The 72-hectare mixed-use estate is home to the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (ILOMOCA), Emperador Brandy Museum, and the Iloilo Convention Center, which have become key venues for art, fashion, heritage, and public exhibitions, the order dated July 9 showed.
Management’s view
“We thank the Iloilo City Government, under the leadership of Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu, for declaring our 72-hectare Iloilo Business Park township as Iloilo City’s Center of Arts and Culture,” Megaworld president and CEO Lourdes T. Gutierrez-Alfonso said in a separate statement.
“For many years since we established IBP, we have long envisioned it as a canvas that celebrates the Ilonggos’ deep-rooted passion for creative expression, capitalizing on the vibrancy of the Ilonggo arts and culture in bringing our developments to life,” she added.
Commitment to arts and culture
In its order, the city government cited Megaworld’s long-term commitment to arts and culture, with the township now recognized as a regional anchor for creativity and collaboration in Western Visayas.
This recognition positions Megaworld, led by tycoon Kevin Tan, not just as a property developer but as a cultural partner of government.
In other words, the builder is now officially tied to Iloilo’s civic identity and long-term heritage agenda.
Shaping Iloilo’s cultural landscape
“Even during the time of Mayor Jerry Treñas as Chief Executive of the city, we have been on the forefront of implementing programs, building structures, and providing avenues for events and activities that, as the City Government cited, highlight ‘artistic expressions and collaborations of different artists’ that influenced the growth of the local culture, arts, and heritage scene in the City,” Gutierrez-Alfonso said.
“Our two museums, the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (ILOMOCA) and the Brandy Museum, have helped put Iloilo City into the spotlight, not just within the art community but also among local and foreign tourists who visit the city,” she said.
“These developments proved to be instrumental in elevating dialogues about the many aspects of life in the City,” she added.
—Edited by Miguel R. Camus
