View source for Sergio Osmeña

{{Short description|President of the Philippines from 1944 to 1946}}
{{About|former President of the Philippines|the municipality|Sergio Osmeña, Zamboanga del Norte|his son|Sergio Osmeña Jr.|his grandson|Sergio Osmeña III}}
{{Philippine name|Osmeña|ph=natural}}
{{Use Philippine English|date=May 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image               = Sergio_Osmena_photo.jpg
| office              = 4th [[President of the Philippines]]
| alongside           = [[Jose P. Laurel]] <small>(1944–1945)</small>{{efn|Until 1945, Laurel served as President of the [[Second Philippine Republic]], while Osmeña served as the president of the [[Government in exile of the Commonwealth of the Philippines|government in exile]].}}
| term_start          = August 1, 1944
| term_end            = May 28, 1946
| predecessor         = [[Manuel L. Quezon]]<br />[[Jose P. Laurel]] (''de facto'')
| successor           = [[Manuel Roxas]]
| office2             = 1st [[Vice President of the Philippines]]
| president2          = [[Manuel L. Quezon]]
| term_start2         = November 15, 1935
| term_end2           = August 1, 1944
| predecessor2        = ''Position established''
| successor2          = [[Elpidio Quirino]]
| office3             = 2nd [[Secretary of Health (Philippines)|Secretary of Public Instruction, Health, and Public Welfare]] <br />{{small| in concurrent capacity as Vice President of the Philippines}}
| president3          = [[Manuel L. Quezon]]
| term_start3         = December 24, 1941
| term_end3           = August 1, 1944
| predecessor3        = [[Juan Nolasco (politician)|Juan Nolasco]]{{efn|as Secretary of Public Instruction, Health, and Public Welfare}}<br>Jorge Bocobo{{efn|as Secretary of Public Instruction}}
| successor3          = Mariano Eraña{{efn|as Secretary of Justice, Labor and Welfare}}<br>[[Basilio Valdes]]{{efn|as Secretary of Health and Public Welfare}}<br>[[Carlos P. Romulo]]{{efn|as Secretary of Public Instruction and Information}}
| office4             = [[Secretary of Education (Philippines)|Secretary of Public Instruction]] <br />{{small| in concurrent capacity as Vice President of the Philippines}}
| president4          = [[Manuel L. Quezon]]
| term_start4         = November 15, 1935
| term_end4           = April 18, 1939
| predecessor4        = ''Position established''{{efn|The position was last held by Americans, including [[Fred Atkinson (educator)|Fred Atkinson]], the first General Superintendent.}}
| successor4          = Jorge Bocobo
| office5             = 2nd [[President pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines|Senate President pro tempore of the Philippines]]
| term_start5         = October 27, 1922
| term_end5           = July 16, 1934
| predecessor5        = [[Espiridion Guanco]]
| successor5          = [[José Clarín]]
| office6             = [[Senator of the Philippines]] from the [[Philippines's 10th senatorial district|10th]] district
| term_start6         = June 6, 1922
| term_end6           = November 15, 1935
| alongside6          = <br>[[Celestino Rodriguez]] <small>(1922–1925)</small> <br />[[Pedro Rodríguez (politician)|Pedro Rodriguez]] <small>(1925–1931)</small><br />[[Manuel Briones]] <small>(1931–1935)</small>
| predecessor6        = [[Filemon Sotto]]
| successor6          = ''Position abolished''
| office7             = [[Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives#List of Speakers|1st]] [[Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives]]<br><small>''Speaker of the [[Philippine Assembly]] (1907–1916)''</small>
| term_start7         = October 16, 1907
| term_end7           = February 11, 1922
| predecessor7        = ''Office created''
| successor7          = [[Manuel Roxas]]
| office8             = Member of the [[House of Representatives of the Philippines|Philippine House of Representatives]] from [[Cebu]]'s [[Cebu's 2nd congressional district|2nd]] district<br /><small>''Member of the [[Philippine Assembly]] (1907–1916)''</small>
| term_start8         = October 16, 1907
| term_end8           = June 6, 1922
| predecessor8        = ''Office created''
| successor8          = [[Vicente Sotto]]
| office9             = 3rd [[Governor of Cebu]]
| term_start9         = 1904
| term_end9           = October 16, 1907
| predecessor9        = [[Juan Climaco|Juan F. Climaco]]
| successor9          = [[Dionisio Jakosalem|Dionisio A. Jakosalem]]
| birth_name          = Sergio Osmeña
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1878|9|9}}
| birth_place         = [[Cebu City|Cebu]], [[Cebu]], [[Captaincy General of the Philippines]], [[Spanish East Indies]] <!-- Cebu then was not yet a city -->
| death_date          = {{death date and age|1961|10|19|1878|9|9}}
| death_place         = [[Quezon City]], Philippines
| resting_place       = [[Manila North Cemetery]], [[Santa Cruz, Manila|Santa Cruz]], [[Manila]], Philippines
| party               = [[Nacionalista Party|Nacionalista]] (1907–1961)
| alma_mater          = [[Colegio de San Juan de Letran]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|AB]])<br />[[University of Santo Tomas]] ([[Bachelor of Laws|LL.B]])
| profession          = [[Lawyer]], [[soldier]]
| nationality         = <!-- use only when necessary per [[WP:INFONAT]] -->
| citizenship         = <!-- use only when necessary per [[WP:INFONAT]] -->
| spouse              = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Estefania Chiong Veloso|1901|1918|reason=her death}}
* {{marriage|[[Esperanza Osmeña|Esperanza Limjap]]|1920}}
}} <!-- Sergio Osmeña died in 1961, so that marriage ended with his death, no need to put here -->
| children            = 13 (including [[Sergio Osmeña Jr.|Sergio Jr.]])
| signature           = Sergio Osmena autograph.svg
<!--Military service-->| nickname            = 
| allegiance          = {{Flagicon|First Philippine Republic}}[[First Philippine Republic]]<br />{{Flagicon|Philippine Commonwealth}}[[Philippine Commonwealth]]
| branch              = [[Philippine Revolutionary Army]]<br />[[Philippine Commonwealth Army]]
| serviceyears        = 1899–1900<br />1941–1945
| rank                = [[Commander-in-Chief]]
| unit                = 
| commands            = 
| battles             = [[Philippine–American War]]<br />[[World War II]]<br />* [[Philippines campaign (1941–1942)|Philippines Campaign (1941–1942)]]<br />* [[Japanese occupation of the Philippines|Japanese Occupation of the Philippines (1942–1945)]]<br />* [[Philippines Campaign (1944–45)|Philippines Campaign (1944–1945)]]
| awards              = 
}}

