By ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
ON OCTOBER 18, the Guinness World Records (GWR) declared a rooster-shaped accommodation establishment in a sitio of Talisay City, Negros Occidental as the biggest “chicken structure” in the world.
GWR’s senior records manager/official adjudicator Mai McMillan officially made the declaration through a recorded video from London and shown to hundreds of people – politicians, government workers, gamefowl breeders, media, guests, among others – witnessing the 10 a.m. momentous ceremony amid a heavy downpour.
McMillan said Ricardo “Cano” Tan’s chicken structure with 15 rooms, 115 steps, and 115 feet in height is now the biggest and tallest in the world.
In McMilla’s words: “Amazing!”
With this, the sitio where the edifice stands – 20.9 kilometers from Talisay’s poblacion and was a frequent ambush site of rebels and government troops some 15 years ago – has now turned into a world record holder. This significant leap makes Talisaynons, or Negrosanons, more proud.
DREAM COME TRUE
Tan, the visionary owner, said having a world record is a dream come true.
“The construction for 456 days was no joke,” he said.
Tan said he was more than inspired by Josh Groban’s song, “Impossible Dream”.
He also stressed that the edifice is a tribute to all gamefowl breeders that generate significant revenues to the province.
Turning a former ambush site into a premier tourist destination – and now a world record holder – is beyond praise for the former assistant secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications (2004-2007).
“This our legacy not just for Negros Occidental but the entire Philippines, and the world,. And this is our biggest contribution to the tourism promotion of our country,” Tan also declared.
The Negros Occidental’s Provincial Board and the city councils of Talisay and Bacolod have passed resolutions commending Tan and his family.
MORE THAN A BLESSING
Talisay’s Vice Mayor Jose Nicolas Vergel Jalandoni said Tan’s giant rooster is “more than a blessing” for their city.
Talisaynons are more than proud of it, he stressed.
Come to think of it; the gigantic chicken structure is now Talisaynons’ newest identity.
In a nutshell, the “Manok Ni Cano Gwapo Tan” is a lasting towering legacy that his family could forever be proud of.
It’s an indelible mark in the world tourism map, truly a “Tatak Negrense”.
As for Cano Tan, he is a “man of many firsts and surprises”./PN
