2,000 mark Osmeña Day

Around 2,000 turned up at yesterday's 127th birth anniversary celebration of former Philippine president Sergio Osmeña.

Representatives from the different sectors in Cebu paid their respects to the former Cebuano president by placing flowers on the marker outside Osmeña's ancestral home at the corner of Lapu-Lapu Street and Osmeña Boulevard.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia also came, marking her as the first governor of the province ever to have attended such celebration.

Also in attendance were the youth sectors, boy scouts, veterans, government workers, barangay officials, and representatives from non-government organizations.

"President Quezon was really correct in his prediction. Look at our country today, there is full of politics...calling for impeachment... resignation... etc. We are fighting against each other. Why? Simply because we already forget about self-sacrifice. We forget about putting the country's welfare above our personal interests. We forget the virtues of Don Sergio," said Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board chief Rogelio "Jingjing" Osmeña, a descendant of the former president.

He said the challenge now for Cebuanos is to follow the former president's examples of patience and perseverance "that brought the country back to her feet after the Second World War." This can be done in little ways like abiding with traffic rules, segregating garbage, and paying taxes religiously, he said.

Yesterday's commemoration was declared a holiday pursuant to Republic Act 06953, a legislation authored by Cebu Congressman Raul del Mar, which was signed into law by then president Corazon Aquino on May 22, 1990 in honor of the late president.

Prior to the flower offering, a traditional mass was celebrated at the Basilica del Santo Niño Church.

Dubbed as the first Filipino statesman, Osmeña was born on September 9, 1878 and became Cebu's first acting governor, provincial fiscal, provincial governor, member of the First Philippine Assembly, and Speaker of the House at the age of 29.

A portion of his 24 years in public service was also spent as editor of El Nuevo Dia. Osmeña served as governor of Cebu at the age of 25 from 1904 to 1906. He was the youngest speaker of the First Philippine Assembly in 1907 at the age of 29, became senator, and subsequently elected as vice president in 1935. He was one of the country's most famous politicians at the outbreak of World War II and became acting president in 1943, later succeeding the presidency when then president Manuel Quezon died in New York during exile. - Joeberth M. Ocao