Tuesday, February 22, 2022

UBEC: CEBU REIMAGINED Talk by Cecilia Brainard, Cebuano Studies Center & YOUTUBE

 Cecilia Brainard's Talk: UBEC: CEBU REIMAGINED (Feb. 19, 2022) is streaming in the FB site of the Cebuano Studies Center:

Cecilia Brainard's Talk can also be viewed on YouTube:

The complete 1 hour 41 minute program with Introductions, talk, and Open Forum can be viewed here:   

https://youtu.be/MN0wzeF_j9I

>>>>

Following is the transcript of her talk. 

 UBEC: CEBU REIMAGINED

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Copyright 2022 by Cecilia M. Brainard

Thursday, February 17, 2022

"All Hail Cebu's Carnival Queens 1914-1941, Brainard in Positively Filipino


 Concepcion Alesna Cuenco, 1931 Cebu Carnival Queen (mother of author)

My article "All Hair Cebu's Carnival Queens 1914-1941" was published in Positively Filipino. Here is the link:

http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/all-hail-cebus-carnival-queens-1914-1941

"Six years after the Philippine Carnival took off in Manila, Cebu had its own regional Cebu Carnival or Cebu Petit Carnival. Cebu Carnivals ran from 1914 through 1941.

The Carnival festivities included commercial and industrial exhibits, and entertainment such as circus, ferris wheel and other rides, parades, vaudeville shows, balls, performances, and Carnival Queen events.

It was the Carnival Queen element however that grabbed people’s imagination and which is still remembered. The Carnival Queens evoked glamour, opulence, and they had a mystique that stayed with them all their lives. These Queens were treated with deference accorded to politicians and other dignitaries. My mother, Concepion Alesna Cuenco, who was Cebu’s Carnival Queen of 1931, had articles written about her carnival days even when she was in her 80s.

The candidates for Carnival Queen were nominated by newspapers, institutions, or districts; judging was done by either ballot system or by judges. They were chosen for their good-looks, proper breeding, accomplishments; most, if not all, came from influential and wealthy Cebu families... Continue reading in PF link. 

 

Angeles Noel, 1935 Cebu Carnival Queen 

Read more

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard Official Website: 

https://ceciliabrainard.com  

Tags: #Manilacarnival #Philippinecarnival #cebucarnival #MissCebu Cebu beauty queens, Carnival queens of Cebu 


Monday, February 14, 2022

World War Two Hero Cebu -- Alfonso Escaño Corominas Sr.

 

Alfonso E. Corominas with his son Alfonso Jr. 

WORLD WAR TWO HERO - Alfonso Escaño Corominas, Sr. 

Another World War Two hero from Cebu is Alfonso Escaño Corominas, Sr., who, with his two brothers (Manuel and Eduardo), was executed  by the Japanese.

Alfonso was the son of  Jose Corominas and Paz Escaño. He married Flora Abellana North and they had six children, including Assemblyman Alfonso Corominas Jr. (Baby).

 Alfonso's granddaughter, Maritoni Corominas, who used to discuss the war and what happened to Alfonso Sr. to her grandmother Flora and father Victor North Corominas, shares this account:

 Alfonso secretly supported the guerrillas by providing them with food, medicine, and other supplies. A Japanese collaborator pointed Alfonso out to the Japanese. Aware that he had been betrayed, Alfonso brought his family to the mountain area in San Fernando, Cebu. The Japanese went to the home of the parents of Alfonso. Fearing for the lives of his parents, Alfonso gave himself up. The Japanese imprisoned him at the Cebu Normal School, which was the Kempetai Headquarters. He was imprisoned with two or three other men. His siblings would bring him food, but they later learned the Japanese had starved him. 

During this time the Americans had started bombing Cebu and during a bombing, part of Alfonso's prison cell was destroyed. Other prisoners managed to escape but Alfonso did not leave for who fear of his parents' lives. 

The Japanese took him and another prisoner to an area near Miller Hospital where they had to dig their own graves. They were shot and buried there. Alfonso was martyred on August. 11, 1944. 

After the bombing, Flora (his wife) looked for his body. It took her two years of searching until she found the driver of the vehicle that had brought the prisoners to their execution site. Flora was able to identify his remains from a ring and his bone structure. He was interred at the old San Nicolas Church on T. Padilla St. in Cebu.  

https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/opinion/2016/08/03/1609531/assemblyman-alfonso-baby-n-corominas-jr

Flora North Corominas, wife of Alfonso

Photos of Alfonso Carominas Sr. holding Alfonso Jr. and Flora North are courtesy of  Julius Anthony Corominas

Read more

 World War Two Heroes in Cebu Philippines

Capt. Federico Arias Reyes 

 https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/03/world-war-two-hero-cebu-federico-reyes.html 

Alfonso Escaño Corominas, Sr.

https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-war-two-hero-alfonso-escano.html

Dr. Colonel Emilio Veloso Osmeña

https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-war-two-in-cebu-dr-col-emilio.html 

Conrado Colina Tudtud

https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-war-two-in-cebu-conrado-colina.html

James M. Cushing

https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-war-two-in-cebu-james-m-cushing.html

 Herbert Zipper

 https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/01/remembering-dr-herbert-zipper-world-war.html 

 Cecilia Manguerra Brainard Official Website: 

https://ceciliabrainard.com  

 tags: #Philippines #pacificwar #WWII #Worldwartwo #Philippinewar #Cebuwar

 

World War II Hero Cebu - Dr. Col. Emilio Veloso Osmeña

 


WORD WAR II CEBU HERO, Dr. Emilio Veloso Osmeña

Dr. Emilio Veloso Osmeñwas the son of President Sergio Suico Osmeña and Estefania Rosales Chiong-Veloso. Born in 1906, he was a physician and had the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the USAFFE before the war. When war broke out, he was active in the guerilla movement in Cebu. He was executed by the Japanese Imperial Army in 1942. 

