BY PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA – Four tourism projects in Iloilo City are scheduled for bidding this year.
These are the conversion of the old Jaro municipal building into a regional extension office of the National Museum (October), restoration of the Santa Barbara Church (August) and Molo Church (September), and the enhancement of the Jaro Plaza and belfry (September).
The timeframe for the implementation of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ Miag-ao project and Iloilo Provincial Jail’s restoration will soon be discussed, too.
“The National Museum, National Historical Commission of the Philippines and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) expressed enthusiasm for the immediate implementation of these key tourism and heritage restoration projects,” said Iloilo City’s Rep. Jerry Treñas, author of Republic Act (RA) 10555 or the Iloilo City Heritage Law.
RA 10555 mandates the tourism sector to formulate and implement an integrated development plan for Iloilo City’s cultural heritage tourism zone.
About P33 million will be needed for the completion of the Jaro municipal building rehabilitation, said Treñas.
Its funding will be from TIEZA (P13 million) and the General Appropriations Act (P20 million).
It will take 120 days or four months to complete the rehabilitation.
The Santa Barbara Church and Molo Church projects will cost P9 million and P10 million, respectively.
Their restoration will take from six to 10 months, said Treñas.
Meanwhile, the Jaro Plaza and Miag-ao projects are pegged at P14 million.
The conversion of the former provincial jail into a museum of the National Museum, meanwhile, has a funding of P80 million, said the city’s lone district representative./PN
