Francisco S. Vestil St., Cebu City
It is the formerly unnamed road starting from the junction of Lucas Gabuya Street at Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City leading to SM-SRP.
It is named after FRANCISCO SANCHEZ VESTIL, a Cebuano Olympian who in the 1948 London Olympics was drafted into the RP Men's Basketball Team and took the distinctive pride as the country's flag bearer. The Philippine Team finished 12th in that Olympics out of 23 nations.
F.S. Vestil was installed by the Philippine Sports Commission as 1999 National Basketball Hall of Fame Awardee. Vestil, called by friends as "Bay", powered the University of Santo Tomas Glowing Goldies, now the UST Tigers to the University's Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) championship for three consecutive years, from 1946 to 1948.
For his excellent basketball skills F.S. Vestil was named the Most Valuable Player in the UAAP 1947. One of his teammate was Ret. Col. Julian Mota Malonso, who became president of the Philippine Olympic Committee (who died in 2010). Vestil was considered the country's tallest player at that time, with the height of 6 feet, while Malonso was only 5 foot 10 inches. Before joining the national basketball scene, Vestil played as the center guard of the Visayan Institute, now called the University of the Visayas. He then led the team into becoming the first regional team to win the National Open Championship in 1937 in Iloilo City, Iloilo, Panay Island. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce at the school he played, the University of Santo Tomas.
Vestil also earned the nickname, Six-by-Six. His playmates were Gabriel and Felicisimo Fajardo (Team Captain), Andres dela Cruz, Edgardo Fulgencio, Lauro Mumar, Eduardo Decena, Manuel Araneta Jr., and Ramoncito Campos Jr. (nicknamed "The Adding Machine"). The Philippine Team defeated Argentina with an upset score of 45-43. The historical game, played on August 11, 1948, was coached by Dionisio Calvo.
F.S. Vestil also played in the Invitational Games in Korea in 1938 and in 1940 the Far East Games in Tokyo, Japan. Incidentally, a fellow Cebuano played with Vestil in that international game named Eduardo Cortes, who was called the "Basketball Magician of the Philippines. They were teammates when Visayan Institute (now University of the Visayas) won the National Open Championships in 1937-1938.
F.S. Vestil was among the first batch to be installed to Cebu Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. He retired from basketball and led an exemplary and fruitful life worthy of emulation by his fellow Cebuanos.
F.S. Vestil was born on September 17, 1914 he was the son of Gabino Vestil, a Cabeza de Barangay of Mambaling, Cebu City. His mother's family name was Sanchez. His siblings are named Hilarion and Regina.
F.S. Vestil married Adelaida Abella Buot and sired the following children: Francisco Vestil Jr., a former Barangay Captain of Mambaling, Cebu City, Laureano, a former barangay councilor, Edilberto, Rogelio, Violeta, Leticia, Zenaida, Ronnie, Jose Rizalde, a councilor. The grandchildren of F.S. Vestil (children of Councilor Laureano), Anna Marie and Jo Ann are barangay councilors of Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City.
F.S. Vestil, the Cebuano Hall of Famer died on May 28, 2000 who in his lifetime had brought pride and honors not only to the City of Cebu but also to our country, the Philippines.
The street naming ordinance is contained under City Ordinance No. 2416 enacted by the Cebu City Council on December 17, 2014. It was approved by Mayor Michael Lopez Rama on January 15, 2015.
The ordinance was authored by Councilors Eugenio F. Gabuya Jr. and Nendell Hanz L. Abella, a member of the clan of the wife of F.S. Vestil. The proposed ordinance was deliberated by the Cultural Historical Affairs Commission headed by Vice Mayor Edgardo Colina Labella, the presiding officer of the council when it was approved.
- Latest
