Selfie-worthy buildings
Karl Aries Emerson F. Cabilao, UAP
IN THIS age of social media, nothing escapes the senses. With just a few clicks, people could share almost everything like news (unfortunately including fake ones) and pictures of the most random of stuff. Photos uploaded on Facebook or Instagram are not merely those that show faces but also of food, places, activities and scenes that people think are interesting enough to share with their friends online.
Buildings, too, have made it to the list of the most shared on social media. When people travel to a new place, they take pictures of themselves with sceneries and wonderful architecture in the background.
Well, even without having to hop on a plane or boat, Cebuanos can still take photos of or take selfies of themselves with Instagram-worthy buildings that they see around this beautiful city and province.
Doing so would help create appreciation of the interesting architecture in the local scene and perhaps, contribute to strengthening Cebuano pride. Taking notice of notable architecture through photographs also inspires in each person a sense of aspiration for coming up with things that are pleasing to look and challenge local architects to design visually appealing and truly Cebuano building designs.
Today, Weekend readers talk about some buildings in Cebu that are worth catching inside a frame through one’s mobile phone camera.
“Cebu is crammed with various great-looking buildings. In my view, Mama Mary’s Shrine in Simala is a favorite. Elaborately made, tourists and local believers proudly take selfies and scenery shots to mark their visit. Since it is far from the city, to reach this house of worship makes it a special experience aside from the joy of the holy mother’s presence. These may be why it is among the popular social media posts and widely shared online.” — Laurence Chua, brand ambassador/mechanical engineering student
“There are quite a number of good buildings in Cebu I can think of, but for an Instagram worthy building in particular, I would choose Museo Sugbo, which used to be the old provincial jail of cebu. Personally when I miss taking photos, I like going downtown and dropping by this museum. You get a dose of both open and enclosed spaces, which gives diversity to your shots. Each space has a beautiful character of its own, showcasing lovely architectural features of the past. Spaces embody lots of memory and meaning, which make them more interesting to photograph, and the light is wonderful, especially mid-afternoon. If you go through my Instagram pictures, you’d notice many from that place alone.” — Keshia Stephanie Lim, 4th placer (January 2017 Architecture Licensure Examination)
“Being a National Historical landmark, the Cebu Provincial Capitol already makes it selfie-worthy. I am not much of a history fan, but after seeing an old photo of the Capitol, I became interested and started reading about it. From then on, I learned to appreciate its value and meaning to the Cebuanos. Plus, the inscription on the central concave part of the building: ‘The authority of the government emanates from the people’ makes a good Instagram caption.” — Jhogilyn Go, architect
“BPI Museum Building beside Sto. Nino church. I generally like old buildings because it shows the strength and history of the City. Specifically, the BPI Museum Building is a representation of Cebu’s early economic activities and years of Cebuanos’ hard work that paved way to the city’s development. I bet it has many stories to tell, if it could speak!” — Hershe Legaspina, insurance adviser/marketing strategist
