For centuries before the American Occupation which started in 1899, the provinces of Leyte, Samar, and majority of the provinces of Visayas and Mindanao were districts or under the territorial jurisdiction of Cebu. The title of Cebu as Queen City of the South which was used only after its cityhood in 1937 is historically correct, even as it should always be remembered that Cebu is the first capital of the Philippines when Miguel Lopez de Legazpi made Cebu as its center of government in 1565. Consequentially, Colon named after Cristobal de Colon, otherwise known as Christopher Columbus, became the country's oldest street.
The influence of Cebu on the provinces of Visayas and Mindanao is reflected upon its leaders majority of whom were either original residents of Cebu and who always have affiliations either by blood or affinity, or were educated in Cebu. Even up to now majority of the officials of Visayas and Mindanao could trace their roots to Cebu. On December 10, 1940 our country held its local elections and here is the list of the provincial officials:
Province of Agusan: Governor Agustin Casenas, Board Members: Jose Azote and Jorge Satorre, Province of Antique: Governor Tobias Fornier (became a lawyer on December 5, 1931, a municipality in Antique formerly called as Dao is named after him), Board Members: Bernabe Tordesillas and Alfredo Pedrosa , Province of Bohol: Governor Carlos P. Garcia (married Leonila Dimataga of Opon now Lapu-Lapu City), Board Members: Agapito Hontanosas (the Patriarch of the Hontanosas Lawyer Clan whose members are active practicing lawyers of Cebu) and Conrado Marapao (became a lawyer on December 24, 1936). Province of Capiz: Governor Gabriel K. Hernandez, Board Members: Eduardo Abalo and Pedro Fuentes, Province of Cebu: Governor Hilario Abellana, Board Members: Fructuoso B. Cabahug and Jose Leyson (one of the martyr governors of Cebu, the street in Carbon Area formerly called as Progreso St. is officially named after him by virtue of an ordinance, however up to now the street sign has not been corrected), Province of Davao: Governor Romualdo Quimpo, Board Members: Apolinario Cabigon and Ricardo D. Miranda, Province of Iloilo: Governor Tomas Confessor, Board Members: Juan Borra and Juan C. Teruel, Province of Leyte: Governor Rafael Martinez, Board Members: Pastor Salazar and Angel Espina, Province of Misamis Occidental: Governor Porfirio Villarin, Board Members: Angel Medina and Federico Apao, Province of Misamis Oriental: Governor Pedro Baculio, Board Members: Paciencio Ysalina and Vicente B. de Lara, Province of Negros Occidental: Governor Ramon Torres, Board Members: Generoso Villanueva and Ildefonso Coscolluela, Province of Negros Oriental: Governor Julian L. Teves, Governor, Board Members: Alberto V. Furbeyre and Jose P. Martinez, Province of Surigao: Governor Fernando Silvosa, Governor, Board Members: Vicente Pimentel and Protolico Egay, Province of Samar: Governor Cayetano Lucero, Board Members: Vicente A. Dira and Donato A. Cardona, Province of Zamboanga (now there are three Zamboanga's: Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay) Governor Matias C. Ranillo (his son namesake married Cebuana actress, Gloria Sevilla), and Board Members: Felipe B. Azcuna and Guadalupe Adaza.