City of Cebu, the Philippines' first city
(Part 1)
The Americans rewrote Philippine history by reorganizing our municipalities and provinces and introducing legislative districts. This they started when they arrived in 1899 as the new colonizers as replacements of the Spaniards. It was also they, through the American governor generals and Congressional enactments, who converted some municipalities into cities. Cebu City became a Chartered City in 1937 together with Davao, Iloilo, and Zamboanga.
But let us not forget that it was in Cebu that General Miguel Lopez de Legaspi established his first seat of government when he arrived in 1565. It was he who constructed the oldest street, Colon (named after Cristobal de Colon, more popularly known as Christopher Columbus). Logically, the place would then be the first city and not Manila.
The annotation of the book written in 1887 by Fr. Felipe Redondo entitled "A Brief Survey of What Was and What is the Diocese of Cebu in the Philippine Islands" proves the fact of the cityhood of Cebu centuries before the Americans arrived. The book was translated into English by Azucena L. Pace. The entry on "City of Cebu" under the District of Cebu is quoted:
"The City of Cebu is the capital of the Diocese of this name; the title of the diocese is the Most Holy Name of Jesus; this name was also that of the city, in times past, it was called the City of the Most Holy Name of Jesus even when it only had the title of Villa from January 1, 1571 which was given by Legaspi, but before May 8, 1565, when it was named Villa de San Miguel. It is 306 miles from Manila and is the capital of the Visayan islands, residence also of the General Government, created by order of May 27, 1841, under the name Gobierno-Intendencia de Visayas, which was suppressed on March 17, 1850; under the Royal decree of July 31, 1860; it was given a new life, creating a Government P.M. under the direction of an Official general of the army, of the Brigadier class; the Government of the Visayas covers the Districts of the island of Panay, as follows; Iloilo, Capiz, and Antique, and contiguous, and Concepcion, and those of the islands of Romblon, Negros, Samar, Leyte, Bojol, and Cebu and contiguous.
"The City of Cebu is also the residence of the new Real Audencia of the Visayas, created by Royal decree of March 26, 1886, whose personnel indicated are: one President, one Chamber President, four Magistrates, one Fiscal, one Lieutenant, and one Fiscal Attorney; their titleholders already took possession, in a solemn ceremony, characterized by pomp and rejoicing in the City, on July 1 of the same year." (To be continued)
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