About the Club Filipino golf course!

Today is the 8th anniversary of Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s close call when he had a massive stroke while attending a wedding at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. We had breakfast that morning with the Mayor in his residence and there really was no indication that something bad would happen to him later in the afternoon. But thanks to our prayers, the Lord gave the Mayor a second chance in life. He not only survived that medical threat, he even got better years later, until he got his cancer problem. But again, thank God, he survived this one too. We hope Mayor Tom should be more careful of his health, because his supporters still want him around.

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My good friend, former Vice-Mayor Renato “Nato” Osmeña the President of the Club Filipino de Cebu, Inc. personally asked me to attend coming Mar.10th Tuesday (that’s tomorrow) because I’m one of the members of the Old Club Filipino de Cebu Inc. who until this time is still a member even though I could only muster playing there once a year. He also sent me a letter giving details of what happened with the Club in the past.

In that letter, Nato bewailed the malicious and unfair rumors being spread about what’s happening in Cebu’s oldest golf course which is now located in Bo. Pulangbato, Danao City. Perhaps the most vicious of these rumors is that the Club Filipino is bankrupt. But Nato Osmeña pointed out that any member could get the financial statement in the Club’s office at the 16th Fl. Ayala Life-FGU Center, Cebu Business Park.

I can understand the feelings of Nato; after all, he’s been the pillar of this club for such a long time. Indeed, few people remember the events that transpired after then Gov. Emilio “Lito” Osmeña sold the 40-pus hectare golf course to the Ayala Corporation, which is now the Cebu Business Park. While I submit that I lost my golf course, however that sale brought the real estate prices of Cebu at par with Manila; even higher in some places. In hindsight, if we retained the old Club Filipino Golf course, traffic in Cebu City especially in that area in Lahug would be nightmarish.

But I do recall that during the time of Gov. Osmundo Rama (or was it Gov. Eddie Gullas) the Province of Cebu offered to sell the Club Filipino to its members for a mere P20 million! But the members who ruled the Club in those days failed to see the great opportunity presented to them and opted to continue paying the yearly rental to the Province, which was in truth a pittance! Golf, after all, was the game for the rich and only a few money characters played golf in those days. So when Lito Osmeña became Governor he decided to sell the golf course and he was right in doing so.

Indeed, as Nato pointed out in his letter, once upon a time, the Club Filipino de Cebu, Inc. was “Was for all intents and purposes… bankrupt!” So when the golf course was sold, we had to find a place to build another golf course… or it would have died right there and then. Nato made an appeal to his cousin Gov. Lito that the Club be paid for the improvements and Gov. Lito agreed to pay up 50% of the appraised value, which summed up to some P12 million. If only the old Club Filipino officials agreed to buy the golf course from the Province, they could have loaned the money from the bank that the Club Filipino golf course would still be here in Cebu City.

While the Club Filipino did not own the golf course property, it did own the areas where the old Magellan Hotel used to stand and its parking areas. It also appeared that the old Club Filipino Club House wasn’t owned by the Club, so Nato appealed to the Ayala’s to sell that portion back to the Club for the same price that the Ayala’s paid to the Province. This was approved and the Club used the money that to purchase that portion of the property. Eventually the clubhouse burned and the property was eventually sold and the money used to finish the course.

The property was sold to the King Brothers who planned to build a hotel there. They also agreed that aside from the purchase price, space for the Club Filipino would be given for free in the building complex. But unfortunately those plans were shelved, so Nato asked the King Brothers to find another place for the Club Filipino and a place was found at the 16th Fl. Ayala Life-FGU Center, where the Club Filipino clubhouse still operates.

I, too, have heard a lot of ugly rumors and stories that has been spread around, but I guess it is only because some newer members wanted to take over the leadership of the Club Filipino de Cebu, especially when Nato is no longer running for office. I’m validating the letter of Nato Osmeña that what he wrote and what we reprinted here truly happened. Perhaps the problem stems from the fact that club members (like most Clubs) do not speak out during their annual stockholders meetings but spread rumors.