Buisnessworld Online News: APEC venue in Iloilo to be completed by October

Iloilo Convention Center is a P500-million project in the Iloilo Business Park in Mandurriao, Iloilo City, Philippines which is expected in to be completed in 2014. It will be built on a 1.7-hectare of lot in the district of Mandurriao donated by the Megaworld Corp. The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority will allocate P200 million for the construction of the convention center, while another P250 million will be sourced from the Priority Development Assistance Fund of Senator Franklin Drilon. (Photo & Caption taken from: http://jebjovero.wordpress.com)

ILOILO CITY -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Western Visayas said it is rushing the construction of the Iloilo Convention Center (ICC) to meet the requirements for Iloilo City’s bid to host the ministerial meetings of the 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

Al V. Fruto, DPWH-Western Visayas planning division chief, said they want to finish the convention center on or before October 2014.

The APEC-National Organizing Committee (APEC-NOC) has pre-selected Iloilo to host ministerial meetings on food security and transportation in the middle of October 2015.

Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick E. Mabilog said the completion of the convention center was one of the concerns raised by the APEC-NOC inspection team during the latter’s visit last week.

Mr. Mabilog said it would be ideal if the convention center is completed before the last quarter of 2014 "so the NOC can have ample time to prepare all protocols and setups for the ministerial meetings."

"If the deadlines cannot be met, the APEC-NOC required us to come up with a backup plan," he added.

Aside from the convention center, Mr. Mabilog said new hotels such as Richmonde-Iloilo and The Courtyard by Marriott (which are all located at the Iloilo Business Park) must also be finished within the year.

Some 42 ministers as well as about 2,000 staff members, delegates and journalists are expected to arrive in Iloilo for the APEC meetings.

The convention center is being constructed on a 1.7-hectare lot inside the Iloilo Business Park project of property developer Megaworld Corp. It will become the main venue of the APEC meetings in Iloilo.

Megaworld donated the site of the convention center to the Department of Tourism through the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority.

Edilberto D. Tayao, DPWH-Western Visayas regional director, said Hilmarc’s Construction Corp. won the bidding for the first phase of the project, which costs around P479 million.

Mr. Tayao said the first phase includes site development, putting up the foundations of the convention center and construction of the "shell" or basic structure of the building.

The second phase, which will cost around P300 million, will entail the installation of basic amenities and equipment in the convention center.

Mr. Tayao said they plan to outsource the management of the convention center to private firms once it becomes fully operational.

"The remaining P200 million will come from the private sector management group that will win the contract to operate the ICC. Of course, the management contractor will have to choose the equipment and other amenities needed to run the building," Mr. Tayao explained. -- Francis Allan L. Angelo