First Lady Louise ''Liza'' Araneta-Marcos led the launch of the Centro de Turismo Intramuros over the weekend in time for the Philippines' observance of the 126th Independence Day on June 12. ''I hope everyone will appreciate the rich history of Intramuros,'' Marcos said in an Instagram post. Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said the facility will be a Tourism Information Center that will provide a purview into the rich heritage and history of Intramuros.
''Situated at the site of the former San Ignacio Church which was destroyed in the Battle of Manila, the Centro de Turismo Intramuros evinces excellent innovative adaptive reuse of the space into a vibrant tourist destination,'' Frasco said. Frasco said the Centro de Turismo Intramuros will open its doors for the public for free on June 12, 2024. She said this would operate from 9 a.
m. to 6 p.m.
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero and wife Heart Evangelista, who now heads the Senate Spouses Foundation Inc. (SSFI), were also present at the inauguration. Also present were Senators Loren Legarda and Mark Villar, Villar's wife Social Welfare Undersecretary Emmeline Villar, SSFI Vice President Kathryna Yu-Pimentel, the wife of Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel, and fashion designer Michael Leyva.
The new tourist hub features a museum that houses some 8,000 items, most of which were sourced from the Intramuros Administration-managed Museo de Intramuros. The project was a collaboration among various government agencie.