Sergio Osmeña

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Sergio Osmeña

Sergio Osmeña (September 9, 1878 – October 19, 1961) was the second President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. He was Vice President under Manuel L. Quezon, and rose to the presidency upon Quezon’s death in 1944. He was a founder of Nacionalista Party.

Osmeña is the patriarch of the prominent Osmeña family, which includes his son (former Senator Sergio Osmeña, Jr.) and his grandsons (Senators Sergio Osmeña III and John Henry Osmeña), ex-Governor (Lito Osmeña and Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña).

Osmeña was born in Cebu to Juana Osmeña y Suico. Juana was only 14 years old when she gave birth to him. Owing to the circumstances of his birth, the identity of his father had been a closely guarded family secret. Though an illegitimate child — Juana never married his father — he didn’t allow this aspect to affect his standing in society. The Osmeñas, a rich and prominent clan with vast business interests in Cebu, slowly warmed up to him as he established himself as a prominent figure in local society.

He took his elementary education in the University of San Carlos and graduated in 1892. Osmeña continued his education in Manila, studying in San Juan de Letran College where he first met Manuel L. Quezon, a classmate of his. He took up law at the University of Santo Tomas and was second place in the bar examination in 1903.

Osmeña served on the war staff of General Emilio Aguinaldo as a courier and journalist. In 1900, he founded the Cebu newspaper, El Nuevo Día which lasted for three years.

On April 10, 1901, he married Estefania Chiong Veloso, with whom he had six children, namely, Vicente, Edilberto, Nicasio, Milagros, Emilio, Teodoro, Jose, and Sergio, Jr. In 1920, two years after the death of his first wife, Osmeña married Esperanza Limjap, and had three more children, namely, Ramon, Rosalina, and Victor.

In 1904, the American colonial administration appointed him governor of Cebu. Two years later he was elected governor of Cebu. While governor, he ran for election to the first Philippine Assembly of 1907 and was elected Speaker of that body. Osmeña was only 29 and already the highest-ranking Filipino official.

He and another provincial politician, Manuel L. Quezon of Tayabas, set up the Nacionalista Party as a foil to the Partido Federalista of Manila-based politicians. The two would engage in a rivalry for political dominance ever since.

Osmeña was elected an assemblyman, in 1907, and remained a member of the lower house until 1922. He was the country’s vice president for two consecutive terms under the Philippine Commonwealth.

He went to the US, in 1933, to secure passage of the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Independence Bill which was superseded by the Tydings-McDuffie Act in March 1934.

Other Information

Born : September 9, 1878
Birthplace : Cebu City, Cebu
Died : October 19, 1961 (aged 83), Quezon City
Birth name : Sergio Osmeña
Mother : Juana Osmeña y Suico
Nationality : Filipino
Ethnic Affiliation : Cebuano
Schoolos Attended :
- Elementary,University of San Carlos, Cebu (1892)
- Bachelor of Arts, valedictorian, Colegio de San Juan de Letran (1894)
- Bachelor of Laws, University of Santo Tomas
- Doctor of Laws honoris causa, University of Santo Tomas, November (1929)
- University of the Philippines (October, 1930)
Political party : Nacionalista Party
Other political affiliations : Partido Nacionalista (1907-21), Partido Nacionalista (“Unipersonalista”) (1922), Partido Nacionalista Consolidado (1923-33), Partido Nacionalista (“Pro”) (1934), Nacionalista Coalition (Coalition Party) (1935-1937), Partido Nacionalista (1937-1946)
Spouse(s) :
- Estefania Veloso (married 1901, died 1918)
- Esperanza Limjap (married 1920)
Children:
- Vicente Osmeña
- Nicasio Osmeña
- Milagros Osmeña
- Teodoro Osmeña
- Jose Osmeña
- Sergio Osmeña, Jr.
- Ramon Osmeña
- Rosalina Osmeña
- Victor Osmeña
Profession : Lawyer, Journalist
Religion : Roman Catholic

Positions held

Private Citizen

Tutor (capista, with free board and lodging), University of Santo Tomas (1895-1896)
Court recorder, Cebu Audencia (court of appeals), 1897
Personal aide, Spanish governor of Cebu (1898)
Correspondent, various newspapers
Courier for the First Republic (1899)
Founder and Editor of El Nuevo Dia (1900-1902)
Practiced law (1903-1904)

Government

Councilor, Municipality of Cebu (1903)
Provincial Fiscal of Cebu and Negros Oriental (1904)
Governor of Cebu (1906)
Speaker of the Philippine Assembly (1907-1916)
Speaker of the House of Representatives (1916-1922)
Senator for the Tenth Senatorial District (Cebu) 1922-1935
Senate President Pro Tempore (1922-1934)
Vice President of the Commonwealth (1935-1944)
Secretary of Public Instruction (1935-1938)
Philippine President (1 August 1944 – 28 May 1946)

Notable Events

War Cabinet 1944-45
Cabinet and Judicial Appointments 1945-46
Liberation of the Philippines during the Second World War (1944)

Awards and achievements

2nd Place, 1903 Bar Examinations
Medal of the Order of Civil Merit (Orden del Merito Civil, Spain), February 23, 1898
Grand Officer (Plaque), Order of the Republic (Spain), August 1, 1935
Presidential Medal of Merit (July 3, 1950)
Chief Commander, Philippine Legion of Honor (posthumous), October 20, 1994

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