Friday, March 23, 2007 Project old, historic Cebu: French envoy
TO GET the attention of European tourists, Cebu City should make efforts to improve the image of its old city streets considering that it is where the Philippine history started, a foreign economic official said.
“When you go to Cebu, Mactan island is nice, other areas are nice, but the old Cebu City is not nice,” said Dominique Lebastard, head of the economic department of the French Embassy.
He stated that most Europeans interested to see the “historical old city” as it depicts Cebu’s “colonial past,” will somehow be disappointed with what they will see in places like Colon St.
It won’t take much to improve the area for tourists, he said, as the old buildings don’t even have to be torn down.
“You only have to make some renovations, like putting some fresh paint,” he said in an interview with Sun.Star Cebu at a gathering of businessmen in Pasay City last Wednesday night.
Brazil was successful in a previous project of reviving old cities, he cited.
In a separate interview, Cebu City Councilor Arsenio Pacaña agreed with the European official’s observation that some areas of the city are dirty, but he said steps are being taken for improvements.
Pacaña, chairman of the council’s committee on tourism, said the City is planning to give tax incentives to owners of old buildings to encourage them to renovate or repaint their properties.
Special attention will be given to structures along Colon St. and other historical sites in the city.
“They made a very good observation and I agree that some areas look dirty. There is really a need to improve some buildings, especially those that are dilapidated,” he said in a phone interview.
Pacaña also said there are plans to improve and repaint historical sites that will be part of the City’s Heritage Tour program, including Colon, Plaza Independencia and Magellan’s Cross.
The City, however, decided to wait until Plaza Independencia is cleared of equipment being used for the construction of the SRP tunnel.
“Tax incentives will be given to those who will help us on this project, particularly the owners of the old buildings in the city,” the councilor added.
It’s true that Cebu has good beaches, Lebastard said, but tourists will also love to know how ordinary streets in Cebu City look on ordinary days.
“It’s good that you have Ayala or SM, but foreigners will also be interested to see how your typical market looks like. I once stayed in Parklane Hotel, that area is nice but I got a taxi and asked the driver to bring me to Carbon market where ordinary Cebuanos go, and I see it can do with a lot of improvements like cleaning up and seeing to it that there’s no danger,” he added.
Cebu can take advantage of the fact that it is in the Philippines, the only country in Asia with “strong European influence” because of its past, he said. (JPM/LCR)
