Remembering the ‘Grand Old Man of Cebu’

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, the descendants of the late Sergio Osmeña, Sr., and other city officials during the wreath-laying ceremony on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022. | Wenilyn B. Sabalo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — More than words of praise, Jose Antonio “Jojo” Osmeña, said that the best way to honor his great grandfather, the late president Sergio Osmeña, Sr., is to follow his positive examples, particularly his selflessness in public service.

Jojo Osmeña, the great-grandson of the late Osmeña, delivered a speech on behalf of the Osmeña clan of Cebu during the City government’s commemoration of the 144th birth anniversary of Sergio Osmeña, Sr. on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022.

The Cebu City Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (CHAC) marked Osmeña, Sr.’s, 144th birth anniversary on Friday, through a wreath-laying ceremony held at the birth marker of the late Osmeña, Sr., along Osmeña Boulevard, in downtown Cebu City.

Unlike the commemoration in 2021, several members of the Osmeña clan in Cebu and the city government officials led by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, and councilors Renato Osmeña, Jr., Donaldo “Dondon” Hontiveros, Pastor Alcover, Jr., and Francis Esparis, were able to attend the celebration.

Tomas Osmeña, however, was not able to attend the city-led commemoration, though he attended the same celebration at the Police Regional Office.

As he thanked the Cebuanos who joined in commemorating the birth anniversary of his great grandfather this year, Jojo Osmeña fondly recalled the selflessness of his great grandfather. He claimed that the late president’s selflessness is what earned him the admiration of not just his colleagues but also of the entire nation.

“He was always the servant of the people, and he was a very selfless person. His guiding principle is selflessness; his mindset was selflessness. Selflessness was his greatest achievement… I believe that the Grand Old Man of Cebu wants us to act selflessly too,” he said.

Likewise, Garcia, who also chairs the CHAC, in his welcome speech, challenged the Cebuano youth to emulate and be inspired by the examples of the late Osmeña, Sr.

Garcia challenged the Cebuanos to strive to honor Osmeña Sr.’s memory by not only speaking praise about his exemplary and grand life but also trying to imitate it as best they can.

“Don Sergio Osmeña grew up not knowing his father, and his early formative years were during our country’s most tumultuous time as our forefathers wrestled for independence from Spanish rule. Despite all these, he excelled in his studies supporting himself as a working student. He would later on placed second in the Bar Examinations (of 1903),” Garcia said.

A portrait of the late Sergio Osmeña, Sr.

Osmeña Sr., he said, wore different hats throughout his lifetime; from being a journalist to becoming a lawyer, Osmeña, Sr. also became a prominent politician.

Osmeña, Sr., whose face is featured on the front side of the Philippines 50-peso bill, was elected as the fourth president of the Philippines and served as the second president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.

He served the public in different capacities.

He served as provincial fiscal of Cebu and Negros Oriental in 1905, and provincial governor of Cebu (1904, 1906-1907); member and first speaker of the Philippines Assembly from 1917-1922; senator from 1922-1935; vice president of the commonwealth from 1935 to 1944, and president of the Philippine Commonwealth from 1944 to 1946.

Osmeña Day has been declared a special non-working holiday in Cebu City.    /rcg

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