EDITORIAL - Thank you, Lito O.

If there was anyone who had the most positive impact on the landscape of Cebu, it would be former Cebu governor Emilio Mario Osmeña, better known to the public as Lito Osmeña, or just simply Lito.

The former governor passed away around 6 p.m. last Monday, as confirmed by his family and friends.

Cebu owes a lot to Lito who did so much for the province even as he only served one term in office, from 1988 to 1992.

The younger generation of today may not be familiar with him at all, let alone his accomplishments, but certainly the older ones can recall what can be considered his greatest ever; Cebu’s economic boom, otherwise known as the Ceboom.

While Cebu in the ‘80s and ‘90s was already popular for its beaches, it was not known for being a commercial or manufacturing center. The Ceboom initiative would change all that.

This promotion of the island would focus on the improvement of infrastructure including the building and widening of roads, and construction of facilities. In turn this attracted many companies, both local and foreign, to set up shop here and avail of the infrastructure as well as tap into the local workforce.

The effects were jobs for many people and the subsequent rise of Cebu as a major tourism, political, economic, and social hub that continues to attract many people from surrounding provinces and regions even until today.

Ceboom aside, Lito also was the founder of the Probinsya Muna Development Initiative (PROMDI) party, a party that sought to decongest metropolitan areas by spreading development to the provinces and rural areas.

We cannot say that no one else could have done for Cebu what Lito did, but we can say that we are glad for what he did and when he did it. His timing was impeccable. The viability of Cebu as an economic center was one of the things that sustained it through what would become known as the Asian financial crisis only a few years later.

For all that you have done for Cebu, we thank you, sir.