A P13-million beautification project of Fuente Osme帽a circle was announced yesterday as Cebu City marked 100 years of the landmark fountain and the Buhisan Dam.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said the city government would聽 work聽 with businessmen Michel and Amparito Lhuillier to restore the聽 historical park.
The project, set to start this year,聽 is a joint effort of the Cebu City Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission and the Lhuilliers, whose family sponsors the giant Christmas tree every year in the park.
鈥淭oday is a gathering of historical activities. Fuente belongs to the people of Cebu,鈥� said Rama.
鈥淭his is our beginning, this is the people鈥檚 park.鈥�
There was no mention during the festivity of the legal battle over Fuente Osme帽a with the pending聽 claim of the Cebu provincial government that it is the original owner of the聽 land occupied by the fountain.
Cebu City Councilor Margot Osme帽a, head of the tourism committee, assured that the dignity of the century-old fountain聽 would be preserved.
She pointed out that聽 the public-private partnership in聽 restoring Fuente Osme帽a was already signed in the previous mayoral term of her husband, Rep. Tomas Osme帽a (Cebu City south district).
The fountain, whose image appears in聽 P50-聽 bills was originally called the 鈥淥sme帽a fountain鈥� after Commonwealth President Sergio Osme帽a Sr., grandfather of Tomas, as the elder鈥檚聽聽 contribution to聽 Cebu, especially in聽 building聽 the Buhisan Dam and waterworks system. He was Speaker of the Philippine Assembly at the time.
The Osme帽a Fountain was the rotunda鈥檚 main feature during the inauguration of the city鈥檚 water system on Feb. 17, 1912.
Fuente Osme帽a Circle became the 鈥渉eart of the city鈥� and witnessed the growth of Cebuanos, said Dr. Erlinda Alburo, CHAC commissioner.
In 1912, the fountain was in the middle of an empty field, Alburo said.
The fountain and the Buhisan Dam were聽 built to address the need of Cebuanos for聽 safe water supply at a time when cholera and disease outbreaks were major health problems.
Yesterday, an acrylic plaque was聽 installed in the 27-meter-high dam, which produces 5,000 cubic meters聽 of water a year. The marker has the engraved photo of the Buhisan dam, the Osme帽a fountain and聽 the official seal of the city. /Reporter Candeze R. Mongaya