Iloilo Convention Center

Last updated
Iloilo Convention Center
Iloilo Convention Center Logo.png
Official logo since 2019
Iloilo Convention Center (Megaworld Boulevard, Mandurriao, Iloilo City; 10-22-2022).jpg
Facade of Iloilo Convention Center
Philippines location map (Visayas).svg
Red pog.svg
Location within Visayas
Philippines location map (square).svg
Red pog.svg
Iloilo Convention Center (Philippines)
Alternative namesICON
ICC
General information
Type Convention center
LocationMegaworld Blvd., Iloilo Business Park, Mandurriao, Iloilo City, Philippines
Coordinates 10°42′52″N122°32′41″E / 10.71458°N 122.54480°E / 10.71458; 122.54480
Construction started2013
Completed2015
Cost747 million [1]
Technical details
Floor count2
Floor area11,832 m2 (127,360 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architect(s)William V. Coscolluela
Architecture firmW.V. Coscolluela and Associates (WVCA)
Other information
Seating capacity4,200

Iloilo Convention Center (ICON) is a convention center in Iloilo Business Park, in the district of Mandurriao, Iloilo City, Philippines. It stands on the site of Iloilo's former airport, Mandurriao Airport.

Contents

History

Iloilo-Mandurriao Airport

Mandurriao Airport in 2006 Iloilo Airport.jpg
Mandurriao Airport in 2006

Iloilo's former airport, Manduriao Airport, occupied the site from 1937 until late 2011 (the airport itself ceased operations in June 2007). In the 1990s, Mandurriao Airport was plagued with a myriad of problems such as outdated facilities and amenities, poor passenger comfort, operation limitations due to many obstacles, and limited expandability. The airport complex likewise was located directly alongside major city thoroughfares, in particular the city's main highway, the Tomas Confesor Highway, which complicated the flow of traffic in and around the area. At one point, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, then known as "Philippine Air Transportation Office", which was already having difficulty managing vehicular traffic around the airport, proposed banning cargo and delivery trucks from passing through the road in front of the terminal building. However, the city government did not respond. This prompted authorities to have a new airport built outside Iloilo City, eventually selecting the municipality of Cabatuan for the new airport. The site of Iloilo International Airport is close to Barangay Tiring, where a World War II airfield formerly stood.

The airport's passenger terminal, built in 1982, was left abandoned after the airport's closure and stood for many years alongside the control tower. Sometime between 2012 and 2013, the airport's terminal was demolished after the entire airport complex was acquired by Megaworld Corporation. The control tower, demolished in 2021, was left untouched and served as a monument to Iloilo's aviation history and Philippine aviation history as well as a homage to Pope John Paul II's 1981 visit to the Philippines, as Iloilo was one of his destinations in his 1981 itinerary and Iloilo's airport that year was in Mandurriao.

ICon

Iloilo Convention Center's construction was completed in September 2015 in time for the APEC 2015. The 1.7-hectare (4.2-acre) lot where it stands on was donated by Megaworld Corp. [2] The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority allocated P200 million for the construction of the convention center, while another P250 million was sourced from the Priority Development Assistance Fund of Senator Franklin Drilon. [3]

Design

The convention center designed by Ilonggo architect, William Coscolluela. The design was inspired by Iloilo's Dinagyang and Paraw Regatta festivals. The paraw is a native double outrigger sailboat in the Visayas region, used in the annual Paraw Regatta Festival sailboat race. Abstract designs of the Dinagyang Festival are featured on the glass walls of the center. [4]

It is a two-storey structure with a total floor area of 11,832 square metres (127,360 sq ft). The main hall on the ground floor has a 3,700-seat capacity and 500-seat function rooms on the second floor. A rooftop of 1,500 square metres (16,000 sq ft) is available for outdoor functions. [3]

Inauguration

President Benigno Aquino III led the inauguration on September 14, 2015. Senator Franklin Drilon who was instrumental in the realization of this project introduced the president and also gave his message. Congressman Jerry Treñas, Governor Arthur Defensor Sr., Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog led the local officials who welcomed President Aquino. Also in attendance are Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson and Department of Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. whose departments contributed to the project construction.

