Inocencio Junquera
Encyclopedia
Gen. Inocencio Junquera was a civil and political governor of Cebu, Philippines
, from 1893-95. He left a legacy to Cebuano culture by establishing the Teatro Junquera, the most important theater of Cebu in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Junquera's reign was marked by protests from the Spanish friars, who saw Junquera as a liberal (he was) because he supported church-state separation.
) staged a Spanish
play titled El Alcalde Interino. The play was performed in the convent of the old church of Parian (destroyed in 1878 because of misunderstandings between the residents and the Spanish friar assigned to the parish). The special guest was Junquera.
Junquera, who was also interested in the theater, commented that the convent is too small for a theater. He suggested to prominent residents Florentino Rallos and Francisco Sales that Cebu must have its own "real" theater and a Colegio de Artes y Oficios. After a few months, Junquera called for a meeting and discussed his plans to create a college with an attached theater in the same place were the old church of Parian was.
But Junquera was not popular with the friars, because of his support for church-state separation. His plans were blocked. When Martin Garcia Alcocer, the bishop of Cebu, knew the Junquera's plans, he immediately ordered the construction of a religious monument in the lot where the theater were to be constructed. He announced that the monument could not be removed because it has been blessed and therefore holy. The friars also spread rumors that Junquera would tax the residents to support his construction project. In the face of opposition, Junquera did not push through his plan for a theater in Parian.
Junquera found a suitable place in Barangay Kanipaan (now the commerce center of the city), the lot of Rafael Veloso. He used his own money to finance the project. Other prominent individuals helped. Marcelo Regner and Rafael de Ocampo designed the arabesque
style; Francisco Sales recruited carpenters and painters for the project.
The theater was finished in 1895, a year before Junquera left Cebu. It was, not surprisingly, called Teatro Junquera. On December 16 of the same year, before Junquera left Cebu, a Spanish play were conducted by the Cebuanos to honor him. However, the formal inauguration of the theater was on April 19, 1896.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, from 1893-95. He left a legacy to Cebuano culture by establishing the Teatro Junquera, the most important theater of Cebu in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Junquera's reign was marked by protests from the Spanish friars, who saw Junquera as a liberal (he was) because he supported church-state separation.
Construction
In 1894 the residents of the district of Parian (in what is now Cebu CityCebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
) staged a Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
play titled El Alcalde Interino. The play was performed in the convent of the old church of Parian (destroyed in 1878 because of misunderstandings between the residents and the Spanish friar assigned to the parish). The special guest was Junquera.
Junquera, who was also interested in the theater, commented that the convent is too small for a theater. He suggested to prominent residents Florentino Rallos and Francisco Sales that Cebu must have its own "real" theater and a Colegio de Artes y Oficios. After a few months, Junquera called for a meeting and discussed his plans to create a college with an attached theater in the same place were the old church of Parian was.
But Junquera was not popular with the friars, because of his support for church-state separation. His plans were blocked. When Martin Garcia Alcocer, the bishop of Cebu, knew the Junquera's plans, he immediately ordered the construction of a religious monument in the lot where the theater were to be constructed. He announced that the monument could not be removed because it has been blessed and therefore holy. The friars also spread rumors that Junquera would tax the residents to support his construction project. In the face of opposition, Junquera did not push through his plan for a theater in Parian.
Junquera found a suitable place in Barangay Kanipaan (now the commerce center of the city), the lot of Rafael Veloso. He used his own money to finance the project. Other prominent individuals helped. Marcelo Regner and Rafael de Ocampo designed the arabesque
Arabesque
The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements...
style; Francisco Sales recruited carpenters and painters for the project.
The theater was finished in 1895, a year before Junquera left Cebu. It was, not surprisingly, called Teatro Junquera. On December 16 of the same year, before Junquera left Cebu, a Spanish play were conducted by the Cebuanos to honor him. However, the formal inauguration of the theater was on April 19, 1896.
Transfers of ownership
The theater was later bought by Pedro Royo, a Spanish businessman and a filmmaker. Then it was bought by Leopold Falek and Pedro Rivera-Mir, and finally, by Jose Avila, whose family still own the lot where the original theater was located. It was during Avila's ownership when the name was changed to Teatro/Cine Oriente. As years pass by, the Cebuanos stopped calling it Teatro/Cine Oriente but just Cine Oriente.Cultural references
- Junquera is honored by the Cebu City government by naming a street after him, Junquera St., a three blocks away from where Teatro Junquera stood.
- In CebuanoCebuano languageCebuano, referred to by most of its speakers as Bisaya , is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines by about 20 million people mostly in the Central Visayas. It is the most widely spoken of the languages within the so-named Bisayan subgroup and is closely related to other Filipino...
, the term Junquera is synonymous with red light districtRed Light DistrictRed Light District may refer to:* Red-light district - a neighborhood where prostitution is common* The Red Light District - the title of the 2004 album by rapper Ludacris* Red Light District Video - a pornography studio based in Los Angeles, California...
because of the presence of street prostitutesStreet prostitutionStreet prostitution is a form of prostitution in which a sex worker solicits customers from a public place, most commonly a street, while waiting at street corners or walking alongside a street, but also other public places such as parks, beaches, etc. The street prostitute is often dressed in a...
in the area surrounding the street. - Elena is a Cebuano play in three acts written by Vicente Sotto. It was first performed at the Teatro Junquera (in what is now Cebu City) on May 18, 1902. The play established Sotto's reputation as a playwright.