BANSALAN, DAVAO DEL SUR—People passing along Rosal Street in Barangay Poblacion Uno here could not resist taking a pause and being amazed at a house that is being built from concrete, wood and steel.

The house, owned by Paul Oracion, is shaped like an elephant.

“A motorist once nearly met an accident when he glanced at the building while driving,” a resident of Rosal Street told the Inquirer.

Oracion said the pachyderm-shaped house was designed by his cousin, Faustino Oracion, the one who sculpted the “Statue of David” in Times Beach in Davao City.

That statue became controversial for a time because of its depiction of male nudity.

Oracion said since his childhood, he has liked elephants so much although he has never seen one in his life.

That drove him to dream of having a house shaped like an elephant one day.

When he became a seaman, he set aside some amount from his earnings for his dream house.

Oracion said his dream is slowly becoming a reality now that construction has started.

The house would cost around P3 million when finished.

Asked if his family would live with him inside the unique structure, Oracion said it depends on them but added they had always supported his decision.

“But if they won’t, I will develop a resort here,” he said.

Oracion said aside from the elephant house, he was also planning to build other structures modeled from other animals.

“It’s like living in the middle of a safari,” he said.

He said the construction of other structures could start middle of this year after the completion of the elephant-shaped house in May.