Nasungkit ng Iloilo City ang pagkilala bilang unang lungsod sa Pilipinas na napabilang sa listahan ng mga malikhaing lungsod para sa gastronomy ng United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
“New cities were acknowledged for their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity as part of their development strategies and displaying innovative practices in human-centered urban planning,” ayon sa UNESCO.
Kinilala ang lungsod kasama ang 54 na iba pang Creative Cities Network o UCCN, na isang flagship city program na itinatag ng UNESCO noong 2004.
Inihayag ni UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay ang pagtatalaga sa Iloilo City noong Oktubre 31, kasabay ng pagdiriwang ng World Cities Day.
“I share this award with the Ilonggos, like me, who love to cook our Ilonggo food. Now, we can be proud to say Ilonggo cuisine is taking the stage in the international gastronomy scene,” sinabi naman ng Iloilo city Mayor Jerry Treñas.
“The cities in our Creative Cities Network are leading the way when it comes to enhancing access to culture and galvanizing the power of creativity for urban resilience and development,” saad naman ng UNESCO director-general na si Audrey Azoulay.