lopez III - The 3rd generation Eugenio of the Lopez family and the present Chairman of ABS-CBN
• Edgar Sia II - Mang Inasal Founder and Currently 30% Owner
• Rogelio M. Florete - President and CEO of Bombo Radio Philippines, President and Chairman of Queen City Development Bank, and owner of R. Florete Pawnshop

Government Service

Executive Service

• Fernando López - former Senator and Vice-President of the Philippines
• Teofisto Guingona, Jr. - former Senator and Vice-President of the Philippines

Judiciacy

• Ramón Avanceña - Former Chief Justice Supreme Court of the Philippines and Vice President
• Carolina Griño-Aquino - Former Associate Justice Supreme Court of the Philippines, Rank 1st 1950 Philippine Bar Examinations
• Jose Ma. Lopez Vito, Sr - Former Associate Justice Supreme Court of the Philippines
• Gregorio Perfecto - Former Associate Justice 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%.

Legislative Service

Senators

• Miriam Defensor Santiago - Senator, 10th, 11th, 13th, 14th and 15th (current) Congress
• Franklin Drilon - Senator, 10th, 11th (Senate President), 12th (Senate President), 13th (Senate President) and 15th (current) Congress
• Jose Ma. Arroyo - Senator, 5th Legislature and 6th Legislature
• Tomas Confesor - Senator, 1st Congress
• Anna Dominique M.L. Coseteng - Senator, 8th Congress
• Rodolfo T. Ganzon - Senator 5th Congress and 6th Congress; authored the Ganzon Law on Free Tuition fee for public High school
• Esperidon Guanco - Senator, 4th Legislature, 5th Legislature and 6th Legislature
• Teofisto Guingona, Sr. - Senator, 4th Legislature
• Jose B. Ledesma - Senator, 7th Legislature
• Oscar R. Ledesma - Senator, 4th Congress and 5th Congress
• Ruperto Montinola - Senator, 1st National Assembly and 2nd National Assembly
• Potenciano Treñas - Senator, 10th Legislature
• Francisco Villanueva - Senator and majority floor leader of the 4th Legislature
• Jose Zulueta - Senator and Senate President, 2nd Congress
• Manuel Villar - Senator, 25th Senate President and businessman

Military Service

• Rafael Jalandoni - 8th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and former Philippine Constabulary Chief.
• Benjamin Defensor - 30th Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He was also Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force for several years, before becoming the AFP Chief of Staff.
• Vicente Piccio, Jr. - Formerly Philippine Air Force Chief
• Elvegia Ruiz Mendoza - First Woman Nurse General, Armed Forces of the Philippines
• Ramona Go - First Woman General in Active Service, Armed Forces of the Philippines
• Alexander Pama - Flag Officer in Command, Philippine Navy

Others

• Resurreccion Borra - COMELEC Commissioner
• Francis Jardeleza - Former Solicitor General
• Nicholas Loney - 19th Century British diplomat & businessman who helped develop Iloilo City
• Amelita Ramos - Former First lady of the Philippines wife of former President Fidel Ramos
• Neil Tupas Jr - Representative of 5th district in Iloilo, Chairman of the Committee on Justice in the House of Rep., Member of Philippine Judicial and Bar Council
• Raul M.Gonzales - Former Philippine Secretary of Justice
• Perfecto R. Yasay, Jr. - Former SEC Chairman, and 2010 Philippine Vice-Presidential candidate running alongside to Eddie Villanueva

Social Sciences

• F. Landa Jocano - Anthropologist and Historian. He 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 Scientist

• Josette Biyo - Intel Excellence for Teaching Awardee in 2002
• Alexis Belonio - Engineer, Inventor and Rolex Award for Enterprise in 2008

Religious Service

• Pedro Calungsod - martyred catechist and missionary (c. 1654-1672)
• Mother Rosario Arroyo de la Visitacion - Servant of God, founder Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines
• Jaime Sin- Former Archbishop of Jaro, Former Cardinal Archbishop of Manila and a very important figure during the EDSA I and EDSA II Revolutions
• Fernando Capalla - the present Archbishop of Davao
• Eduardo Hontiveros - Filipino Jesuit composer and musician
• Angel Lagdameo - Archbishop of Jaro and former President of Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
• Antonio Ledesma - Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro
• Jose S. Palma - the present Archbishop of Cebu and President of Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
• Gabriel Reyes - the first Filipino Archbishop of Cebu, and first Filipino Archbishop of Manila.

Revolutionary & War Heroes

• Graciano Lopez Jaena - Great revolutionary hero, Writer, editor, orator, and journalist, founder of La Solidaridad,
• Jose Calugas - World War II Medal of Honor Awardee
• Ludovico Arroyo Bañas - World War II Veteran, Pioneer in Philippine Telecommunications
• Martin Teofilo Delgado - Revolutionary hero, soldier, politician
• Teresa Magbanua - The Joan of Arc of the Visayas

Sports

• Paulino Alcántara - International football player who played for FC Barcelona
• Eugene Torre - First Filipino and Asian Grandmaster
• Emelio Caligdong - Vice Captain Philippine Azkals and 2012 The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Awardee
• Ian Araneta - Member Philippine Azkals
• Kurt Bachmann - Basketball Player
• Ken Bono - PBA Player
• Denver Cuello - current WBC International minimumweight champion.
• Rudy Fernandez - Amputee Triathlete
• Emmanuel "Emman" Monfort - PBA Player, former UAAP Basketball Player for Ateneo Blue Eagles
• Kiefer Ravena - UAAP Basketball Player for Ateneo Blue Eagles
• Ronald Tubid - PBA Player
• James Yap - PBA Player, former ICCHS or Huasiong Basketball Player