09/09/2026
As we commemorate the 148th birth anniversary of President Sergio Osmeña, let us look back on the enduring legacy of President Osmeña and General Carlos P. Romulo.
During the Commonwealth period, General Carlos P. Romulo served as the Resident Commissioner to the United States Congress from 1944 to 1946. Following the untimely death of President Manuel L. Quezon in August 1944, Vice President Sergio Osmeña stepped into the presidency, and Romulo became a vital political extension of the Osmeña administration in Washington. Operating as a trusted ally to Osmeña, Romulo fought tirelessly in the U.S. Congress to secure the medical aid and financial support a war-torn Philippines desperately needed.
Their partnership also extended to the front lines of the war. On October 20, 1944, President Sergio Osmeña and Brigadier General Carlos P. Romulo waded ashore together with General Douglas MacArthur at Red Beach in Palo, Leyte, marking the triumphant return of the Allied forces and the beginning of the liberation of the Philippines.
A photograph capturing this historic bond between Romulo and Osmeña is currently on display as part of the "IMPETUS: Romulo: Architect of Diplomacy" special gallery at the NHCP Presidential Car Museum.
