Iloilo City is surrounded by some very attractive rural communities. One of my favorites is Oton which is located about 30 minutes west of the city. There seems to be unusual community pride at work. The town plaza and park are exceptionally nice and exceptionally well-maintained. I always see town workers keeping it manicured and clean. Residents really seem to use and enjoy the park. Likewise, the municipal hall is attractive and well-maintained. There is also a newly built market building.

A short history of Oton adapted from the excellent OTOP project: Oton is the first pueblo in Panay. This town was founded in 1572 in honor of Our lady of Immaculate Concepcion. In the early 13th century, Oton was already a flourishing Malay settlement. Its port, now the site of Batiano Bridge, was one of the five ancient Malay ports in Irong-irong trading with Sanglays (Chinese merchants) and other inter-island ports like Sugbu, Madiano, and Malandog. Oton is a hispanized version of the phrase "Ogtong Adlaw". When Spanish explorers asked a native about the name of the place, the latter answered ogtong adlaw (noontime) thinking that the Spaniards were asking about the time of the day. In 1972, the Pueblo of Oton was made capital of the Province of Oton (La Alcadia de Oton) which covered the islands of Panay, Tablas, Sibuyan, Guimaras, Romblon and western part of Negros.

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