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BY HERBERT VEGO
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Thursday, February 16, 2017
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ONE does not pass by the plaza of Jaro, Iloilo City without marveling at the transformation of a very old municipal building into a new edifice, which until recently had temporarily housed the Jaro Police Station. The renovated landmark will formally be inaugurated tomorrow morning (Feb. 17).
For a bird’s eye view of the project, this writer talked to Cong. Jerry P. Treñas (Iloilo City lone district), knowing it is an integral portion of projects implementable under a law he had authored, Republic Act 10555.
So now I know: Henceforth, the historical building that in the olden days used to be the municipal hall of the then municipality of Jaro will be known as the regional branch of the National Museum, unless otherwise renamed.
The Treñas-authored law, to reiterate what I had said sometime last year, mandates the Department of Tourism, Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), and other concerned government agencies, in coordination with the Iloilo City Cultural Heritage Conservation Council, to formulate and implement an integrated development plan for seven heritage sites, one of which is the Jaro Plaza Complex, where the renovated building is located.
The “heritage law” harks back to an earlier law, the Tourism Act of 2009 or Republic Act 9593, which pinpoints tourism as “an indispensable element of national economy and an industry of national interest and importance.”
Moreover, the Iloilo City Sangguniang Panlungsod has passed an ordinance donating to the National Museum the old Jaro municipal hall to boost city tourism. Needless to say, human beings naturally want to travel back in time.
No wonder DOT Regional Director, Atty. Helen J. Catalbas, has been busy promoting the seven landmarks as heritage and tourist spots.
Incidentally, the six other heritage sites include the Jaro Cathedral, Molo Church, Central Business District, Fort San Pedro, Molo Plaza Complex and Plaza Libertad Complex.
When the old munisipyo saw completion in the 1930s — classified as an “art deco” building built by Filipino architect Juan Arcellano and embellished in the facade by Italian sculptor Francesco Monti – Jaro had already had a long history of civilization. Farther back in time during the Spanish colonial period (1521-1898) when Jaro was still known as Salog, it was the center of economic power trading with China and Siam (Thailand).
Jaro got to be a district of Iloilo City on July 16, 1937 with the implementation of Commonwealth Act 158, which expanded Iloilo City to include Jaro, Molo, Mandurriao, La Paz and Villa de Arévalo.
I have no idea yet what artifacts are to be displayed in the new museum, which is the second of its kind in Iloilo City. The first and still existing one on Bonifacio Drive, run by the provincial government, houses a collection of Iloilo’s cultural heritage which includes Stone Age native pottery, fossils, jewelry, era photos, Spanish-era Filipino sculpture, among others.
This small province-run museum will soon be replaced by a bigger one. Through the initiative of Governor Arthur Defensor, the abandoned Iloilo Rehabilitation Center (IRC) – the old provincial jail built in 1911 – has been demolished and is being reconstructed to also constitute an extension of the National Museum.
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ATTENTION: JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES coming from Tagalog speaking congregations in Western and Central Visayas. Reeling off on Sunday (Feb. 19, 2017) on the theme “Maintain Love for Jehovah” is the bi-annual circuit to be held at Amigo Terrace Hotel. Delegates from the Watchtower Bible Tract Society representatives in Quezon City will also be present.
The discussion will primarily anchor on the significance of the verse found in Mathew 22:37, “You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.”
Non-members of the religious organization are welcome to attend free of charge./PN
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