Eight Philippine Ambassadors to Europe visited Iloilo from January 14 to 15 to discover how they can better promote Iloilo, and the Western Visayas Region as a whole, as a tourism and investment destination.

Iloilo, home to well-preserved Spanish-era Baroque churches, turn-of-the-century ancestral houses, a rich culinary tradition and the Dinagyang festival, is also fast transforming itself into a business hub with the construction of a convention center and other commercial developments geared towards retail and the IT-BPO industry.

The local government has also invested heavily in infrastructure, constructing roads, bike lanes, a new airport and power plants to ensure that the province is well-equipped to accommodate its rapid growth.

 

The Iloilo Appreciation Tour, part of the 2016 Regional Consultation Meeting (RCM) of the DFA Office of European Affairs (OEA), was co-organized by OEA in coordination with the Office of Senate President Franklin M. Drilon, the Department of Tourism, the Office of Iloilo Governor Arthur D. Defensor, Sr., the Office of Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick E. Mabilog and the DFA Iloilo Regional Consular Office (RCO). END

Renowned Filmmaker Lav Diaz´s film “Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis” (A Lullaby for the Sorrowful Mystery) has been chosen to compete in the Main Competition section of the Berlin International Film Festival 2016 (Berlinale). The movie is about the history of Filipinos and boasts of having the biggest cast ensemble in current Philippine film history. Diaz describes it as “a marriage of history, literature and mythology.” The eight-hour black and white masterpiece is set to have its world premiere on 18 February at Berlinale.

“Hele” is competing for the Golden and Silver Bear Awards alongside 15 other international films from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Sweden, United Kingdom and the USA. This year´s Berlinale Jury President is no other than three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep. Awards night will be on 21 February.

Expanding Philippine participation at the Berlinale, five Filipino filmmakers were selected to join this year´s Berlinale Talents. Screenwriter and director Christopher Gozum, production designer and art director Jeck Cogama, director, production designer and art director Remton Siega Zuasola, cinematographer Pong Ignacio, and producer Tonee Acejo will participate in a six-day program featuring over 150 internationally renowned experts holding masterclasses and workshops. They join the roster of 300 talents who were chosen from a group of 2,761 applicants from 137 countries. END