What Cebuanos think of the Merlion’s replica as a symbol of Cebu City’s Singapore-like dream

| CDN Digital photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A progressive Cebu City— this is the goal of the Queen City of the South for the years to come.

And for the local government, the solution is to follow the example of a nation known to be a leading economic hub and global financial center in the world: Singapore.

In his inaugural speech on June 30, 2022, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama first introduced his vision of a Singapore-like city. The main goal, he said, is for the city to become like Singapore: “clean, green, orderly, and disciplined.”

And what better way to showcase the city’s dream than to build a statue that will remind the locals of the inspiration behind this vision?

In order to support the city’s aspiration to fully transform according to the model of modern Singapore, a restaurant in Carbon Market,  Cebu City’s biggest public market, built their very own replica of the country’s official mascot— the Merlion.

When you think about Singapore, the iconic Merlion statue is surely one of the first things that would come to mind. Standing at 8.6 meters, it represents the mythical beliefs and the humble beginnings of Singapore as a fishing village.

The replica of the statue in Cebu City was unveiled to the public on February 13, 2023 and is now gaining attention as an attraction to the locals and guests. Since its unveiling, a lot of Cebuanos have expressed mixed thoughts not only on the Merlion’s replica but also on the city’s ambition to become Singapore-like.

For Sherwin Noel, 44, he finds the initiative helpful since the statue can attract more visitors which can also help the businesses in the area grow.

| CDN Digital photo

Meanwhile, Alex Yap, 65, expressed his approval of the having a Merlion statue at the Carbon Public Market especially since he saw the original statue himself when he once visited Singapore.

“Mas labing maayo kay ang mga tawo didto [kay] disiplinado. Ang problema, [kon] mabuhat ba nila [sa Cebu City]. Once mabuhat nila ang pagka disiplinado sa tawo, okay kaayo…Mao’y naka nindot didto (Singapore), labing maayo kung masunod na nato,” Yap said.

Ester Jabido, 52, also gave a positive feedback on the installation of the statue especially as a tourist attraction.

Jabido earns a living by selling peanuts along Colon Street. But at the same time, she also voiced her concerns on how the Singapore-like transformation would affect sidewalk vendors like her.

“Ang amo lang jud nga og mag Singapore-like ta diri, dili tawn mi mahawa diri kay naa ra jud among panginabuhi diri sa daplin,” she told CDN Digital.

For many younger Cebuanos, however, their concern is more on how being Singapore-like would affect the unique Cebuano identity.

While they view the replica of the Merlion as an effective tourist attraction, they are not in favor of it becoming a symbol of the future of Cebu City.

College students Joselito Auxtero Jr. and Niña Ann Pugoy said that they want Cebu City to prosper while it sticks to its own identity which makes the city unique.

“Mas nice man siya og naa tay unique nga identity para naay daghan turista. Kay lain man sad kaayo nga moari silag Cebu nya murag Singapore ila pagtan-aw. Mas okay kung unsay wala sa lain nga nasud, maoy naa nato. Para maoy makapalambo sa Cebu,” Auxtero said.

On the other hand, Jay-Ann Degulacion, 22, said that having a statue of the Merlion here can encourage the public to strive for a progressive Cebu City.

“It’s a good motivation, inspiration that we want to grow as a Cebuano,” she said.

The Merlion statue replica in Cebu City now serves not only as a tourist attraction but also as a reminder of what the local government aspires to achieve for all Cebuanos.  | Emmariel Ares and Niña Mae Oliverio – CDN Digital Interns

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