Don Eduardo Aboitiz St. Cebu City

It is the street formerly named as Lopez Jaena, within the jurisdiction of Barangay Parian. It is where the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. building and the Casa Gorordo is situated. The street renaming was in pursuance to City Ordinance No. 1269 enacted on  November 9, 1987 yet up to now the street sign still bears the old name.

The street is named after Eduardo Juan Aboitiz, son of spouses Don Ramon Aboitiz and Dolores (Lolita) Sidebottom. The Aboitiz clan were originally from Ormoc, its patriarch Paulino (father of Ramon) settled in Ormoc, Leyte when it came to the Philippines. Paulino, from Basque, Spain married Emilia Yrastorza, who was the daughter of Don Gregorio Yrastorza and Doña Ana Torres.

The family of Eduardo's father was a big clan, his father Ramon had nine siblings. Eduardo had a sister, Maria Luisa, who married Edson Canova of Davao Light and Power Company.

Eduardo was born on December 13, 1917. His mother, Dolores, was a British whose family settled in Barangay Parian. The brother of the mother of Eduardo, Luis Sidebottom married Concepcion Carratala. The sister of Concepcion, Doña Consuelo Carratala, married Don Mariano Veloso.

The patriarch of the Sidebottom's in Cebu was John N. Sidebottom, the American and British Consul in Cebu. He was the one who met Capt. Charles C. Cornwell, then commanding officer of the American Gunboat Petrel that docked on the shores of Cebu on February 21, 1899, signaling the conquest of Cebu by the Americans after we were sold by Spain through the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898.

John Sidebottom was the one who announced the demands of the Americans that the Cebuano patriots should surrender. On February 23, 1899, the Cebuano revolutionaries led by Luis Flores surrendered after which the American flag was hoisted.

Don Eduardo, was a civic leader, he was a member of the PBSP or the Philippine Business for Social Progress, it was revived in the 1970's. Eduardo, became the President and General Manager of the family's company (Aboitiz Company) in 1967. He also assumed leadership of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. which was founded on December 16, 1966 by his father Don Ramon.

Don Eduardo married Francisca Melendez and had the following children: Jon Ramon, Roberto, Mikel and Diana. Eduardo, finished Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in the University of California in Los Angeles. He was given the Honorary Degree of Doctor in Humanities and Letters from the University of San Carlos. He died on December 14, 1985. His son Roberto "Bobby" (married to Maria Cristina Cabarrus) took over the business after his father died.

Don Eduardo was not just a businessman, it was he who founded the Cebu Boys Center and the Pasil Youth Center, and Cebu Girls Center, with the help of the Salesians of Don Bosco. May the Cebuano's and every passerby of the street remember him of the greatness of his heart and belief in the vision of a Mega Cebu.