ILOILO City – The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) eyes this city as a “model” heritage zone in the country.
“I would like to congratulate the leaders of Iloilo for really giving importance to your heritage structures and history,” NHCP executive director Ludovico Badoy said after the inauguration of the Ker and Co. Ltd. Building.
The NHCP declared the newly restored building at the back of city hall an “important cultural property” and turned it over to the local government on July 24.
“The whole district has been declared a heritage zone,” Badoy said during the turnover. “And this area will also in the future be declared as another heritage zone for the city of Iloilo.”
The NHCP spent less than P18 million to restore the building, including the installation of the air-conditioning, closed-circuit television camera and smoke detector systems, he said.
Prior to the restoration, the two-story building was used as a warehouse.
The restoration was meticulously done and unnecessary fixtures were removed to ensure the authenticity of the building, he said.
Badoy urged everyone to treasure and take good care of the heritage structure.
It is now up to the city government how it will utilize the building, the NHCP official said.
Ker and Co. Ltd played a significant role in the trade and commerce during the colonial times, Badoy said.
It first opened in Manila and Singapore in 1827, and then expanded in Iloilo in 1862. It was managed by William Ker Jr.
“Ker and Co. was one of the pioneering companies [involved in] the sugar industry in the Philippines through the city and province of Iloilo,” Badoy said.
“This is where it all started, the sugarcane economy of the province and city of Iloilo,” he added. (PNA)
