Hoteliers and media personalities will be in Iloilo City to tour different local hotels. Many believe, with the number of establishments constructed over the past decade, entrepreneurs and investors have shown the business community has confidence in the city’s abilities.

The group will observe the development of the city, particularly with the Iloilo Business Park, developed by the Megaworld Corporation across 50 hectares that once housed the city’s airport.

The region has since found itself on the world map, partially credited to my friend, media mogul Danny Fajardo, and his newspaper, Panay News.

Living in Iloilo two decades ago, we saw a humble community, where even the wealthy knew how to hail a cab or ride a jeepney. Today, Iloilo is bustling with business.

However, as the hospitality industry modernizes, the old investors have not caught up with the times. An industry that once had the Uygongco, Sarabia, and Loring families dabbling in the business, today, new faces have emerged following investments from the Tan and Go clans.

Bacolod City, meanwhile, is happy the Sy family developed an SMX Convention Center in the city.

In addition, with airline routes to destinations in Mindanao available, Negrenses should not forget to promote their link to the Mindanao.

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This column greets Francis Redil Villanueva, Reuben Tampos, Art Colmedora, Richard Oquendo, Nelia Neri, Dondi Yapjoco, Analyn Aizpuru, Chris Sorongon, Ronnie Gabalda, Natalie Lim, Nico Velasquez, and Harold Brian Geronimo./WDJ