Cebu Provincial Capitol satellites in the north and the south

Decades ago, there was such sub-provincial offices for Cebu. The Spanish governors of Cebu administered Cebu with appointing municipalities as its satellites offices.

In the north, there was the Municipality of Tuburan, the biggest town of Cebu then. However, its area was decreased with the creation of one of its barrios as a town that is what is now known as Tabuelan by virtue of Executive Order No. 621 issued on September 23, 1953. That area consisted of the barrios of Tabuelan which became the seat of the municipal government, as well as Tabunok, Olivo, Tigbawan, Maravilla and Cantoba-on, all of the municipality of Tuburan.

On the south was the Municipality of Barili. The census conducted in the 1880s showed that the town had the highest population.

“Western Cebu Vicariate was composed of Bogo, San Remigio, Daanbantayan, Bantayan, Santa Fe, Tuburan, Balamban, Asturias, Toledo, Pinamungajan, Barili, Dumanjug, Ronda, Moalboal, Baidan, Alegria, Malabuyoc, Ginatilan, and Samboan with a population of 184,116 in 1884-85. Barili had the highest population in the vicariate with 15,748 in 1884-85, while Ronda the smallest population with 3,392.”

On July 17, 2014, Barili had its 4th centennial. In the book “Cebu: History of its Four Cities & Forty-Nine Municipalities” (1965), lawyer Gervasio L. Lavilles, the brains of the Cebu City Charter, wrote: “During the Spanish regime, Barili became the second capital of the province of Cebu. To her belonged the towns along the western side, from Bantayan, Madridejos, and Santa to the North to Santander to the South. During that time, the town had a Court of First Instance, a Register of Deeds, a Fiscal Promoter, an Administrator (now Provincial Treasurer), an Intervenor (now Provincial Auditor) and many high dignitaries of a provincial government.”

Erecting a Provincial Capitol in Balamban, Cebu is a doable concept, but it is most respectfully suggested that instead of vacating the present magnificent Provincial Capitol (inaugurated in 1937), it should remain as its main office, to be augmented with sub-provincial capitols in the north and south: Barili and Tuburan. This is in submission to Cebu’s history.

Long live Cebu, home of great men and women!