Estancia, Iloilo

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Map of Iloilo showing the location of Estancia

Estancia is a 4th class municipality in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 35,842 people in 7,046 households.

Estancia is located in the northern part of the Iloilo Province approximately 135 kilometers from the capital of the province Iloilo City.

Estancia was originally a ranch for a wealthy Spaniard named Rodrigo who inter-married with a local woman. Estancia is not known for its agricultural products nor livestock but rather for its impressive marine resources. Estancia has a fishport and a pier - these being one of the most developed in northern visayas, a banking industry, cable television, a hospital, and resorts.

Estancia is known around the country as a center for commercial fishing, so much so that it carries the name "Alaska Of The Philippines" as a testament to its bountiful marine resources. The reason for this is that Estancia lies in the visayan sea triangle, an imaginary triangle extending from the provinces of Iloilo, Negros, Cebu, Samar, and Masbate. This triangle is a part of the "Sulu-Sulaweisi Triangle" of the sulu sea and neighbooring Indonesia where a large concentration of marine organisms coupled with climate conditions support a massive marine ecosystem. Various commercial species are harvested along Estancia's waters namely Mackerel, Barracuda, Sardines, Shad, Pompano, Groupers, Squid, Cuttlefish, Shrimp, Prawns, shells, seaweed and others.

The method predominantly used is purse seining, trawling and gill netting as these are suited for the relatively shallow waters (up to 60 fathoms) of the visayan sea.

However, as of recent years, pollution, heavy overfishing and irresponsble fishing practives have slowly diminished the once abundant fish stocks of Estancia, and now problems like diminishing catches and unpredictable weather are beginning to surface. These factors have raised awareness in the government as well as the private sector and currently an artificial reef is off the shore of brgy paon in an attempt to provide juvenile fish with shelter in hopes of restocking these once populous waters.