Former Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, (seventh from left) together with supporters and relatives, offers flowers and prayers in front of the brass statue of his grandfather, Don Vicente Rama, at the Plaza Sugbo in front of City Hall..
CDN PHOTO/JOSE SANTINO BUNACHITA
Mike Rama: Injustice done to Don Vicente for changing history
THE Cebu City government celebrated the 80th Charter Day by recognizing another political figure, lawyer Gervasio Lavilles, as the “brains” of the Cebu City Charter at the Plaza Sugbo grounds in City Hall yesterday.
A move which displeased former Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, who is the grandson of Don Vicente Rama, the man recognized as “the father of the Cebu City Charter.”
“He has done injustice to this man for changing history,” said Rama when asked about Lavilles recognition by the city government led by Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
Rama also showed his displeasure at Osmeña and the city government’s not recognizing Don Vicente during the celebration, apart from two small baskets of flowers placed at the pedestal of the brass monument of Don Vicente at the Plaza Sugbo.
Don Vicente has been recognized as the person responsible for converting the then Municipality of Cebu into the now City of Cebu. He was a member of the House of Representatives when he authored the bill for the conversion.
“I don’t have to give him (Mayor Tomas Osmeña) a message. He’s old enough to recover and could do some rectification. Because he has done wrong to the City of Cebu. And he has done injustice to this man for changing history,” Rama told reporters while sitting in front of the monument and pointing to the face of his grandfather after the city’s activities were done at Plaza Sugbo.
During yesterday morning’s Charter Day celebrations, the city government recognized lawyer Gervasio Lavilles, as the councilor, who authored Resolution No. 185 which was passed on Aug. 31, 1931 calling on the Senate and the House of the Representatives to enact a law converting the then Municipality of Cebu into a city.
Lavilles was also given the Mayor’s Posthumous award during last night’s testimonial dinner at the Grand Convention Center.
In his Charter Day speech yesterday morning, Mayor Osmeña recognized Lavilles’ efforts which are not known by many.
“Today, we are giving special honor to the late Atty. Lavilles who I remember ever since I was a small boy. It turns out, he was the man who did all the work in the formation of the City Charter. As usual, naay laing mga tawo nga moangkon (there are other people claiming). But let us not take away credit where credit is due,” he said.
Evangeline de Paula, a daughter of Lavilles, was present during yesterday morning’s program and gave a speech on behalf of the family.
As she started her speech, she said she is the happiest daughter for speaking on behalf of his father who is also a central figure of the Cebu City Charter.
She lamented that not a lot of people know about her father, let alone that he was the “brains” of the creation of the city’s charter.
“Today, somehow and somewhere, Atty. Lavilles is grateful that we honor him as the creator of the Cebu City (Charter). He may not be physically here now, but the Charter of Cebu City will live forever,” she said.
De Paula said her father was born in Iloilo but had studied in Cebu and was “Cebuano by choice.”
Lavilles came from poor family in a mountain barangay in Iloilo. He only finished up to Grade 7, and his parents could not afford to send him to school anymore.
That’s when he came to Cebu to work while studying, en route to fulfilling his dream to be a lawyer. He died 31 years ago at the age of 89, she said.
Former Mayor Rama, however, had his own Charter Day celebration yesterday morning by organizing a Mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral for his grandfather, Don Vicente Rama.
Right after the Mass, Rama, together with some relatives, political allies and supporters, marched to the Plaza Sugbo grounds in front of City Hall at past 11 a.m., around an hour after the city government’s program ended in the same venue.
There, Rama offered flowers and prayers at the brass monument of Don Vicente.
Rama recalled that Don Vicente had been courageous in fighting for the cityhood despite adversity from his colleagues in the House.