cuenco was also known as a prolific writer. he was the publisher of the spanish–language newspaper "el precursor" of cebu, a newspaper which ran from 1907 until the eve of world war ii. in 1947, he founded "the republic". in 1926, he became a member of the academia filipina correspondiente de la real española de la lengua. he was honored by the spanish government with the decoration gran cruz de isabela la catolica and by the holy see with the decoration "pro ecclesia et pontifice".