Iloilo to inaugurate Provincial Art Gallery
Governor Niel D. Tupas, Sr. will be inaugurating the Iloilo Provincial Art Gallery dubbed Casa Real which is located at the Old Iloilo Provincial Capitol Building, Iloilo City today December 11, 2009.
This is part of the tourism, culture, history and arts initiative of the Province to strive for a wide variety of programs and projects which is expected to strengthen the provinces’ overall appeal to its many visitors. The Provincial Tourism Action Plan for 2006 – 2010 envisions the province of Iloilo as a tourist and investor-friendly province, offering excellent tourism destination and services.
According to Atty. Joenar D. Pueblo, the Executive Director of the Iloilo Provincial Council for Culture Arts History and Tourism, the opening of the Art Gallery is the culmination of a year’s time of existence of the Council. The council’s goal to put up an office in the old capitol, to put in place a Tourism Information Desk in the new Iloilo Airport, for the Province to conduct a cultural mapping, to declare the Old Capitol Building as a National Heritage site, among others, are the activities that the council has undergone in the year past.
Atty. Pueblo added that he hopes that by next year they will be more aggressive in the enhancement of the programs started and in the tourism marketing and promotion which the province very much needed.
Casa Real, the name of the Art Gallery of the province came from the old name which is used to call this old building during the Spanish Times. The gallery will be featuring Ilonggo Artists and their art works.
For the opening, the gallery will be featuring the works of Joseph Firmeza, which he calls “The Journey Back to Shores.” (Capitol News)
