The newly-restored Casa Real de Iloilo is another reason why tourists should visit the city and province of Iloilo.
Credits: Vincent Valencia |
Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said during the soft opening and blessing on May 29 that the original provincial capitol building is another tourist destination for local and foreign visitors not only in the city and province of Iloilo but also in Panay Island.
“It is an added feature and another part of the tourism circuit that could be established in the city and province. The building proves that Iloilo is an old province and an old city full of heritage and culture and if there is one destination in the country that heritage and culture can be found, it is Iloilo,” he said.
The historical edifice which was completed in 1873 served as the seat of power of the provincial government of Iloilo.
According to the Public Information and Community Affairs Office (PICAO), the National Historical Institute (NHI) declared the Provincial Building of Iloilo a historical landmark on April 11, 2010.
In 2012, Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. initiated the restoration of the historic building to its American-era architecture.
The project has become the provincial government’s major contribution to tourism and its resounding answer to the call for cultural heritage conservation.
Casa Real de Iloilo will host the traditional vin d’honneur on June 12, the first time in Aquino’s administration for the celebration to be held outside Malacañang.
President Aquino will personally unveil the Casa Real marker and welcome the members of the diplomatic corps after the Independence day rites in Sta. Barbara. [via Source]