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Jorge B. Vargas

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Filipino lawyer, diplomat and youth advocate In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Vargas and the second or maternal family name is Celis.

Jorge B. Vargas
Presiding Officer of the Philippine Executive Commission
In office
January 23, 1942 – October 14, 1943
Governor-GeneralMasaharu Homma
Shizuichi Tanaka
Shigenori Kuroda
Preceded byHimself
As Head of the Civilian Emergency Administration
Succeeded byJosé P. Laurel (as President)
Head of the Civilian Emergency Administration
In concurrent capacity with the mayoralty of Manila
In office
December 22, 1941 – January 23, 1942
Appointed byManuel L. Quezon
Succeeded byHimself
As Presiding Officer of the Philippine Executive Commission
1st Mayor of the City of Greater Manila
(10th Mayor of Manila)
In office
December 24, 1941 – January 26, 1942
Appointed byManuel L. Quezon
Deputy List
Preceded byPosition established (City of Greater Manila)
Juan Nolasco (as Mayor of Manila)
Succeeded byLeón Guinto
Secretary of National Defense
In office
December 11, 1941 – December 22, 1941
Appointed byManuel L. Quezon
Preceded byManuel L. Quezon
in concurrent capacity as President
Succeeded byBasilio Valdez
1st Executive Secretary of the Philippines
In office
January 30, 1936 – December 11, 1941
Appointed byManuel L. Quezon
Preceded byPost created
Succeeded byManuel Roxas
7th Vice Mayor of Manila
In office
January 1, 1932 – January 4, 1940
Appointed byManuel L. Quezon
MayorTomas Earnshaw (1932–1933)
Juan Posadas Jr. (1934–1940)
Preceded byIsabelo de los Reyes
Succeeded byCarmen Planas
Director General of the Philippine Carnival Association
In office
1921–1922
Preceded byVicente Morente
Succeeded byArsenio Luz
Personal details
BornJorge Bartolomé Vargas y Celis
(1890-08-24)August 24, 1890
Bago, Negros Occidental, Captaincy General of the Philippines, Spanish East Indies
DiedFebruary 22, 1980(1980-02-22) (aged 89)
Manila, Philippines
Political partyNacionalista
Other political
affiliations		KALIBAPI (1942–1945)
Spouse(s)Marina Yulo
Adelaida Montilla Peña
Children8
Parent(s)Ángel Tiongco Vargas (father)
Filomena Trinidad Celis (mother)
RelativesRicky Vargas (grandson)
Alma materUniversity of the Philippines Diliman (BA, LL.B)

Jorge Bartolomé Vargas y Celis (August 24, 1890 – February 22, 1980) was a Filipino lawyer, diplomat and youth advocate born in Bago, Negros Occidental, Philippines. He graduated valedictorian from Negros Occidental High School in 1909 and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1911 and a Bachelor of Law degree with honors in 1914, both from the University of the Philippines. He was a founding member of the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation (now the Philippine Olympic Committee) in 1911 and served in its executive committee in 1918. He served as its second chairman from 1935 to 1955. He was also the first Filipino member of the International Olympic Committee.

Early life and education

Vargas was born on August 24, 1890, in Bago, Negros Occidental, Philippines. He graduated valedictorian from Negros Occidental High School in 1909 and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1911 and a Bachelor of Law degree with honors in 1914, both from the University of the Philippines.

Career and founder

He was a founding member of the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation (now the Philippine Olympic Committee) in 1911 and served in its executive committee in 1918. He served as its second chairman from 1935 to 1955. He was also the first Filipino member of the International Olympic Committee.

Government service

Vargas and his daughter, 1943

After being admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1914, he was appointed as a law clerk for the Philippine Commission in 1915. He was promoted to the position of chief clerk of the Department of the Interior in 1917.

In 1918, he served as the legislative secretary to Speaker Sergio Osmeña of the House of Representatives.

In 1921, Vargas succeeded Vicente Morente as director-general of the Philippine Carnival Association which ran the Manila Carnival. He was succeeded by Arsenio Luz the following year.

In 1936, Vargas was appointed by President Manuel L. Quezon as his executive secretary, becoming the first in the country to serve in such a position.

When the Japanese invaded the country in 1941, Vargas was designated to the Department of National Defense as its secretary. A few weeks later, he was appointed by President Quezon as mayor of the City of Greater Manila in 1941. His responsibilities included administering the open city upon the arrival of occupational troops of the Imperial Japanese Army on January 2, 1942.

