A Facebook user who posted a graphic claiming the Eiffel Tower in Paris was built by the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and named it after his mother Josefa has had to tell readers that it is a joke.
Joyce Villar clarified in the comments section of the public group “BONGBONG MARCOS ONLY [BMO]” her post’s satirical content after this gained more than 12,400 reactions, 3,500 shares and 1,100 comments as of Feb. 20.
The graphic, which was posted Feb. 16 in the satire group supporting presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr., bore the photos of the Eiffel Tower and Marcos side-by-side with the text:
Ang Eiffel Tower ay pinagawa ni Marcos bilang ala-ala (sic) sa kanyang Ina (The Eiffel Tower was built by Marcos in honor of his mother).
It also claimed that Marcos was born to a certain “Josefa Eiffel.”
The graphic reportedly claimed the Parisian tower was built after Marcos’ mother, mistaking her surname as Eiffel. Marcos’ real mother is Josefa Edralin, a school teacher.
According to the Tour Eiffel’s official website, French engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier designed the latticed Parisian tower and commissioned architect Stephen Sauvestre to refine the tower’s appearance for it to be “more acceptable to public opinion.” The tower was constructed on Jan. 26, 1887 and completed on March 31, 1889.
The tower was named after French civil engineer and entrepreneur Gustave Eiffel, whom Koechlin and Nouguier worked for.
A reverse image search shows that the graphic was once posted by Facebook page Daniel de Chavez on Unusual Places on April 30, 2021. However, only the recently reposted photo gained traction.
The Facebook group BONGBONG MARCOS ONLY [BMO] was created this month and has around 2,800 members as of writing. (UP Journalism Club)