ILOILO CITY, June 9 -- Prominent families, the business sector and the local officials gathered to celebrate the centennial year of the Casa de Espana Iloilo, marking the event with a time capsule-laying ceremony on Monday afternoon.

"Built on June 8, 1926, the Casa de Espana served as the clubhouse of the Casino Espanol, a social club of the Spanish community in Iloilo. Founded as a venue for camaraderie and cultural continuity, it became a prominent institution reflecting the prestige and close-knit identity of the city's Spanish residents," a narrative found in the small museum inside the newly-restored casa read.

It played a "key role in shaping the city's commercial and social networks."

It was occupied by the Japanese Imperial A...