Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines – Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan has bared his plans of restoring the lighthouse located at the city’s Muelle Osmeña wharf in Barangay Poblacion, here.
This morning, December 29, 2020, Chan visited the structure after he received reports that the lighthouse was turned into a warehouse and that some people are sleeping inside it.
In his Facebook post, the mayor said that the lighthouse has a huge historical value because it was built during the Spanish colonization in the Philippines.
“Usa sa akong mga higala nga instructor sa Northern Illinois University miingon nga ang maong pre-war heritage structure nalakip sa mga history books sa laing-laing states sa Amerika. Kung unsa kadako ang iyang historical value, ing-ana pod kadako ang atong paghatag og bili niini,” Chan’s post reads.
In the Spanish language, the word “Muelle” means wharf, which denotes that the whole area, not only the lighthouse, is named after Sergio Osmeña, Sr., so far the only Cebuano president in the history of the Philippines.
Chan said that the lighthouse was made of coral stones, and he plans to restore the structure to its original form by removing its paint.
The mayor also saw some cracks in the lighthouse, which might affect the structure’s stability.
“Atong nasuta nga tungod sa kadugayon, aduna nay mga parte nga naguba na o ang mga bato nga gama sa corals kay nadeform na o basin natandog kini human sa mga nahitabong mga linog sa atong syudad. Dili na pod nga maayo tan-awon ang maong istraktura tungod sa iyang pintal,” Chan added.
Chan revealed that he will task the Lapu-Lapu City Tourism Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission, headed by his wife, Cindi Chan, to coordinate with the concerned agencies, such as the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), Department of Tourism (DOT), and Cebu Port Authority (CPA) for the repair of the structure.
The mayor also vows to preserve the lighthouse as well as other structures that have historical value to attract more tourists to the city./rcg