Juan Singson Street, Cebu City

In 1968 the Cebu City Council enacted City Ordinance No. 661 naming a formerly unnamed street linking D. Jakosalem and San Jose Streets, in Barrio Cogon (now Brgy Cogon-Ramos) as Juan Singson St. This was however not returned by the city mayor.

Juan was the son of Segundo, who was the son of Don Mariano Singson. The siblings of Segundo were  Crisanta, Camilla, Clotilde, Claudia, Maria, and Hilario. The father of Juan, Segundo first married  Filomena Regis of Parian and Villadolid, Carcar.

Juan, who became a judge (he became a lawyer on November 3, 1905) married Natividad Gandiongco. The wife of Judge Juan (nicknamed Nitoy) Natividad, was the daughter of Don Crescencio Gandiongco and Doña Petra Gantuangco Veloso. Natividad's (wife of Judge Juan) sister Tarcela married Rafael Espina, who had an only child by the name of Rene, who became the youngest Social Security System administrator and elected governor in 1963, defeating then Incumbent governor Francisco "Kikoy" Remotigue.

Juan's father Segundo remarried after his first wife (Natividad) died. The new wife was Dona Eleuteria Chiong Veloso. The second marriage of Segundo produced four daughters (making them half-sisters of Judge Juan who was an only child), they were Paz, who later married Don Jose Hernaez, Genoveva (called Nyora Bibing) married Dr. Augusto Villalon Sr. (a street is named after him in Capitol Site, the first street on the left side of the Provincial Capitol), Rosario who married Dr. Virgilio Gonzales, and Concepcion.

Judge Juan and Nyora Inday had the following children: Dr. Jose, Guadalupe, Segundo, Benjamin and Hector.

Judge Juan and wife Natividad leased their house along D. Jakosalem St. to the Hermanitas de La Madre de Dios as school named Colegio Inmaculada Concepcion. The CIC building was destroyed during the start of the war, thus they rented the house of the Singson's from August 6, 1942 to September 1943.

The house was the subject of a legal action when Isidore Falek who claimed ownership of the house and lot filed an ejectment case against the Singson's on May 28, 1947 before the Municipal Trial Court in Cebu City. The municipal trial court absolved the couple. Falek went to the Court of first Instance, then to the Court of Appeals up to the Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Paras of the Supreme Court on May 23, 1951 ruled that the Municipal Trial Court was correct in absolving the Singson couple.

Another case involving Judge Juan, is between Hacienda Navarra Inc. It all started when Judge Juan Singson entered the property of Hacienda Navarra and planted sugarcanes in December of 1935. When it was time for the crops to be harvested and then milled for sugar, the Hacienda refused to do so.

An agreement was made that the crops and sugar be deposited at the Bogo Milling Company, it also agreed that Juan Singson be paid the amount of P11,300 pesos. The agreement was entered on June 13, 1936 and Juan Estevez the Branch Manager of the Philippine National Bank as Attorney In Fact.

This was approved by the Court of First Instance presided by Judge Alejo Labrador, this was challenged by the Hacienda and they went to the Supreme Court, suing not only Juan Singson but also Judge Labrador.

attypauloaminal@yahoo.com

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