Saint Anthony Street, Cebu City

It is the street in Sitio La Guardia, Barangay Apas, Cebu City starting from the corner of  La Guardia Street leading towards the dead end.

The Cebu City Council on October 26, 1992 enacted City Ordinance No. 1428 officially naming the street called for many years as "San Antonio Drive." The ordinance was in response to the resolution of the Barangay Council of Apas requesting the city council to name the unnamed street.

The request was made because not only of the confusion but also much inconvenience especially in the delivery of mail matters for the residents of San Antonio Village and its surrounding areas.

The ordinance was sponsored by Councilors Laurito M. Malinao and Rico Rey Francis Sanchez Holganza (admitted to the Bar on June 5, 1992). Atty. Rico Holganza is the son of the long time Secretary to the Mayor of Cebu City, Ribomapil E. Holganza Sr., the latter also served as barangay captain in Bantayan, Cebu.

The brother of Atty. Rico "Koko" Holganza, a namesake of his father, Jose "Joey Boy" Ribomapil S. Holganza was elected Federation President of the Association of Barangay Councils and became ex officio member of the Provinical Board of Cebu. The father and son (Ribomapils) were leaders in the Cebu opposition movement against Marcos and the declaration of Martial Law. They were arbitrarily imprisoned just like Antonio Cuenco, Inday Nita Cortes Daluz, Meinrado Paredes (who later became Regional Trial Court Judge) and Democrito Barcenas (who became Vice Governor of Cebu after the 1986 People Power Revolution).

The other members of the council that approved the ordinance were Joy A.G. Young, Ronald R. Cuenco, Christopher I. Alix, Jessie M. Aznar, Ruben C. dela Cerna, Manuel L. Concepcion, Ananias G. Ouano, Ramon B. Quisumbing, Michael L. Rama, Arnulfo R. Ravina, Felixberto A. Rosito, Fe Mantua Ruiz (a Doctor of Medicine and specialized in aesthetics, when she died her daughter, Dr. Dana Ruiz-Sesante replaced and run for election), Vice Mayor Alvin B. Garcia (admitted to the Bar on March 10, 1971, then later elected as Mayor of Cebu City), Rodolfo Y. Cabrera (admitted to the Bar on March 16, 1965), Eleno V. Abellana and Renato V. Osmeña (later elected as Vice Mayor).

Aside from a street Cebu City has a hospital named after Saint Anthony. On December 8, 1994, Congress enacted Republic Act 7830 entitled "An Act Separating the Barangay Basak San Nicolas Extension Hospital in Basak, Cebu City, from the Don Vicente Sotto Medical Center in the same city and converting it into a specialty hospital, to be known as the Saint Anthony Mother and Child Hospital."

The father of the Saint Anthony Mother and Child Hospital is former Congressman Antonio Veloso Cuenco (admitted to the Bar on January 27, 1961, after earning his Bachelor of Laws at the Ateneo de Manila) who authored the special law and provided funds for the operation and expansion of the specialty hospital. It is a birthing hospital which caters especially to the residents of Cebu City.

It was also Congressman Antonio Veloso Cuenco who authored the law (Republic Act 7528) changing the name of the Southern Islands Medical Center in the City of Cebu as Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center. The national law was approved on May 21, 1992. Last 2011, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center celebrated its 100 years of existence. Antonio nicknamed Tony is the son also of a Doctor of Medicine, Doc Manuel, who became Governor of Cebu and Secretary of Department of Health. The grandfather of Tony Cuenco just like him was also a lawyer, Mariano Jesus Cuenco, also became Governor of Cebu and Senate President.

attypauloaminal@yahoo.com.

 

 

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