Atty. Jack Mendez, the Cebuano Centurion

Man has no power on how he is born, but he has the power on how he will live. The man who built one of the country's most successful security agencies, the CENTURION Security Agency, started as a laborer but ended up leading hundreds of men and women.

Jacinto Villarosa Mendez, fondly called by family and friends as Jack, was born on August 17, 1931 in Cebu City. He was the son of Victorino Mendez Sr. and Anita Villarosa.

He finished grade school in the Ubay, Elementary School and secondary course at the Ubay High School (Province of Bohol). Jack then went to college to earn his Bachelor of Laws at the University of San Carlos.

Jacinto went to Manila while he was on his fourth year in the College of Law as the family decided that his brothers and sisters would stop going to school so he alone could continue his law studies.

He did this in order to save his siblings from stopping going to school. Jack while in Manila worked as a security guard in the security agency of his uncle. His eldest brother, Antonio, who was then a 2nd Lieutenant in the Philippine Army promised that he would shoulder his expenses by giving him P20.00 every month and Jack should go back to Cebu to finish his law course.

Jacinto finished his law course in 1956, took the bar the same year and signed in the Roll of Attorney on March 12, 1957. Atty. Jack worked with the Social Security System in 1956 with the entry position as Investigator and resigning 18 years after as Division Chief of the Claims and Benefits Branch.

It was 50 years ago (1965) that Jack decided to fulfill his divine destiny of organizing his security agency here in Cebu. Jack boldly started his security agency with only one guard, with the vision that one will turn into hundreds, thus he incorporated his agency in 1968.

Atty. Jack professionalized the security industry. Jack demanded that his applicants have to secure security clearances from government agencies. He required the applicants to undergo neuro-psychiatric examination (at that time it was not yet required by the law).

In few years time the security agency organized by Atty. Jack became the biggest security operator outside of Manila with more than 1,000 security guards.  CENTURION provides security services not only in Cebu but the whole of the Visayas (Region 6 to 8). CENTURION Security Agency is a time awardee as the Best Security Agency in Central Visayas, a three time awardee as the Most Outstanding Private Security Agency of the Year in the Philippines and twice conferred as one of the Ten Most Outstanding Private Security Agency of the Year in the country.

To ensure optimum training to would-be security guards and for renewal of their licenses, Atty. Jack built the Centurion Training Academy, Inc., also voted as one of the Top Ten Training Academy in the Philippines.

The eldest brother of Jack (they were seven siblings), Antonio, who helped him with his tuition, also became a lawyer on March 21, 1966. Antonio then became an executive judge, he presided Branch 62 of the Regional Trial Court of Gumaca, Quezon.

The other siblings: Eliodoro who married Annie Sotto, Jose who married Carmen Mendez, Teresita who married Pio Junsay, Altagracia, and Victorino Jr.

Atty. Jacinto "Jack" Mendez died on July 15, 2014 but his legacy of greatness continues to live with his children. Jack married Ma. Luna Gayonilo of Iloilo and has four children, namely, Michelle Geraldine (followed the footsteps of her father, became a lawyer on May 5, 1998 and now the guardian of the Centurion Security Agency) married Francis Palmares, Ma. Jasmin married John Pages, a businessman, civic leader, sportsman, and writer, Jacinto II, Monette married Rommel Desnacido.

The greatest treasure that Atty. Jack had in life was not only the security agency he built but also his family, most especially his grandchildren, namely, Jana Pages, Miccolo Rafael Palmares, Micaela Maria Palmares, and Miguel Alfredo Palmares. May they grow up realizing that their grandfather was a great man and a Cebuano.