By Raymart Escopel
ILOILO City – On August 8, “Calle Real,” which is formally known as J.M. Basa Street, was declared as a heritage zone by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
With the declaration, growth in terms of business industry is being projected in the area.
According to the Subcommission on Cultural Dissemination of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Project Development Officer (PDO) 1 Charles Salazar, the heritage zone will attract more investors.
He said there are businesses that consider having an office in a heritage zone as part of their marketing plan as the area provides additional ambiance to the establishment and increases brand reputation of the product and services.
With that, he is projecting Calle Real to have many business establishments that will occupy spaces in the building located within the heritage zone.
Aside from the effects in the business industry, Salazar also sees its impact to the city’s tourism.
“It might not be directly, but there will be surrounding businesses that could benefit from the tourism potential of the place,” he added.
One of the best examples, he said, is Vigan which was already declared a world heritage site. He said that the homeowners benefit from it as they made the first storey of their house available for lease, thus, they make money out of it.
Yet, Salazar also noted that as a result of the healthy business industry in the area, investors should also watch out for the increase of the Real Property Tax (RPT) in the heritage zone.
NCAA visited Iloilo City to invite various groups and organizations related to arts and culture to submit t proposals for the NCAA Competitive Grants Program for 2015.
The deadline of submission of project proposals is on August 31.
For more information about the NCAA Competitive Grants Program for 2015, visit the website, www.ncaa.com.ph./PN
