Getting To Know The City Of Love: A Tradition of Culture, Innovation, and Resilience
Located in the central part of the Philippines, Iloilo City has come a long way to become an important commercial center. Who would have thought that this once humble fishing community would transform into one of the fastest-growing metropolitan centers outside the capital?
But there is a lot more to love about Iloilo City than its performance on a global scale (In fact, the city was listed among “100 Super Cities” in the 2018 Tholons Services Globalization Index, of which you can read more about here).
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we are listing a top few reasons why Iloilo City is definitely the next best thing:
A vibrant creative culture
Image by Bert Espado via Flickr
Iloilo City prides itself on having a vibrant cultural and artistic ecosystem. The Dinagyang Festival —a religious spectacle featuring dancers with elaborate costumes and headdresses — attracts tourists within and outside the Philippines who want to experience the Ilonggo version of merrymaking. While a part of the city’s heritage, the festival now enjoys a global following, having been featured in vlogs and taken part in the Philippine Independence Day parade in New York.
The city’s cultural relevance does not end there. The current administration plans to transform it into an arts center, a testament to which are the 12-newly created art spaces. With the opening of a number of museums showcasing local and international art, opportunities abound for Ilonggo talents with a passion for art, especially now as the country becomes a hotbed for creative process outsourcing services.
A tech-friendly environment
Iloilo Business Park via Panay News
Iloilo City proves to be yet another viable investment center for the IT-BPO industry, a sector that has driven the country’s economy since the early 2000s. As investments overflowed from Manila and trickled down to other areas in the country, Iloilo City is able to access opportunities for its growing talent pool. This comes as the demand for office space in the country picks up and boosts the need for viable areas for IT and BPO developments.
Last year, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Proclamation No. 733 establishing an Information Technology Special Economic Zone in Iloilo City, citing its potential as a commercial center. Not only will this decision help generate jobs for thousands of native Ilonggos, but it also puts the city at an advantageous position in attracting domestic and foreign capital.
A resilient and competitive city
Image via Outsource Accelerator
Economic and cultural factors have created the impetus for boosting Iloilo City’s potential for greater competitiveness. This has resulted in the city winning the top award for resilience in the Cities and Municipalities Index Awards 2019, the same year it was tapped as the first local government to serve as a model for resilience by the National Resilience Council.
These developments will most likely boost the city’s responsiveness to the challenges of climate change. At this crucial point where it has the potential to become a “smart city”, Iloilo City would definitely have a clear roadmap as it navigates through the era of digital transformation and “green” technology.
Indeed, it is because of these fundamentals that Iloilo City has seen the rise of homegrown BPO companies which will help usher in a new chapter.
At OneVirtual Business Solutions, we are proud to call Iloilo our City of Love and show to the rest of the country and the world how Ilonggos can be creative, innovative, and resilient for the years to come.
Contact us today!
