The 28 governors of Cebu: the good, better and best

The current pandemonium in national politics should lead us to recall and reflect those on glorious decades in Philippine history when destiny favored our province with a prestige that was the envy of the other provinces in the whole nation. The grandeur that was Cebu and the glory that were the Cebuano esteemed leaders.

Today, Cebu is no longer a major player in Philippine politics. Today can be considered a low point in our history, the winter of our discontent. In the native dialect in my southern Cebu hometown, we call this era "hulaw".

Let’s then recall the greatest Cebuanos who ever lived. The following became governors of Cebu: Julio Aballe Llorente, of Argao, from 1899-1901; Juan Climaco, of Toledo, 1902-1906; Sergio Osmeña Sr., of Cebu City, 1906-1907; Dionisio Jakosalem, of Dumanjug, 1907-1912; Manuel Roa, of Cebu City, 1912-1922; Arsenio Climaco, of Toledo, 1922-1930; Mariano Jesus Cuenco, of Carmen, 1931-1934, and Sotero Cabahug, of Mandaue, 1934-1937.

Ninth was Buenaventura Rodriguez, of Bogo, 1937-1940; Hilario Abellana, of Cebu City, 1941-1943; Jose Delgado, of Cebu City, 1943-1944; Jose Leyson, of Cebu City, 1944-1945; Fructuoso Cabahug, of Mandaue 1945-1946; Manuel Cuenco of Cebu City, 1946-1951; Sergio Osmeña Jr., of Cebu City, 1951-1956; Jose Briones, of Mandaue, 1956-1961, and Francisco Emilio Remotigue of Ronda and Argao, Cebu, 1961-1963, as the seventeenth governor.

Eighteenth was Rene Espina of Cebu City, 1964 to 1969; followed by Dr. Osmundo Rama, of Cebu City, 1969-1976; Eduardo Gullas of Cebu City and Talisay, 1976-1986; Osmundo Rama again, 1986-1988; Lito Osmeña of Cebu City, 1988-1992; Vicente de la Serna of Butuan, Agusan, 1992-1995; Pablo Garcia of Dumanjug, 1995-2004; and number 25 was Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu City, Dumanjug, and Barili, 2004-2012.

Number 26 was Agnes Magpale, of Danao, 2012-2013; followed by Hilario Davide III of Cebu City and Argao, 2013-2019; Gwendolyn Garcia again, 2019-2025; and Pamela Baricuatro of Pinamungajan as number 28, 2025 up to present. It would appear, however, that there were only 26 who became governor because Dr. Osmundo Rama and Gwendolyn Garcia occupied that position twice each.

The LGU that produced most of the Cebu governors are Cebu City, with 10: Osmena Sr., Roa, Abellana, Delgado, Leyson, Manuel Cuenco, Osmeña Jr., Espina, Rama, and Lito Osmena. It’s followed by Dumanjug with Jakosalem, Pablo Garcia, and Gwendolyn Garcia. Argao follows with Llorente, Remotigue, and Davide III. Mandaue has the brothers Sotero and Fructuoso Cabahug, and Jose Briones. Toledo has Juan and Arsenio Climaco.

To me, based on the criteria of performance, legacies that last, impact on development and growth, the 10 best governors of Cebu were 1.) Don Sergio Osmeña Sr.; 2.) Dionisio Jakosalem; 3.) Don Mariano Jesus Cuenco; 4.) Lito Osmeña; 5.) Francisco Emilio Remotigue; 6.) Rene Espina; 7.) Dr. Osmundo Rama; 8.) Eduardo Gullas; 9.) Pablo Garcia from Dumanjug and 10.) Hilario Davide III.

The 10 better ones were Julio Aballe Llorente, Sergio Osmena Jr., Vicente de la Serna, Gwendolyn Garcia, Jose Briones, Sotero Cabahug, Manuel Cuenco, Fructuoso Cabahug, Agnes Magpale, Buenaventura Rodriguez, and Hilario Abellana. All the rest were good governors, namely Juan Climaco, Manuel Roa, Arsenio Climaco, Jose Delgado, Jose Leyson, and perhaps, Pam Baricuatro. Who knows, she may even surpass her friend Gwendolyn Garcia and become as great as Pablo Garcia. Only time will tell.

I just want to mention four who are my favorites: based on my biased opinion, my two wedding sponsors, Papa Kikoy, Francisco Emilio Remotigue later appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. as DSWD secretary; and Papa Eddie, Eduardo Gullas, Father of the Talisay City Charter, former dean of UV College of Law who gave me a full university academic scholarship. Eddiegul, as we fondly called him, was the university president, undefeated congressman of the old 3rd District now the 1st District. No one could ever be the same as the dearly beloved Eddiegul. They don't make governors like him anymore.

Our highly esteemed Noy Pabling, my father's classmate in Dumanjug, brilliant Bar topnotcher, man of the masses, humble and honest, deputy speaker, great parliamentarian, and prolific trial lawyer. And of course, the untainted, humble, sincere, and silent achiever, Junjun Davide, a worthy son of a great father who, I hope and pray, will come back to the Capitol in 2028. I challenge those who don’t like my choices to make their own too and compare them with my good, better, and best. I dare them to challenge my thesis of "hulaw" in Cebu politics.