ILOILO CITY – The second Iloilo Arts Festival opened on Wednesday, Oct. 5, to bring art closer to the people.
"Art is the soul of the city. We can only strengthen the soul of Iloilo if we support the arts," said Mayor Jerry Treñas at the launching at SM City Iloilo.
The launching was the first public event of the recently formed Iloilo City Local Culture and Arts Council (ICLCAC) and its partner organizations.
The Iloilo Arts Festival also seeks to raise awareness and appreciation in the fields of visual arts, cinema, dance, music, architecture, and even culinary arts.
The first Iloilo Arts Festival was scheduled to be held in the summer of 2020 but was cancelled by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The first edition was held in December 2021.
“The Iloilo Arts Festival, facilitated by my wife Rosalie, does not only aim to showcase the masterpieces of our local artists. It also aims to encourage young aspiring artists to hone their skills and delve into creative industries,” said Treñas.
“We want to see more Ilonggos make their passion their profession by giving them platforms and support for their creativity and artistry,” added Treñas.
Also at the launching were Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon, SM City Iloilo Mall Manager Darrel John Defensor, and several city officials.
The launching was held in partnership with Artivism, United Architects of the Philippines (UAP-Iloilo), Eksena, CineMapadayon, CreativeBox Photography, Dance Fusion, PCD School of Performing Arts, and the Molo Mansion.