CEBU, PHILIPPINES: HISTORY, POLITICS, LITERATURE, JOURALISM, PEOPLE, GOVERNMENT, CEBUANO STUDIES, VISAYAS, PICTURES

"Mariano Albao Cuenco (1861-1909) Poet, journalist, grammarian. born in Kalibo, Capiz on December 8, 1861. Family moved to Sogod, Cebu, when he was 8. Graduated at 19 from the Normal de Manila. Taught in the public schools of Sogod and Catmon. In 1889, he moved to Baybay, Leyte, and quit teaching for agriculture and business. Returned to Cebu and became a journalist, writing for various papers. Ran for Cebu Governor but lost. Died on July 9, 1909. Wrote verse and prose in Spanish and Cebuano. Pseudonym: Asuang" (Source Cebuano Literature: A Survey and Bio-Bibliography with Finding List, by Resil B. Mojares, San Carlos Publication, 1975)

Standing l-r: Mariano Albao Cuenco, Mariano Jesus Cuenco

Woman seated: Remedios Diosomito Cuenco

"I had crawled around the groundfloor of the house next to the Valle's, just a house away from ours, which was the Cuenco's. It was here that the first woman publisher of Cebu, Dona Remedios Lopez Cuenco, lived, reared and ruled her family and managed the family's Imprenta Rosario. Dona Remedios of Leyte was widowed at a young age by the demise of her husband, the prominent lawyer Don Mariano Albao Cuenco of Carmen, Cebu. Nyora Medyos used to come down very early, mornings, in saya and kimona to the printing press - her long black curly hair falling down to her waist, freshly shampooed and fragrant with samuyao. . .

"A favorite of the cajistas, I was often allowed to romp around the huge black machinese that were already rolling out the weekly copies of El Boletin Catolico of Padre Jose Ma. Cuenco, the tri-weekly issues of El Precursor and Ang Maguuna of Atty. Mariano Jesus Cuenco. The youngest of the three Cuenco brothers was the handsomest of them all: the future lawyer-Representative Miguel Cuenco who was packed off to Europe for futher studies because he was too young to take the bar examinations! This trio of talented brothers - all trilingual writers - were among the pillars of Philippine journalism. . ."
Excerpt from Life in Old Parian, by Concepcion G. Briones, Cebuano Studies Center, 1983

Standing l-r: CARMEN CUENCO, MILAGROS VELOSO CUENCO (holding child), CONCEPCION CUENCO MANGUERRA (partly covered) CONSUELO CUENCO (behind Filomena), MANUEL CUENCO, ARCHBISHOP JOSE MA. CUENCO (wearing dark robe), MIGUEL CUENCO, LOURDES CUENCO

Mariano Jesus Cuenco was born on January 16, 1888 in the municipality of Carmen, Cebu. He studied in Colegio Seminario de Cebu under the Padres Paules. He went to Manila to study law at the Escuela de Derecho directed by Don Felipe Calderon, one of the framers of the Malolos Constitution. Mariano was a member of the Philippines Assemby from 1912-1916; he was Representative of the Fifth District of Cebu in 1916, 1919, 1922, and 1925. He was Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1922. He was governor of Cebu in 1928, and reelected in 1931. He was appointed by President Quezon as Secretary of Public Works and Agriculture. He was elected President of the Senate. During the encumbency of President Garcia, Mariano Jesus Cuenco was Chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee. He passed away in Febrauary 25, 1964.
Source: Archbishop Cuenco Autobiography, La Editorial, Iloilo, 1972

Click here for Speech delivered at the Senate necrological services for Mariano Jesus Cuenco, by Senator Arturo Tolentino

Jose Ma. Cuenco was born May 19, 1885 in Carmen, Cebu; died circa 1973.

Concepcion is the daughter of Filomena Alesna of Carcar and Mariano Jesus Cuenco. She was born on February 18, 1912.

Concepcion Cuenco married Engineer Mariano Flores Manguerra (3/8/89-10/29/57). They are the parents of the writer Cecilia Manguerra Brainard.

Click here for the Memorial Site of Concepcion Cuenco Manguerra who passed away on December 1, 2002 at the age of 91.