Buenaventura Rodriguez

Buenaventura Perez Rodriguez (July 14, 1893 – December 9, 1940) was a playwright, the governor of Cebu, Philippines from 1937 until 1940, and a member of the House of Representatives for two terms. He was the first Cebu governor of the Philippine Commonwealth.

Early life and education The son of Filomeno Rodriguez and Ana Perez, Buenaventura Rodriguez was born in Bogo, Cebu on July 14, 1893 and studied at the Ateneo de Manila University, Colegio de San Carlos, and Escuela de Derecho. The prominent Rodriguez clan was based in Bogo and possessed extensive sugar landholdings in the northern part of Cebu. They traced their lineage and cultural ties to Spain and intermarried with Chinese mestizo families.

Playwright career Buenaventura was one of the popular playwrights in Cebuano language during the American occupation. Like his contemporaries, his works featured the theme of rising nationalism, The propaganda-laden play Salilang was a story of Rajah Hamabad's daughter and the two rivals competing for her love, one of whom was considered a foreigner and was deemed unfit for the chieftain's daughter's affection.

One other play that he wrote was El Muñeco Roto (The Broken Doll) and on 1915, Compañia de Zarzuela Española performed the play. He wrote zarzuelas including Inday that was staged at the Teatro Oriente on August 18, 1917.

Award For his novel, La Pugna, he was awarded the Premio Zobel (named after Don Enrique Zobel, an advocate of Spanish literature) On December 14, 1937, he defeated Sotto and was elected governor of Cebu province, becoming the first Cebu governor of the Philippine Commonwealth and to take office in the newly constructed Cebu Provincial Capitol that was inaugurated by then President Manuel L. Quezon on June 14, 1938. He died on December 9, 1940, a day before the election where he was seeking a second term as governor.

Historical commemoration

The B. Rodriguez Street in Cebu City was named after him. It stretches from the corner of V. Rama Avenue to Fuente Rotunda, along the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.