Oton, Iloilo


', officially the ', is a of the Philippines| in the province of,. According to the, it has a population of people.
Oton is west from Iloilo City. The town is a part of Metro Iloilo-Guimaras which encompasses the whole island province of Guimaras with its municipalities, the Iloilo City, and the Iloilo provincial towns of Leganes, San Miguel, Santa Barbara, and Cabatuan.

History

Oton was settled by primitive Malays. A gold mask was discovered from that period. The Spanish arrived in middle of 16th century and made Oton as Capital of Panay, Negros, Capiz, Antique, and Romblon. From Oton as capital, Spanish missionaries spread Catholic church in neighboring settlements such as Jaro, Iloilo, Tigbauan, Cordova, Alimodian, Igbaras, Tubungan, Camando, Damilisan, and Tiolas. A new agricultural products from Mexico Galleon Trade arrived in Oton where a number of ships arriving from Cebu are stationed and then moved to Manila. Because Oton was difficult to be defended from pillaging Muslim pirates, the Spanish Governor decided to move the capital to few kilometers away in Iloilo.

Barangays

Oton is politically subdivided into 37 barangays.

Climate

Demographics

In the, the population of Oton, Iloilo, was people, with a density of.
Kinaray-a is the main speech of the people in Oton. Hiligaynon is spoken as a secondary language.

Economy

The economy of Oton is fueled by growing number of real estates and geographic advantage due to its proximity to Iloilo. Due to increasing demand of retail, Gaisano Oton and Puregold Oton were built. The Iloilo Provincial Agricultural Statistics reported rice production and fruits are among top economic drivers. It has a number of hotels, resorts, and restaurants.