The statue of Don Sergio Osmeña, Sr., at the Cebu Provincial Capitol.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City government will have a simple celebration to honor the life of former President Sergio Osmeña, Sr. on Wednesday, September 9, 2020.
According to the Cultural and Historical Affairs Office (CHAO), the city government will pay tribute to the late Cebuano President via a small gathering at the historical marker along Osmeña Boulevard here.
A wreath-laying ceremony will be conducted at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, but this will be attended by City Hall and CHAO) personnel only to avoid gathering a crowd amid the continuous threat of COVID-19 in the city.
Cebuanos may instead watch the wreath-laying ceremony live on the CHAO Facebook page.
Mayor Edgardo Labella, Vice Mayor Michael Rama, and the heirs of Don Sergio Osmeña, Sr. are expected to be present during the wreath-laying ceremony.
Furthermore, the CHAO has also organized a commemoration activity in the afternoon via a virtual press conference that will also be aired via live on Facebook.
The Osmeña family and the city officials will be delivering messages to remember the life of the late President. As of this posting, there is still no clear confirmation if former mayor Tomas Osmeña will be attending the celebration.
Don Sergio Osmeña, Sr. was elected the country’s fourth president. He served from 1944 to 1946. Before that, he also served in various government posts from 1903 to April 1946 and held the position of municipal councilor of Cebu in 1903.
A year later, he was appointed fiscal of Cebu, a position held until 1905 when he became Cebu governor.
His other positions included Cebu 2nd district representative and Speaker of the House of Representatives (1907-1922); senator for 10th Senatorial district (1923-1935); Senate President pro tempore (1922-1933); vice president (Nov. 15, 1935-August 1944); secretary of public instruction, health and public welfare; and president until April 1946.
Osmeña Day is a special non-working holiday in Cebu City. /bmjo