Yesterday was a non-working holiday in Cebu. But why? Because it was “Osmeña day.” Still, that answer begs more questions. Osmeña who? And in a country where historical defeats are often commemorated, one may also ask if this is about death or if this is about birth? Why should the commemoration merit a holiday?

The current generation apparently knows from school the name Sergio Osmeña Sr., the father of Sergio Osmeña Jr. and the grandfather of Sergio Osmeña III and Tomas Osmeña. When you are on Osmeña Blvd. (or, okay, Jones Ave.) you’ll pass by an old house that is not far from Fuente Osmeña. That house, which is actually a museum, was once used as an office of a firm that offered educational insurance. That firm, though, has long folded up, although the structure remains. One may still find somewhere along the road near there a marker that says that the place was where Sergio Osmeña Sr. was born. Meaning, you’re in Osmeña country.

Who is Sergio Osmeña Sr.? He was, officially, the Philippines’ fourth president after Manuel Quezon, the president of the Philippine Commonwealth, died in exile at a time when Japanese forces occupied the Philippines. Osmeña was his vice president.

History tells us that our first president was Emilio Aguinaldo but Quezon defeated him in the 1935 elections. The Japanese occupied the Philippines between 1942 and 1945 and set up a puppet government with Jose Laurel as president. Quezon and Osmeña went into exile in the US but Quezon died of an illness in 1944. That meant Osmeña was Commonwealth president when Laurel was president of the puppet government in the Philippines. So before Osmeña, the presidents were Aguinaldo, Quezon and Laurel.

Don Sergio refused to run for president when the US, which defeated the Japanese, granted us “independence.” That allowed Manuel Roxas to become the country’s fifth president. In the meantime, Don Sergio’s offspring took over politics in Cebu, starting with Sergio “Serging” Osmena Jr., who became Cebu City mayor and eventually ran for president against Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in 1969. Serging went into exile when Marcos declared martial law in 1972. The other Osmeñas who made a name in Cebu and the country’s politics were Emilio (Lito), John (Sonny), Serge (Osmeña III), Tomas, Minnie and Renato.

One could say that Don Sergio started it all. Members of the Osmeña clan became fixtures in Cebu politics because of him. So there is a reason why his birth date would be considered a holiday. He not only became president but also started a political clan that has become formidable through the years. He is also known for being a statesman, opting for a less divisive politics in the country by not running for president in 1946.

Other names have taken over Cebu and Philippine politics. But who knows the future? New generation Osmeñas may take cognizance of the clan’s position in Cebu politics and may yet make a political bid in Cebu City and the province. It will just be a matter of reminding Cebuanos that, yes, they can help make a president for this country if they want to.

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