ILOILO – Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. envisions Casa Real de Iloilo as a museum of political history.
The National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) has declared Casa Real de Iloilo an Important Cultural Property (ICP). A marker was unveiled on April 11.
Defensor said Casa Real as an ICP possesses “exceptional cultural, artistic, and/or historical significance”.
“That is very important to us because we want this building to be the start of the way forward,” said Defensor.
He particularly wanted to fill Casa Real de Iloilo with memorabilia, materials and information about the political history of the province and city of Iloilo, instead of simply serving as a venue for events of the provincial government.
Defensor also envisioned that the capitol grounds, including the Casa Real de Iloilo and the Arroyo Fountain, be part of a walking tour with its proximity to the Museo de Iloilo and the National Museum Western Visayas.
For this to materialize, Defensor will send Public Information and Community Affairs Office head Nereo Lujan and Provincial Tourism Office head Gilbert Marin along with other department heads to NMP-Metro Manila. They would research primary resources like photographs and other things about the political history of the province and city.
The governor also sought the assistance of the NMP for the display of the memorabilia to be donated to the Casa Real de Iloilo.
During the unveiling of the cultural marker, Dr. Jurgenne Primavera, a board of trustees member of the NMP and a national scientist, adored Casa Real de Iloilo.
“The Casa Real has been witness to the development of the Iloilo City and the entire Western Visayas into a progressive regional center,” said Primavera, who also led the marker unveiling with Defensor.
For many years, Casa Real de Iloilo was a center stage of political activity in the province, he said.
“It was once a foremost tangible display of power, the symbol of our prominence as one of the points of convergence in the archipelago,” added Primavera.
Casa Real de Iloilo, also known as the old Iloilo Provincial Capitol, was first completed in 1873 and renovated in 1910.
After a November 1998 fire, the new capitol was built, and the majority of the offices of the provincial government relocated to the new building.
Right across the old provincial capitol is the Arroyo Fountain, or what is known as “kilometer zero” of Panay Island.
After the unveiling of cultural markers, a signing of the certificate of transfer and acceptance between Defensor and Primavera took place.
It was witnessed by Honey P. Beso, chief of the National Museum Western Visayas Regional Museum and Mayor Jerry P. Treñas’ executive assistant, Jay Treñas.
“This is to certify that the Old Provincial Capitol with the Arroyo Fountain located in Iloilo City was declared an Important Cultural Property under Museum Declaration No. 46-2020, entitled ‘Declaration of the Old Provincial Capitol of Iloilo also known as the Casa Real with the Arroyo Fountain as an Important Cultural Property,’ and that the site marker has been duly turned over by the National Museum of the Philippines, officially accepted by the administrator of the Old Provincial Capitol as its responsibility to preserve, maintain, and publicly unveil in its place of permanent installation on April 11, 2023,” read part of the certificate of transfer and acceptance.
A ribbon cutting and viewing of the Casa Real Exhibit followed./PN