'''Sergio Osmeña Sr.''' {{Post-nominals|post-noms=[[Philippine Legion of Honor|CCLH]]}} ({{IPA|es|ˈseɾxjo osˈmeɲa|lang}}, {{IPA|tl|ˈsɛɾhjo ʔosˈmɛɲa|lang}}; {{zh|c=吳文釗|poj=Gô͘ Bûn-chiau}}; September 9, 1878 – October 19, 1961) was a [[Filipino people|Filipino]] lawyer and politician who served as the [[List of presidents of the Philippines|fourth]] [[President of the Philippines]] from 1944 to 1946. He was [[Vice President of the Philippines|Vice President]] under [[Manuel L. Quezon]]. Upon Quezon's sudden death in 1944, Osmeña succeeded him at age 65, becoming the oldest person to assume the Philippine presidency until [[Rodrigo Duterte]] took office in 2016 at age 71. A founder of the [[Nacionalista Party]], Osmeña was also the first [[Visayan]] to become president.

Prior to his accession in 1944, Osmeña served as governor of [[Cebu]] from 1906 to 1907, member and first [[speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives]] from 1907 to 1922, and senator from the [[Philippines's 10th senatorial district|10th senatorial district]] for thirteen years, in which capacity he served as [[President pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines|Senate president pro tempore]]. In 1935, he was nominated to be the running-mate of Senate President [[Manuel L. Quezon]] for the [[1935 Philippine presidential election|presidential election that year]]. The duo were overwhelmingly re-elected in [[1941 Philippine presidential election|1941]].

He was the patriarch of the prominent Osmeña family, which includes his son, former Senator [[Sergio Osmeña Jr.]], and his grandsons, former senators [[Sergio Osmeña III]] and [[John Henry Osmeña]], ex-governor [[Lito Osmeña]], and former [[Cebu City]] mayor [[Tomas Osmeña]].

