TAOHAY Regional Cultural Hub: Breathing New Life into Iloilo’s Beloved Landmark

By Ted Aldwin Ong

The old Jaro Municipal Hall breathes new life as the TAOHAY Regional Cultural Hub under the stewardship of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). Marking its reopening during National Arts Month, the historic building welcomed the Ilonggo community with a gallery walk of its inaugural exhibitions, cultural performances, music and a series of meaningful messages that framed the evening’s opening ceremonies.

Designed in the Art Deco style by renowned Filipino architect and artist Juan Arellano, the imposing structure exudes the distinct Ilonggo temperament of “malambing” — quietly gracious, gently assertive and enduring. For more than 92 years, it has stood as a sentinel of the former City of Jaro, carrying its relevance through time even after Jaro’s merger with Iloilo City in 1941.

Through the decades, the building bore witness to generations of civic life. It served various public functions as a police headquarters, health center, fire station and post office, its walls absorbing the tempos of everyday governance and community service. Its historical, cultural and architectural significance resurfaced more clearly in the public consciousness in 2014, when the Iloilo City Government donated the structure to the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) for restoration and adaptive reuse.

Following a PHP 20-million restoration and renovation project, the building was declared an Important Cultural Property by the NMP and subsequently served as its satellite office in Western Visayas, reaffirming its role as a guardian of regional heritage.

In 2024, ownership of the building reverted to the Iloilo City Government. A year later, it was formally turned over to the NCCA, paving the way for the establishment of the country’s first regional cultural hub.

BRINGING COLLECTIVE MEMORY TO THE PRESENT

Today, TAOHAY stands not only as a dedicated space for cultural archiving, heritage conservation, arts promotion and community engagement, but also carries a renewed purpose of honoring the many lives and stories of the region through exhibitions in its galleries, library, conference rooms and performance hall, and through its role as a regional office.

“We are reopening a building with many stories to tell,” said Elvert Bañares, regional head of the NCCA, as he addressed artists, cultural workers, government officials, academics, media personnel and community members gathered for the opening ceremonies on Feb. 6, 2026.

More than the unveiling of a restored structure, “it is a celebration of hard work, shared responsibility and our deep love for the arts and the community,” he underscored. “Every improvement made to this building is also an improvement of friendship,” he added, noting that the shared effort strengthens the bonds among institutions, artists and the community.

A blended word from “tao” (people) and “balay” (home), TAOHAY represents a collective memory being welcomed back into the present. As artistic director Eric Divinagracia explained in Hiligaynon: “Kun may balay ang tawo, may katawhayan” (When a person has a home, there is peace).

A HOME FOR ALL

TAOHAY is a place that welcomes everyone, both old and young, as equal keepers of culture. It stands as a reminder of what becomes possible when collaboration is guided by purpose.

Its reopening ceremonies brought together community members, reflecting the collaborative strength of Iloilo and the region.

Among those present during the opening ceremony were renowned chef Tibong Jardeleza; Iloilo media and journalism ethics gatekeeper Tara Yap; sustainable tourism advocate and artist Mae Tamayo-Panes; founding dean of West Visayas State University–College of Law, Atty. Pauline Grace Alfuente; Professor Rosalie Zerrudo; Kristoffer and Allyn Brasileño of Thrive Art Gallery; CineKasimanwa director Kyle Fermindoza; artistic director Jemuel Garcia Jr.; and multi-award–winning theater director Eric Divinagracia, among others.

The rainy Friday evening was brightened by a poetry reading from QZ Martin and performances by Mugiverse, West Crew and WVSU Teatro Tayo.

Bañares voiced gratitude for those who worked tirelessly from the ground up, including construction workers, security guards and maintenance personnel, as well as former mayor Jerry P. Treñas, current mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu, IFFI, and the unmatched efficiency of NCCA Chairperson Eric Zerrudo, an Ilonggo from Ajuy, Iloilo.

“The reopening of the Jaro Municipal Hall as the TAOHAY Regional Cultural Hub reminds us that when the right artists, leaders, workers and managers come together, and when resources are wisely used and guided by a clear purpose, something meaningful emerges,” Bañares said. “From this collective effort, we are able to create spaces that inspire, empower and bring communities together.”