MAYOR CARLING CUIZON WAS ERMA’S FATHER

Writer-editor Erma Cuizon, who died at 81 last Nov. 9, had a city mayor for a father. Few people know that. Her obit didn’t mention she was a mayor’s daughter.

Her dad was Carlos J. Cuizon who served Cebu City as councilor (three terms), vice mayor (two terms) and replacement mayor (twice.) Carling ran for VM in 1959 and 1963 and won: in the first, he assumed as mayor when his mayor, Sergio Osmeña Jr. (Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s father) continued his term as congressman, which Serging won in 1958. In the second, he became mayor when in 1965 Serging ran for the Senate and won. Carling was listed as the 18th and 21st mayor of Cebu City (1960-63;1965-67).

Serging had this strategy of himself running for mayor to assure his political grip on the city but later on relinquishing the city to an ally so he could continue his activities in Manila. Eulogio “Yoyong” Borres was another mayor who had also served as replacement mayor.

What made Mayor Carling remarkable was, a Freeman column in 2013 said, “he entered public service a poor man and left it a poor man.”Last Nov. 13, Erma was buried beside Mayor Carling at Queen City Gardens in Cebu City.