'All-star cast' for city's Task Force Calle Real
Calle Real
A seemingly all-star cast of characters were gathered by Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas tasked to help bring the city closer to its goal of becoming a premier city.
With key figures in the private sector as members, Mayor Trenas created "Task Force Calle Real" following observations that the city's original central business district has since been given less attention.
Appointed as task force chair is lawyer-City Councilor Eldrid Antiquiera with three of Iloilo's top business leaders as vice-chairpersons.
Contained in Executive Order No. 62, Task Force Calle Real will see the merging business ideas of Dr. Roland Uy, President of the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Iloilo, Inc., Reynaldo Navarro, President of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Panay, Inc., and Fanny Uy, President of the Iloilo Multi-Sectoral Business Organizations.
Task Force Calle Real counterparts in the city council are Councilor Jose "Joe III" Espinosa, chair of the Committee on Trade, Culture, and Historical Affairs and Councilor Armand Parcon, chair of the Committee on Tourism, Culture and Historical Affairs as task force members.
Further named by the mayor to comprise the group are Tourism Regional Director Edwin Trompeta, Ben Jimena, city tourism and development officer and Jose Roni Penalosa, city planning and development coordinator.
Other task force members are Dr. Kristine Trenas, chair of the Iloilo City Cultural Heritage Conservation Council, Architect Gaudencio Delfin Arancillo III, president of the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) – Marikudo Chapter, Architect Wilfredo Sy Jr., UAP-Iloilo chapter president, Architect John Parreno, president of the Philippine Institute of Architects.
Also appointed by the mayor are Charles Ho, Jigger Latoza and Francis Gentoral of the Canadian Urban Institute.
"In the past years, Iloilo City has been rapidly growing as a premier city.This development has brought about numerous growth areas and other central business districts that our original central business district, the Calle Real, has been given less attention," the mayor in a statement said."We realized the need to preserve our cultural heritage sites as they are the roots and our humble beginnings that brought us where we are now."
Basic of the task force's functions are the preparation of plans to beautify, revive and promote old "Calle Real" of the city alongside planning of events to spur economic activities here.