ILOILO CITY — The jail-to-museum project in Iloilo is the inspiration behind a museum in Sorsogon province.
“Yes, we got the idea here in Iloilo for the Museo Sorsogon,” said Governor Francis “Chiz” Escudero while in Iloilo recently.
The Museo Sorsogon that opened last March 2021 is an adaptive reuse project similar to the Iloilo and Western Visayas Regional Museum, which opened in 2018.
It was in 2010 when former Iloilo governor Arthur Defensor Sr. broached the idea of converting the century-old provincial jail into a museum.
The Iloilo provincial government initially retrofitted the structure. It later signed a 25-year usufruct agreement with the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP), which finished the construction of the Iloilo and Western Visayas Regional Museum. The NMP currently manages the museum.
On the other hand, the Museo Sorsogon is curated by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
Both jail-to-museums are found within the Capitol complex of the respective provincial governments in Sorsogon City and Iloilo City.
During his visit to Iloilo, Escudero met with both Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. and Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas.