Former city mayor Borres is honored

CEBU - A necrological service and a Holy Mass were celebrated yesterday in honor of the late Cebu City Mayor Eulogio E. Borres, Sr., who recently died at the age of 91, at the City Hall’s legislative building.

Former senator and former OIC City Mayor John “Sonny” Osmeña, who was one of those who paid their last respects to Borres described the latter as “a good public servant.”

From his residence, Borres body was brought and laid for a while at the legislative building where a resolution of condolence by the Sangguniang Panlungsod was also read.

Borres was elected as Cebu City Councilor for close to 20 years from 1948 to 1967. He was elected as vice mayor in 1967 and assumed the mayor’s post from 1968 to 1971. In the same year, he was re-elected as vice mayor and took over the mayor’s position again from 1972 to 1978.

Borres has streamlined the city’s essential services and accelerated its major public improvement with his slogan, “24-hour service for the people” where he kept his pledge by being on the job most of his waking hours.

He had envisioned a greater Cebu City, and has utmost faith in making it a major tourist attraction in the south.

The former mayor, a civil engineer by profession, was born in barrio Suba in San Nicolas.

He entered government service briefly in 1939 by joining the Philippine Army and in the city government in 1941 as a building inspector.

Then he was appointed as a technical assistant of the Public Estate Authority from 1979 to 1978. He also became the deputy minister of the Political Affairs Office of former President Corazon Aquino from 1987 to 1988.

In 1989 to 1992, he was the consultant of former House Speaker Ramon Mitra.

From 1988 to 2008, he was the president and general manager of Cebu Development Corporation/Queen City Gardens Corporation.

He was also elected for six terms as president of the University of the Philippines Alumni-Cebu Chapter from 1978 to 1983. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/WAB (THE FREEMAN)