Jaime de Veyra Street, Cebu City
Don Jaime C. de Veyra, although born in Tanawan, Leyte, was a close associate of our own illustrious son, Don Sergio Osmeña, who, in 1898 while he was in Cebu, was prevailed upon by Don Sergio to be the editor of “El Nuevo Dia†a publication founded by them.
Don Jaime, chose Cebu to be his second home, was elected Councilor of Cebu in 1903 when it was then a municipality. He likewise became the first Filipino Governor of Leyte in 1906. He was elected Member of the First Philippine Assembly in 1907. He was reelected in 1909 as Representative of Leyte to the Philippine Congress. He was later appointed Member of the Philippine Commission of the United States in 1913.
The newspaperman in him made him return back to journalism as he became the Director of “La Vanguardia†in 1923 and the following year he was appointed as Director of the National Library, he then resigned after he was appointed Head of the Spanish Department of the University of the Philippines.
He also became the Director of the Institute of National Language in 1936 up to the Second World War. Don Jaime became a Technical Consultant in Malacañang under the Presidency of Don Sergio Osmeña in 1945.
Don Jaime was also an historian; he made extensive writings in Spanish on the life of our martyr, Dr. Jose Rizal and won awards from the Spanish government.
The Cebu City Council on motion of Councilor Pablo U. Abella on Mar. 27, 1974 enacted City Ordinance No. 880 naming a street in honor of Don Jaime de Veyra, who, with his sterling qualities, deserves that his memory be perpetuated as a patriot in our hearts. His contribution was many, it was for the growth of the nation's education, politics and history.
The street named after him is the street which was formerly known as “5th Avenue†at the Reclamation Area, where the main entrance of the then Visayas Agro-Industrial, Science and Home Cottage Industries. The street is now the location of an appliance center, and stores for office supplies and equipment and at the end it faces one of the biggest malls in the city.
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