Glimpses of Old Cebu: Images of the Colonial Era

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"Glimpses of Old Cebu: Images of the Colonial Era" is a 276-page coffee table book of nearly 600 of the best photographs, postcards, stereoviews and lantern glass slides of Cebu and its many towns taken between 1870-1945. More than just a mere showcasing of rare, never-before-seen images, the book also provides a treasure trove of information accompanying nearly every picture.

The author, Lucy Urgello Miller has been collecting vintage Philippine postcards and photographs for over 20 years, the thrust of her collection being Cebu. She acquired 90% of her Cebu collection in the United States where she is living with her husband Richard "Rick" Miller. Most of the collection was bought at antique postcards shows. Lucy has about 1,000 pictures and postcards on Cebu but she selected only the best and most interesting for this book.

Mommy Gingging, Lucy and my wife Grace

A blue-blooded Theresian, Lucy spent her entire education from kindergarten to college at St. Theresa's College here in Cebu. She obtained her Bachelors of Arts degree with minors in English and Mathematics in 1970. During her college days, she contributed poems and articles in the The STAR, the Theresian student publication.

Her grandfather (Harriolfo Rita Osmeña Espina) and my wife's great grandfather (Asterio Rita Osmeña Espina) were siblings.

Don Sergio Osmeña
Don Severino Osmeña, the patriarch of the Osmeña clan of Cebu,  (d. ca. 1860), survived his first wife Doña Vicenta Rita , and he himself- like many of his wealthy contemporaries- took a second wife, Doña Paula Suico. His children of the second marriage were Don Lazaro and Juana Suico Osmeña, the beloved mother of President Sergio Osmeña.

President Osmeña's father was never known until a recent DNA test commissioned by family members of the Osmeña bloodline headed by Annie Osmeña-Aboitiz revealed the late president Sergio Osmeña Sr.’s biological father was a mestizo Chinese businessman named “Don Antonio Sanson”.

Don Severino Osmena's first marriage with Doña Vicenta Rita is the lineage of my wife.

Don Severino Osmena and Dona Vicenta Rita, who owned the largest trading company in 18th century Cebu, the Osmena-Rita Co., had four sons- Tomas, Guillermo, Victoriano and Pedro and four daughters- Eduviges, Inocenta, Basilia and Claudia³. 
 
The eldest daughter Eduviges Osmeña married Mariano Espina and bore three children- Nicolasa (unmarried), Asterio and Harriolfo.

Don Paciano Cui Bondoc and Maria Mercado Espina
 
Asterio Espina married a Mercado. Their only daughter Maria Mercado Espina, married Paciano Cui Bondoc, son of Don Miguel Bondoc, (brother of Norberto Bondoc m. Maria del Mar and son of Don Lucio Bondoc (Tarlac/Pampanga).

They had one daughter Sagrario "Gingging" Espina- Bondoc, who married Nestor Morales Morelos (son of writer, post-war Republic Daily and  Freeman columnist, Francisco "Kikoy" Miranda Morelos,  nephew of municipal board member, publisher, newspaperman and founder of the first labor union in Cebu, Avelino Morales,  and Don Marcos Miranda Morelos- (M. Morelos St.) former Cebu municipal president (from 1936-1937)². They have a daughter, my wife, Grace Espina Bondoc Morelos. 
 
Asterio later married a second wife, Balbina Villamor. They had five children- Jose, Manuel, Mariano, Jacinta "Nena" (unmarried) and Maria "Inday" (unmarried).


Harriolfo Osmeña Espina and Vicenta Faller Veloso (1900).  The baby is Dr. Luis Veloso Espina- Cebu City mayor and Mandaue municipal president (1947) 
 
Harriolfo Espina, the brother of Asterio Espina married Vicenta Faller Veloso. Their marriage produced nine children- Visitation E. Urgello, Remedios E. Noel, Dr. Salud Espina (unmarried), Soledad E. Ybanez, Dr. Luis Espina (m. Conception Mejia), Mercedes E. Madarang, Asuncion E. Peralta, Jose Espina (m. Aurora Ocampo) and Antonio Espina.
 
Dr. Luis Veloso Espina
 
One of Harriolfo's daughter, Visitacion Espina married former Cebu Congressman Vicente Sarmiento Urgello. They had seven children - Manuel Urgello, Corazon U. Tagorda, Lourdes U. Teves, Pilar U. Arcenas, Milagros Urgello (unmarried), Angeles U. Tongoy and Jesus Urgello.  One of their son, Manuel Urgello married Milagros Valenzuela, a Cebu carnival queen in 1937. They had five children and Lucy Urgello is the fourth child.

Don Miguel Bondoc
Lucy's mother passed away when she was two years old and she was adopted and raised by her fathers unmarried sister, Milagros Espina Urgello. She also grew up with her three older siblings who were raised by Vicente and Visitacion much to the disappointment of her maternal grandparents who wanted to raise their deceased daughters children.
 
The youngest, Roberto "Bob" Urgello, who was a week shy of six months was raised by the two unmarried sisters of Visitacion, Dra. Salud Espina and Soledad Espina. Her father had promised the baby to them if they could make him live. they kept a 24/7 watch over him and saved him several times because of their vigilance⁴.

Lucy was formerly married to Senator John Henry Renner Osmena and had a son John Gregory who was a former Cebu vice-governor and provincial board member.

Francisco "Kikoy" Morelos with brothers Marcos, Cebu municipal mayor 1937 and Berong, (1938)
 
 
He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination. 
 
I have observed that the prosperity or misery of each people is in direct proportion to its liberties or its prejudices and accordingly, to the sacrifices or the selfishness of its  forefathers
 
I enter the future, carrying the memory of the past.
      
                                                                                                           Dr. Jose Rizal

We must know history, find connections, so that the future will not read like the past.

                                                                                                          Ambeth  R. Ocampo, Rizal historian


Remember the days of old, Consider the years of all generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you, Your elders, and they will tell you. 

                                                                                                         Deuteronomy 32:7


Picture above- the author with my wife and her mom during the book signing at SM City Cebu in 2010

[1] Life in Old Parian by Concepcion G. Briones page 21
 
Originally published May 2010, Updated June 2023

Pictures courtesy of the descendants of the Osmeña-Espina Clan and Miranda-Morelos Clan

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