historically, Barngay Hipodromo, before its official creation as of the eighty (80) barangays of Cebu City, is part of Barangay Mabolo.
before the war or what they call then as the "peace time" period, there was a place in Barangay Mabolo frequented by Horse Racing aficionados not only in Cebu City, but in the entire Cebu Province. this is a horse track, where horse racing are regularly conducted and people, especially the horse racing aficionados, usually hang around to watch and even bet their money and horse racing competition.
for years the horse racing became part of the lifestyle of the people. but after the war the horse racing conducted at the oval called "hippodrome" was no longer profitable, owning perhaps to the change in the lifestyle and interest of the people. thus, the horse racing business was closed and the horse race track was also closed.
the hippodrome or horse race track was abandoned and laid idle for years. its structures were either destroyed by the elements, stolen by scavengers, or simply had worn out due to the passing of time.
in the late 1950's, a huge conflagration gutted down hundred of houses along the thickly populated areas of Cebu City, rendering thousands of families homeless and were left to seek temporary shelter at government schools and even in open public places. then Cebu City Mayor Sergio Osmeña Jr., the reigning City mayor at that time, was confused and having a hard time then where to locate or relocate the fire victims as they could no longer re-build their houses at the burnt area since it was privately owned the owners thereof no longer allow re-occupation to the fire victims.
by stroke of fate, Mayor Serging Osmeña decided to use the old and abandoned horse race track oval or hippodrome as re-location site for the fire victims. thus, started the occupational and the so called "migration" of people on the hippodrome or the horse race track oval.
starting with the fire victims, other people also "migrated" to the place and built their houses, or even makeshifts to be called their own dwelling places. since, the place is generally confined in the race track oval, people banding, camaraderie, and friendship readily started and easily ignited into one compact and cohesive group of people determined to carve a destiny of their own and provide their own identity.
thus early leaders in the place, which was one part of Barangay Mabolo and in fact one of the sitiosof the latter, decided to from a movement to secede from Barangay Mabolo and form or created a new Barangay, which was later named HIPODROMO, which was taken from the term, "hippodrome" or horse race track oval, the earlier identity of teh place before they came.
and finally in early 1960's the place received its official recognition in the Charter officialy creating a Barangay Hipodromo as one of the eighty (80) barangays of Cebu City. this happens during the reign of then Cebu City Mayor Serging Osmeña.
it can now be said that in the histiry of Barangay Hipodrmo, its name is coined from the term "hippodrome", which literally means horse race track oval.
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