The presidents and vice presidents of the Municipality of Cebu
When the Philippines was sold by Spain to the United States through the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898, the Americans came to Cebu the following year. It ended the Spanish reign and American occupation commenced. The Americans re-organized the country into provinces and municipalities.
In 1901, Chief Executives were called Presidents (they were called then as Capitanes during the Spanish regime), here is the list of the Municipal Presidents of Cebu:
Terms Presidents Vice-Presidents
1901-1903 Florentino Rallos Agapito Hilario
1903-1905 Florentino Rallos Filemon Sotto
1905-1907 Celestino Rodriguez Luciano Bacayo
1907-1908 Luciano Bacayo Raimundo Enriquez
1908-1909 Martin Llorente Francisco Arias
1909-1910 Melchor Gonzalez Pedro Abarca
1910-1913 Vicente Teves Gregorio Abendan
1913-1916 Arsenio Climaco Fructuoso Ramos
1916-1920 Fructuoso Ramos Rufino Lauron
1920-1922 Fructuoso Ramos Pedro Abella
1922-1925 Hilario Abellana Julian Alcantara
1925-1928 Hilario Abellana Alberto Mansueto
1928-1931 Hilario Abellana Regino Mercado
1931-1934 Fructuoso Ramos Jose Fortich
1934-1937 Fructuoso Ramos Julian Alcantara (resigned)
Marcos Morelos (appointed)
On February 24, 1937, Cebu became a Chartered City, with Alfredo Jacinto as the 1st Cebu City Mayor.
Don Florentino Rallos holds the title as the first elected Chief Executive of Cebu with the title of President. Don Florentino married Maria Fadullon, the couple had two children: Concepcion (who married, twice, first husband was Mariano Teves, second husband was Mariano Camara), second daughter, Carmen married Don Filemon Yap Sotto, elder brother of Don Vicente Yap Sotto. Don Filemon was elected Vice President together with his father in law, Don Florentino as President. Don Florentino Rallos died on March 14, 1912.
Don Celestino Rodriguez fondly called as Don Tinoy was the son of Don Jose Rodriguez and Dona Vicenta Lazala. After serving the Municipality of Cebu from 1905 to 1907, he was elected the first Representative of the old First Congressional District of Cebu composed of the Municipalities of Bogo, Pilar, Catmon, Danao, San Francisco, Tabogon, Tudela, Poro and Sogod.
Don Celestino Rodriguez a son of Bogo has been honored by the City of Cebu by renaming a street after him, then known as Waling Waling Street by virtue of City Ordinance No. 635 enacted on September 10, 1968.
Don Luciano Bacayo was one of the trusted officers of Gen. Pantaleon Villegas known as Leon Kilat. A formerly unnamed road within the Veloso Subdivision in Barangay Guadalupe has been named after President Luciano Bacayo. It is by virtue of City Ordinance No. 87 enacted on January 5, 1950.
Martin Llorente was the brother of Governor Julio Llorente. It was through a court order that declared Llorente was the winning candidate in the 1907 elections however it was Don Vicente Yap Sotto who garnered the highest number of votes. Don Vicente was disqualified by the Court of First Instance as he was in exile on the day of the elections.
The Supreme Court declared Don Vicente as the winning candidate, in lieu of his absence, his Vice President, Francisco Arias assumed the Presidency, but it was short lived as the following year, Arias (who later became a lawyer challenged by the atrocities of the Americans towards his mentor, Don Vicente Sotto) was suspended and his entire council replaced by officials appointed by the Governor.
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