One of the most notable sons of Silay was the late Sen. Jose Corteza Locsin. He was born on August 27, 1891 in Silay to parents from Molo, Iloilo who were one of the pioneers in the sugar industry in Negros Occidental. Locsin obtained his bachelor of arts degree at the Liceo de Manila in 1907 and at the age of 21, graduated at the University of Santo Tomas as a Doctor of Medicine.
He had a successful medical practice in Silay and he also became the President of the Philippine Medical Association in 1938 and 2939. He also held several elected and appointed positions in government.
- Municipal Councilor of Silay
- Member of the Provincial Board (1922-1924)
- Governor of Negros Occ. (1925-1928)
- Congressman (1928-1931)
- Delegate to the 1935 ConCon
- Secretary of Health (1945)
- Senator of the Republic of the Philippines (1951-1957).
Sen. Jose C. Locsin is considered the “Father of the Filipino First” policy. In a speech delivered to the Manila Jaycees in 1958, the then Chairman of the National Economic Council said,
“The owner of a house, if hospitable like the Filipinos, reserves the best room of the house, the best furnished and most comfortable, as a guest room, but he retains the rest.”
Last Cinco de Noviembre celebrations in Silay City, we were invited by Solo Locsin, a grandson of the late senator to their ancestral house for lunch.
The house was built in the 1930s in Art Deco architecture. The family still retained most of the original furniture of the house. There were Amorsolo portraits of the late senator’s parents as well as pictures of the late senator with different Philippine presidents. It was during his term as senator that Pres. Carlos Garcia signed Republic Act 1621 in June 12, 1957 making Silay the second town in Negros Occidental to become a city.
The late senator had 18 children with his first wife Salvacion and 2 children with second wife Delia. Only 17 children from his first wife survived. His son Julio Cesar died of tuberculosis when he was only 4 years old. The late senator was stricken by grief he had the body mummified and commissioned Guillermo Tolentino to create a metal bust of Julio Cesar. The bust can be found on the steps going to the second floor of the ancestral house and his tomb at the Silay Catholic Cemetery, although empty, can still grab attention with its haunting statue. It was one of the tombs that caught our attention is our Silay Cemetery tour last year.
These ancestral houses in Silay were home to some of the country’s notable personalities and through their homes,we get a glimpse into their private lives. Thanks to Solo for welcoming us into their home and for the bits and pieces we learned about the late Sen. Jose Locsin.
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Sources: www.senate.gov.ph, Dr. Jose Locsin y Corteza Facebook Page