The widening of Jones Avenue, Cebu City

The plan to widen Jones Avenue (renamed as President Sergio S. Osmeña Sr. Boulevard) actually started way back in 1936, which included the P. Rodriguez Street so that the proposed Capitol building can easily be seen from a distance (the provincial capitol building was constructed in 1936 but was officially inaugurated in 1937).

The governor at that time was Sotero Barte Cabahug but he was succeeded by Buenaventura Rodriguez who became the first occupant of the capitol in 1937. When the latter died on the eve of his reelection in 1941, he was replaced by Hilario Abellana who won and became the governor of Cebu when the Japanese invasion forces arrived in Cebu in 1942.

As the province was not in a position to purchase the lots to be used in the widening of the streets, it was agreed that the lots to be acquired would be exchanged with lots of the same value belonging to the Province of Cebu. Thus, the Cebu Heights Inc. (it covers the streets in Barangay Capitol Site named after flowers) reserved fourteen lots for this purpose. In 1940, the Province of Cebu proceeded with the widening of Jones Avenue and the portion of P. (Pedro) Rodriguez Street fronting the Provincial Capitol by utilizing the said fourteen lots.

On May 21, 1941, the Provincial Board of Cebu passed Resolution No. 838, proposing to exchange certain lots of the province of Cebu with the said lots of the Cebu Heights Co. Inc. needed by the province for the beautification of the site surrounding the Capitol building and for the proposed park behind the Capitol. Before the exchange could be consummated, World War II broke out. After the liberation, negotiations were again resumed which culminated in the adoption of Resolution No. 1097 on November 5, 1954 (the governor at that time was Sergio “Serging” Chiong Veloso Osmeña Jr. who was also the president and principal stockholder of Cebu Heights Co. Inc.), wherein the Provincial Board authorized the conveyance of certain lots owned by the Province of Cebu in favor of the Cebu Heights, in exchange for the fourteen lots owned by the latter, which were taken over by the province in 1940.

The deed of exchange was executed on November 24, 1954 by and between acting governor Fructuoso Barte Cabahug (the brother of Governor Sotero Cabahug, they hold the title as the only brothers who both served as Cebu governor) representing the province of Cebu, and Atty. Jose L. Rodriguez on behalf of the Cebu Heights Inc. (Governor Serging did not take part in the transaction as he was then abroad, having left the country on September 6, 1954 and only returning on December 3, 1954).

President Carlos P. Garcia exonerated governors Serging Osmeña, Fructuoso Cabahug, and Pedro Uy Calderon in a complaint regarding the lot exchange.