The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) will fund the restoration of the KER & CO. LTD. Building located at the back Iloilo City Hall.
Ker and Co. was built by the British in 1850’s and once employed Nicolas Loney before he was made British vice consul. The company had offices in Manila and Singapore and is credited for bringing sugar cane cuttings to Iloilo from their straits colonies. The company is headed by William Ker who held office in Escolta.
Loney is credited for improving the sugar industry of Iloilo by bringing machinery (imported by his former employer Ker & cia) that aided mass sugar production. The Ilongos honor his contribution to their economy by naming their port, Muelle Loney, after him. The British would have not been able to do much business in Iloilo if it were not for this Spanish speaking businessman.
The simple looking building of classic Filipino style architecture (stone first floor, wooden upper space) is a testament to how it all started for the noble city. How Iloilo became one of the richest province in the 19th century had a lot to do with the business activities associated with this old building.
Today, aside from the restoration of the age-old Ker & Co. Ltd. building, the area bought by the Iloilo City Gov't will house the district offices of the Federation of Senior Citizens Association of the Philippines (FSCAP) in a new multi-purpose hall will be constructed at the back inside the 3,000-square meter property..
