Playing with fire

By: Jobers R. BersalesMarch 06,2014 - 11:00 AM

Summer is just around the corner and once again Cebu, like the
rest of the country will most probably experience a spike in the
number of fires, intended or not this month. It is thus no wonder
that March has always been designated by the Bureau of Fire
Protection as National Fire Prevention Month.

Before the inauguration of the Buhisan Dam and Fuente

Osmeña in 1912, one imagines how futile it must have been to
put out fires with just a small tank of water and a hand pump.
When the revolution against Spain finally spread to Cebu in
April 1898, the business district, also called Ermita, was razed
and destroyed by bombardment from the Spanish ship Maria
Cristina. All that people could do was to run away from the
battle scene, as it were. Rebuilding proceeded in earnest after
the Americans occupied Cebu, widening some of the old
Spanish-era carriage roads, and aligning others especially that
of Colon Street. Still, then as now, fires persisted nonetheless.

At 9 o’clock in the morning of Dec. 8, 1902, for example, two

Chinese laborers overturned a lamp at one of the shops where
they worked while stabbing at each other.
What started probably as a simple squabble over a pretty
Cebuana resulted in a dreary and sad Christmas for shop
owners, mostly Chinese in the four blocks of the Lutao district
that were destroyed (roughly where La Nueva and Prince
Warehouse Club near Cebu City Hall are right now). The loss
was valued at more than a million dollars.

Sadly, two Chinese shopkeepers, not the original two culprits,

were killed while trying to save their money from burning
buildings which expectedly were made of light materials.

Some time in the middle of March 1905, another big fire

destroyed much of the commercial district of Cebu with a loss
also estimated at more than a million dollars at the time. Once
again, the fire started at one of the small Chinese shops,
resulting in the destruction of the waterfront warehouses owned
by the wealthy Mariano Veloso.

Also destroyed were the commercial establishments of Kuenzle

and Streiff, J.H. Kipp and Co., MCLeod and Co., and Richter
and Co. as well as that of the 20th Century Bazaar. All buildings
facing Infante Belasco de Garay, Alzaro, Nueva Victoria and
Felipe II streets, all of them around the blocks along what is
today known as M.C. Briones, D. Jakosalem and Magallanes
streets. Macleod and Co. lost its warehouse which had hemp
valued at US $180,000 stored inside. Kerr and Company also
suffered heavy losses as did many Chinese firms with shops full
of stocks of merchandise.

Fortunately, many of these companies had been insured,

knowing full well that, without fire hydrants and a steady supply
of water (that would come only with the inauguration of Buhisan
Dam in 1912) fires were a sure formula for bankruptcy.

As if to pressure Engr. Eusebius J. Halsema to quickly finish the

design of Buhisan Dam, another fire broke out at the business
section of Cebu on Dec. 31, 1909. Once again, Chinese shop
owners bore the brunt of the damage. The fire started at one of
the Chinese eateries in the business section and for some
nerve-wracking moments, threatened to devour the rest of the
city because almost everything in its path were shops
constructed of light materials.

The local fire department could do nothing but watch until the
fire died down hours later.

The last conflagration before the inauguration of the Buhisan

Dam and the provision of water direct to household faucets
occurred around the first week of August 1911. Damage to the
business district was placed at half-a-million dollars. Arson was
suspected and a well-known Chinese businessman was
arrested on suspicion of burning his store in order to cash in on
his insurance claims.

Probably the most deadly of the fires that struck Cebu during
the American colonial period happened in Opon on Christmas
eve of 1926 at a theater owned by the Philippine Refining Co.
The fire happened at 8 o’clock in the evening while about a
thousand persons were attending a show. The first started at
the projection room where the film being shown caught fire.

I have personally experienced some moments in my childhood

when films being shown did catch fire but would be quickly put
out, amidst the audience booing and shouting in the darkness
while repairs on the projector and the film were done quickly.

In the 1920s, unfortunately, movie houses and projection rooms

were all made of wood, a favorite fuel of fires. Had it not been
for the quick thinking of an American named Barnum (perhaps
related to the circus mogul in America?) who opened a hole in
one of the theater walls with an ax, the death toll  would have
been much higher, although the demise of 13 lives was still
unfortunate. Loss was valued at P25,000 but the theater was
insured. Unfortunately, the victims were probably not.

Despite the destruction that fire has historically wrought, we

never learn our lessons from the past. I can only hope that the
time will come when the month of March as National Fire
Prevention Month will be nothing more than a memory and our
firefighters shall have more time to rest instead of being on their
toes all the time during  the most fire-prone month of the year.

Read more: https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/22801/playing-with-
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Buhisan Dam is a dam located in Buhisan, Cebu City, Philippines. It is one of

the main source of water for Cebu City and Metro Cebu. Part of Central Cebu
Protected Landscape, Buhisan Dam is situated in the mountains of Barangay
Buhisan behind Labangon, Cebu. Built in 1911-1912 and maintained by the
Metro Cebu Water District, it is being developed into an eco-tourism location. It
supplies five percent of Metropolitan Cebu Water District's (MCWD) current
water capacity.

