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BY RHICK LARS VLADIMER ALBAY
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Saturday, March 3, 2018
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“CALLE Real is a heritage street, parang living witness siya ng history natin dito sa Iloilo,” explains veteran Ilonggo painter Rock Drilon, who was taken it upon himself to empower many of the city’s young and emerging artists.
“We need to preserve this history,” he continues. “We see steady progress in other areas of Iloilo – in infrastructure and commerce – but we should preserve our local culture as well, otherwise hindi meaningful ang progress.”
Smack dab at the center of Iloilo City’s beating business district, the Eusebio Villanueva Building has witnessed 90 years of rich Ilonggo history – as the prestigious International Hotel in 1927, before falling into disrepair, and as a marvel of restoration in 2012, unveiled as a heritage site.
Now the iconic landmark is on the verge of being reinvented once more: as a sanctuary for Iloilo’s thriving art community.
“Ang gusto naming ditto kase, we want to start a community,” relates Drilon. “We hope to inspire others to take Calle Real as a home too, maybe for local businesses, cafés or culinary establishments. I hope marami nang susunod [na tenants here at the Eusebio Villanueva Building]. Even Cinematheque Iloilo is also set to move this July.”
After an 18-month residency at the Casa Real Gallery at the Old Provincial Capitol, the home of Ilonggo artists relocated to the halls of the Eusebio Villanueva Building on the corner JM Basa and Aldeguer streets and formally opened in June 2017, carving out a space for creatives in Iloilo’s bustling metro.
The art space is set to be renamed “gallery i” (“I” standing for Iloilo) under the leadership of VIVA ExCon Iloilo Org chairman and prolific artist Allain Hablo as gallery director; and Hubon Ilonggo (formerly the Iloilo Visual Artists Collective) president Arel Zambarrano as assistant director.
The Eusebio Villanueva Building in Calle Real is a symbol of Iloilo’s history of grandeur, now signifying a promising future – and with the local art community about to take residence, the occasion could be ushering in a new golden age of Ilonggo culture.
“This is not my vision alone,” adds Drilon. “There are so many people who envisioned this way before us and we’re still working on it. Minsan may paatras, minsan hindi maganda ang takbo, pero we’re still aiming for that vision. It’s just that change often takes its time.”/PN
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