Don Agustin Jereza Street, Cebu City

It is the street formerly named as LA SOLARIDAD, parallel to Urdaneta Street.

The street is named in honor of Don Agustin Jereza. He was an engineer and an educator. He served the government as assistant district engineer of Cebu and Agusan. Later, he was appointed as district engineer of the province of Bataan. He was also a member of the Cebu Planning Board and the Cebu Board of Assessment Appeals. He finished his engineering at the State University of Iowa and was voted "Outstanding Alumnus" of his alma mater.

He founded the Southern Institute in 1927, now called the University of Southern Philippines (renamed in 1933). His other co-founders of the school were Virgilio Gonzales, a medical doctor and a graduate of the University of the Philippines, Miguel Sanson, a lawyer and councilor of Cebu City, a street is named after him, he married Doña Soledad Duterte, the sister of the wife of Don Agustin, Natividad Villa-Albino, Felipe Ouano, Fructuoso Ramos, mayor of the municipality of Cebu and street named after him, Hipolito Andrada, and Dr. Jose Mirasol of the University of the Philippines.

He founded the Jereza Construction Company, and constructed the Maria Cristina Hydroelectric Plant, Unit II and the Maria Cristina Fertilizer Plant at Iligan City, the Cebu Junior College Building of the University of the Philippines in Lahug, Cebu City, the Bank of the Philippine Islands and many other buildings. One of his magnificent creation is the Vision Theater situated in Colon Street, which up today still stands. He commissioned Italian artist Dante Guidetti to do the sculpting, with nude women as models.

Don Agustin, was also engaged in public transport service. He applied for a franchise with the Public Service Commission and was granted to operate 5 midget taxicabs. His application was opposed and challenged up to the Supreme Court by the existing public transport companies of Cebu City at that time, like the Cebu Transport Cp. Inc, the Cebu Autobus Company and the Cui's Garage of Mrs. Trinidad M. Cui. The Supreme Court en banc on November 16, 1933, sided with Don Agustin's view that there is an additional for taxicabs. The Public Service Commission said that at that time, Cebu City had 66,000 living occupants, and 53,000 are target clients and would be accessible to the taxicabs. Note, that this was before World War II.

He married, Doña Beatriz Duterte, relative of mayors-lawyers Ramon and son Ronald, who became president of the USP and Dean of the university's College of Law.

Don Agustin died in 1968, and a year after his death, the Cebu City Council enacted City Ordinance 663 on August 21, 1969 renaming La Solaridad Street to Don Agustin Jereza.