The Cebuano Senator of the 11th Senatorial District

Congressman William Atkinson Jones of the State of Virginia was the author the Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916 that divided the country into senatorial districts with all the provinces represented.

Proponents of federalism who are squabbling about how the country should be divided into states should just study the original senate when it was established on October 16, 1916.

The twelve Senatorial Districts ensured that provinces will have senators of its own. Among the Cebuanos who served in the original senate (1916-1935) was Troadio Galicano.

Troadio Galicano was the son of Guillermo Canondo Galicano and Luzanta Alcoseba Dayagro. He was a General of the KKK under the leadership of General Arcadio Molero Maxilom, the first Cebuano governor of Cebu (in his honor the Cebu Provincial Police headquarters is named after him, thanks to the steadfastness of General Noel Gillamac) after succeeding Leon Kilat who was assassinated in Carcar on April 8, 1898. Troadio Galicano was admitted to the Bar on April 9, 1906. He was elected on July 30, 1907 (the first Congressional election in the country) representing the old 5th Congressional District of Cebu composed of the municipalities of Santander, Oslob, Boljoon, Samboan, Ginatilan, Malabuyoc, Alegria, Moalboal, and Alcantara.

Troadio Galicano left Cebu for Bohol to run for the 11th Senatorial District composed of the Provinces of Bohol, Misamis, and Surigao. He was elected Senator on the June 2, 1925 and served up to 1931. General/attorney/senator Troadio Galicano married a fellow Carcaranon, Juana Machacon Velez. The younger brother of Senator Galicano by the name of Jose served as councilor of Carcar, Cebu, and is the lyricist of the song, “Sa Kabukiran” with Manuel Velez as musical composer.

The Cebu City Council on October 14, 1968 enacted City Ordinance No. 641 naming a street within the Espina Subdivision in honor of Senator Galicano, yet up to now it has not been implemented as it is insisted that it is a private property. CEBUpedia is appealing to the Cebu City government to find a street to name in honor of the Cebuano senator. This appeal is likewise made to the city government of Carcar, Cebu. The street naming would inspire the Visayan youth that the Senate were once represented by Cebuanos and not just mostly people from Manila or Luzon.