SERGIO
OSMEÑA
"What good will
independence do to us if we will not be able to maintain that
independence to provide people peace, happiness and prosperity they so
well deserve."
Born: September 9, 1878
Died: October 19, 1961
Position in History: Philippines: 4th President, Commonwealth: 2nd
President
Presidential Term: August 1, 1944 - May 28, 1946 (President Quezon's
remaining term)
Duration of Term: 665 days
Born in Cebu and the son of Juana Osmeña Y. Suico, Sergio
Osmeña was enrolled in a private school of Miguel Logarta by his
mother. He went on to the Seminary College of San Carlos for his
secondary course. He finished his studies in 1892. Osmeña served
on the war staff of General Aguinaldo as a courier and journalist. In
1900, he founded the Cebu newspaper, El Nuevo Dia or New Day which
lasted for three years.
Osmeña continued his education in Manila. He took up law at the
University of Santo Tomas and was second place in the bar examination
in 1903. Manuel Quezon was one of his classmates. Osmeña
returned to Cebu and was appointed governor of Cebu in 1904 and fiscal
of Cebu and Negros Oriental. He later resigned his post and ran for
representative of the second district of Cebu. In 1906, Osmeña
was elected into the Philippine National Assembly and two years later
founded the Nacionalista Party. He was the elected Speaker of the House
from 1907 - 1922.
Osmeña was the leader of the Nacionalista Party until 1921 when
he was joined and succeeded by Manuel Quezon. After serving 15 years as
the Speaker of the House in the National Assembly, Osmeña was
elected as a senator in 1922. He went to the US in 1933 to secure
passage of the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Independence Bill which was
superseded by the Tydings-McDuffie Act in March 1934. Osmeña was
elected as vice-president of the Commonwealth in 1935 and re-elected in
1941.
When the Commonwealth government relocated in the US in exile,
Osmeña went with Quezon. He became president of the Commonwealth
on Quezon's death in 1944 and returned to the Philippines the same year
with General MacArthur and the liberation forces. After the war,
Osmeña restored the Commonwealth government and the various
executive departments. He continued the fight for Philippine
independence. After his defeat in the 1946 presidential elections,
Osmeña retired to his hometown where he died on October 19, 1961.
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