‘BRINGING ARTS CLOSER TO ILONGGOS’: City gov’t launches Iloilo Arts Festival 2022

By John Noel E. Herrera

With the goal of bringing the arts closer to the public, the Iloilo City Government launched the Iloilo Arts Festival 2022 on Wednesday, Oct 5, 2022 at SM City Iloilo.

The festival also aims to promote the works of local artists in the city and support them with their projects as they are one of the reasons why the city is becoming livelier and more vibrant.

Some events for this year’s arts fest include film-making and showing of locally-produced short films in newly renovated plazas, mural restoration, arts education, book launching, poetry reading, photo contests, and Urban StreetScape Design competition, among others.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, together with Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon, and the mayor’s wife Rosalie Treñas led the launching, which was also in line with the celebration of “Adlaw sang Ciudad de Iloilo.”

Mayor Treñas said they will continue to support the arts festival and all the renowned, and even up-and-coming local artists, as it is the city government’s plan to make Iloilo City the Arts Capital of the Philippines.

“Art is the soul of the city, and we cannot be a Queen City of the South again if we do not strengthen the soul of Iloilo City. We can only strengthen the soul of Iloilo if we support the arts,” he added.

The city government also committed to allot a minimum of P2 million for the annual celebration of the Iloilo Arts Festival.

Artist Ed Defensor also shared during the event how the arts fest was initially conceptualized in 2019.

They conducted many meetings for the preparation, but it was halted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“It was supposed to be the biggest arts festival ever diri sa Iloilo kung wala lang gin-guba sang pandemic, sang COVID-19. It was supposed to be a six-month festival and involve so many arts in the city of Iloilo, including sectors from visual arts, dance, film, literature, music, academe, and galleries,” Defensor added.

Defensor also thanked the city government and SM City Iloilo for their support of the local artists and their appreciation for culture and arts.

“This is an institution that has been very supportive of the arts. Halin sang una nga exhibition nga gin hiwat namon diri sang 2001, SM City has never stopped supporting us,” Defensor said.

Treñas also said that they are pushing for the promotion of arts awareness and appreciation to the public and to add more attractions for visitors to experience during their vacations.

In April 2022, Treñas passed an executive order establishing the Iloilo City Local Culture and Arts Council alongside the creation of the Committee on Local Heritage Conservation Council to spearhead year-long arts and culture programs, projects, and events.

The annual arts and culture heritage plan also seeks to develop and sustain local talents in the fields of visual arts, cinema, dance, music, and architecture, and preserve rich Ilonggo traditions.

This year’s arts fest is also in collaboration with SM City Iloilo, Artivism, United Architects of the Philippines, Eksena, CineMapadayon, CreativeBox Photography, Dance Fusion, PCD School of Performing Arts, and Molo Mansion.

Meanwhile, “Ciudad de Iloilo” is the Spanish translation of “Dakbanwa sang Iloilo”, the name given to Iloilo City when it was created.

This year’s 133rd anniversary of “Adlaw sang Ciudad de Iloilo” was highlighted in Regulation Ordinance No. 2020-097, authored by Ganzon, declaring Oct 5 to commemorate the historic event.

Ganzon also cited “Gaceta de Manila,” the official publication of the Spanish Colonial Government of the Philippines, which documented that Queen Regent Maria Cristina of Spain, by virtue of a Royal Decree, granted the title of “City” to the then Municipality of Iloilo on Oct 5, 1889.