First of Two Parts
ILOILO City—This southern city has placed itself anew on the global map for innovations and initiatives in the promotion of its rich cultural heritage for other local government units (LGUs) to emulate.
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas said beyond the multiple awards and recognitions the city reaped this 2023, however, is a far more important accomplishment – the Ilonggos’ deep sense of pride for their city.
“Our big accomplishment is that we were able to cultivate a sense of pride among the Ilonggos, from the street sweepers to taxi and jeepney drivers, and everyone. I believe this is the result of the awards and citations we received, the latest of which is our recognition as Creative City of Gastronomy by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Creative Cities Network, making us the first city from the Philippines to be designated as such,” Treñas said.
Iloilo City’s commendations highlight the rich culinary heritage and vibrant food culture of the Ilonggos, offering an opportunity for the city to further boost its tourism and cultural sectors.
Along with this international achievement are more recognitions and awards such as the Creative-Friendly Destination from the Creative Tourism Network, Lungsod Lunsad Award from Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Best Book on Food in the 2023 National Book Awards for the publication “Flavors of Iloilo.”
This year, Treñas spearheaded a project showcasing Iloilo City to the world through two prestigious international events — the Executive Board Meeting of CityNet in South Korea in October where he was elected as member of the Executive Committee; and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) forum in Vienna, Austria in September where he served as panelist.
As an offshoot of the South Korea event, Iloilo City will be hosting the 44th CityNet Executive Committee (ExeCom) meeting slated on Oct. 23 to 25 next year.
At the national level, Iloilo City is the country’s Top 4 Overall Most Competitive Highly Urbanized City (HUC) and Top 1 outside the National Capital Region (NCR) surpassing big cities like Muntinlupa, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Makati, Pasig, and Valenzuela.
(To be continued)