Before the Cebu Provincial Government transferred to the current location of the Capitol, the provincial governor held office at the Casa de Gobierno or the Casa Provincial across the Plaza Independencia.
Lucy Urgello Miller said in her book “Glimpses of Old Cebu: Images of the Colonial Era” that the location of the Casa de Gobierno is, at the time of the publication of her book in 2010, now an empty space near the Trans Asia building.
OLD CAPITOL. This photo shows the Casa Provincial where Cebu’s governors and other provincial officers held office. It was located on what was then known as Calle de los Trece Martires, now M. J. Cuenco Avenue. According to the photo file, you can see at the far end the Colegio Parvulos del Santo Niño Jesus. (Photo from the Medalle Collection and used with permission of the Cebuano Studies Center of the University of San Carlos.)
Another view of the Casa Provincial. (Photo from the Medalle Collection and used with permission of the Cebuano Studies Center of the University of San Carlos.)
The current Cebu Capitol was completed in 1938. According to Miller, her aunt told her about the strong opposition to its location, which was considered remote then. Her aunt told her radio commentators made fun of the location, saying that only monkeys from the hills near the building would attend the sessions held at the new capitol.
“REMOTE LOCATION.” A photo of the Capitol taken in 1940. When it was being built, people criticized the location of the new Capitol building. Radio commentators made fun of it saying that it was so remote only monkeys from the hills behind it would attend the sessions in the building. (Photo from the Medalle Collection and used with permission of the Cebuano Studies Center of the University of San Carlos.)