 Dr. Emilio Osmeña was married to Maria Luisa Oriol Renner (Mary Renner, who was of German-American background, and whose family owned the "Elite Bakery" which was established in the 1920s and eventually managed by the couple . Emilio and Mary were parents of Senator John Henry (Sonny) Osmeña, Governor Emilio Mario (Lito) Osmeña, Jr.,and Annie Osmeña (who married Luis Aboitiz). 

During World War II, Emilio Osmeña was beheaded by the Japanese for refusing to cooperate with them. He reportedly was fingered by a Cebuano collaborator for aiding the guerrilleros. He was brought to the Cebu Normal College, headquarters of the Kempetai and scene of many brutal executions by the Japanese. 


A street -- Dr. Emilio Osmeña St-- was named in Cebu Philippines to honor this war hero. 

https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/opinion/2014/01/27/1283432/dr-emilio-osmea-st-cebu-city

Here is a photo of the hero during happier days. He had been Consort to Manila Carnival Queen of 1930.

 


Read more

World War Two Heroes in Cebu Philippines

Capt. Federico Arias Reyes

 https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/03/world-war-two-hero-cebu-federico-reyes.html

Alfonso Escaño Corominas, Sr.

https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-war-two-hero-alfonso-escano.html 

Dr. Colonel Emilio Veloso Osmeña

https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-war-two-in-cebu-dr-col-emilio.html 

Conrado Colina Tudtud

https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-war-two-in-cebu-conrado-colina.html 

James M. Cushing

https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-war-two-in-cebu-james-m-cushing.html

  Herbert Zipper

 https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/01/remembering-dr-herbert-zipper-world-war.html

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard Official Website: 

https://ceciliabrainard.com  

tags: #Pacificwar #Worldwar2 #worldwarII #Cebuworldwar2  #Cebu #philippines #battleofcebu #bataandeathmarch


World War II Hero Cebu - Conrado Colina Tudtud

 


 WORLD WAR II CEBU HERO - Conrado Colina Tudtud

Tudtud Street in Cebu was named after Cebuano CONRADO COLINA TUDTUD, a World War Two hero who spied on the Japanese and gave information to the Filipino Guerrillas and Americans.

Owner of Conrad's Ice Drop factory, he also provided employment to many ice drop distributors including the legendary boxer Flash Elorde. 

https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/opinion/2013/11/11/1255453/conrado-c-tudtud-street-cebu-city

https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Conrado_Colina_Tudtud

 Read more

World War Two Heroes in Cebu Philippines

Capt. Federico Arias Reyes 

 https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/03/world-war-two-hero-cebu-federico-reyes.html

Alfonso Escaño Corominas, Sr.

https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-war-two-hero-alfonso-escano.html

Dr. Colonel Emilio Veloso Osmeña

https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-war-two-in-cebu-dr-col-emilio.html 

Conrado Colina Tudtud

https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-war-two-in-cebu-conrado-colina.html

James M. Cushing

https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-war-two-in-cebu-james-m-cushing.html

  Herbert Zipper

 https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/01/remembering-dr-herbert-zipper-world-war.html

 Cecilia Manguerra Brainard Official Website: 

https://ceciliabrainard.com  

 #wwii #worldwartwo #pacificwar #battleofcebu #bataandeathmarch

World War II Hero Cebu - James M. Cushing & Plan Z

 


I'll be doing writeups focusing on World War Two in Cebu where I was born and raised.  Here's the first one.

WORLD WAR II HERO CEBU - JAMES M.  CUSHING & PLAN Z 

Lt. Col. James M. Cushing, head of the guerrilla movement in Cebu, came across highly important Japanese plans in early 1944. Called Plan Z, these
documents were recovered when 2 Japanese planes crashed near Cebu. The planes carried important Japanese military officers -- Koga and Fukudome. Koga died but Fukudome survived the crash.
Cushing had to turn in Fukudome to the Japanese who killed many Cebuanos and threatened to kill more unless Cushing released him. Cushing did, but he kept the documents.
The Japanese documents turned out to be top secret military plans. After great difficulty, Cushing managed to get the documents to his superiors in Brisbane who figured out that the Japanese planned to give it their all at the next battle in the Mariannas.
The American discovery of these top secret plans turned the War in the Pacific and hastened Japanese defeat.
The following account is by a historical archivist, worth the read.


Read more:

World War Two Heroes in Cebu Philippines 

Capt. Federico Arias Reyes 

 https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/03/world-war-two-hero-cebu-federico-reyes.html

Alfonso Escaño Corominas, Sr.

https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-war-two-hero-alfonso-escano.html

Dr. Colonel Emilio Veloso Osmeña

https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-war-two-in-cebu-dr-col-emilio.html

Conrado Colina Tudtud

https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-war-two-in-cebu-conrado-colina.html

James M. Cushing

https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-war-two-in-cebu-james-m-cushing.html

         Herbert Zipper

 https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2022/01/remembering-dr-herbert-zipper-world-war.html

 Cecilia Manguerra Brainard Official Website: 

https://ceciliabrainard.com  

Tags: #worldwar2 #worldwarII #pacificwar #Cebuworldwartwo #jamescushing #jimcushing #battleofcebu #bataandeathmarch