Uldarico Alviola St., Cebu City (Part II)

The street formerly named as "Villagonzalo II" situated in Barangay Tinago, Cebu City renamed as "Alviola" on November 18, 1968 is named after one of its famous sons of the place.

Uldarico Aguilar Alviola (he married a Casals) was a public servant, novelist, and a writer. He was a giant literary figure in the Visayan-Cebuano Language. He also served as deputy governor of Cebu, he was also secretary of the then municipality of Cebu. He earned the title "Dean of Cebuano Writers" and started writing at the age of 19. He was born on July 4, 1883 and died in 1966.

Among the many short stories he wrote that were published in the newspaper of Don Vicente Rama's Bag-ong Kusog before the war were Dungog Balaanon, Mahay sa Bukidnon, Mananambal nga Mamumuno, Moros nga Nahilangit, Sakdal and Silot sa Pagawal.

Uldarico also wrote the poem "Dili Mahimo" published on May 3, 1935 in Bag-ong Kusog. A novel "Gugma sa Babaye" was published in Bag ong Kusog in the editions from May 2, 1941 to August 29, 1941. He also edited the newspaper founded by Don Vicente Yap Sotto, "Ang Suga," the first newspaper in Cebuano.

Uldarico "Dikoy" A. Alviola was the son of Marciano Alviola, the first child of a Spaniard named Manuel Abella. The brothers of Marciano (the father of Uldarico) were Joaquin Teves, Emilio Teves, Carmen Teves, and Abag Teves.

The brothers of Uldarico were Felix, Natalio, Victor, Filomena, Calixto, and Vicente. Uldarico had 11 children, they were Virtud, Manuel, Marciano, Lourdes, Victor, Uldarico Jr., Rosario, Teresita, Corazon, Filomena, and Socorro.

One of the brothers of Uldarico migrated to Cebu (the Alviola's were from Negros) his name was Natalio, and he had ten children, namely, Patrocino, Teofilo, Eutropia (who married Marcelo Abellar Abellana Sr., and had the following children: Marcelo Jr. who is an optometrist, Roberto, a Philippine Ports Authority pilot,  Samuel, a chief harbor pilot in Mindanao, Harry, vice president of the City Savings Bank and Marichu who now lives in London, England), Luis, Purificacion, Alberto, Magdalena, Teresito, Angelita, and Flora.

A cousin of Uldarico by the name of Margarito Pinili Teves (who married Francisca Tan Guivelondo) became the patriarch of a political family in Oriental Negros.  The sons of  Margarito, Lorenzo, and Herminio became successful politicians. A son of Herminio, who carries the name of his grandfather, Margarito "Gary" Teves, served as congressman of the 3rd district of Negros Oriental from 1987 to 1998, who in 2005 was appointed Secretary of the Department of Finance by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Margarito "Gary" was succeeded by his father, Herminio (married Narcisa Enrera Bustalino who died in 1949, he then remarried a cousin of his wife, Victoria Enrera Villamor) as congressman of the 3rd District. A son of Gary Teves married a daughter (a lawyer) of Atty. Vicente dela Cerna, former congressman of the 6th district of Cebu and governor of Cebu.

The brother of Herminio, Lorenzo Guivelondo Teves, was elected congressman of the old 1st district of Negros Oriental from 1954 to 1965, and was later elected as senator in 1967. When Martial Law was declared in 1972, he was appointed by President Marcos as governor of Negros Oriental and was elected in the country's general election in 1979 and held the position until 1987.

Four years before his death, Uldarico was conferred the "LUDABI Award" or the Lubas sa Dagang Bisaya in 1962. Uldarico was the character witness of Ramon Ting alias TING TIAN YU, a Chinese who petitioned for his admission as Filipino citizen. The case reached the Supreme Court when the Solicitor General challenged the decision of the Court of First Instance of Cebu which granted Ramon Ting's petition for naturalization.

 The ordinance renaming Villagonzalo II as Alviola Street was approved on November 21, 1968 by then Engr. Eulogio E. Borres, mayor of Cebu City. The Secretary of the Cebu City Council at that time was Atty. Leodegario C. Salazar, who was admitted to the Bar on June 21, 1954.

attypauloaminal@yahoo.com.

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