ILOILO – The marker declaring Casa Real de Iloilo with the Arroyo Fountain as an Important Cultural Property (ICP) will be unveiled this afternoon.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. and Dr. Jurgenne Primavera, board of trustees of the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) and a national scientist, will lead the unveiling at the Casa Real de Iloilo entrance at 4 p.m.
Nereo Lujan, chief of the Iloilo provincial government’s Public Information and Community Affairs Office (PICAO), said ICPs possess “exceptional cultural, artistic, and/or historical significance” to the Philippines.
“Sang 2010, ang Casa Real gin-declare as a historical landmark sang National Historical Commission and sang December 2022 naman, gin-declare na sia as Important Cultural Property sang NMP,” said Lujan.
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 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 marker unveiling, there will be an opening and viewing of the Casa Real de Iloilo exhibits.
These are included in the line-up of activities of the provincial government for Iloilo province’s 122nd founding anniversary through the “Semana sang Iloilo” celebration from April 11 to 14.
Anchored on the theme “122 Years of Championing Progress”, the province commemorates the establishment of the civil government in Iloilo province on April 11, 1901.
The celebration will kick off today with a fun walk/street dance to be participated in by provincial government employees from Sunburst Park to the Iloilo provincial capitol grounds starting at 6:30 a.m.
An opening program and a cheerdance competition will follow.
A thanksgiving mass will be held at the capitol lobby around 9:30 a.m.
At 10:30 a.m., there will be a ribbon cutting for the Sumakwelan exhibit featuring books written in Hiligaynon at the Casa Real lobby.
It will be followed by the opening of the MoRProGRes Garden Show beside the Casa Real.
At 1:30 p.m., a groundbreaking for the solar energy facility at the Aleosan District Hospital in Alimodian town will be held.
The official launching of the MoRProGRes Iloilo will also be held at the capitol lobby.
The second day on April 12 will open with a Festival of Municipalities at the capitol main entrance at 9 a.m.
At 10 a.m., the awarding ceremony for the Top Taxpayers and Stakeholders in the Province of Iloilo will be held at the Casa Real Social Hall.
On April 13, there will be a bloodletting to be led by the Association of Iloilo Provincial Government Employees in partnership with the Philippine Red Cross at the National Museum of Western Visayas.
The Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office will also officially launch the “Tapon to Ipon” project at the capitol lobby. It aims to collect clear PET bottles for recycling.
Employees from the different district hospitals will showcase their talents in the Inter-hospital Dance Contest at 1 p.m. in the capitol lobby.
April 14, Friday, will be the Iloilo provincial government’s “employees’ day.”
It will also be the opening day of the two-day First Iloilo Seaweed Summit at the Casa Real Social Hall.
Other events are the Agri/Aqua Trade Fair at the provincial capitol grounds; the MSMEs Trade Fair at the capitol lobby; and the food fest at the capitol parking grounds./PN
