Marvin Lastimoso as the “Blue Man” along Colon Street in Cebu City. | Mandaue PIO photo
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu —For Marvin Lastimoso, the decision to try out being a ‘human statue’ in one of the busiest streets in Cebu has paid off.
Lastimoso, who went viral for being the “Human Statue of Colon” or the “Blue Man,” has received assistance from the government for posing as a human statue.
The 38-year-old Lastimoso is from Sitio Salvacion in Barangay Maguikay, Mandaue City.
According to Lastimoso, the idea of being a human statue came from scrolling through social media. He said he saw videos of some people in other countries posing as human statues.
It was then that he was inspired and decided to try it out, especially since he was in need of money.
“Wala gyud ko nag-expect ma (viral) nga maingun ani ko. Kalit ra gyud kaayo,” Lastimoso said.
(I didn’t expect that I’d end up being viral. This came so suddenly.)
His first try came on a hot afternoon on March 5, 2023. He went to Colon Street in Cebu City to pose as a human statue, hoping to get donations from passersby. On that day, he was able to come up with P500.
On March 7, during the 15th birthday of his daughter, his friends told him that he went viral on social media and was dubbed as the “Blue Man.”
“I am thankful, especially to those who took videos and pictures,” he said.
Because of those pictures and videos, Lastimoso became a hit on social media. Among those who noticed him was Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes.
Marvin Lastimoso at his home. | Contributed
On March 23, Cortes invited Lastimoso to his office.
The city government then gave him P30,000 and offered him work and educational assistance for his children.
Lastimoso said he would start working on April 13. He is assigned at the City Social Welfare and Services as a job order employee.
He will also be able to send his children to school in the coming academic year.
“Ampo lang sa Ginoo, maabot ra man nang grasya. Basta maningkamot lang sad,” said Lastimoso.
(Just pray to God, and graces will come. But we also have to strive.)
Lastimoso has three children aged 8, 15, and 17. He has been separated from his wife for a while now.
He used to work as a security guard and a construction worker, but he stopped because he could no longer endure carrying sand and other construction materials.
There was also a time that he became a beggar in Colon street, but he was asked to leave by personnel from the Cebu City government as it was prohibited.
Now, Lastimoso has another chance to improve his life, thanks to the power of social media.
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