Dolphy. File photo
MANILA, Philippines -- A monument honoring the late comedian Dolphy will soon rise along Roxas Boulevard, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim announced on Tuesday.
The monument for the country's Comedy King is now being constructed in front of the Museo Pambata near the US Embassy, as well as the statue of another showbiz legend, action king Fernando Poe, Jr.
Lim, who inspected the site on Tuesday, is one of the closest friends of the well-loved actor who died last year.
In a statement, Lim said he believes "it is but fitting to honor him for his great contribution to the field of arts, particularly the movie and television industry and touching the lives of so many Filipinos when he was alive, through the countless movies and TV shows he made."
The mayor revealed that unknown to many, Dolphy helped numerous needy people without any fanfare, including the poor children of Manila.
City engineer Moises Alcantara said Dolphy’s statue is a seven-feet bronze hot cast antique finished and weighs about 300 kilos.
Alcantara said the statue, which is being made by famous sculptor Jonas Roces based on a photograph supplied and duly approved by Dolphy’s family, will be finished within the month.
Meanwhile, former Miss International Gemma Cruz-Araneta, deputy chairperson of the Manila Historical and Heritage Commission, explained that the Museo Pambata was a beneficiary of the RVQ Foundation which was established by Dolphy in 1966, which is the reason why it had been chosen as the site of his monument.
Araneta said the monument will all be at the personal expense of Lim, "just like the monument he built for FPJ."
Dolphy was awarded as Outstanding Manilan in 2010 and received the Diwa ng Lahi award in 2012, given by City Hall in celebration of the city’s founding anniversary.
Araneta also noted that Dolphy grew up in Manila, where he began his showbiz career as a dancer at the Avenue, Lyric and Orient theaters.
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