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<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources/osmena_in_washington.webp" alt="Sergio Osmeña Sr" />
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(Sergio Osmeña Sr.)
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<h3>
Early Life and Education
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Sergio Osmeña Sr. entered the world in a modest home on Osmeña Street (then Calle Progreso) in Cebu City, the illegitimate son of Juana Osmeña y Suico, a young widow. Raised by his mother in a single-parent household, Sergio's early years were shaped by humble circumstances and the absence of a father, whose identity remains a historical mystery. Despite these challenges, his mother instilled in him a fierce determination that would define his character.
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Osmeña's intellectual promise shone early. He attended the Seminario-Colegio de San Carlos (now the <a href="https://kahimyang.com/articles/2964/the-history-of-the-university-of-san-carlos-of-cebu" class="news_link">University of San Carlos</a>) in Cebu, where he excelled academically, earning a silver medal as the second-best student in his graduating class of 1892. Seeking further education, he moved to Manila to study law at the <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/2891/miguel-de-benavides-credited-as-founder-of-university-of-santo-tomas" class="news_link">University of Santo Tomas</a> (UST). There, he placed second in the bar examinations of 1903, trailing only <a href="https://kahimyang.com/articles/3007/today-in-philippine-history-october-24-1874-rafael-palma-was-born-in-tondo-manila" class="news_link">Rafael Palma</a> - a remarkable feat that underscored his legal acumen. His education was briefly interrupted by the Philippine-American War, during which he joined the revolutionary forces, but he resumed and completed his studies with distinction.
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September 9, 1878: Sergio Osmeña Sr was born in Cebu City