Vicente dela Serna

Vicente "Tingting" Low dela Serna (September 13, 1951 – September 1, 2018) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, and legislator. He was Cebu's 6th district's representative to the 8th Congress of the Philippines (1987–1992) and the governor of the province of Cebu, Philippines from 1992 until 1995.[1]

The Honourable

Vicente "Tingting" Low dela Serna
Governor of Cebu
In office
June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1995
Vice GovernorApolonio A. Abines Jr. (1992–1995)
Preceded byEmilio R. Osmeña
Succeeded byPablo P. Garcia
Member of House of the Representatives for Cebu's 6th District
In office
June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1992
Preceded byManuel Zosa
Succeeded byNerissa Corazon Soon-Ruiz
Personal details
BornSeptember 13, 1951
Butuan, Agusan del Norte, Philippines
DiedSeptember 1, 2018
Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines
NationalityFilipino
Occupation
  • Lawyer
  • Politician
  • Legislator

Early life

The son of Manuel H.P. dela Serna and Filipino-American Leonora A. Low,[2] Vicente dela Serna was born in Butuan, Agusan del Norte on September 13, 1951. He and his wife Maria Dolores A. Bernad of Ozamiz, Misamis Occidental[1] had three daughters and a son.[3]

He got a bachelor's degree at Velez College and a law degree from University of San Carlos.[2] On May 8, 1980, he was admitted to the bar and became a lawyer.[1]

Career

He was known as an anti-Marcos activist in Cebu in the 1980s and later appointed in charge of the Office of the Mayor of Mandaue City when Corazon Aquino became president after the 1986 EDSA revolution.

In 1987, he ran for a legislative seat and won as member of the 8th Congress of the Republic representing Cebu's 6th district.[4] He was chosen as the chairman of the House Committee on Civil, Political, and Human Rights.[1] During his term in Congress, he advocated for social legislation and human rights. He appropriated his Countrywide Development Fund for Mandaue City Hospital, Mandaue Comprehensive High School, Mandaue Sports Complex, and Lapu-lapu City Sports Center.[2]

Then in 1992, he was elected as governor of Cebu province succeeding Emilio Osmeña and served until 1995.[4] It was during his term that the building of the Sugbo Cultural Center within the University of the Philippines Cebu Campus was started.[5] Additionally, he was credited for the Provincial Board Ordinance 93-1 that identified properties owned by the provincial government but were occupied by about 5,000 informal settlers of Cebu City. Negotiations for a land swap deal between the provincial and city governments that would allow the residents to own the lot by paying a monthly amortization commenced and lasted for over two decades. By August 2018, the deal was finalized.[3]

When he ran to be reelected as governor for a second term, he was defeated and succeeded by Pablo P. Garcia.[1] During the administration of Joseph Estrada, Vicente dela Serna was appointed deputy executive secretary.[4]

Later years

In September 2017, he was diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent chemotherapy.[3][6] He died succumbing to the disease[4] in Sto. Niño Village in Barangay Banilad, Cebu City,[7] at the age of 66 past midnight of September 1, 2018.[4] Cebu Daily News editorial hailed him as man of the masses,[8] and the Philippine News Agency noted his popularity among the common folks for "championing the causes of the poor and the marginalized."[4]

References
  1. Oaminal, Clarence Paul (February 25, 2019). "Atty. Vicente L. dela Serna, the People's Governor | The Freeman". The Philippine Star. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  2. Mojares, Resil B. (2014). The history of Cebu, Philippines. Cebu (Philippines : Province),, University of San Carlos. Cebu City. ISBN 9789719972235. OCLC 953176470.
  3. Demecillo, Jean Marvette A.; Ambrad, Lorraine Mitzi A. "Ex-governor dela Serna succumbs to lung cancer | The Freeman". The Philippine Star. Philippine Star; The Freeman. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  4. "Ex-Cebu congressman de la Serna dies". pna.gov.ph. Philippine News Agency. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  5. Newman, Jenara Regis (September 15, 2015). "Viewing a slice of Cebu history". Sunstar. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  6. News, ABS-CBN. "Ex-Cebu governor De La Serna succumbs to cancer". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  7. Mayol, Ador Vincent S. (September 1, 2018). "FAREWELL, TINGTING". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  8. Editorial. "Tingting, tyranny, and resistance". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.