Cordilleran artist tasked to undertake Baguio's iconic Lion's Head face makeover

Baguio's Lion's Head. Photo: wikipedia

Baguio City - The dull and pretty old looking Lion's head at Kennon Road will be soon getting a face makeover by Wigan Nauya the son of a known Cordilleran artist Lopez Nauya who originally  the monument's original sculptor.

Wigan together with local artists will repaint and re-do the the Lion's head beginning next month. The makeover is expected to portray the Lion as "more bolder, more fierce, more aggressive, more positive, and smart".

According to city councilor Elmer Datuin who chairs the committee of the city's Special Events Parks and Playrounds, the plan to do the reconstruction of the Lion's head is to present the true appearance and color of a lion.

"We will not only do the re-painting but we will also do the reconstruction of the Lions Head. We will now present a new Lions Head which is more bolder, more fierce, more aggressive, more positive, smart. We hope to approximate yung true color of a lion. May konting pagbabago as far as the physical appearance is concerned. so hindi lamang kulay an ating gustong gawin, Datuin said in a radio interview.

The Lion's head along Kennon Road is the first landmark to be seen by tourist coming to the summer capital of the Philippines. Repainting and reconstruction of the said landmark to a new level would "project the city as the Lion Center in the whole world" according the Datuin. "The lion is that area is guarding us in the city of Baguio," he added.

The cost of the reconstruction of the 45-year-old Lion's head was estimated to cost the city a total of P400,000.