History
Because of the lack of potable water in Cebu, a cholera outbreak began to
spread in the early 1900s which killed 559 people in the city which then had a
population of 55,000, or about 1% of its population. A destructive fire in 1906
which destroyed millions worth of properties also proved the need of enough
water supply for Cebu. Buhisan Dam was built to address devastating fires that
could again hit the city, and the need for a safe water supply during a cholera
outbreak.
The dam was first proposed by the Speaker of the Philippine Assembly, Sergio
Osmeña Sr. Osmeña then worked hard to obtain support from the Insular
Government for various infrastructure projects in Cebu, and one of these was
the Buhisan Dam.
The American Governor-General William Cameron Forbes supported Osmeña's
proposed project, and helped secure the P550,000 funds for the construction and
completion of the Dam. Forbes issued an executive order designating 5,590,000
square meters of land in Labangon for the proposed watershed and reservoir.
As early as 1909, American engineer Eusebius Julius Halsema mapped the
contours of the entire watershed. The young Halsema (from whom the Halsema
Highway was named) was appointed by the Bureau of Public Works to
supervise the Cebu waterworks. Marcelo Veloso Regner, an engineer from
Cebu, was Halsema's assistant. The dam was then named Osmeña
Waterworks. In order to celebrate this breakthrough, a water fountain was then
built, which would now be known as the Fuente Osmeña Circle, which was also
named after the speaker who proposed the waterworks.
In 2011, Buhisan Dam celebrated its centennial. In August 2013, there was
concern about silting at the dam, which was at risk of overflowing. One source
reported that silting had reduced the dam's water capacity from 10,000 cubic
meters per day to 6,000 cubic meters per day. After flooding in 2013, safety
concerns were raised regarding the dam. MCWD officials state that the dam is
stable, but needs to be desilted so it can hold more water. A primitive warning
bell, essentially consisting of "an oxygen tank and a steel rod to hit it with" is
being used to alert residents of the barangay of Buhisan to evacuate in the event
that rising water levels reach the top of the dam.
The endangered "Cebu small worm skink" (Brachymeles cebuensis) may live
near the dam.

CEBU NEWS

Buhisan Dam, Fuente

Osmeña mark 100 years
-

February 12, 2012 | 12:00am

CEBU, Philippines - A marker unveiling and a ceremony commemorating the
inauguration of Cebu’s waterworks system will mark the 100th anniversary of
the Buhisan Dam and Fuente Osmeña tomorrow, February 13, 2012.

 Located at the top of one of the mountain barangays in Cebu City, the
Buhisan Dam, which was completed on February 11, 1912, continues to be a
major source of water in the city.

 Built in January 3, 1911, the 27-meter high dam was seen to address the
devastating fires that destroyed millions worth of property in the city as well as
the deaths due to the lack of safe drinking water.

ADVERTISING

 A 1906 fire destroyed most of Cebu’s business district. Then in 1909, the
urgent need for a safe water supply was highlighted when Cebu suffered the
worst cholera outbreak in its history. The disease claimed the lives of 559
Cebuanos in a population of 55,000.

 Sergio Osmeña Sr., who was elected Speaker of the Philippine National
Assembly, worked hard to obtain support from the Insular Government for
infrastructure projects for Cebu. He collaborated with then governor Dionisio
Jakosalem.

 No less than Governor General William Cameron Forbes, who saw the need
for a waterworks project in Cebu, helped secure the P550,000 to fund the
project.

 With the petition of Municipal President of Cebu Vicente Teves and the
municipal board, Forbes issued an executive order declaring 5,590,000
square meters of land in Labangon for the proposed watershed and reservoir.

 Two Americans helped promote the project. Provincial health officer Dr.
Arlington Pond and civil engineer Harry Cameron, who was assigned by the
Bureau of Public Works to supervise the Cebu waterworks, which was called
Osmeña Waterworks upon its completion.
 It was in July 1909 when Cameron assigned engineer Eusebius Julius
Halsema to map the contours of the entire watershed. Halsema made rough
cost estimates for a dam and a pipeline connecting it to the distribution
reservoir, now known as the Tisa Filter Plant.

 By the end of January 1912, water was available on almost every block in
Cebu.

 In the afternoon of February 13, 1912, Forbes, Osmeña and other officials
arrived in Cebu for the official opening of the waterworks system. A ceremony
was held in a fountain, now known as Fuente Osmeña.

 Tomorrow, February 13, 2012, the Buhisan Dam centennial plaque will be
unveiled at the dam site at 8 a.m. by officials from the Metropolitan Cebu
Water District (MCWD), led by General Manager Armando Paredes, and
Cebu City Government officials.

By 10 a.m., there will be a ceremonial opening of the Fuente Osmeña to be

attended by Mayor Michael Rama, MCWD officials and US Consul John
Domingo.

 Cultural and Historical Affairs commissioners, descendants of government

officials who were behind the waterworks project in 1912 as well as city and
fire department officials and the consular corps will also be there.

