Santa Barbara is a small town located right in the centre of Iloilo province on the island of Panay, 15 km from the city of Iloilo. The Iloilo International Airport Iloilo International Airport is located here. According to the 2000 census, there were about 46,000 people living in the town.
Tourists travelling to Panay Island are sure to stop in Santa Barbara for a couple of days to see the sights. The first place to go the Roman Catholic Church, a fine example of Philippine colonial baroque architecture. It is also one of the most best-preserved churches in the province. It was here that General Martin Delgado of the of the revolutionary government of the Visayas region convened the council that started the the popular uprising against Spanish colonisation in Iloilo. In honour of this event, a memorial sign has been erected today at the site where the first Philippine flag was raised outside the island of Luzon.
One of the oldest landmarks in Santa Barbara is the Roman Catholic cemetery, built in 1845 and still bearing traces of Spanish influence. In front of the city administration building, the historic katmon tree with thick green leaves and incredibly large white flowers still stands - this is where the city is said to have been founded. Today, it's the only catmon tree in Santa Barbara. And next to it, in the middle in the middle of a small park, a 120-foot flagpole flies the largest the largest Philippine flag outside of Luzon. It is one of five national flags that are truly gigantic in size.
Another landmark located in close proximity to the the city government is a bronze monument to General Martin Delgado, hero of the Philippine Revolution. The monument was erected in 1998 to mark the 100th anniversary of the liberation from the Spanish "yoke". That same year, the Museum of the Centennial of the Revolution was built, whose exhibits tell the history of Santa Barbara and the city's role in the popular movement.
The heart of the city is Victoria Plaza, landscaped as part of the same same centennial celebration of the Revolution. It is a favourite spot for residents Santa Barbara for evening strolls. The plaza is home to two historic monuments - the monument to Filipino hero Jose Rizal and the 1925-built stage - the octagonal structure has always served as a venue for political political debates and various public events.
Finally, not far from the city is the irrigation dam, built in 1926 and was the first gravity-fed irrigation system in the region of Western Visayas. It is also the oldest irrigation system in the Philippines.
