President Quirino and Cebu

Senator Elpidio Quirino, co founder of the Liberal Party, succeeded the founder of the party, Manuel Acuna Roxas, when the latter died on April 15, 1948. Qurino took his oath as president on April 17, 1948.

As president, it was Elpidio Quirino who issued Executive Order 198 issued on January 4, 1949 organizing sitios as barrios in the municipality of Daanbantayan. The executive order was entitled "Organizing the Sitios of Tinubdan and Malingin of the Barrio of Bagay, and Lanao of the Barrio of Pajo, in the Municipality of Daanbantayan, Province of Cebu, into independent barrios under the same names."

On June 10, 1983, the Batasang Pambansa enacted B.P. 412 converting the Cebu Schools of Arts and Trade into the Cebu State College of Science and Technology with an extension system that included schools bearing the names of former presidents: Quirino School of Fisheries in Carmen, Cebu, the Manuel A. Roxas Memorial School of Fisheries in Daanbantayan, Cebu, and the Magsaysay School of Fisheries in San Francisco, Cebu.

While Elpidio Quirino was president (he lost to Ramon Magsaysay, of the Nacionalista Party, in his reelection in 1953, who was his Secretary of the Department of National Defense) Congress appropriated funds in the amount of Two Million Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Pesos for the maintenance of fishery schools in the country. One of the beneficiaries was the school named after his partner in the party, the Roxas Memorial School of Fisheries in Daanbantayan, Cebu. President Quirino approved on  May 9, 1952 the act of congress appropriating funds in the amount of Fifty Thousand Pesos in favor of the Roxas Memorial School.

Incidentally, on October 10, 2012, President Aquino approved An Act of Congress (Republic Act 10190) separating  the Calape National High School-Tapilon Annex in Barangay Tapilon, Municipality of Daanbantayan, Province of Cebu from the Calape National High School and converting it into an Independent National High School to be known as the "Tapilon National High School."

The following year (April 16, 2013) the Calape National High School-Paypay Annex in Barangay Paypay, Municipality of Daanbantayan was separated from the Calape National High School and converted into an Independent National High School to be known as Paypay National High School.

It was also during the presidency of Quirino that a franchise was granted to the Visayan Electric Co. (VECO) for an electric light and heat and power system in the then Municipality of Bogo, Cebu now a city. This is made under Republic Act 443 dated June 7, 1950.

A franchise was also granted in the then Municipality of Bogo, now a city, it is made under Republic Act 444, it was given to Carcar Electric and Ice Plant Co. Inc., this was on June 7, 1950.

On June 18, 1949 President Elpidio Quirino approved the bill (docketed as Republic Act 420, after the approval) granting the Opon Electric Company, a franchise to operate an electric light, heat and power system in the then Municipality of Opon (converted as a City and renamed as Lapulapu in 1961), Province of Cebu.

It was a Cebuano, who nominated President Elpidio Quirino for his election during the Liberal Party Convention held on June 12, 1949 (that was his first election as president, which he won) at the Santa Ana Recreation Hall to be the standard bearer of the party. His name was, Dr. Manuel Cuenco (son of Senator Mariano Jesus Cuenco and the father of Atty. Antonio Veloso Cuenco, former Congressman of the old 5th District of Cebu and Cebu City South District) the Governor of Cebu at that time, he was also the President of the League of Governors and City Mayors.

The nomination was seconded by Senator Tomas Cabili, who before being elected as senator, worked as staff member of the "The Freeman" and taught at the Visayan Institute now the University of the Visayas. Senator Cabili died with Magsaysay in an airplane crash on March 17, 1957. A barangay in Iligan City was renamed "Barangay Tomas L. Cabili" on March 16, 1982.

attypauloaminal@yahoo.com

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