HISTORY | Remembering the short-lived Philippine Republic in Cebu ca 1898.

The Casa de Gobierno across Plaza Independencia

(In celebration of Philippine Independence Day, here are a few paragraphs from my up-coming book on Cebu City's history.)

BY JD VELEZ | Blogger

Mestizos from Parian held various positions when the short-lived Philippine Republic reigned in the city after the Spaniards left and before the Americans came. Spanish control of the island ended on December 24, 1898. On that day, the Spanish provincial governor of Cebu, Adolfo Montero handed over the reigns of government to a caretaker committee of citizens headed by Pablo Mejia, a Spanish mestizo. On December 30, elections were held at the Casa de Gobierno, fronting Plaza Independencia (then called Plaza Maria Cristina). Elected president was Luis Flores and Julio Llorente as vice president.

Concurrent with his position in the province, Julio Llorente was made president of Cebu City and Pablo Mejia as treasurer of the port. Llorente was a Spanish mestizo, son of a wealthy sugar estate owner in Medellin.

On January 10, 1899 another election was held to establish the civil government in Cebu under the Aguinaldo-led Philippine republic. Elected were Florentino Rallos, another Spanish mestizo, as president and Alejandro Valle as vice-president. Rallos thus became, Cebu City's first ever elected chief executive.

The Mestizos took over the reigns of government left behind by the Spaniards, taking over such symbol of the Spaniards' 333 years of colonial rule as the Casa de Gobierno, (which the provincial government under Luis Flores and Julio Llorente took over) and the ayuntamiento (occupied by the Cebu City government under Florentino Rallos).

With the departure of the Spaniards, Cebuanos led by the Mestizos took over Ciudad de Cebu. It was no longer just the old Spanish city but “an area of one thousand square leagues, consisting of thirteen districts: Lutao, Pampango, Suba, Tinago, Maoco, Parian, Licod. Pili, Ermita, Zapatera, Carrta, Tejero, and Cogon.” (Mojares, 1983)

Also falling under the Mestizos' control under Aguinaldo's government was the entire province of Cebu. In time, Llorente would wrest control of the province from Luis Flores and Arcadio Maxilom, both active in the war against Spain (as compared to Llorente who only had a peripheral role in the revolution as Jose Rizal's acquaintance in Madrid where he studied).