Father of the Mactan Bridge

Rene G. Espina, the "Road-Building Governor" and "Father of the Mactan Bridge," a homegrown star and local talent, was a product of Cebu's University of Southern Philippines College of Law Class of 1954. He was admitted to the Bar on January 22, 1955 and a topnotcher with a grade of 93.2 percent.

Espina was appointed by the then newly-elected president Diosdado Macapagal days after the latter's swearing into office as the youngest SSS administrator on January 1962. Espina was 32 when he was appointed. Incumbent vice president Diosdado Macapagal of the Liberal Party ran against the incumbent president Carlos Polistico Garcia of the Nacionalista Party, the only Boholano to become president (who married a Cebuana, Leonila Dimataga).

The presidential election was held on November 14, 1961. Macapagal (LP) won against Garcia (seeking for his 2nd term, Nacionalista) while the LP's VP candidate Emmanuel Pelaez defeated the NP candidate, Senator Gil J. Puyat. The third candidate who placed second was our own Cebuano (mayor, governor, congressman and senator) Sergio "Serging" Chiong Veloso Osmeña Jr. who ran as an independent candidate.

It was SSS administrator Rene Espina who built the SSS Quezon City Office with a budget of P20 million. The building still magnificently stands up until today.

The 1963 midterm general elections paved the way for Espina's road to governorship. President Macapagal came to Cebu on September 8, 1963. He arrived shortly afternoon in Barili, Cebu. He landed from the Philippine Navy destroyer escort Rajah Soliman in the first leg of his two-day stump of Cebu province.

President Macapagal was then met by Mayor Librada Pace (Municipality of Barili) and a large crowd. Accompanying the president were congressmen Tereso Dumon, Manuel Zosa (a street in Cebu City is named after him), Maximino Noel (a boulevard in Talisay City is named after him), and senatorial candidates of the Liberal Party — Tecla San Andres-Ziga and former governor Manuel Cuenco.

President Macapagal, who first landed in Toledo City before coming to Barili, was met by Cebu officials headed by Atty. Francisco Remotigue, the incumbent governor and the Nacionalista candidate for reelection. After a mass in Toledo City Church, Macapagal addressed a rally on the city plaza.

The president announced that he was batting for Social Security System administrator Rene Espina as the Liberal Party's gubernatorial candidate in Cebu City.

The other officials who met president Macapagal in Toledo City were Mayor Marcelo Barba (a sports complex in Toledo City is named after him). In Pinamungajan, he was met by Atty. Emilio Lumontad Jr. of the Nacionalista Party who accompanied him to the town plaza where he addressed another rally.