The famous tourist landmark signage “I Love Dumaguete” at the Rizal Boulevard finally gave in to years of wear and tear and is now gone.
In a statement issued Wednesday, City Tourism Officer Jacqueline V. Antonio said she learned the signage, which was mounted at the boulevard, had collapsed, prompting her to send her staff to verify the report.
She also decided to have the debris removed by the personnel of the General Services Office to prevent injury to anyone.
Quoting accounts of bystanders, restaurant staff from across the street and vendors, the signage was reportedly toppled by strong winds, the statement from the City Information Office said.
The people who fabricated the signage in August 2013 explained that the material used was regular steel coated with rust resistant paint with 1-year warranty. They opined that the degradation and or corrosion of the base was hastened by its constant exposure to saltwater/oxidation.
It must be noted that the signage has been exposed to the harsh elements 24-hours a day for three years and endured a series of storms with the usual combination of heavy rains, strong winds while getting baked under the heat during fair weather, the statement from City Hall added.
Just last August 2016, it was repaired and all the busted bulbs, faded sticker and broken acrylic were replaced.
Nevertheless, the city government will replace the loss with a suitable and sturdy signage soon.
The collapse of the signage came even before the administration of Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo could remove it and replace it with a different slogan.
Early reports had it that the “I Love (a heart symbol instead of the word itself) Dumaguete” was commonplace and thus the administration, through the City Tourism Office, was mulling the idea of replacing it reportedly with “DumaGetMe”. (PNA)
