Contrary to speculations, it will only undergo “restoration and re-erection,” according to a statement released by the NMP on Monday, July 10, 2023.
“The NMP assures all who might be concerned with the monument’s location that it will be re-erected in the same area of Rizal Park,” read part of the statement.
Former senator and tourism secretary Richard Gordon raised concerns during an online conference with the Cebu media last Sunday, July 9, that the monument would be moved to Malate, Manila.
Gordon earlier alleged that NMP Director General Jeremy Barns met with Juan Sajid Imao, the sculptor of the monument, to inform him of the plans to relocate the huge statue out of the heritage park.
Gordon, who is chairman and chief executive officer of the Philippine Red Cross, appealed to Filipinos, especially Cebuanos, to oppose this alleged initiative by the NMP.
The monument was unveiled in 2004 during Gordon’s tenure as secretary of the country’s Department of Tourism.
The monument, which depicts Lapulapu standing guard, is a gift from South Korea to the Filipino people through the Korean Freedom League headed by its chairman Kwon Jung-dal, a retired army general.
First phase
The NMP acknowledged in the statement that in order to conduct preservation work, the monument would need to be dismantled.
They said structural issues within and beneath the monument require the monument’s restoration.
As soon as preliminary work on the monument’s base is finished, the first phase, which involves dismantling the monument, will begin.
“This delicate work, and the later reassembly of the sculpture, will be undertaken by the artist himself and his team,” the NMP said.
Second phase
The re-erection of the monument will be the next step after restoration. The plans will be developed in consultation with concerned agencies including the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and other stakeholders.
The NMP said they will make sure that the main goal in improving the monument’s setting is to convey its intended symbolism even more effectively and to appropriately express the quincentennial or five hundred years of Philippine history.
The NMP also committed to publish the full information after this is completed and given regulatory clearance before the re-erection of the rebuilt monument, which is scheduled and budgeted for 2024.
“The NMP is excited to share the exact details and designs,” it said.
Chans’ reactions
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan said in a press conference Monday, July 10, that he would refrain from commenting on the issue, as he had not received any communication from the NMP regarding its plans.
Chan said he intended to contact the NMP to seek clarification regarding the status of the monument.
He expressed concern upon seeing a picture showing the current condition of the monument’s base and emphasized the urgent need for restoration to prevent any potential accidents.
For her part, Rep. Cindi King Chan of the lone district of Lapu-Lapu, also the mayor’s wife, said it was no longer a problem as the NMP already released a statement.
“It’s already a non-issue because the statue will not be transferred. It just needs restoration work and it would still be on the same site,” she said.
Gordon has not yet responded to the NMP’s statement, as of this writing.