Her children would have wanted it private, but Lourdes dela Rama-Osmeña’s burial this afternoon would be anything but low key.
Roses and flowers surround the Osmeña matriarch’s coffin inside the Sacred Heart Church in D. Jakosalem Street.
At the foot of the coffin stood a life-size portrait of Lourdes dela Rama-Osmeña dancing in a yellow Filipiniana dress that was done by National Artist Fernando Amorsolo.
The remains of Lourdes who died in a hospital in Bacolod City last Sunday was brought to Cebu City shortly after 3 p.m. yesterday for an overnight vigil.
She will be buried at the Osmeña mausoleum today after a 10 a.m. requiem Mass.
Vice President Jejomar Binay and other national officials close to the Osmeña family are expected to attend her burial.
Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district said they would have wanted to make their mother’s wake as private as possible since she was a very private person.
“I don’t know how it got out of hand,” he said.
He said the siblings agreed to bury Lourdes at the Osmeña family mausoleum with their father, Serging Jr. and grandfather Serging Sr. for their convenience.
“Serge and Minnie wanted it here because we do not have access to Iloilo. We do not even know where our grandfather’s grave is,” he said.
The Osmeña matriarch’s coffin arrived at the Toledo wharf from San Carlos City, Negros Oriental, at 1 p.m. yesterday accompanied by her youngest daughter Georgia Osmeña and former senator John Henry “Sonny” Osmena.
From Toledo City, her coffin was brought to Rolling Hills Mandaue City and then brought to the Sacred Heart church in Jakosalem Street.
Flowers from President Benigno Aquino III, former president Joseph Estrada and Sen. Jingoy Estrada among others line the sides of the Sacred Heart church.
The flowers that were no longer accommodated inside, including those sent by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, were placed outside near the church’s main entrance.
Friends, barangay officials and supporters came to the Sacred Heart church to pay their respects to the Osmeña matriarch.
Among those present were Makati Rep. Teddy Locsin, Liberal Party Cebu chairperson Hilario “JunJun” Davide III, businessman Gus Go, Joel Yu and former north district rep. Raul del Mar.
About 20 Cebu City government scholars enrolled with the University of Cebu (UC) also visited the wake to offer roses to Lourdes.
Groups of senior citizens also came to pay their respect to Lourdes.
Epifania Factolerin, Maura Vercide and Magdalena de Famu were also among those who attended the wake. Rep. Osmeña said the three elder women used to be his “yayas (babysitters).”
The three women said they stayed in Bacolod City and served Lourdes until she died.
While people crowded the church, three men worked on the sides to arrange flowers to adorn her coffin.
They arranged locally grown violet-and-yellow -colored million flowers worth P50 per stem, which they would use to surround Lourdes’ coffin.
They also had roses placed below Lourdes’ portrait.
Two stems of orchids from Holland worth at least P2,000 each would also be placed on top of her coffin.
Georgia Osmeña said the life-sized painting at the foot of their mother’s coffin is one of two done by Amorsolo.
“She had two life-size paintings by Amorsolo and in her paintings she is dancing. She loves to dance,” she said.
Rep. Osmeña said since people were coming, the family had to accommodate them.
Councilor Margot Osmeña even had a food station set up on one side of the church grounds for their guests.
Cebu City Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young asked the City Council to attend the one-night wake.
He also recalled his meeting with the family matriarch when her son was included as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) awardees in Manila in 1990.
“There were only three of us in Manila—Tommy, me and Lourdes—and I was their photographer. She was very shy and tried to get away from the crowd,” Young said.
The Cebu City police designated personnel to secure the vigil at the Sacred Heart until the burial procession at Osmeña mausoleum in barangay Lorega at noon today.