Remembering great Cebuanos!

If no one throws a monkey wrench on her plans, Governor Gwen F. Garcia will soon be embarking on one of the biggest, if not the biggest housing project that a local government unit (LGU) has ever done. This is the Province of Cebu's plan to develop 91.4-hectare property in Barangay Tunghaan, Minglanilla and transfer the residents living within Province-owned lots in Banilad and Sudlon areas. Right now they're some 700 families who are willing to be relocated. I'm sure this land can accommodate more people.

What makes this plan highly acceptable to those squatter families is the fact Gawad Kalinga (GK) has been tasked by the Governor to implement this project. GK has a very high success rate throughout the Philippines and despite its recent internal conflict with the lay organization Couples for Christ (CoC) it hasn't dampened the spirit of GK. We are looking forward to the fast implementation of this project.

With this project, we can expect a new look in Cebu City, where the blighted areas close to the business centers would now be squatter-free and more importantly, open to new investors. Part of this property is presently occupied by the Visayas Central Command (Centcom), which is using less than half of the 80 hectares owned by the Province of Cebu, which was donated during the term of then Gov. Jose Briones.

This program will not happen overnight but like the Fort Bonifacio project in Taguig, Metro Manila, it created another business development area just next door to the Ayala Business center. With this program, Cebu has a bright future for more investments because there are still a lot of lands that could be used for economic development.

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Talking about the late Cebu Governor Jose Briones, tomorrow is the 50th Death Anniversary of the late Sen. Manuel C. Briones. It is sad that today, people only know about M.C. Briones St. as they pass through this major road on their way to and from work. Few people remember the man behind the name. Sen. Manuel C. Briones lived in the days of the Cebuano greats like Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. Alas, because few people keep records, we often lose the achievements of great people. This is why I'm glad that the Cebu Provincial Board has come out with a budget of P11 million to make a book on the history of Cebu so that the achievements of great Cebuanos will be enshrined in this book for all generations to come.

Sen. Briones was a writer, a member of the editorial staff of El Ideal, editor of La Revoluion, La Tribuna, and El Espectador. He wrote essays and literary articles. He was a member of the Royal Academy of Letters and the Instituto de Cultura Hispanica of Madrid. In 1919, he was elected Congressman of the 1st District of Cebu (congressional districts have already changed) and reelected in 1922.

Sen. Briones was dubbed "the Demosthenes of the House" because of his extraordinary eloquence in making speeches on the floor of the house. In 1931, he became Senator together with Don Sergio Osmeña and counted on the great Sen. Claro M. Recto as his worthy adversary. In 1952, Sen. Manuel Briones was elected as Senate President Pro-tempore.

In his later years, Sen. Briones was appointed by then Pres. Manuel L. Quezon as Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals (CA). Sen. Manuel Briones lived in another era, where corruption was unheard of and "delicadeza" was the rule by which politicians lived by. He died on Sept.29, 1957 on board the ship M/V Cagayan de Oro. But his legacy lived on when his son, Jose Briones was elected as Governor of Cebu. Today, we remember that once upon a time men of unparalleled character and a genius orator walked the streets of Cebu. He is survived by Mrs. Inday Briones y Blanco.

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Another great Filipino is Doña Sofia Reyes de Veyra who was married to an equally great Cebuano, Don Jaime C. de Veyra. Doña Sofia, as she was fondly called, was born on Sept.30, 1876 and would have been 131 years old tomorrow. She was one of the first Filipinos to get her education direct from the "Thomasite" teachers, the first American teachers who came to the Philippines to give all Filipinos a formal education.

Being married to Don Jaime de Veyra, she went with him to the United States as part of the delegation with Pres. Quezon. On their return, Doña Sofia formed the Society for the Advancement of Women, which was later named the Manila Woman's Club, which was eventually federated into the National Federation of Women's Clubs (NFWC) which she headed. Under her tutelage, Pres. Quezon signed into law the Woman's Suffrage Bill; this is why Filipino women can vote today. Thanks to Doña Sofia de Veyra's contribution to the cause of Filipino women. Yes, she's the lola of my cousin, Mrs. Chinggay Utzurrum.