By 1942, Vargas became chairman of the Japanese-sponsored Philippine Executive Commission. During the collaborationist Second Philippine Republic, he was once asked by the Japanese to assume the Presidency, but he declined. He instead served as the regime's ambassador to Japan. In that position, he was quoted shortly before Japanese troops were driven from Manila as stating that "we know Japan is destined for sure victory and prosperity for ages to come."

Vargas served as chairman of the National Planning Commission from 1946 to 1954 and was a member of the Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines from 1961 to 1965. In 1960, the Philippines conferred on him the Legion of Honor with the rank of commander.

Scouting

Jorge B. Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center (UP Diliman)

Vargas involvement with scouting started in 1935 when he became a member of the executive board of the Philippine Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Together with other Philippine scouting advocates, he became one of the charter members of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines in 1936.

Upon the death of Manuel Camus in 1949, Vargas was unanimously chosen by the National Executive Board to serve as the president and chief scout of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. He served the position of national president until 1961. He became a member of the World Scout Committee of the World Organization of the Scout Movement from 1951 to 1957.

Vargas was awarded the blackBronze Wolf in 1959 and received other awards including the Silver Tamaraw (Philippines), Silver Fox (Canada), Silver Ibex (Austria), Silver Wolf (UK), and in 1959 also received the highest distinction of the Scout Association of Japan, the Golden Pheasant Award. He also became the first recipient of the Tanglaw ng Kabataan (Light of the Youth) Award of the BSP in 1961.

Death

Vargas in 1978

Vargas died on February 22, 1980, in Manila, Philippines at the age of 89.

Honours

Gallery

  • Vargas ''(in white)'' with Japanese General Homma, 1943 Vargas ''(in white)'' with Japanese General Homma, 1943

See also

References

  1. Appointed by Manuel L. Quezon as head of the Civilian Emergency Administration, December 30, 1941; then appointed by Masaharu Homma as head of government, January 23, 1942
  2. Concepcion, G. L. (n.d.). The Jorge B. Vargas Art Collection as a Microcosm of Art during the Commonwealth. p. 4. Retrieved March 2, 2022 – via Academia.edu. Jorge Bartolome Vargas (1890-1980) became well known...
  3. ^ Boy Scouts of the Philippines (2001). On My Honor. Manila: Boy Scouts of the Philippines. pp. 136–137.
  4. "History of the POC". Philippine Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on March 5, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
  5. Galang, Zoilo M. (1932). Leaders of the Philippines: Inspiring Biographies of Successful Men and Women of the Philippines. Manila: National Publishing Company.
  6. ^ "About Jorge B. Vargas". Vargas Museum. August 24, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  7. Philippine Carnival Association (1927). Manila Carnival Commercial and Industrial Fair a Recreation Center 1927. Manila: Philippine Carnival Association. p. 25.
  8. "Japan Is Warned by Puppet Envoy of Manila's Fate". Oakland Tribune. February 3, 1945. pp. 2D.
  9. 䝪䞊䜲䝇䜹䜴䝖日本連盟 きじ章受章者 [Recipient of the Golden Pheasant Award of the Scout Association of Japan] (PDF). Reinanzaka Scout Club (in Japanese). May 23, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 11, 2020.
  10. "Filipino Recipients of Japanese Decorations and Japanese Recipients of Philippine Decorations". Official Gazette. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2022.

Further reading

Government offices
Preceded byVicente Morente Director-General of the Philippine Carnival Association
1921–1922 		Succeeded byArsenio Luz
Political offices
Preceded byIsabelo de los Reyes Vice Mayor of Manila
1932–1940 		Succeeded byCarmen Planas
New office Executive Secretary
1936–1941 		Succeeded byManuel Roxas
Preceded byManuel L. Quezon Secretary of National Defense
1941 		Succeeded byBasilio Valdez
New office Mayor of the City of Greater Manila
1941–1942 		Succeeded byLeón Guinto
Preceded byJuan Nolascoas Mayor of Manila
Preceded byMasaharu Hommaas Japanese Military Administration Presiding Officer of the Philippine Executive Commission
(de facto Head of Government)
1942–1943 		Succeeded byJose P. Laurelas President of the Philippines
Preceded byPedro Paternoas Prime Minister of the Philippines Ministries involved
1943–1945 		Succeeded byFerdinand Marcosas Prime Minister of the Philippines
City of Manila
Capital of the Philippines
Topics
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Mixed-use developments
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Legislative districts
Prime ministers of the Philippines
Mayors of Manila
Appointed Manila City Hall
Elected
*Appointed by the president of the Philippines as officer in charge after the People Power Revolution.
Presidents of the Philippine Olympic Committee
PAAF Era
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