Jose S. Reyes

Jose S. Reyes was a Filipino writer and poet.

He was born to Chino Cristiano Alfonso Reyes Lim Guia, a Chinese migrant from the port province of Amoy (now Fujian)–and his second wife, the former Baldomera Sesbreño, a native Buluseña, daughter to Cabeza D. Catalino Galve Sesbreño and the former D. Felipa Gabito Gabales.

Going deeper into his ancestry—his great grandparents were Cleto Sesbreño and Damiana Galve, and Sabino Gabales and Bernabela Gallos (Gabito in some entries).

He was baptized on December 14, 1899 at the Parish Church of St. James the Greater in Bulusan, Sorsogon.

Jose, or “Peping,” to friends, family, and contemporaries, he was the sixth of the 11 children from the union of Alfonso and Baldomera. His elder siblings were Juan (the first Juan S. Reyes; died an infant), Maria, Juana (died an infant), Guillermo (died an infant), and Juan (the second Juan S. Reyes; would be Sorsogon Governor from 1929 to 1931). His younger siblings were Rosalio (died an infant), Pedro, Concepcion, Dominador, and Jayme.

He would later become a “pensionado” and would obtain his doctorate degree from Columbia University in New York. In 1923, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for his degree at Columbia, he wrote the book, “The Legislative History of America’s Economic Policy Toward the Philippines.”

He was delegate to the 1935 Constitutional Convention, a one-time Minister of Public Instruction, member of the Philippine Independence Mission, and Executive Secretary to Philippine President Sergio Osmeña from 1945 to 1946. He would also become the first and youngest dean of the University of the Philippines in Cebu.

Dr. Reyes wrote other books and speeches, held other key positions both in the public and private sectors, and had other achievements which we shall report on in detail, as primary and secondary sources would allow.

In Bulusan, his most lasting legacy would be what was originally founded as Bulusan Institute in 1950, and what is now known as Jose S. Reyes Memorial Foundation, Inc., the pioneer secondary school in town.

This notable son of Bulusan joined our Creator 4 October 1974. There are streets in Bulusan, Sorsogon City, and Cebu City that have been named after him.

New Philippines: A Book on the Building Up of a New Nation (1934), by Felixberto Bustos and Abelardo Fajardo (p. 259)

Our Delegates to the Constitutional Assembly: English-Spanish (1935, p. 483-484)

Encyclopedia of the Philippines: The Library of Philippine Literature, Art and Science, Volume 9: Builders of the New Philippines (1936, p. 524, Image 234)

Cornejo’s Commonwealth Directory of the Philippines (1939), by Miguel Cornejo (p. 2058)

Marriage certificate