A series of events throughout August marked the 446th anniversary of Cebu as the first Spanish province decreed by King Philip II of Spain in 1569.

 

One of them was the launch of a 53-volume collection of books that tell the history not just of the province but all its chartered cities and municipalities.

 

This daunting task has taken almost 10 years to complete and publish, said Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, who was deeply involved in the project.

 

Another event was the reopening of the Governors’ Gallery at the stately Capitol building, attended by Gov. Hilario Davide III, his wife Jobel Angan Davide and Celestino Martinez III, member of the provincial board.

 

The gallery consists of 25 charcoal-pencil portraits of the governors Cebu has had since 1900, starting with Julio Llorente up to Hilario Davide III himself. Easily recognizable are his immediate predecessors like Gwen Garcia, Pablo Garcia, Vicente de la Serna, Lito Osmeña, Eduardo Gullas, Osmundo Rama and Rene Espina.

 

Aside from the portraits framed in gold leaf, there are actual photos of the governors, some quite candid, and brief biographical notes about their lives and accomplishments.

 

The portrait of Gov. Buenaventura Rodriguez always draws special attention. It was during his term that the Capitol building was completed, and inaugurated with the presence of President Manuel Quezon and his family.

 

The unprecedented book launch brought large crowds of people as members of Cebu’s elite were deposited by a caravan of gleaming automobiles.

 

Gov. Rodriguez was very popular as a prolific playwright who wrote dramas in Cebuano, Spanish and English with equal ease and wit. His Cebuano zarzuela, “Mini,” is revived from time to time. After almost a century it remains as timely as the day it premiered.

 

He ran for re-election in 1940 but died in the early morning of election day. The news was diffused but nobody believed he ended up being re-elected!

 

Nuevas Art Group

 

From the Governors’ Gallery, the action moved to the Capitol’s social hall for an important exhibit of paintings by the Nuevas Art Group. Members are the following:

 

Mark Lloyd Belicario, José “Kimsoy” Yap Jr., Ariel Caratao, Renulo Pautan, Benji Goyha, Darby Vincent Alcoseba, Jun Impas, Luis King, Orley Ipon, Felix Catarata, Crispin Bobier and Emar Lacorte.

 

Among those present was Cebu City Councilor Margot Osmeña, who has returned to the city’s Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (CHAC). The chair of the commission is Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella. CHAC is concerned with the preservation of heritage sites.

 

Most articulate at these recent meetings has been architect Melva Java, a member of the commission. She is hands-on in the restoration of the belfry at the Santo Niño Basilica and the stonewalls of Fort San Pedro.

 

Both structures suffered great damage during the earthquake on Oct. 15, 2013. The work will be necessarily slow if it has to be successful.

 

Melva has also drawn a plan for the cultural mapping of Cebu’s heritage buildings, from downtown Cebu’s Plaza Independencia fronting the fort all the way through Osmeña Boulevard to the Provincial Capitol.

 

“I’m all for it,” said Vice Mayor Labella at the CHAC meeting on Aug. 28.

 

In the years to come, CHAC has much to look forward to. Next thing we know it will be 2021, by which time we’ll be observing the 500 years since Magellan “discovered” the Philippines.

 

It was in Cebu that the first baptism took place, and a cross was planted whose splintered remains are now kept in a kiosk fronting Cebu City Hall. It was during this baptism of the king and queen of Cebu that the image of the Santo Niño was presented to them.

 

That should be a big celebration, and the big question is, “Who will be the mayor of Cebu City in 2021?”

 

Guam mission

 

Some years back Cebu City Marriott Hotel’s general manager was Roy Abraham. He hailed from Kerala, India, and with his Filipino wife Carol made many friends in Cebu. They were missed when they left after completing their tour of duty.

 

One day, Roy was back in Cebu to promote the Marriott Hotel in Guam where he had been appointed its general manager. He told his Cebu friends he was overjoyed with the assignment and spoke of Guam’s attractions.

 

Its affinity with Cebu is that Guam was, once upon a time during the Spanish era, part of the Archdiocese of Cebu. Cebu’s first saint, San Pedro Calungsod, was martyred in Guam.

 

A couple of weeks ago Roy was back, with Marriott Hotel PR manager Charlene Go arranging for him to meet his Cebu media friends over dinner at Anzani’s.

 

Roy said that all his life he had dreamt of living in an island paradise, which Guam is. The dream has now come true as Roy now lives there permanently.

 

It seems that the Marriott ceased its operations in Guam, and its imposing building has reverted to its former name, the Pacific Star Resort and Spa. That’s where Roy is involved now, and he sounded happy about it.

 

“Shopping in Guam is fantastic, duty-free at its best sense of the term,” enticed Roy, adding that Louis Vuitton as well as the eminent brand names are sold at lower prices than anywhere else in the world.

 

Roy was accompanied by top executives from the Guam Visitors Bureau like deputy general manager Telo Taitague and marketing officer Mark Manglona. They came with Carmel Carpio and John Frederick Cruz, Manila-based at the Guam Visitors Bureau Philippine Representative Office.

 

Guam is just three and a half hours by plane from Manila, and Roy hopes that some day soon there will be direct flights from Cebu to Guam and back.

 

For one thing, Philippine Airlines will have its first direct flight from Cebu to Los Angeles come March 2016. Those phones at the Cebu PAL office are ringing like wild as early as now!