==Early life and education==
Osmeña was born on September 9, 1878, in the then-[[Municipalities of the Philippines|municipality]] of [[Cebu City|Cebu]] in [[Cebu (province)|Cebu]]. His biological father was Don Antonio Sanson, a socially prominent and wealthy [[Chinese people|Chinese]] ''mestizo'' businessman and haciendero known for his vast landholdings throughout Cebu. Sanson came from one of Cebu's oldest and most illustrious families.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-03-08 |title=Who are the Sansons of Cebu? |url=https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/153533/who-are-the-sansons-of-cebu/ |access-date=2023-06-23 |website=Lifestyle.INQ |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Mayol |first1=Ador Vincent |title=DNA test reveals ex-President Sergio Osmeña's father |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1779447/dna-test-reveals-ex-president-sergio-osmenas-father |access-date=6 June 2023 |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=5 June 2023 |language=en}}</ref> His mother, Juana Osmeña y Suico (born in 1858 or 1859 – died in 1941), was reportedly 20 years old at the time.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Seares |first1=Pachico A. |title=How old was Juana Osmeña when she gave birth to Sergio Osmeña Sr.: 14, 16 or 20? Other takeaways from 'Big Reveal': father of Cebu's Grand Old man was Antonio Sanson who, Tomas Osmeña says, could've been convicted of statutory rape. Juana 'must have inspired' single moms. |url=https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1963250/cebu/local-news/explainer-how-old-was-juana-osmentildea-when-she-gave-birth-to-sergio-osmentildea-sr |access-date=6 June 2023 |work=SunStar Cebu |date=6 June 2023 |language=en}}</ref> However, since Sanson was already married to another woman, Osmeña was considered [[illegitimate]]. As a result, he took on his mother's surname.<ref>{{cite news |title=Who is late president Sergio Osmeña's real father? |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/who-is-late-president-sergio-osmena-real-father/ |access-date=5 June 2023 |work=Rappler |date=4 June 2023}}</ref><ref name=esquire-real-father>{{Cite web |url=https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/sergio-osmena-real-father-antonio-sanson-pedro-gotiaoco-a00304-20230602 |title=DNA Test Reveals President Sergio Osmena's Real Father Was Antonio Sanson, Not Pedro Gotiaoco |work=Esquire Philippines |access-date=June 2, 2023 |archive-date=June 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602204902/https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/sergio-osmena-real-father-antonio-sanson-pedro-gotiaoco-a00304-20230602 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Osmeña was secretive of his parentage. He would frequent Sanson's farm in [[Borbon, Cebu|Borbon]], suggesting he was aware of the identity of his real father.<ref>{{cite news |title=Who is late president Sergio Osmeña's real father? DNA test cracks the mystery after many years |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/content/871953/who-is-late-president-sergio-osmena-s-real-father-dna-test-cracks-the-mystery-after-many-years/story/ |access-date=5 June 2023 |work=GMA News |date=4 June 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

The Osmeña family, a rich and prominent clan of [[Chinese Filipino]] heritage with vast business interests in Cebu, warmed to him as he established himself as a prominent figure in local society.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/09/26/1955126/fact-check-sergio-osmea-was-actually-first-chinese-filipino-senator/amp/ |title=Fact check: Sergio Osmeña was actually the first Chinese Filipino senator |website=[[The Philippine STAR]] |date=September 26, 2019 |access-date=February 2, 2023 |archive-date=February 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202232858/https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/09/26/1955126/fact-check-sergio-osmea-was-actually-first-chinese-filipino-senator/amp/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Osmeña received his elementary education at the [[University of San Carlos|Colegio de San Carlos]] and graduated in 1892. Osmeña continued his education in [[Manila]], studying in [[San Juan de Letran College]] where he first met [[Manuel L. Quezon]], a classmate of his, as well as [[Juan Sumulong]] and [[Emilio Jacinto]]. He took up law at the [[University of Santo Tomas]] and placed second in the 1903 bar examination. He served on the war staff of General [[Emilio Aguinaldo]] as a courier and journalist. In 1900, he founded the Cebu newspaper ''El Nuevo Día'' (English: 'The New Day') which lasted for three years.

==Public service in Cebu==
When [[Cebu (province)|Cebu]] Governor Juan Climaco was sent as a member of the Board of Commissioners of the St. Louis Purchase Expedition, Osmeña was appointed acting governor. When Climaco returned, he was appointed as provincial fiscal. His stint there elevated him in politics when he was elected governor of Cebu in 1906.

==Congressional career==
[[File:Liongson, Osmena, Quezon, Recto.jpg|thumb|left|Osmeña (seated, left) and [[Manuel L. Quezon]] (seated, right) during their early years]]
[[File:Don Sergio Osmeña Sr.jpg|thumb|left|210px|Osmeña as Speaker of the [[Philippine Assembly]]]]

===House of Representatives===
While governor, he successfully ran for a seat in the first [[Philippine Assembly]] inaugurated in 1907 and was elected as its first [[Speaker (politics)|Speaker]]. Osmeña was 29 years old and already the highest-ranking Filipino official. He and another provincial politician, [[Manuel L. Quezon]] of [[Quezon|Tayabas]], set up the [[Nacionalista Party]] as a foil to the [[Federalist Party (Philippines)|Partido Federalista]] of Manila-based politicians. During his speakership, members of the assembly sought to initiate policies that constantly clashed with the opinions of American superiors in the [[Philippine Commission]] that ultimately did not pass. Three important bills from the assembly were rejected by the Philippine Commission.
# the repeal of the sedition law which imposed penalties on any Filipino who advocated independence;
# the repeal of the flag law which banned display of the [[Flag of the Philippines|Filipino flag]];
# the grant of more powers to the local governments.

The Americans' authority did not stop the assembly under him from initiating transformative legislation that would come to pass. These included the creation of a Council of State and a Board of Control that enabled the Philippine legislature to share some of the executive powers of the American [[Governor-General of the Philippines|governor-general]].

=== Quezon-Osmeña alliance ===
Osmeña was friends and classmates with [[Manuel L. Quezon]], who was the [[Majority Floor Leader of the House of Representatives of the Philippines|majority floor leader of the Philippine Assembly]] under Osmeña's speakership. When the Jones Law was passed, Quezon was elected as [[Senate President of the Philippines|Senate president]] and Osmeña remained speaker.

