The 122nd Founding Anniversary celebration of the province of Iloilo through the “Semana sang Iloilo” has been declared open by Governor Arthur Defensor, Jr. in a program held at the Provincial Capitol grounds, April 11.

Defensor urged employees of the Provincial Capitol and the people in the province to enjoy the four-day event which will run until April 14.

“We want you to enjoy this, a good time to take a break and to rebound from the pandemic. Our last year’s celebration of the Semana sang Iloilo was different. We are still emerging out of the pandemic,” the Governor said in his message during the program which was preceded by a funwalk/street dance participated in by the provincial government employees from Sunburst Park to the Capitol grounds.

This year, according to Defensor, the Semana sang Iloilo is designed to be a complete celebration. It is a fusion of history, culture, sports, dance and the different banner programs of the provincial government.

After the program, a thanksgiving mass was held at the Capitol lobby which was followed by the ribbon cutting for the Sumakwelan exhibit and MoRProGRes Garden Show beside the Casa Real.

The Sumakwelan Exhibit features books written in Hiligaynon.

Also slated during the day are the unveiling of Important Cultural Property Marker at the Casa Real entrance and the official launching of the MoRProGRes Iloilo or Movement for a Robust, Progressive, Globally-competitive, and Resilient Province of Iloilo which will be held at the Capitol lobby.

“This is our movement, this is not only the Iloilo provincial government, this is not the local government unit, this is us, and the whole province of Iloilo, in a whole province approach to realize our social justice agenda and to wheel the direction of the province of Iloilo,” said Defensor.

The Iloilo provincial government will also pay tribute to the retirees and service awardees through the “Pasidungog 2023” at the Casa Real Social Hall.

On April 12, a Festival of Municipalities will be held at the Capitol main entrance starting at 9 a.m.

Other activities to be held on the same day include animal spaying and neutering activity to be spearheaded by the Provincial Veterinary Office at the Casa Real; awarding Ceremony of the Top Taxpayers and Stakeholders in the Province of Iloilo at the Casa Real Social Hall; and the Inter-District Bag/Bayong Painting Contest and Plant Pots/Banga Painting Contest to be held in front of the National Museum Western Visayas.

On April 13, there will be a Bloodletting Activity led by the Association of Iloilo Provincial Government Employees (AIPGE) in partnership with the Philippine Red Cross starting at 8 a.m. at the National Museum Western Visayas.

Also, the Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office (PGENRO) will officially launch the “Tapon to Ipon” project at the Capitol lobby which aims to collect clear PET bottles for recycling at 9:00 a.m.

Employees from the different district hospitals in the province will showcase their talents in the Inter-hospital Dance Contest at 1:00 p.m. in the Capitol lobby.

April 14 will be Iloilo provincial govern

ment employees’ day to be highlighted by a Laro ng Lahi competition in the morning and Search for Mutya ng Barangay Kapitolyo in the afternoon. It will also be the opening day of the two-day First Iloilo Seaweed Summit which will be held at the Casa Real Social Hall.

The employees have also engaged in different sports activities which started on April 3 until April 14.

Events that will run from April 11 – 14 are MoR ProGRes Garden Show, Agri/Aqua Trade Fair at the Provincial Capitol Grounds, MSMEs Trade Fair at the Capitol lobby, and Food Fest at the Capitol Parking grounds.JBG/Capitol News/laf/PIA6-Iloilo