The legacy of former President Sergio Osmeña Sr. took center stage in Cebu on Wednesday as local leaders called on Cebuanos to carry forward the values of public service associated with the late statesman on his 148th birth anniversary.
The annual Osmeña Day observance brought officials, government employees and representatives of national agencies to commemorative activities in Cebu City, Naga and Lapu-Lapu City.
In Cebu City, Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña, a grandson of the former president through his son, former senator Sergio “Serging” Osmeña Jr., joined city officials at the Don Sergio Osmeña marker along Osmeña Boulevard and Lapulapu Street.
The ceremony was organized by the Cebu City Government through the Cultural and Historical Affairs Office and Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission, which Tomas chairs.
Tomas said his grandfather’s reputation as the “Grand Old Man of Cebu” should not overshadow what he achieved early in his public career.
“I think it is only because he became old but I think his greatest distinction was his success as a young man,” Tomas said.
He also called on Cebuanos to preserve the principles his grandfather stood for and pass them on to future generations.
“What Don Sergio stood for that what we should stand for, he made his sacrifices that’s hope that we be able to carry the torch for the near future for a better Cebu,” he said.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival, in his message, described Osmeña’s life as an example of the kind of public service that places communities and the nation above personal interests.
“Ang iyang kinabuhi usa ka pahinumdom nga ang tinuod nga serbisyo publiko (His life is a reminder that the real public service) is about putting people first, standing firm in times of challenge, and working for the betterment of our community and our nation,” Archival said.
Naga City separately commemorated the occasion with a wreath laying and floral offering at the President Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. Monument in front of Metro Market Naga in East Poblacion.
Mayor Val Chiong led the ceremony with city officials, while City Councilor Junjie Cruz presented a biography of Osmeña and shared trivia about his life and public service.
City Councilors Tet Alinsonorin, Domer Libor, Letecia Abangan, Amy Lara, Carmen Dakay, Charmaine Navarro and Ray Manabat also attended the activity.
In Lapu-Lapu City, Mayor Cindi King-Chan recalled Osmeña’s long political career, from his service in the early Philippine Assembly to becoming its first Speaker, vice president and eventually the fourth president of the Philippines.
King-Chan also cited Proclamation No. 2118, issued in 1981, which declared Sept. 9 as Don Sergio Osmeña Sr.’s Day in Cebu and its cities.
Republic Act No. 6953 later established Sept. 9 as a special non-working public holiday in Cebu City and the Province of Cebu, including its component cities, in 1990. The date is a special working public holiday in other parts of the country.
The holiday commemorates Osmeña’s birth in Cebu City on Sept. 9, 1878.
Osmeña entered public life through journalism, law and local government. He founded El Nuevo Día in 1900 before graduating from the University of Santo Tomas law school.
He placed second in the 1903 Philippine Bar Examinations and became Cebu’s youngest governor in 1906 at age 28.
He later rose to national leadership, serving as the first Speaker of the Philippine Assembly and vice president before succeeding President Manuel L. Quezon in 1944.
As president, Osmeña led the Commonwealth government through the final years of World War II and the country’s liberation from Japanese occupation.
His long career and reputation for integrity and political stability eventually earned him the title “Grand Old Man of Cebu.”
The special non-working holiday also comes with specific pay rules for private sector employees.
Workers who do not report for work generally receive no pay unless their employer provides a more favorable arrangement.
Those who work on the holiday are entitled to 130% of their basic wage for the first eight hours, while overtime work carries an additional 30% of the hourly rate.
If the holiday falls on an employee’s scheduled rest day, work during the first eight hours is paid at 150% of the basic wage, with overtime subject to an additional 30% of the hourly rate.
Photo courtesy of Cebu City PIO
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