POCA
Vicente Rama was like any growing kid in that he was always in a rush to do the things he wanted to do which was to excel in anything he set his mind to.
And like any Cebuano, he loved Cebu so much and he wanted to do anything in his power to make it great.
Vicente was one of two children of Gabriel Raffinan and Engelberta Rama, both natives of Cebu; and he excelled in his studies while living a simple, modest and honest life.
He was an obedient child, and unlike the other children of privileged Cebuano families, Vicente chose to work hard to become a leader of the community.
Vicente became a newspaper editor at the age of 15 by founding the La Nueva Fuerza or Ang Bag-ong Kusog, the most widely read newspaper in the region.
Vicente was a member of the municipal council of Cebu at 18, at a time when membership was confined to the adults.
Vicente went to college at the Seminario de San Carlos where he consistently secured the grade subresaliente.
His passion for writing opened another opportunity for Vicente to take a crack as a member of the General Assembly, representing the 3rd district of Cebu. He ran as a member of the House of Representatives representing the 3rd district of Cebu.
A proponent of good governance and quality education, Vicente sponsored a bill that mandated required reading of the works of Dr. Jose Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo” to college students.
A fair and honest man, Vicente nearly sent a kumpare of his to jail for attempting to bribe him and put one of his sons to jail because of a fight.
As a congressman, Vicente spent some time in Manila but made sure that all his 13 children attended school; and true enough, all of them graduated from college and became professionals.
While he was a stickler for government rules and never allowed his wife nor his children to use the government-issued car, Vicente was a loving father who saw to their needs.
Vicente made sure that his legacy of good governance was also embraced and practiced by his children and grandchildren like Governor Osmundo Rama and then former mayor Michael Rama who were never indicted nor convicted of charges of corruption.
Vicente loved Cebu so much that he authored Commonwealth Act No. 58 and pushed for the cityhood of Cebu at a time when other localities became cities ahead of it. This despite the fact that Cebu became the first Spanish settlement in the country.
While there were those who opposed it, then Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon saw the merit of Vicente’s proposal and supported the passage of the bill creating the city charter of Cebu.
Last Friday’s annual observance of the City Charter anniversary sadly didn’t give importance on Vicente Rama’s role in the cityhood of Cebu. In fact the City Charter Day is being celebrated like any small holiday, regardless of the milestone that is the city’s 80th year of existence.
Even now, the statue of Don Vicente Rama remains at the City Fire Department grounds and not in front of City Hall where it rightfully belongs. Don Vicente Rama was not a firefighter; he was a former city mayor.
But as the saying goes: you cannot put a good man down, and history had etched the name and contribution of Don Vicente Rama as Father of the Cebu City Charter.
Politicians come and go, but Feb. 24 will always be remembered by the Cebuanos as Charter Day anniversary and it will remain part of Cebu’s rich history.
Vicente Rama was a public servant in the truest sense of the word because he always prioritized the interest of the people and the city first above his own personal or political interests.
That is a legacy that Don Vicente left for others to follow and embrace.