Mandaue pays tribute to its most prominent son

CEBU, Philippines - The late Senator Manuel Cabahug Briones who was a newspaperman was honored yesterday afternoon with a simple floral offering at the Rizal-Bonifacio Memorial stage by his families, employees and other non-governmental organizations.

The city commemorates Briones’ birth anniversary yearly on the basis of an amended city council ordinance that declares every first Friday of January of every year as “Senator Manuel Cabahug Briones Day.”

Briones was born on January 1, 1893 in Mandaue City where, at the age of 17, he became the editor of La Tribuna and El Espectador, the two Spanish newspapers in Cebu.

Aside from being editor, he was also a lawyer and became a congressman.

He served the House of Representatives for four terms from (1918-1931) representing the first district of Cebu, and was elected majority floor leader.

He was a senator from 1931 to 1935, served as Senate President pro-tempore until 1957 and co-authored the country’s first labor law known today as, “Workmen’s Compensation Act.”

As a congressman, he headed a legislative survey mission to Mindanao resulting in the construction of roads and highways.

He was also part of the Philippine Independence Mission to the United States in 1930, which vigorously lobbied for independence.

Briones was part of the “Committee of Wise Men”  which drafted the Philippine Constitution.

He was the first Cebuano and Mandauehanon to be appointed as Supreme Court Justice.

He was also the principal sponsor of RA 1161 or the “Social Security Act of 1954” known today as Social Security System.

In extolling Briones for his being a statesman, Mayor Cortes said Briones became great “because he made the most of the opportunities given to him.”

Citing Briones’ deep nationalism and concern for the common good, Cortes said, “let us take inspiration from Sen. Briones and do our part in nation-building.”

Esperanza Briones Blanco, the daughter of the late senator, recalled the virtues exemplified by her father.

The city government has appropriated P100,000 from its annual budget for such activity starting this year.  (FREEMAN)