Manila to build monument, school to honor Cory

MANILA, Philippines - Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim said over the weekend that they will put up a monument and a school to honor the late former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino.

Lim, a known Cory supporter, said the monument will be built beside that of her late husband, former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., at the corner of P. Burgos Drive and Roxas Boulevard.

He said he specifically asked the Aquino children to decide which photograph of Cory would be used and who would be commissioned to build the monument.

Lim said a similar process was done for Ninoy’s monument, and Cory provided the photograph on which the statue was based. He noted that some people asked why Ninoy’s statue appeared slimmer.

“That was a photograph of Ninoy when he had just finished his one-month hunger strike,” he said.

Lim said no public funds would be used to build the monument – he will shoulder all expenses and secure the necessary permits. Construction is expected to start within this week.

The city government said it also plans to name a newly built high school in Baseco as the “President Corazon C. Aquino High School.”

Lim said the three-story school building, which has a total of 15 classrooms and can accommodate some 700 students, will initially open in the last week of August for the second grading period for first year students of Manila High School, which is in Intramuros..

Located along Road 3, the 1,860-square meter building will be inaugurated at 11 a.m. today in a ceremony led by Mayor Lim.

According to Dr. Ponciano Menguito, superintendent of Division of City Schools-Manila, the construction of the new school was upon the request of Baseco residents, who said they fear for the safety of their children when they travel to Intramuros.

According to the Engr. Walfrido Novero, Designing Chief of the City Engineer’s Office headed by City Engineer Armando Andres, their office is already prepared to supplement the school building in case there is a need to expand the school building. – Edu Punay