===Senate===
In 1922, Osmeña was elected to the [[Senate of the Philippines|Senate]] representing the [[Philippines's 10th senatorial district|10th senatorial district]]. He went to the United States as part of the [[OsRox Mission]] in 1933, to secure passage of the [[Hare–Hawes–Cutting Act|Hare–Hawes–Cutting Independence Bill]], which was superseded by the [[Tydings–McDuffie Act]] in March 1934.

== Vice-presidency (1935–1944) ==
[[File:Osmena.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Osmeña as vice president of the Philippines]]
Osmena was inaugurated vice-president, along with Quezon as president, on November 15, 1935. Quezon had originally been barred by the Philippine constitution from seeking re-election. However, in 1940, constitutional amendments were ratified allowing him to seek re-election for a fresh term ending in 1943. In the 1941 presidential elections, Quezon was re-elected over former Senator Juan Sumulong with nearly 82% of the vote. Re-elected in 1941, Osmeña remained vice president during the Japanese occupation when the government was in exile. As vice-president, Osmeña concurrently served as [[Department of Education (Philippines)|secretary of public instruction]] from 1935 to 1940, and again from 1941 to 1944.

The outbreak of World War II and the Japanese invasion resulted in periodic and drastic changes to the government structure. Executive Order 390, December 22, 1941, abolished the Department of the Interior and established a new line of succession. Executive Order 396, December 24, 1941, further reorganized and grouped the cabinet, with the functions of secretary of justice assigned to the chief justice of the Supreme Court.

==Quezon-Osmeña impasse==
By 1943, the Philippine government-in-exile was faced with a serious crisis.<ref name=autogenerated1>Molina, Antonio. ''The Philippines: Through the centuries''. Manila: University of Santo Tomas Cooperative, 1961</ref> According to the amendments to the 1935 Constitution, Quezon's term as president was to expire on December 30, 1943, and Vice-President Sergio Osmeña would automatically succeed him to serve out the remainder of term until 1945. This eventuality was brought to the attention of Quezon by Osmeña himself, who wrote the former to this effect. Aside from replying to this letter informing Osmeña that it would not be wise and prudent to effect any such change under the circumstances, Quezon issued a press release along the same line. Osmeña then requested the opinion of [[U.S. Attorney General|U.S. attorney general]] [[Homer Cummings]], who upheld Osmeña's view as more in keeping the law. Quezon, however, remained adamant. He accordingly sought U.S. president [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s decision. The latter chose to remain aloof from the controversy, suggesting instead that the Philippine officials themselves solve the impasse. A cabinet meeting was then convened by Quezon. Aside from Quezon and Osmeña, others present in this momentous meeting were Resident Commissioner Joaquin Elizalde, Brig. Gen. [[Carlos P. Romulo]], and Cabinet Secretaries Andres Soriano and Jaime Hernandez. Following a spirited discussion, the Cabinet adopted Elizalde's opinion favoring the decision and Quezon announced his plan to retire in California.

After the meeting, however, Osmeña approached Quezon and broached his plan to ask the [[U.S. Congress]] to suspend the constitutional provisions for presidential succession until after the Philippines should have been liberated. This legal way out was agreeable to Quezon and the members of his Cabinet. Proper steps were taken to carry out the proposal. Sponsored by Senator Tydings and Congressman Bell, the pertinent Joint Resolution No. 95 was unanimously approved by the [[United States Senate|Senate]] on a [[voice vote]] and passed the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] by a vote of 181 to 107 on November 12, 1943.

== Presidency  (1944–1946) ==
{{See also|List of executive orders by Sergio Osmeña}}
{{Infobox President styles
|name=Sergio Osmeña
|image = [[File:Coat of arms of the Philippines (1935–1940, 1941–1946).svg|100px]]
|dipstyle= [[His Excellency]]
|offstyle= Your Excellency
|altstyle= Mr. President
}}
Osmeña became president of the Commonwealth on Quezon's death in 1944. He was sworn in by Associate Justice Robert Jackson in Washington, D.C. on August 1. Osmeña delivered his inaugural speech on August 10.<ref>{{Cite speech |date=August 10, 1944 |title=Inaugural Address of President Sergio Osmeña, August 10, 1944 |url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1944/08/10/inaugural-address-of-president-sergio-osmena-august-10-1944/ |access-date=May 20, 2021 |publisher=[[Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines]]}}</ref>

[[File:Sergio Osmena inauguration.jpg|thumbnail|Vice President Osmeña taking the oath of office to become the fourth president of the Philippines and the second president of the Philippine Commonwealth after the passing of [[Manuel L. Quezon]]]]
[[File:President Sergio Osmeña and his Cabinet.jpg|thumb|President Osmeña (seated, center) with members of his cabinet, circa 1944]]

===Administration and cabinet===
{{Main|List of cabinets of the Philippines#Sergio Osmeña (1944–1946)}}

