Don Sergio remembered for his humility, service to the country
Flowers were offered at the birth marker of Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. early this Wednesday morning, Sept. 9, to commemorate his 142nd birth anniversary. | Delta Dyrecka Letigio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Less than 20 people gathered at the birth marker of Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. along Osmeña Boulevard in Cebu City early this Wednesday morning, September 9, 2020.
This was a stark contrast to prior years when Osmeña Day, a commemoration of the birth anniversary of the late president, was a grand celebration with hundreds of people crowding the marker to pay tribute to Cebu’s Grand Old Man.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the city government was forced to limit the crowd to include only city officials and family members of Don Sergio.
Among those in attendance were Vice Mayor Michael Rama, Councilor Renato “Junjun” Osmeña Jr., and Lawyer Rey Gealon who represented Mayor Edgardo Labella. Former Mayor Tomas Osmeña, Don Sergio’s grandson, was not around.
But despite the gathering of a small crowd, Rama said that the celebration remained memorable.
“It’s not about the numbers, it is the heart of the celebration. We are here to celebrate the humility of the Grand Old Man of Cebu who served with [the] energy of the young,” he said.
Rama said that Don Sergio’s greatest legacy was the quality of service that the gave to the country starting at a very young age.
The vice mayor asked Cebuanos not to forget the dedication of the first Visayan President to work for his country’s betterment. Don Sergio’s example, Rama said, should be emulated by both politicians and leaders alike.
In a separate interview, Councilor Junjun expressed his appreciation for the commemoration of his great grandfather’s birth anniversary.
He urged the youth not to forget the service of great Filipinos like Don Sergio Osmeña and to follow their footsteps.
“What people should emulate from Don Sergio is his humility. He remained humble all through his life,” said Councilor Osmeña.
Former Cebu City mayor Osmeña said that the most striking characteristic of his grandfather was his humility.
“There was a time when the Cebu City Government named the street where he lived as Osmena Boulevard. Don Sergio objected and so only that portion from the Capitol to Fuente was named Osmena Boulevard portion where he lived (Fuente to Plaza Independencia) remained as Jones Avenue. It was only after his death that the City Council named the entire street Osmena Boulevard,” Osmeña said in a message sent to CDN Digital.
“Don Sergio was so humbled that he did not care to be remembered. Unlike Rama who wants his name in every lampost. I remember Don Sergio for that trait,” he added.
Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. was elected the country’s fourth president and the first Visayan president. He served from 1944 to 1946.
Prior to that, he 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 which he held until 1905 when he became 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); and secretary of public instruction, health, and public welfare.
Osmeña Day is a special non-working holiday in Cebu City./ dcb
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