Manuel Tría Fuentebella (October 11, 1889 – February 26, 1955) was the Member of the
Philippine House of Representatives
The House of Representatives (; '','' thus commonly referred to as ''Kamara'') is the lower house of Congress, the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, with the Senate of the Philippines as the upper house. The lower house is commonly refe ...
from
Camarines Sur
Camarines Sur (; ), officially the Province of Camarines Sur (Central Bikol language, Bikol: ''Probinsya kan Habagatan na Camarines''; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region on Luzon. Its ca ...
's
2nd
A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI).
Second, Seconds, The Second, or (The) 2nd may also refer to:
Mathematics
* 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'')
* Minute and second of arc, ...
District from 1925 to 1931 in the
7th and
8th Philippine Legislature
The 8th Philippine Legislature was the meeting of the legislature of the Philippine Islands under the sovereign control of the United States from 1928 to 1930.
Sessions
Leadership
Senate
* President: Manuel L. Quezon ( 5th District, Na ...
.
Early life and education
Manuel Fuentebella was born on October 11, 1889, in
Sagñay,
Ambos Camarines to then
Ambos Camarines Governor
Mariano Fuentebella and Perpetua Tria. His brother was former legislator ambassador and foreign affairs adviser
Jose Fuentebella. He graduated from the
University of Santo Tomas
The University of Santo Tomas (UST; ), officially the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines or colloquially as ''Ustê'' (), is a Private university, private Catholic school, Catholic researc ...
medical school and practiced medicine in his hometown of
Sagñay.
Political and professional career
He was elected to the
7th and
8th Philippine Legislature
The 8th Philippine Legislature was the meeting of the legislature of the Philippine Islands under the sovereign control of the United States from 1928 to 1930.
Sessions
Leadership
Senate
* President: Manuel L. Quezon ( 5th District, Na ...
as a representative of
Camarines Sur
Camarines Sur (; ), officially the Province of Camarines Sur (Central Bikol language, Bikol: ''Probinsya kan Habagatan na Camarines''; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region on Luzon. Its ca ...
and served two terms from 1925 to 1931.
During his term in Congress, he chaired the Philippine Assembly's Committee on Women's Suffrage and was instrumental in the passage of the law that gave women the right to vote. He also proposed a hospital to be set up in each municipality and led medical missions in
Camarines Sur
Camarines Sur (; ), officially the Province of Camarines Sur (Central Bikol language, Bikol: ''Probinsya kan Habagatan na Camarines''; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region on Luzon. Its ca ...
.
His first love was writing. An ardent nationalist, he wrote poems in Spanish and Bicol about love and patriotism, notably "The Arrow" which describes the arrow that native Bul-og shot against the Lion of Castille and the Eagle of America.
He was also an
orator
An orator, or oratist, is a public speaker, especially one who is eloquent or skilled.
Etymology
Recorded in English c. 1374, with a meaning of "one who pleads or argues for a cause", from Anglo-French ''oratour'', Old French ''orateur'' (14 ...
and a composer. His early musical compositions, presented by nephews and cousins, were staged in the towns.
Manuel stepped away from the public limelight to continue his medical practice, but politics never left him and he remained an adviser to his brother
Jose.
The Dr. Manuel Fuentebella Memorial Hospital in
Sagñay is named after him.
Death
He died of a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
on February 26, 1955.
References
* Building Institutions: The Fuentebella Legacy by Coylee Gamboa
* http://www.congress.gov.ph/ Official Congress Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Funetebella, Manuel
1889 births
1955 deaths
Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Camarines Sur
Manuel
University of Santo Tomas alumni
Members of the Philippine Legislature