Celestino Rodriguez
{{Short description|Filipino politician (1872–1955)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{family name hatnote|Rodriguez|Lasala|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Celestino Lasala Rodríguez
| honorific_prefix = The Honorable
| image = Senator Celestino Rodriguez Official Portrait.png
| caption = Official portrait, {{circa|1917}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1872|5|11}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1955|||1872|5|11}}
| profession = Lawyer
| nationality = Filipino
| birth_place = Bogo, Cebu, Captaincy General of the Philippines
| alma_mater = {{hlist|Ateneo de Manila|La Universidad Central de Madrid}}
| office = Senator of the Philippines from the 10th district
| term_start = October 16, 1916
| term_end = June 2, 1925
| predecessor = Position established
| successor = Pedro Rodríguez
| office2 = Member of the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from Cebu's 1st district
| term_start2 = June 9, 1945
| term_end2 = May 25, 1946
| predecessor2 = Tereso Dosdos
| successor2 = Jovenal Almendras
| office3 = Member of the National Assembly from Cebu's 1st district
| term_start3 = September 16, 1935
| term_end3 = December 30, 1938
| predecessor3 = Tereso Dosdos
| successor3 = Tereso Dosdos
| office4 = Member of the Philippine Assembly from Cebu's 1st district
| term_start4 = 1907
| term_end4 = 1912
| predecessor4 = Position established
| successor4 = Gervasio Padilla
| office5 = Municipal President of Cebu
| vicepresident5 = Luciano Bacayo
| term_start5 = 1905
| term_end5 = 1907
| predecessor5 = Florentino Rallos
| successor5 = Luciano Bacayo
| relations = {{hlist|Buenaventura Rodriguez|Jose V. Rodriguez|Pedro Rodriguez}}
| native_name =
| party = Nacionalista
}}
Celestino Rodríguez y Lasala (May 11, 1872 – 1955){{cite web|url=https://www.geni.com/people/Celestino-Rodr%C3%ADguez/6000000186009694178|title=Don Celestino Rodríguez y Lasala|website=Geni.com|accessdate=January 9, 2024}} was a Filipino lawyer and politician from Cebu, Philippines. He served as member and deputy in the Philippine Assembly (1907–1912), as senator (1916–1922), member of the 1st National Assembly (1935–1938), and 1st Congress of the Commonwealth in 1945.
Early life
He was born to parents José Francisco Rodríguez Álvarez, a Spaniard from San Esteban de Molleda, Asturias,Spain and Vicenta Lasala in Bogo, Cebu on May 11, 1872, coming from a wealthy Bogo family with extensive landholdings in the northern sugar-belt towns of the province.{{Cite book |last=Sidel |first=John Thayer |title=Capital, Coercion, and Crime: Bossism in the Philippines |date=1999 |publisher=Stanford University Press |isbn=0-8047-3745-2 |location=Stanford, California |language=en}} He married his cousin Ignacia Lasala and had four children. At Ateneo de Manila, he acquired a bachelor's degree in 1892 and a law degree from the Universidad Central de Madrid in 1900.{{Cite web |title=Celestino Rodriguez |url=https://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/former_senators/celestino_rodriguez.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510211342/https://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/former_senators/celestino_rodriguez.htm |archive-date=May 10, 2019 |access-date=May 16, 2019 |website=Senate of the Philippines}}
Career
File:Senator Celestino Rodriguez (Philippine Education).jpg
Passing the bar and having been called to the bench in 1902, he practiced law as his main profession.
In 1904, Rodriguez first became the municipal president of Cebu. In 1907, he was elected to the Philippine Assembly as member of the 1st Philippine Legislature representing Cebu's 1st district, then was reelected for the 2nd Philippine Legislature in 1910 until 1912,{{Cite web |title=Roster of Philippine Legislators |url=http://www.congress.gov.ph/legislators/?v=members |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514011714/http://www.congress.gov.ph/legislators/?v=members |archive-date=May 14, 2019 |access-date=May 17, 2019 |website=House of Representatives}} and would become deputy.{{Cite book |last=Mojares |first=Resil B. |title=The History of Cebu, Philippines |date=2014 |publisher=Provincial Government of Cebu with the assistance of the University of San Carlos |isbn=978-971-9972-23-5 |location=Cebu City |oclc=953176470}} The Philippine Assembly was organized to pave the way for independence from the American rule.{{Cite web |date=September 5, 2012 |title=The History of the First Philippine Assembly (1907-1916) |url=https://nhcp.gov.ph/the-history-of-the-first-philippine-assembly-1907-1916/ |access-date=March 20, 2022 |website=National Historical Commission of the Philippines |archive-date=November 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112201309/https://nhcp.gov.ph/the-history-of-the-first-philippine-assembly-1907-1916/ |url-status=dead }} He became the first representative of the old first district of Cebu, which included the towns of Bogo, Borbon, Catmon, Danao, Pilar, Poro, San Francisco, Sogod, Tabogon, and Tudela.
Later, Rodriguez was elected senator and served in the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Legislatures, from 1916 until 1925.{{Cite web |title=List of Previous Senators |url=https://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/senlist.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530111410/https://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/senlist.asp |archive-date=May 30, 2019 |access-date=May 17, 2019 |website=Senate of the Philippines}} At the time, the country was divided into 12 senatorial districts, with each district voting two senators;{{Cite web |title=History of the Senate |url=https://www.senate.gov.ph/about/history.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530111539/http://senate.gov.ph/about/history.asp |archive-date=May 30, 2019 |access-date=May 17, 2019 |website=Senate of the Philippines}} Rodriguez represented Cebu, which was the 10th district.
Rodriguez was voted as a member of the 1st National Assembly, representing Cebu's first district, from 1935 to 1938. He then served in the 1st Congress of the Commonwealth after the war in 1945.
Historical commemoration
- Named Waling Waling Street previously and located within the Capitol compound, the Don Celestino Rodriguez Street was named in his honor by virtue of City Ordinance No. 635.{{Cite news |last=Oaminal |first=Clarence Paul |date=March 10, 2014 |title=Don Celestino Rodriguez St., Cebu City |work=The Freeman |department=Cebupedia |url=https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/the-freeman/20140310/282080569768769 |access-date=March 20, 2022 |via=PressReader}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Cebu House Representatives}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez, Celestino}}
Category:20th-century Filipino lawyers
Category:Ateneo de Manila University alumni
Category:People from Bogo, Cebu
Category:Senators of the 4th Philippine Legislature
Category:Senators of the 6th Philippine Legislature
Category:Filipino city and municipal councilors
Category:Members of the Philippine Legislature
Category:Senators of the 5th Philippine Legislature
Category:Members of the National Assembly of the Philippines
Category:People from the Spanish East Indies
Category:Members of the Senate of the Philippines from the 10th district