APEC Meetings

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2015 meetings scheduled at the center include: [5]

1. Small and Medium Enterprise ministerial meeting on September 21–25

2. Senior Disaster Management Officials Forum on September 22–23

3. High-Level Policy Dialogue on Food Security and the Blue Economy and Related Meetings on September 28 to October 6, 2015

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iloilo</span> Province in Western Visayas, Philippines

Iloilo, also called Iloilo Province, officially the Province of Iloilo, is a province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital and largest city is Iloilo City, the regional center of Western Visayas and politically independent from the province. Iloilo occupies the southeast portion of the Visayan island of Panay and is bordered by the province of Antique to the west, Capiz to the north, the Jintotolo Channel to the northeast, the Guimaras Strait to the east, and the Iloilo Strait and Panay Gulf to the southwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iloilo City</span> Highly-urbanized city and capital of Iloilo, Philippines

Iloilo City, officially the City of Iloilo, is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines, located on the southeastern coast of the island of Panay. According to the 2020 census, Iloilo City has a population of 457,626 people, making it the most populous city in Western Visayas. For the metropolitan area, the total population is 1,007,945 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandurriao Airport</span> Former airport of Iloilo, Philippines (1937–2007)

Mandurriao Airport, also known as Iloilo Airport during its operation, was an airport that served the area of Iloilo City and the province of Iloilo in the Philippines. The airport was located 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) northwest of downtown Iloilo City in the district of Mandurriao. It was the fourth-busiest airport overall and the busiest domestic airport in the Philippines, accommodating over 700,000 passengers and over 5,000 tons of cargo in 2005. During the construction of the new Iloilo International Airport, it was also known as Iloilo-Mandurriao Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bacolod City Domestic Airport</span> Former airport of Bacolod, Negros Occidental, Philippines (1936–2008)

Bacolod City Domestic Airport, also known as Bacolod Airport during its operation, was an airport that served the general area of Bacolod, the capital city of Negros Occidental in the Philippines. It was one of the busiest airports in the Western Visayas region and was one of four trunkline airports, or major commercial domestic airports, in the region, the others being Mandurriao Airport in Iloilo City, Roxas Airport in Roxas and Puerto Princesa Airport in Puerto Princesa. This airport was replaced by the new Bacolod–Silay Airport, located in nearby Silay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandurriao</span> District of Iloilo City, Philippines

Mandurriao is a district in Iloilo City, Philippines, located in the province of Iloilo, on the island of Panay in the Western Visayas region. It is the second-largest district by geographical area as well as the third-most populous district, with 62,240 people in the 2020 census. Mandurriao is one of the major business districts of Iloilo City, along with Iloilo City Proper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arevalo, Iloilo City</span> District of Iloilo City, Philippines

Villa de Arevalo, commonly known as simply Villa or Arevalo, is a district in Iloilo City, Philippines. It is the westernmost district of Iloilo City and shares its border with Oton to the west, in the province of Iloilo, on the island of Panay in the Western Visayas region. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 55,476 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iloilo International Airport</span> Airport serving Iloilo, Philippines

Iloilo International Airport is the main international airport serving Iloilo City and its metropolitan area, as well as the rest of Iloilo province in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. It is the fifth-busiest airport in the Philippines and is located in the municipality of Cabatuan, Iloilo, approximately 24 kilometers (15 mi) northwest of Iloilo City proper, on a 188-hectare (460-acre) site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of the Philippines</span>

The architecture of the Philippines reflects the historical and cultural traditions in the country. Most prominent historic structures in the archipelago are influenced by Austronesian and American architectures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro Iloilo–Guimaras</span> Metropolitan area in the Philippines

Metropolitan Iloilo–Guimaras, also shortened as Metro Iloilo–Guimaras or Metro Iloilo, or simply MIG, is a metropolitan area in Western Visayas in the Philippines. It is situated on the southeastern coast of Panay, including the nearby island province of Guimaras, surrounded by the Iloilo and Guimaras straits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dinagyang</span> Annual festival in Iloilo City, Philippines

The Dinagyang Festival is a religious and cultural festival in Iloilo City, Philippines, held annually on the fourth Sunday of January in honor of Santo Niño, the Holy Child. It is one of the largest festivals in the Philippines, drawing hundreds of thousands to over a million visitors every year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SM City Iloilo</span> Shopping mall in Iloilo City, Philippines

SM City Iloilo is a large shopping mall in Mandurriao, Iloilo City, Philippines, owned and operated by SM Prime Holdings. It is the 8th SM Supermall built by the company. It is located along Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue in the district of Mandurriao. It has a land area of 170,000 m2 (1,800,000 sq ft) and a total gross floor area of 181,657 m2 (1,955,340 sq ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paraw</span> Sail boat type (Philippines)

