MANILA, Philippines – The Makati City government took down on Friday, July 26, the viral “Gil Tulog” street signs posted along Gil Puyat Avenue.
Makati Mayor Abby Binay said in a statement on Friday that the move to change the street signs did not reach her office, adding that she has reprimanded city officials involved in the approval of the project.
“If it went through me, it would be rejected immediately. The city officials who issued the permit should have exercised prudence. They should have been more thorough,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Eagle-eyed Makati residents and social media users saw on Thursday, July 25 signs along various parts of Gil Puyat Avenue changed to “Gil Tulog Ave. (formerly Gil Puyat).”
@yowfavebiniaries #gilpuyat #giltulog ♬ Raining In Manila – Lola Amour
@lucyindisguisewdiamonds @Make It Makati #makati #buendia #carinaph #gilpuyat #giltulog #tulogislife ♬ Raining In Manila – Lola Amour
The change was done as part of an advertising campaign by supplement brand Wellspring to promote its melatonin gummies. As of writing, the post on the campaign was still on Wellspring’s Instagram account, but has been deleted on Facebook.
While some netizens were humored by the street signs, others pointed out that the campaign was “disrespectful” to the legacy of former Senate president Gil Puyat, to which the road was named after.
“Besmirching my late great grandfather’s name to sell freaking melatonin is so disrespectful,” Puyat’s great granddaughter Erika Puyat Lontok said in a Facebook post.
“What happened to our sense of respect to our fellow Filipinos. There is a line we should not cross in measuring our own self-respect,” Puyat’s son Victor told Rappler.
Binay also extended her apologies to the Puyat family for the fiasco. Rappler has reached out to Wellspring for its response to the controversy, but has yet to receive a response as of writing.
Gil Puyat served as senator from 1951 until 1972. He was the last Senate president before late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared martial law. He died on March 23, 1980.
Gil Puyat Avenue was renamed from Buendia Avenue through Batas Pambansa Blg. 312 on November 14, 1982. – Rappler.com