Mindanaotoday.com | 72 years ago today
By: Uriel Quilinguing
Views From The South
TODAY, June 15, Cagayan de Oro marks its 72nd City Charter Day.
The late Vice President Emmanuel N. Pelaez, then congressman of Misamis Oriental, witnessed President Elpidio R. Quirino signed Republic Act No. 521 on June 15, 1950, the law that converted Cagayan de Oro municipality into a city.
Though the original bill was authored by the late Misamis Oriental congressman Pedro SA. Baculio Sr., Pelaez who succeeded him refiled the bill and saw it enacted into law and eventual birth of a city.
Maximo Y. Suniel, then municipal mayor became the first city mayor.
Of course, what used to be Cagayan de Misamis would not have progressed economically and matured politically were it not for those who served as town mayors.
Toribio Chaves had the distinction of being the first municipal mayor in 1898 right after the declaration of Philippine Independence.
Then came Tirso Neri, Cayetano Pacana, Pedro Velez, Cipriano Vamenta Sr., Isidro Vamenta, Anastacio Neri, Ramon B. Neri, Uldarico Akut, Segundo Gaston, Pedro Mabulay, Fernando Pacana Sr., Vicente P. Castro, Apolinar Velez, Lucio Ramos, Roque Chavez, Herminildo Avancena, Julio B. Pacana and Mariano A. Velez Sr.
Those who represent Cagayan de Oro’s legislative districts – venventilating the voice, sentiments and aspirations of Cagayanons and the rest of Mindanao – are Congressman Rufus B. Rodriguez and Rolando A. Uy and those in the past – Jose Benjamin A. Benaldo, Constantino G. Jaraula, Erasmo B. Damasing, Benedicta B. Roa and Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr.
Moreno, whose last three-year term as city chief executive would end June 30 this year, will deliver the City Mayor’s Annual Report today.
Rep. Uy, the city mayor-elect, is set to succeed Moreno on July 1.
(Uriel Quilinguing has an AB Philippine Studies degree from Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro under the mentorship of the late Rev. Fr. Francisco R. Demetrio, S.J., a historian of note.)
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