Don Bernardo Benedicto Street

The Don Bernardo Benedicto Street is the street at the North Reclamation Area, starting from Juan Luna (now Pope John Paul II Street) fronting Shoemart Superblock towards T. Padilla St. (street between City Hall block and White Gold Superstore).

Don Bernardo Benedicto was a Cebuano businessman and philanthropist, who lived a fruitful, humanitarian and exemplary life.

Bernardo rose from an ordinary employee to establish the pioneer post-war hardware industry in Cebu City, the B. BENEDICTO & SONS CO. INC., which became the most solid business enterprise to thrive in Cebu City.

Don Bernardo shared his business successes with the underprivileged, the poor of the city, and was concerned most with the education of the children, thus establishing grants and scholarships to poor but deserving students.

He donated a total of 20 concrete school buildings in various schools in the City and Province of Cebu, aside from donating a three-story building to a nursing school in Cebu and a full-size gymnasium for Zapatera Elementary School and cultural stages for three different government schools. In 1968, the Cebu City Government declared him an "Adopted Son of Cebu."

The Cebu City Council on Mass Motion on October 22, 1990 enacted Ordinance No. 1377 naming the street in honor of Don Bernardo Benedicto.

The ordinance was approved on October 25, 1990 by Alvin B. Garcia, acting Mayor of Cebu City then. The heirs of Don Bernardo continued his legacy of serving the Cebuano and the nation, Francisco L. Benedicto, a diplomat who served as the Philippines' Ambassador to Singapore, India, Nepal and Bhutan and Brazil and founded a school in Mandaue City. Enrique is the Honorary Consul of Belguim, a respected businessman and a recipient of numerous awards and accolades.