Iloilo City accelerates its preparations as one of the host cities for the 2026 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and related meetings in the Philippines.
Maria Lea Victoria Lara, director of the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) Center, confirmed that Iloilo City and Boracay Island serve as the only Western Visayas venues for selected meetings.
The summit, scheduled for November 10–11 and 17–18, partners with the Department of Tourism (DOT) to train restaurant workers, tour operators, guides, and transport providers.
The city has already begun laying the groundwork to ensure smooth hosting, even as national government agencies finalize specific details.
The MICE Center leads the preparations in coordination with host agencies and under the direction of Mayor Raisa Treñas.
To enhance hospitality and frontline services, the city launches the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) training next month for tourism stakeholders.
The MICE Center also collaborates with the Iloilo City Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion Office through its Uswag Negosyo Academy, which offers modules on food handling, service quality, and business development.
At the same time, the city develops innovative tourism circuits to showcase Iloilo’s top attractions.
Lara and Executive Assistant for Medical and Wellness Candice Magdalane Tupas conduct surveys and inventories to design routes featuring food crawls, museums, innovation hubs, and other cultural and lifestyle experiences.
Lara emphasized that these initiatives create lasting and memorable experiences for visitors and strengthen Iloilo’s position as a premier MICE destination in the country.
She recalled that Iloilo City hosted an ASEAN subcommittee meeting on culture last year, demonstrating its capability to welcome international guests and manage global events.
With the 2026 ASEAN Summit approaching, Iloilo City combines world-class service, local innovation, and cultural richness to deliver an exceptional hosting experience.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a personal blog on Medium.