Onofre Guevara, Labor Secretary

Atty. Onofre Guevara, Labor Secretary

Onofre Posadas Guevara was born on March 25, 1914 to Vivencio Guevara and Leonarda dela Cruz Posadas of Poblacion area.

According to relatives and acquaintances, Guevara had a very outspoken and straightforward personality. He was a good orator in English and Spanish. He initially joined the seminary in nearby Binmaley town, but switched professions to become a lawyer.

He reached the height of his career when he served as Undersecretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor during the presidency of Diosdado Macapagal.

Prior to being Undersecretary of Labor, he was also president of the Malacañang Press Corps under the term of then President Manuel Roxas.

Guevara took up law in Manuel L. Quezon University. He became a court interpreter when he first started practicing law. He was a labor lawyer, thus ushering a long-time friendship with Cipriano Cid, founder of Philippine Association of Free Labor Unions or PAFLU. When Mr. Cid died, Guevara then took over the reins of one of the most formidable labor unions at that time.

He attempted to join politics by running for a seat as district representative/assemblyman, but he was defeated. He died of a heart attack a few months after his last attempt.

(Informants: his only surviving daughter, Susan Guevara; Andrea F. Payumo; Noel Guevara; photos courtesy of Noel Guevara and Susan Guevara; Joey Ferrer)