===Liberation===
[[File:MacArthur, Kenney and Sutherland.jpg|thumb|Off [[Leyte]], October 1944
Left to right: Lieutenant General [[George Kenney]], Lieutenant General [[Richard K. Sutherland]], President Sergio Osmeña, General [[Douglas MacArthur]].]]
[[File:Douglas MacArthur lands Leyte1.jpg|thumb|President Sergio Osmeña together with General [[Douglas MacArthur]] during the historic landing at [[Leyte]] in 1944.]]
Osmeña accompanied U.S. General Douglas MacArthur during the landing of U.S. forces in Leyte on October 20, 1944, starting [[Philippines Campaign (1944–1945)|the liberation of the Philippines]] during the Second World War. Upon establishing the beachhead, MacArthur immediately transferred authority to Osmeña, the successor of Manuel Quezon, as Philippine Commonwealth president.

===Domestic policies===

====Restoration of the Commonwealth====
With [[Manila]] liberated,<ref name=autogenerated1/> [[General of the Army]], [[Douglas MacArthur]], on behalf of the United States, turned over the reins of government of the Philippines to Commonwealth president Sergio Osmeña, on February 27, 1945, amidst brief, but impressive, ceremonies held at the [[Malacañang Palace]]. Osmeña, after thanking the United States through General MacArthur, announced the restoration of the Government of the [[Commonwealth of the Philippines]] and worked out the salvation of the Philippines from the ravages of war.<ref name=autogenerated1/>

====Government reorganization====
Osmeña proceeded with the immediate reorganization of the government and its diverse dependencies. On April 8, 1945, he formed his Cabinet, administering the oath of office to its component members. Later, Osmeña received the Council of State to help him solve the major problems confronting the nation. Government offices and bureaus were gradually reestablished. A number of new ones were created to meet needs then current. Also restored were the [[Supreme Court of the Philippines]] and the inferior courts. The [[Court of Appeals]] was abolished, and its appellate jurisdiction was transferred to the Supreme Court, the members of which were increased to eleven – one [[Chief Justice|chief justice]] and ten [[Associate Justice|associate justice]]s – in order to attend to the new responsibilities. Slowly but steadily, as the liberating forces freed the other portions of the country, provincial and municipal governments were established by the Commonwealth to take over from the military authorities.<ref name=autogenerated1/>

====Rehabilitation of the Philippine National Bank====
Following the restoration of the Commonwealth government, Congress was reorganized. [[Manuel Roxas]] and [[Elpidio Quirino]] were elected as [[President of the Senate of the Philippines|Senate president]] and [[President pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines|Senate president pro tempore]], respectively. In the House of Representatives, [[Jose Zulueta]] of [[Iloilo]] was elected as [[Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines|speaker]] and Prospero Sanidad as Speaker pro tempore. The opening session of the Congress was personally addressed by Osmeña, who reported on the Commonwealth government-in-exile and proposed vital pieces of legislation.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

The first Commonwealth Congress earnestly took up the various pending assignments to solve the pressing matters affecting the [[Philippines]], especially in regard to relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. The first bill enacted was Commonwealth Act No. 672 – rehabilitating the Philippine National Bank.<ref name=autogenerated1/>

====People's court====
Yielding to American pressure, on September 25, 1945, the Congress enacted Commonwealth Act No. 682 creating the People's Court and the Office of Special Prosecutors to deal with the pending cases of "collaboration".<ref name=autogenerated1/>

===Foreign policies===

====United Nations Charter====
Osmeña sent the Philippine delegation, which was headed by [[Carlos P. Romulo]], to the San Francisco gathering for the promulgation of the [[Charter of the United Nations]] on June 26, 1945. Other members of the delegation were Maximo Kalaw, [[Carlos P. Garcia]], Pedro Lopez, Francisco Delegado, Urbano Zafra, Alejandro Melchor, and Vicente Sinco. The 28th signatory nation of the United Nations, the Philippines was one of the fifty-one nations that drafted the UN Charter. Once approved by Philippine delegation, the UN Charter was ratified by the Congress of the Philippines and deposited with the U.S. State Department on October 11, 1945.<ref name=autogenerated1/>

====Foreign Relations Office====
To prepare for the forthcoming independent status of the Philippines, Osmeña created the Office of Foreign Relations.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Vicente Sinco was appointed as its first commissioner, with cabinet rank. In this connection, Osmeña also entered into an agreement with the [[United States Government|United States government]] to send five Filipino trainees to the U.S. State Department to prepare themselves for diplomatic service. They were sent by U.S. State Department to the United States embassies in Moscow and [[Mexico City]] and consulates in [[Saigon]] and [[Singapore]].<ref name=autogenerated1/>

====International banking====
On December 5, 1945, Osmeña appointed Resident Commissioner [[Carlos P. Romulo]] as his representative to accept Philippine membership in the [[International Monetary Fund]] and in the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which bodies had been conceived in the Bretton Woods Agreement, in which the Philippine had also taken part. Romulo signed said membership on December 27, 1945, on behalf of the Philippines.<ref name=autogenerated1/>

====Bell Trade Act====
On April 30, 1946, the [[United States Congress]], at last, approved the [[Bell Act]], which as early as January 20 had been reported to the Ways and Means Committee of the lower house, having been already passed by the Senate. Osmeña and Resident Commissioner Romulo had urged the passage of this bill, with United States High Commissioner, [[Paul V. McNutt]], exerting similar pressure.