Paraw are various double outrigger sail boats in the Philippines. It is a general term and thus can refer to a range of ship types, from small fishing canoes to large merchant lashed-lug plank boats with two outriggers (katig) propelled by sails

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iloilo Business Park</span> Central business district in Western Visayas, Philippines

Iloilo Business Park (IBP), also known just as Megaworld among the locals, is a 92-hectare (230-acre) mixed-use master-planned central business district in Mandurriao, Iloilo City, Philippines by Megaworld Corporation. It is an integrated township project featuring a financial district, a lifestyle mall, office buildings catering to business process outsourcing firms, boutique and deluxe hotels, a convention center, and medical services facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iloilo River Esplanade</span> Linear park in Iloilo City

The Iloilo River Esplanade is a 9.29-kilometre-long (5.77 mi) urban esplanade and linear park along the Iloilo River in Iloilo City, Philippines. It stretches on both sides of the river, from Carpenter Bridge in Mandurriao and Molo districts to Muelle Loney (Drilon) Bridge in the City Proper and Lapuz districts. It is the longest linear park in the Philippines and was designed by landscape architect and PGAA Creative Design founder Paulo Alcazaren. The project is part of the Iloilo River Rehabilitation Project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paraw Regatta Festival</span>

The Paraw Regatta Festival or Iloilo–Guimaras Paraw Regatta Festival is an annual festival held every third weekend of February in the Arevalo, Iloilo City, Philippines. Its main event is a sailboat race in Iloilo Strait that features the paraw, a Visayan double-outrigger sail boat. It is the oldest traditional craft event in Asia, and the largest sailing event in the Philippines. It is one of Iloilo City's tourism events along with the Dinagyang Festival, Kasadyahan Festival, Chinese New Year festival and La Candelaria Fiesta. The Iloilo Paraw Regatta began as a half-day sailboat race but is now a multi-day, multi-event festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Districts of Iloilo City</span> Conglomeration of former cities and towns

Iloilo City is a conglomeration of former cities and towns in the Philippines, which are now the geographical or administrative districts (boroughs) composed of seven: Arevalo, City Proper, Jaro, La Paz, Lapuz, Mandurriao, and Molo. All administrative districts are divisions of the lone congressional district of Iloilo City, and each is composed of barangays (barrios), with a total of 180 city barangays.

Iloilo City, the largest city in Western Visayas, shares a rich history of nicknames and titles akin to Manila, the capital of the Philippines. While it is now widely known as the City of Love, it is historically recognized as the Queen City of the South. The city's official title, La Muy Leal y Noble Ciudad, is prominently featured on its official seal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue</span> Highway in Iloilo, Philippines

Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue, formerly known as Jaro West Diversion Road and still colloquially referred to as Diversion Road, is a major bypass highway in the Iloilo metropolitan area on the island of Panay in the Philippines. It constitutes the southern section of National Route 5, which connects the province of Iloilo to the province of Capiz. The avenue serves as the primary thoroughfare from Iloilo City to Iloilo International Airport and passes through the municipalities of Pavia, Santa Barbara, and Cabatuan. It was named after Benigno "Ninoy" Simeon Aquino Jr., a former senator who played a significant role in opposing the regime of then-President Ferdinand Marcos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iloilo Bridge</span> Bridge in Iloilo City, Philippines

The Iloilo Bridge, also known as Diversion Bridge, is an eight-lane girder bridge spanning the Iloilo River in Iloilo City, Philippines. It was completed in 1982 and connects Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue in the Mandurriao district to the City Proper district.

References

  1. ↑ Esplanada, Jerry E.; Burgos, Nestor P. Jr. (14 September 2015). "Aquino opens Iloilo center ahead of Apec meetings". newsinfo.inquirer.net.
  2. ↑ Orosa, Rosalinda L. "P450-M Iloilo Convention Center launched today". philstar.com.
  3. 1 2 Burgos, Nestor P. Jr. (10 December 2012). "Iloilo set to turn into a convention hub". business.inquirer.net.
  4. ↑ "PIA | PNoy to unveil convention center, business park markers". Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  5. ↑ Pendon, Lydia C. (September 14, 2015). "Drilon sees Iloilo Convention Center as prime destination". Sunstar.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.