About Cereb

THE CEREB STORY

By ANGELO Z. FAJARDO

The story of CEREB, necessarily calls for a trace-back on the origin of REALTORISM, touching on the births of the National Association of Realtors Boards (NAREB) and of the Philippine Association of Realtors Boards (PAREB), by the grandfather and father respectively of Cebu Realtors Board (CEREB).

Organized real estate boards had its beginning in Chicago, USA in 1908, when NAREB was organized and a Code of Ethics was adapted for its members. To identify the members of the boards, Charles N. Chadburn coined the term REALTOR, which NAREB adapted as the official designation for the members of good standing of NAREB.

REALTORISM started in the Philippines with the organization in November 7, 1938, of the Manila Realty Board, later incorporated and renamed Manila Board of Realtors, by C.M. Hoskins.  In February 3, 1953, NAREB recognizing the Manila Board of Realtors as a national organization, accredited it as a member of NAREB, authorizing it to license its members to use the term REALTOR.  Federico Calero, then president of Manila Board of Realtors, was elected director of NAREB.

In 1955, Antonio Varias, who succeeded Calero, felt that the conversation of the Manila Board of Realtors into a national association with only one other member board, Davao, would not reflect as a national organization until more boards are organized in urban areas in the Philippines, to form as the nucleus.

Real estate brokers from all over the Philippines, lost no time organizing realty boards in their respective areas.  Alfredo A. Buot, Sr., organized in February 20, 1960, the Cebu Realty Board, later changed to Cebu Realtors Board, submitting to he Securities Exchange Commission its incorporation papers listing Alfredo A. Buot, Sr., president, Domingo E. Alvarico, Norberto L. Dayrit, Felix M. Lagrito, Jesus A. Matinez, and Edilberto Osmeña, board directors, as incorporators.  However, it was only in March 31, 1960 that the incorporation papers was approved, thus making this date officially the day of the birth of the Cebu Realtors Board, now known as PAREB – Cebu Realtors Board.

After the formation of Cebu Realty Board, upon the invitation of Antonio Varias, Alfredo A. Buot, Sr., helped in the formation of the Philippine Association of Realtors Boards, (PAREB) on May 15, 1960, making Alfredo A. Buot, Sr., one of fifteen incorporators and establishing CEREB as charter member of PAREB.

With the formation of an expanded PAREB, PAREB was designated as the consultative body in the national level by the Bureau of Commerce.

Thereafter, an agreement between NAREB and PAREB was signed on November 2, 1960 at the ceremonial hall of Malacañang Palace, witnessed by then Pres. Carlos P. Garcia and US Ambassador to the Philippines John D. Hickerson.  In accordance with the agreement, NAREB authorized PAREB to use the US patented term Realtor and license member boards of PAREB to use said patented term REALTOR and the emblem seal or logo “R”.  Later, NAREB changed its name to NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of REALTORS, or NAR.

At that time, one doesn’t have to take an examination to become a licensed real estate broker.  In the early months of 1964, the Bureau of Commerce, which supervises and regulates the practice of real estate business, announced that a brokers examination will be a prerequisite for licensing.  CEREB conducted a seminar in preparation for the first real estate broker’s examination to be given by the Bureau of Commerce in Cebu City on October 31, 1964.  Out of the 64 participants in the seminar who took the examination, 18 passed and 7 joined CEREB.

Realtor Alfredo Buot, Sr. the charter president of CEREB served for five years.  He was succeeded by his son, Atty. Samuel Buot as president who served for two years.  Samuel Buot has the distinction as the first Cebuano elected to the presidency of PAREB.

After the father and son Buots, 23 other members of CEREB subsequently ascended the presidency of CEREB, namely – Domingo Alsay; Justo Ortiz; Antonio Osmeña; Robert Casals; Eugene Amores; Herbert Buot; Angelo Z. Fajardo; Manuel Del Rosario; Ferdinand Buot; Tirso A.C. Ferrer; Alfonso Realista; Rogelio M. Chavez; Vicente T. Villamala; Eleuterio P. Ongvaño; Roberto Pacana; Eduardo Sarabosing; Abundio C. Gultiano, Jr.; Ruth I. Pared es; Daisy J. Kokseng; S otero H.Y. Bathan; Rex G. Carampatana; Fulge ncio C. Yu; and the current president Purificacion T. Cabahug.

Three past CEREB presidents, Samuel Buot, Eleuterio Ongvaño and Eduardo Sarabosing became PAREB national presidents.  The rest of the CEREB presidents served PAREB as either vice presidents or national directors, at one time or another.  All served with meritorious distinctions as officers of PAREB, a credit to the leadership qualities of the members of CEREB.

But it was not really an easy and smooth going through all the years of CEREB existence. CEREB had to weather some critical and trying times, particularly during the martial law years.  Those were the times, when Cebu real estate activities and development were practically at a stand still.  That was a time when the then incumbent CEREB president referred to the members of the Cebu Realtors Baord as the “starving Realtors”.  At this point in time, it appeared that CEREB was about to die a natural death.  But Realtor Antonio V. Osmeña, son of a distinguished charter member Edilberto Osmeña, personally persevered to keep CEREB afloat.  He called on 2 or 3 past presidents of CEREB to seek a solution to the crippling problem of CEREB.   Realtor Osmeña’s persistence paid off with the emergence of Eleuterio Ong Vaño who took up the cudgels for CEREB, in initiating reforms within PAREB in answer to the demands for reforms called for by CEREB.  As a fitting reward for his outstanding efforts, he was elected PAREB president.

Presently, CEREB is in its 45th years of existence, as we look to more challenging years ahead of us.