The Act gave the Philippines eight years of free trade with the United States, then twenty years during which [[tariff]]s would be upped gradually until they were in line with the rest of the American tariff policy. The law also fixed some quotas for certain products: sugar – {{convert|850,000|LT}}; [[Rope|cordage]] – {{convert|6,000,000 |lb}}; [[coconut oil]] – {{convert|200000|LT}}; cigars – {{convert|200,000,000|lb}}. This aid was coupled with that to be obtained from the recently passed Tydings Damage bill, which provided some nine hundred million dollars for payment of war damages, of which one million was earmarked to compensate for church losses. The sum of two hundred and forty million dollars was to be periodically allocated by the United States president as good will. Also, sixty million pieces of surplus property were transferred to the Philippines government.<ref name=autogenerated1/>

===1946 presidential election===
{{main|1946 Philippine presidential election}}
Soon after the reconstitution of the Commonwealth government in 1945, Senators [[Manuel Roxas]], [[Elpidio Quirino]] and their allies called for an early national election to choose the president and vice president of the Philippines and members of the Congress. In December 1945, the House Insular Affairs of the [[United States Congress]] approved the joint resolution setting the date of the election on no later than April 30, 1946.

Prompted by this congressional action, Osmeña called the [[Congress of the Philippines|Philippine Congress]] to a three-day special session. Congress enacted Commonwealth Act No. 725, setting the date of the election on April 23, 1946. The act was signed by Osmeña on January 5, 1946.
 
Three parties presented their respective candidates for the different national elective positions. These were the [[Nacionalista Party]]{{spaced ndash}}Conservative (Osmeña) wing, the [[Liberal Party (Philippines)|Liberal wing]] of the Nacionalista Party and the Partido Modernista. The Nacionalistas had Osmeña and Senator [[Eulogio Rodriguez]] as their candidates for president and vice president, respectively. The Modernistas chose Hilario Camino Moncado and Luis Salvador for the same positions. The standard bearers of the Liberals were Senators Manuel Roxas and Elpidio Quirino. On January 3, 1946, Osmeña announced his re-election bid. On January 22, 1946, Eulogio Rodriguez was nominated as Osmeña's running mate for vice president, in a convention held at Ciro's Club in Manila. According to the ''Manila Chronicle'':<blockquote>The convention opened at 10:15 a.m. when the acting secretary of the party, Vicente Farmoso, called the confab to order. Congressman [[José E. Romero|José C. Romero]] [''sic''], who delivered the keynote speech accused Senate President Manuel Roxas and his followers "of fanning the flames of discontent among the people, of capitalizing on the people's hardship, and of minimizing the accomplishment of the [Osmeña] Administration. These men with the Messiah complex have been the bane of the country and of the world. This is the mentality that produces Hitlers and the Mussolinis, and their desire to climb to power. they even want to destroy the party which placed them where they are today."</blockquote>

<blockquote>Senator [[Carlos P. Garcia]], who delivered the nomination speech for President Sergio Osmeña, made a long recital of Osmeña's achievements, his virtues as public official and as private citizen.</blockquote>
[[File:Osmena Statue.jpg|thumb|A statue of Osmeña in front of the Osmeña Museum in [[Cebu City]].]]
<blockquote>Entering the convention hall at about 7:30 p.m., President Osmeña, accompanied by the committee on notification, was greeted with rounds of cheer and applause as he ascended the platform. President Osmeña delivered his speech which was a general outline of his future plans once elected. He emphasized that as far as his party is concerned, independence is a close issue. It is definitely coming on 4 July 1946<ref>Celso G. Cabrera. "Rodriguez is Nominated as Osmeña's Running-Mate", ''Manila Chronicle'', 22 January 1946, pg. 2</ref></blockquote>

On January 19, 1946, Senator Roxas announced his candidacy for president in a convention held in Santa Ana Cabaret in [[Makati]], [[Rizal (province)|Rizal]]. According to the ''Manila Chronicle'':<blockquote>...more than three thousand (by conservative estimate there were only 1,000 plus) delegates, party members and hero worshipers jammed into suburban, well known Santa Ana Cabaret (biggest in the world) to acclaim ex-katipunero and Bagong Katipunan organizer Manuel Acuña Roxas as the guidon bearer of the Nacionalista Party's Liberal Wing. The delegates, who came from all over the Islands, met in formal convention from 10:50&nbsp;am and did not break up till about 5:30&nbsp;pm.</blockquote>