 The event will be capped with the viewing of a miniature design of Cebu
City’s waterworks system to be led by MCWD Chairman Eligio Pacana and
the MCWD Board of Directors.  (FREEMAN)

A Short History of Cebu's Osmeña

Waterworks System
posted by Margaux Camaya, The Visual Traveler January 04, 2020
 Fuente Osmeña Fountain, American Colonial

William Cameron Forbes started working in the American

Colonial Period in 1904 as he was appointed by U.S. President
Theodore Roosevelt.

In 1909, he was named Governor-General by President Howard

Taft. He would serve as governor until 1913. One of his key
projects was to develop the waterworks system in the
Philippines. The cholera epidemic of 1909 hastened the decision
to go ahead with the projects. 

The year 1910 would be pivotal to the first waterworks project

in Cebu. It would be led by Harry F. Cameron of the Public
Works System in Central Visayas. His Chief Assistant was E.J.
Halsema who would design the dam and the reservoir. 

Halsema described the Buhisan project as such, "a concrete

dam 27 meters high that blocked the gorge and a long spillway
that allowed overflow water to escape safely when the gates in
the dam were raised. A pipeline over two kilometers long led to
a distribution reservoir through tunnels and viaducts. From this
reservoir, a pipeline over four kilometers long went to the
northern part of Cebu City. Over twenty-one kilometers of
pipes were laid to distribute water in the city."

The entire cost of the dam and reservoir project was pegged at
Php 550,000 in 1911. 
The Osmeña Waterworks System (Aguas Potables
de Osmeña) in Cebu will be completed by February 1912. It
brought piped water from the Buhisan Dam to Tisa, Labangon,
and then onwards to the other northern parts of Cebu City.

It was years later at the insistence of Manuel L. Quezon that

the Cebu Waterworks System would be named after Osmeña.

They tested the piped water coming from Buhisan Dam in Cebu
City through the newly-installed fire hydrants on January 3,
1912. The Cebu governor and other government officials were
on hand to be witnesses of this engineering marvel. 
 Buhisan Dam spillway

In her book, Life in Old Parian, Concepcion G. Briones detailed

the day of the inauguration on February 13, 1912. 
Governor-General Forbes arrived in Cebu to celebrate the
official opening of the Waterworks, a public holiday was
declared on that February day. Great fanfare, parades, and
speeches marked the special occasion. He was accompanied by
Cebu's leading politician, Sergio Osmena Sr. 

Cebu Governor Dionisio Jakosalem, Jaime C. de Veyra,

Venancio Concepcion, Isauro Gabaldon, Manuel Roa, Adolf
Wislizenus were just some of the politicians who welcomed and
accompanied the inauguration party. 

It was a jampacked day for Governor-General Forbes. Upon

arriving in Cebu, he proceeded to the Forbes bridge located on
Magallanes street to mark the opening to the public. The bridge
linked the city proper and the San Nicolas district. He then
visited the Buhisan Dam and reservoir, had a luncheon and
siesta. And in the afternoon watched a baseball game and
checked on the progress of the new Southern Islands Hospital.

The fountain that is now a familiar landmark in Fuente Osmeña

was the star of the celebration. Governor Forbes led the way in
turning on the fountain to signify that the Osmeña Waterworks
was now operational.

A grand ball in the evening culminated the day-long festivities. 

In his diary, Forbes wrote: "the water spurted high and the
spray carried right over the ladies. The American ladies were
seated in an open automobile near the speakers, surrounded
by the dense crowd, so that they couldn't get away but sat in
pleased surprise, getting wetter and wetter until the crowd
dashed forward and dragged the machine from its plight. I
think this incident pleased the populace more than the
speeches.
At that time in the early 1910s, the area where the Fuente
Osmena fountain was located was still considered no man's
land. It would become notorious because of a murder incident. 
 William Cameron Forbes was a lifelong bachelor

On the New Design Series/BSP Series (1985- 2017) of the

Philippine Currency, the fifty-peso note shows President Sergio
Osmeña Sr. on the obverse or front. And in one corner of the
banknote, the Fuente Osmeña fountain is depicted.

There were already American expatriates who lived and worked

in Cebu during this time. Most of them had positions in the
American Colonial Government. An example would be district
health officer, Dr. Arlington Pond. Most of the funds that were
used to finish the project came from American financing
through a bond issue that was floated in New York. It was
spearheaded by the International Banking Corporation, the
predecessor of Citibank, in the Philippines.

American engineer, Eusebius Julius Halsema, would oversee

numerous public works all over the Philippines. He supervised
both the construction of the Manila and Cebu waterworks
respectively. From 1919 onwards, he became mayor and city
engineer of Baguio. The Halsema highway that connects
Baguio to Bontoc was named in his honor.

Another trivia worth knowing: the father of National Artist for

Music, Lucrecia Kasilag, was Marcial Kasilag who was
among the pensionado returnees who became part of the team
of engineers under Halsema.

References:
Citibank: The Philippine Century (1902-2012)