Jan Michael Salaveria Dawnjee Marie Abihay Spanish Colonial Period
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History of the Local Government of Bacolod city Submitted By: Jan Michael Salaveria Dawnjee Marie Abihay Spanish colonial period elevated into the status of a small town in 1575,[1 protection of San Sebastián (English: Saint Sebastian) sometime in the middle of the 18th century. A corre Bacolod was not established as a town until 1755 or the villagers transferred from the coast to a hilly area called Bacólod. Bernardino de los Santos became the first gobernadorcillo (English: municipal judge or governor). The town of Bacolod was constituted as a parroquia (English: parish) in 1788 under the secular clergy, but did not have a resident priest until 1802, as the town was served by the priest from Bago, and later Binalbagan. By 1790, slave raids on Bacolod by Moro pirates had ceased.[14] On 11 February 1802, Fr. Eusebio Laurencio became acting parish priest of Bacolod. In September 1806, Fr. León Pedro was appointed interim parish priest and the following year became the first regular parish priest.[15] In September 1817, Fray (English: Friar) Julián Gonzaga from Barcelona was appointed as the parish priest. He encouraged the people to settle once again near the sea. He also encouraged migration to Bacolod and the opening of lands to agriculture and industry.[15] In 1846, upon the request of Msgr. Romualdo Jimeno, bishop of Cebu and Negros at that time, Gobernador General (English: Governor-General) Narciso Clavería y Zaldúa sent to Negros a team of Recollect missionaries headed by Fr. Fernando Cuenca.[13] A decree of 20 June 1848 by Gobernador General Clavería ordered the restructuring of Negros politically and religiously. The following year (1849), Negros Island Gobernadorcillo Manuel Valdevieso y Morquecho transferred the capital of the Province of Negros from Himamaylan to Bacolod and the Augustinian Recollects were asked to assume spiritual administration of Negros, which they did that same year. Transfer of Bacolod to the Recollects, however, took place only in 1871.[14] Fray Mauricio Ferrero became the first Augustinian Recollect parish priest of Bacolod and successor to the secular priest, Fr. Mariano Ávila.[15] In 1863, a compulsory primary public school system was set up.[16][17] In 1889, Bacolod became the capital of Occidental Negros when the Province of Negros was politically divided into the separate provinces of Occidental Negros (Spanish: Negros Occidental) and Oriental Negros (Spanish: Negros Oriental). Negros Revolution Main article: Negros Revolution Last page of the Acta de Capitulación (English: Surrender Document). The success of the uprising in Bacolod was attributed to the low morale of the local Spanish detachment, due to its defeat in Panay and Luzon and to the psychological warfare waged by Generals Aniceto Lacson and Juan Araneta. In 1897, a battle in Bacolod was fought at Matab-ang River. A year later, on November 5, 1898, the Negrense Revolucionarios (English: Negrense Revolutionary Army), armed with knives, bolos, spears, and rifle-like nipa palm stems, and pieces of sawali or amakan mounted on carts, captured the convento (English: convent), presently Palacio Episcopal (English: Bishop's Palace), where Coronel (English: Colonel) Isidro de Castro y Cisneros, well-armed cazadores (English: hunters) and platoons of Guardias Civiles (English: Civil Guards), surrendered. Cantonal Republic of Negros Main article: Republic of Negros On 7 November 1898, most of the revolutionary army gathered together to establish a provisional junta and to confirm the elections of Aniceto Lacson as president, Juan Araneta as war-delegate, as well as the other officials. For a brief moment, the provinces of Occidental Negros and Oriental Negros were reunited under the cantonal government of the Negrense Revolucionarios, from 6 November 1898 to the end of February 1899, making Bacolod the capital. On March 1899, the American forces led by Colonel James G. Smith occupied Bacolod, the revolutionary capital of República Cantonal de Negros (English: Cantonal Republic of Negros). American colonial period República de Negros became a U.S. territory on April 30, 1901. Negros was once again separated, reverting Bacolod to its status as the capital of Occidental Negros. The public school of Instituto Rizal (English: Rizal Institute) opened its doors to students on 1 July 1902.[18] Colegio de Nuestra Señora de la Consolación (English: College of Our Lady of Consolation), the first private institution in the province of Negros Occidental, was established in Bacolod by the Augustinian sisters on March 11, 1919 and opened in July 1919.[19][20] A historic event took place in 1938 when Municipality of Bacolod was elevated into a city through Commonwealth Act No. 326 passed by the 1st National Assembly of the Philippines creating the City of Bacolod.[21] Assemblyman Pedro C. Hernaez of the second district of Negros Occidental sponsored the bill. The law was passed on June 18, 1938. Bacolod was formally inaugurated as a chartered city on October 19, 1938 by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 404,[22] highlighted by the visit of Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezón. President Quezón appointed Alfredo Montelíbano, Sr. as the first city mayor of Bacolod.[23] Japanese occupation and Allied liberation In World War II, Bacolod City was occupied by the Japanese forces on May 21, 1942. Lieutenant General Takeshi Kono, the Japanese commanding officer of the 77th Infantry Brigade, 102nd Division, seized the home of Don (English: Sir) Mariano Ramos, the first appointed Presidente Municipal (English: Municipal President) of Bacolod, which served as the seat of power and the watchtower of the city. The city was liberated by joint Filipino and American forces on May 29, 1945. It took time to rebuild the city after liberation. The local military built and established of the general headquarters and camp bases of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was active on 1942 to 1946 and the 7th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary was active on 1944 to 1946 and they stationed and located in Bacolod City during World War II. Independent Philippines When the country finally gained complete independence from the United States, the city's public markets and slaughterhouses were rebuilt during the administration of former mayor Vicente Remitió from 1947 to 1949. In 1948, a fire razed a portion of the records section of the old city hall that consumed the rear end of the building and with it, numerous priceless documents of the city.[24] When Batas Pambansa Blg. 51 was approved on December 22, 1979 and came into effect in 1980, the chartered City of Bacolod was converted into a highly urbanized city. The political relations with Negros Occidental were severed and the residents effectively lost their eligibility to vote for provincial officials because of this new status.[25] In January 1985, the original hardwood and coral structure of Palacio Episcopal was almost entirely destroyed by a fire. Among the damage of the raging fire were items of significant historical value. The reconstruction of Palacio which took more than two years, was completed in 1990.[26] .