<blockquote>They elected 1. [[Mariano Jesus Cuenco|Mariano J. Cuenco]], professional Osmeñaphobe, as temporary chairman; 2. [[José Avelino]] and ex-pharmacist Antonio Zacarias permanent chairman and secretary, respectively; 3. nominated forty-four candidates for senators; 4. heard the generalissimo himself deliver an oratorical masterpiece consisting of 50 per cent attacks against the (Osmeña) Administration, 50 per cent promises, pledges. Rabid Roxasites greeted the Roxas acceptance speech with hysterical applause.<ref>"Conventions Climax Hectic Week", ''Manila Chronicle: "This Week"'', 27 January 1946, pg. 3</ref></blockquote>

Osmeña tried to prevent the split in the Nacionalista Party by offering Senator Roxas the position of Philippine Regent Commissioner to the United States but Roxas turned down the offer. A new political organization was born, the Liberal wing of the Nacionalista Party, which would later become the [[Liberal Party (Philippines)|Liberal Party]] of the Philippines.

A total of 2,218,847 voters went to the polls to elect a president and vice president. who were to be the Commonwealth's last and the Republic's first. Four days after election day, the Liberal Party candidates were proclaimed victors. Roxas registered an overwhelming majority of votes in 34 provinces and nine cities: [[Abra (province)|Abra]], [[Agusan (province)|Agusan]], [[Albay]], [[Antique (province)|Antique]], [[Bataan]], [[Batanes]], [[Batangas]], [[Bukidnon]], [[Bulacan]], [[Cagayan]], [[Camarines Norte]], [[Camarines Sur]], [[Capiz]], [[Cavite]], [[Cotabato (province)|Cotabato]], [[Ilocos Norte]], [[Ilocos Sur]], [[Isabela (province)|Isabela]], [[Laguna (province)|Laguna]], [[La Union]], [[Leyte]], [[Marinduque]], [[Mindoro (province)|Mindoro]], [[Misamis Oriental]], [[Negros Occidental]], [[Nueva Vizcaya]], [[Palawan]], [[Pangasinan]], [[Rizal (province)|Rizal]], [[Romblon]], [[Samar]], [[Sorsogon]], [[Sulu Province|Sulu]], [[Surigao (province)|Surigao]], [[Quezon|Tayabas]], [[Zambales]], [[Manila]], [[Quezon City]], [[Bacolod]] (Negros Occidental), [[Iloilo City]] (Iloilo), [[Baguio]] (Mountain Province), [[Zamboanga City]] (Zamboanga), [[Tagaytay]] (Cavite), [[Cavite City]] (Cavite) and [[San Pablo, Laguna|San Pablo]] (Laguna).

== Post-presidency and death (1946–1961) ==
[[File:Osmena Tomb.jpg|thumb|Tomb of Sergio Osmeña]]
After his electoral defeat, Osmeña retired to his home in [[Cebu City]]. He died of [[pulmonary edema]] at age 83 on October 19, 1961, at the [[Veterans Memorial Medical Center]] in [[Quezon City]]. President [[Carlos P. Garcia]] declared October 20 to November 3 as "[[national day of mourning|period of national mourning]]," wherein all flags in the country are flown at [[half-mast]] as a sign of mourning.<ref>{{cite PH act|chamber=PP|number=799, s. 1961|url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1961/10/19/proclamation-no-799-s-1961/|title=Declaring a Period of National Mourning Over the Death of Former President Sergio Osmeña|date=October 19, 1961|accessdate=October 3, 2023|publisher=[[Official Gazette (Philippines)|Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines]]}}</ref>

Osmeña was accorded a [[state funeral]]. On October 20, 1961, his remains [[lie in state|lay in state]] at [[Malate Church]] in [[Manila]] before being transferred to Malacañang. On October 22, these were transported to [[Cebu City]] to lie in state at the [[Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral]] and, on the next day, at the [[Cebu Provincial Capitol]]. These were then returned to Manila to lie in state at Malacañang once again from October 24 to 25, followed by a necrological service for Osmeña at the [[National Museum of Fine Arts (Manila)|Legislative Building]] until October 26. His remains were buried at [[Manila North Cemetery]] at noon of October 26.<ref>{{cite speech|date=October 26, 1961|accessdate=October 3, 2023|first=Carlos P.|last=Garcia|author-link=Carlos P. Garcia|title=Funeral Oration of President Garcia at the Necrological Service for Ex-President Sergio Osmeña|url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1961/10/26/funeral-oration-of-president-garcia-at-the-necrological-service-for-ex-president-sergio-osmena/|publisher=[[Official Gazette (Philippines)|Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sergio Osmeña's tomb |url=https://sea.lib.niu.edu/islandora/object/SEAImages%3ASCLPH283 |website=Southeast Asia Digital Library |publisher=Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois University |access-date=June 27, 2022 |archive-date=June 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627172342/https://sea.lib.niu.edu/islandora/object/SEAImages:SCLPH283 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="death">{{Cite web |url=https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-27185-14292-50?cc=1410394&wc=9Z7C-HZQ:25272501,114827101,25271303,25316401 |title=Sergio Osmena Sr.'s Death Certificate |website=[[FamilySearch]] |access-date=January 29, 2015 |archive-date=June 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610214848/https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-27185-14292-50?cc=1410394&wc=9Z7C-HZQ:25272501,114827101,25271303,25316401 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="gazette">{{cite web|url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1961/10/30/official-week-in-review-october-22-october-28-1961/|title=Official Week in Review: October 22 – October 28, 1961|date=October 30, 1961|accessdate=October 3, 2023|website=[[Official Gazette (Philippines)|Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/sergio-osmena-funeral-program/Osmen%CC%83a-Funeral%20Program_djvu.txt|title=Full text of "Sergio Osmeña's Funeral Program"|accessdate=October 3, 2023|website=Archive.org|date=February 12, 1961 }}</ref>

