Republic of Cebu
Encyclopedia
The Republic of Cebu is a political idea of separating
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
the province of Cebu from the rest of the Philippines
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...
, and a cultural reaction to what a number of Cebuanos
Cebuano people
The Cebuano people , are a Visayan ethnic group in Cebu and form the second largest cultural-linguistic group in the Philippines.-History:...
view as "Tagalism
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
" in the current curriculum of the government's Department of Education.
History
Cebu has always maintained its relative autonomyAutonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
from the central government even during the Spanish regime. Originally the Spaniards designated Cebu as the capital of Las Islas Felipinas, but due to food shortages and noncooperation of the natives (who choose to go to the mountains instead of being subservient to the conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
es), the Spaniards moved to Panay
Panay
Panay may refer to*Panay Island*Panay *Panay, Capiz*Panay River*Panay Gulf* USS Panay *Panay incident...
, and later to Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
.
During the 1896 Philippine Revolution
Philippine Revolution
The Philippine Revolution , called the "Tagalog War" by the Spanish, was an armed military conflict between the people of the Philippines and the Spanish colonial authorities which resulted in the secession of the Philippine Islands from the Spanish Empire.The Philippine Revolution began in August...
against Spain, Cebuano elite supported Spanish rule and even hampered the efforts of Manila-based nationalists. The revolution came much later to Cebu, in 1898, and although the Cebuano nationalists under General Maxilom
Arcadio Maxilom
General Arcadio Maxilom y Molero was a Filipino teacher and hero of the Philippine Revolution.He was born in Tuburan, Cebu to Roberto Maxilom, the town gobernadorcillo, and Gregoria Molero. His family were members of the local gentry, or principalía...
pledged allegiance to the government of Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was a Filipino general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role during the Philippines' revolution against Spain, and the subsequent Philippine-American War or War of Philippine Independence that resisted American occupation...
, they did not implement a key instruction from Aguinaldo's Secretary of War, General Luna
Antonio Luna
Antonio Luna y Novicio was a Filipino pharmacist and general who fought in the Philippine-American War. He was also the founder of the Philippines's first military academy.- Family background :...
. However, and most notably, Maxilom and his men were some of the last of the Katipunan
Katipunan
The Katipunan was a Philippine revolutionary society founded by anti-Spanish Filipinos in Manila in 1892, whose primary aim was to gain independence from Spain through revolution. The society was initiated by Filipino patriots Andrés Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata, Ladislao Diwa, and others on the night...
to surrender to the Americans
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, even as his fellow revolutionaries in Manila
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
and Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
were starting to capitulate and collaborate with the new colonial power.. Indeed, the battles in Cebu proved some of the costliest of the Philippine-American War
Philippine-American War
The Philippine–American War, also known as the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection , was an armed conflict between a group of Filipino revolutionaries and the United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine Republic to gain independence following...
; it was only in 1906 when Cebuano nationalists finally surrendered to American forces when the Americans resorted to burning of towns and reconcentration of persons.
During the Marcos presidency, Cebu was also known as a hotbed of protest, along with Zamboanga
Zamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
. Although Eduardo Gullas
Eduardo Gullas
Eduardo R. Gullas is a Filipino politician. He has been elected to five terms as a Member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, representing the First District of Cebu from 1992 to 2001, and from 2004 to the present. He is currently a member of KAMPI and the One Cebu party...
(who was aligned with Marcos) was governor from 1976 to 1986, known opposition figure Hilario Davide, Jr.
Hilario Davide, Jr.
Hilario Gelbolingo Davide, Jr, GCSS is a former Ambassador/Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the United Nations in New York City....
was also active.
During the governorship of Emilio Osmeña typhoon Ruping
Typhoon Mike
Super Typhoon Mike was the strongest and deadliest typhoon of the 1990 Pacific typhoon season as it crossed the Philippines in November....
hit Cebu and devastated the trade-based economy and threatened the collapse of food supply, as Cebu is heavily reliant on the rest of the Philippines when it comes to food production. Desperate pleas to the national government for help was met with outright refusal since it was also busy rebuilding Luzon. The motto "Cebu is down but not out, and we can stand on our own" became a battle cry for Cebuano leaders. CEBOOM
Ceboom
-Role of Typhoon Ruping:Super Typhoon Mike crossed Cebu on November 13, 1990, destroying many houses in Cordova, sinking ships in the harbor, and leaving the metropolitan area without electricity and potable water...
was born.
Lito Osmeña touted the idea of proclaiming Cebu as an independent republic from the Philippines, but never really took steps to effect such a change except in the area of economic strength. Today Cebu remains the top-grossing province of the Philippines.
In 2005, when talks of toppling Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
from power was ripe in Manila, Cebu governor Gwen Garcia and governors from other provinces in the Visayas
Visayas
The Visayas or Visayan Islands and locally known as Kabisay-an gid, is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Mindanao and Luzon. It consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are considered the northeast...
issued proclamations that their provinces will separate from the Philippines if Arroyo is removed from power.
The idea as a cultural protest
A number of Cebuanos have expressed concerns regarding what they view as Manila-centricImperial Manila
Imperial Manila is a pejorative epithet used by certain sectors of Filipino society to express the idea that all the affairs of the Philippines—whether in politics, business, economy, or culture—are decided by what is happening in the capital region Metro Manila without considering the rest of the...
education curriculum promoted by the government's Department of Education. Cebuano language
Cebuano language
Cebuano, 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...
, history, and culture is not taught in schools except as peripheral to that of the national scope.
During the 1971 Constitutional Convention Cebuano delegates were instrumental in forging the unrealistic and impossible "amalgam" concept of a national language
National language
A national language is a language which has some connection—de facto or de jure—with a people and perhaps by extension the territory they occupy. The term is used variously. A national language may for instance represent the national identity of a nation or country...
. During the 1986 Constitutional Commission, appointed delegates for Cebu compromised on the language provision. The same provision was later used by "Tagalists" to push the increase of contact time for Filipino
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
.
Cebu Governor Lito Osmeña filed protests at the Regional Trial Court against the instruction from the Department of Education, Culture and Sports
Department of Education (Philippines)
The Department of Education , is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the management and governing of the Philippine system of basic education. It is the chief formulator of Philippine educational policy and is responsible for the Philippine primary and secondary...
(DECS) to use Filipino as the official medium of instruction. The court maintained Cebu's right to stop the implementation of the order. DECS appealed, but in 1998, the Cebu government dropped the case due to pressures from then-President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Joseph Estrada
Joseph Estrada
Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada was the 13th President of the Philippines, serving from 1998 until 2001. Estrada was the first person in the Post-EDSA era to be elected both to the presidency and vice-presidency.Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over 100 films in...
.