ILOILO CITY — The Iloilo city government on Wednesday evening welcomed “the much awaited return of British investments”.
“We have a long tradition of partnerships with British companies, British government. And we would like to impress upon them that if you were here before the turn of the century, now is the right time that you should be back in the city,” Iloilo City Mayor Jose Espinosa III said.
An estimated 60 British businessmen, who are in Iloilo for a two-day trade mission, were impressed and overwhelmed by the welcome dinner tendered by the city government here.
The almost three-hour social gathering of members of the British Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (BCCP) and Iloilo’s big investors did not only give them the opportunity to talk of business prospects but also for the former to appreciate the participation of British in the rich history of Iloilo’s commerce and trade.
The mayor cited that the first department store in the country – Hoskyn’s Compound— and owned by a British was also in loilo, situated along JM Basa Street. The first vice consulate was also in Iloilo.
A short video presentation also enumerated 19 British firms established in the city during the 19th century.
Meanwhile, Her Majesty’s Ambassador Daniel Pruce, who amazed the audience with his Filipino and Hiligaynon vocabularies, said he was inspired to hear the language of Iloilo, which he came to know as a language of love.
Iloilo City was the first city he visited after arriving in the Philippines in August last year.
He said that the gathering of British businessmen is “the biggest ever trade mission venture outside of Manila”.
“This shows the level of confidence, and excitement and anticipation among my country’s businessmen, from my country when I think of Iloilo and when I think of the opportunities that lie ahead. This is an important and historic one and I think the coming days would really take the relationship to a new level,” Pruce said.
In an earlier interview with Chris Nelson, executive chairman of the BCCP, he said that their interest to look for opportunities in Iloilo was “reinforced” upon discovering their British connection.
The welcome dinner was held at the newly-renovated old building of the Commission on Audit or the “Edificio de Elizalde y Cia” whose architecture depicts the progressive commerce and trade in Iloilo.
Espinosa said he decided to hold the event there because “he wanted to showcase to them the heritage of Iloilo”.
“I want it there because Muelle Loney (refers to Iloilo’s River Wharf and the street at the western side of the river) was there to highlight the help of the British in our city,” he said.
Muelle Lone, which is beside Iloilo River, was named after Nicholas Loney, the British vice-consul based in Iloilo during the 19th century. (Perla Lena/PNA)