==2023 paternity test==
For almost a century, the father of Sergio Osmeña had not been certain. Historical records has suggested that either Chinese immigrant and businessman Pedro Lee Gotiaoco or another businessman Antonio Sanson could have been the former president's father.  In 2023, Osmeña's descendants Maria Lourdes Bernardo and Annabelle Osmeña-Aboitiz launched a paternity project to determine the father of their ancestor. [[Y-DNA testing]] was conducted and in June 2023, Sanson was determined to be Sergio Osmeña's biological father.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Martinez |first1=Ralph |title=Paternity project reveals Don Sergio Osmeña's biological father |url=https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1963010/cebu/local-news/paternity-project-reveals-don-sergio-osmenas-biological-father |access-date=5 June 2023 |work=Sunstar |date=3 June 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

==Personal life==
[[File:The_Osmeña_Family_at_Malacañang_Palace_c._1945.jpg|thumb|President Osmeña and his family strolling in the Malacañang Palace gardens in 1945.]]

===Family===
*On April 10, 1901, he married Estefania Chiong Veloso,<ref>{{cite web |title=Estefania Chiong Veloso |url=https://sea.lib.niu.edu/islandora/object/SEAImages%3ASCLPH287 |website=Southeast Asia Digital Library |publisher=Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois University |access-date=June 27, 2022 |archive-date=June 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627174137/https://sea.lib.niu.edu/islandora/object/SEAImages:SCLPH287 |url-status=live }}</ref> and the couple had ten children: Nicasio, Vicenta, Edilberto, Milagros, Emilio, Maria Paloma, Jesus, Teodoro, José, and [[Sergio Osmeña Jr.|Sergio Jr.]]
*In January 1920, two years after the death of his first wife, Osmeña married [[Esperanza Osmeña|Esperanza Limjap]]. They had three children, namely, Ramón, Rosalina and Victor.

===Descendants===
Several of Osmeña's descendants became prominent political figures in their own right:
*[[Sergio Osmeña Jr.]], son and former Senator
*[[Sergio Osmeña III]], grandson and former Senator
*[[John Henry Osmeña]], grandson, former congressman, former Senator, and former mayor of [[Toledo, Cebu]]
*[[Tomas Osmeña]], grandson, former mayor of [[Cebu City]], former congressman
*[[Emilio Mario Osmeña]], grandson and former governor of Cebu
*Rogelio Veloso Osmeña, grandson and former Councilor of [[Cebu City]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Jingjing Osmeña dies at 68 |url=https://www.sunstar.com.ph/more-articles/jingjing-osmena-dies-at-68 |website=Sun Star PH |date=June 16, 2010 |access-date=February 11, 2024 }}</ref>
*Renato Veloso Osmeña, grandson and former vice mayor of [[Cebu City]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Former VM Osmeña passes away |url=https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/cebu-news/2014/05/30/1329029/former-vm-osmea-passes-away |website=Philippine Star |publisher=the Philippine Star |access-date=February 17, 2023 |archive-date=February 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230217124836/https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/cebu-news/2014/05/30/1329029/former-vm-osmea-passes-away |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* Cullinane, Michael, ''Ilustrado Politics: Filipino Elite Responses to American Rule, 1898–1908'', Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2004, {{ISBN|971-550-439-6}}
*{{cite book|author=Zaide, Gregorio F.|title=Philippine History and Government|publisher=National Bookstore Printing Press|year=1984}}

==External links==
{{Wikisource author}}
{{Commons category|Sergio Osmeña}}
*[http://www.pangulo.ph The Philippine Presidency Project]
*[http://philippines-archipelago.com/people/presidents/sergio_osmena.html Philippines-Archipelago (Sergio Osmeña)]
*[http://wn.com/sergio_osmena Sergio Osmeña] at WN
*[http://malacanang.gov.ph/presidents/commonwealth/sergio-osmena/ Sergio Osmeña on the Presidential Museum and Library] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041620/http://malacanang.gov.ph/presidents/commonwealth/sergio-osmena/ |date=March 4, 2016 }}
*[https://sea.lib.niu.edu/islandora/object/SEAImages%3ASCLPH270 Sergio Osmeña during the dedication of the Memorial presented by the Filipino people to William Atkinson Jones | Southeast Asia Digital Library]
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